Editor’s note: Each year, by request, we publish a series of articles intended to help people get – and keep – a job. This is the second in the four-part series. Next is “How to interview.”

By Charles Winslow Story published July 15, 2022 / v09e14pA4

While researching the availability of local jobs I was surprised to see how many businesses now direct applicants to their website to apply for a job. I was also surprised to see that many of these jobs now require more than just an application, they require a professional resume and a cover letter.

This column is intended to give a bit of guidance to those who are not familiar with resume writing and to make it a little less intimidating. It’s based on my perspective – as the guy who gets to read those submitted to our business and this newspaper.

There are a lot of different opinions on what makes a good resume and I am not going to tell you what specifically to write. Each resume and cover letter should be unique, so spend some time doing research or talk to someone who writes these things professionally. I am, instead, going to give you some insight on what many employers look for.

First, let’s go over what a resume is. It is simply a summary of your education, experience and qualifications. It represents who you are to a potential employer and writing a resume is often the first and perhaps most important step in getting many jobs.

The cover letter is a separate page that introduces you, explains your purpose for writing, highlights a little of your experience and requests an opportunity to meet personally with the potential employer.

Let’s get something straight here: You may very well be the best person for a job, but if your resume and cover letter are poorly written, you will never get a chance to prove it. It doesn’t matter if you are applying for a management position or a job spraying manure out of storage tanks – spelling still counts!

You should know that your resume is likely going to be read by someone in a Human Resources office hundreds of miles away from a job site and who probably hasn’t a clue what skills are actually needed for the job for which you are applying. You will initially be judged on things you may not think matters – such as spelling and punctuation.

When we post a position for a reporter, the first thing we do is go through and toss out resumes with errors and cover letters that didn’t specifically address the position we advertised. Sounds harsh? Too bad. If someone can’t be bothered to make sure their resume is correct or look up who we are, what will they do on the job?

A resume with mistakes on it is seen as an indication the applicant is either lazy or illiterate and a generic cover letter shows, at least to us, that the person applying couldn’t be bothered to make sure they would be a good fit with our business.

Always have someone proofread your resume and cover letter before you send it out.

Let’s start with some of the basics. You are providing your name, address, phone number and an email address. The very first thing you should assume is that someone reviewing your application will spend some time online Googling you.

So, take a few minutes and see what is going to show up when you do an online search of your own email address.

From experience, I can tell you I have seen things that have made me laugh so hard I spit out coffee. I have also seen some things that were so disturbing they made me gasp in horror. Your online posts from over a decade ago are still linked to your email address and you would be either amused or really horrified by what some people write and upload.

Ditch your personalized email address that you use for blogs, social media and posting on Craigslist and set up a new and clean account. It’s better to have a new Yahoo or gmail address with just your name on it than having posts from years ago pop up and haunt you. You also do not want to have someone see a personalized email address and think it will define what type of employee you will be or your current maturity level. Lovemonkey96, hellraiser202 or Methhead will not get you a job.

Change the privacy settings on your Facebook account so a potential employer cannot see what is posted on your wall. You do not want your resume tossed because someone looked you up and does not agree with your politics, humor or like what has been written. Like it or not, we do look and, depending on the position, what we see is often taken into consideration. It may sound unfair but it is a fact of life.

If you are job hunting, your voice mail should be set up and working. You will often get only one phone call, so you should make sure your outgoing message is something short and professional. Sounding ghetto, thuggish or really cutesy will certainly not help. Again, it will be seen as defining who you are. If the music I am supposed to “enjoy” while being connected sounds like cats fighting, gives me a thundering head­ache or makes me want to commit suicide after listening to it, forget it.

Let’s go over some specifics.

Your cover letter is your introduction and, because first impressions count, take some time and write a good one. One important thing to remember is it will show an employer how well you communicate.

Your letter should be limited to one page, brief and to the point. It should demonstrate some knowledge of the business and the position. Convey confidence, optimism and enthusiasm.

Make sure that if you reference a certain skill or experience in the cover letter, it is also in the resume.

When writing the resume:

OBJECTIVE

Most resume formats include an objective statement. Yes, your objective is to get hired, be given a corner office, a company car and be paid lots of money. We get that.

The objective statement is one of the things I read to see if someone actually knows who we are and what we do. It will re-enforce what is in the cover letter. The objective should be customized to, at least, the general position and to the industry.

Again, with the reporter’s position we posted, I filed all of the resumes that came in that did not indicate the applicant knew what the position was. I circular filed them … in the trash can right next to my desk.

EXPERIENCE: KEEP IT SHORT!

Unless you are going for an upper-level management position, or applying for a position where you are expected to list specific individual projects on which you have worked, the standard resume length is ONE page. Listing several pages of jobs dating back to when you were a kid doesn’t help.

If you need to shorten the list of jobs you have had or have changed careers you can put “RELEVANT EXPERIENCE” on the top of a list of jobs that show you are suited for the position you are seeking.

I changed careers. While some of the jobs I once held are relevant to my current career path, others are not. Include what will make you look good and is RELEVANT.

Make sure the dates are correct. I will give a resume a quick scan to make sure the dates seem correct and that there are no major gaps in employment or overlaps in dates. Both can be seen as a potential problem. Be prepared to explain both.

Gaps in employment are not necessarily a kiss of death, by the way. If you left the workforce, for example, to raise children or take care of a sick relative, explain that – when asked. An employer will usually understand.

When you list the businesses you worked for at the very least list the city and state the company is in. If you do not provide this basic information, then it will look like you are hiding something.

Use professional language and avoid abbreviations. As I said before, you should assume the person who is first going to read your resume is not local and has no idea what the position does or what the requirements are.

Unless you are using a common abbreviation, such as OSHA, you should avoid using them all together. Write out the words so the reader will know to what you are referring. Abbreviations may have different meanings in different regions. For example, if you state that you have been trained in DOH safety procedures, in West Virginia, DOH is understood to be Department of Highways. In New York State DOH is Department of Health.

Be careful using slang and always assume the person reading your resume has no clue what an industry-specific term means. If you have worked on an oil well, then make sure your job description indicates you worked on an oil well. If you work in the oil and gas field, you may assume that everyone knows what a tool dresser is, for example. When I first heard the term I wondered why the hell you would put a dress on a tool.

Don’t make stuff up or pad your resume. It can be tempting to add a little embellishment to your resume and hope you can get away with it. The risk is you will be called out on it during an interview. I will admit I made the mistake of doing this once. I got caught and ended up looking like a prized jackass.

EDUCATION, TRAINING, CERTIFICATIONS, AWARDS

When I am reviewing resumes, I look at what skills a potential employee has that I may need in the future, as well as what they bring to the table now.

Put down your education, certifications and any awards you may have won, even if you do not think it is relevant to the position.

Applicants will sometimes fail to list a liberal arts degree if they are applying for a position in the trades. Trust me when I tell you that your degree in basket weaving or music history will put you ahead of someone who doesn’t have a degree in the eyes of the people who will be deciding your employment fate.

The same goes for any military experience you may have. If you were honorably discharged from the military you should definitely list your service. Some companies look for tax credits, other employers will consider you simply as a “thank you.”

Now I am going to go over briefly what you should not include on a resume.

Do NOT volunteer personal information. There are certain questions an employer may not ask during an interview and there is certain information you should not provide before you are hired. This includes your marital status or if you have children. Also, do not list your age or your health.

Personally, I would avoid anything that would indicate your religious affiliation unless it is part of your employment history.
Do NOT put your social security number on your resume or cover letter.

Avoid listing volunteer work or affiliations that may indicate you may have an agenda or may be a problem employee. While volunteer work should be applauded, listing agenda-driven volunteerism on a resume will make a potential employer wonder if your personal views would interfere with the work.

Listing hobbies is open to debate and often the decision to include them will depend on the company or the position. I do know, for example, that some railroads will not hire someone who lists they are rail fans.

And, finally, do not provide references when submitting your resume unless you are specifically asked to do so.

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