a little advice needed with my job search...any help appreciated

[Blue_Tires]

for those that know me, they know that my job search and prospects have been arid for a long time now...I figure it's time to really try to jazz up my resume/cover letter, but I have a couple of issues--1. I don't want to use the generic 'resume builder' in MS Word like the rest of the others anymore, and 2. I want my cover letter to reflect my varied career experiences (contemplating a career change) from journalism to possibly something else (i.e., whatever field I'm applying into)...

I guess my question is, does anyone have experience with resume builders/services/critiques either online or in real life? Does anyone have advice on how to better direct my job search? I do have other questions, but let's deal with these for now...TIA

[bettyellen]

1. there's a group for this with lots of good stuff

links and advice, etc.
do you want me to post your query there?

[Blue_Tires]

4. please

i can provide more detail if needed

[Jade Fox]

2. Cover letter secret....

What people don't tell you about cover letters is this: You need to reveal something about who you are in cover letters. Personalize yourself, and in such a way that relates to the job your applying for.

I learned this when I was part of hiring at my last job. Someone put in her cover letter that it was her dream in life to work for our organization. Shameless? Sure, but you know what--it worked. The man who started the organization loved it.

I tried something similar when I was job-hunting: In one cover letter I made a comment on how important I thought the work of the organization was in the light of certain societal attitudes they must be confronted with. In another I said it would be a privilege to work with the organization's clients because of what I would learn from them. BOTH of these letters were praised and commented on specifically by the people who received them. In one of the cases the organizational leader wrote me personally to say that, although the position was filled, she wanted me to watch their website and be sure to apply for upcoming positions.

As for resumes', the shorter the better. Plowing through dozens of resumes is exhausting. The easier it is to get the gist of a person's background and skills, the better.

If I have one piece of advice about job-hunting, it's this: While for you your job hunt is about your needs, remember that for those doing the hiring, it's about THEIR needs. Design your resume/cover letter and interview to be about THEM.

Good luck!!:hi:

[Blue_Tires]

3. good info i can use....thanks!

[malmapus]

15. It's true!

I just finished my own job search and actually focused on my cover letters. Before I would just have my stamp one I would copy and paste.

But this time around, I would write why I was sending in my resume for that particular position that I was applying for. Sure enough, I got replies back and will start dream gig in 2 weeks :)

[Blue_Tires]

18. thanks

hope it works for me

[Blue_Tires]

5. kick of desperation

:donut: :dunce:

[Blue_Tires]

6. ttt n/t

[Capn Sunshine]

7. Have you tried the DU Careers group?

Lots of good info all in one place as a bonus for DUers :hi:

[Blue_Tires]

8. i tried it last year with little success...

maybe it is time to give it another try

[Blue_Tires]

11. was just reminded

i need to get my star back to post there....

[bridgit]

9. i use a 'historical' resume form, and i'd try to keep it on one page...

http://www.resume-help.org/resume_writing.htm :thumbsup:

[Blue_Tires]

10. clicking over there now

thank you

edit: i was a little taken aback by the prices of the services advertised (but this may be normal, since this is the first time i've ever looked into it)....$200 is kinda steep, imo

[bridgit]

12. yup, i don't begrudge folks making some money...but you can write it...

yourself after you check some of the resume templates, at least that way you'll understand exactly what's in it :thumbsup: ;-)

[Blue_Tires]

13. that's what i'm thinking as well....

[bridgit]

14. cheers...

:toast:

[Blue_Tires]

16. i also wanted to ask

about some decent resume-building programs where i just put in the info and it comes out all nice and formatted

[rbnyc]

17. I always personalize my cover letter AND resume for the particular job...

...I'm applying for. I think this is very important with the cover letter. Work up a basic template, but have some variables that are specific to each job you're applying for.

I've found that the cover letter was more important than the resume in most places where I've worked.

The main thing a cover letter has to do is:

1. Stand Out
2. Show something that can't be found in your resume
3. Show that you're directing your efforts toward this particular opportunity; you're not just job hunting in general.


Good luck.

[Blue_Tires]

19. that's what i've been doing as well

perhaps my stuff has just gotten stale

[Blue_Tires]

20. ttt one more time

[Blue_Tires]

21. couple more questions

sorry to kick the thread again, but i also wanted to ask about resume length--when is it all right to use TWO pages for a resume?

my (new) cover letter should be ready by tomorrow night...i'll post it here for critique