Do you have one resume for all of your job applications or do you tailor your resume each time you apply for a new job? Every cover letter and resume should be tailored for the specific job for which you are applying. What do you look for?
- Education Criteria – Do you meet the required level? Is it asking for a certain level of education or does it ask for a combination of education and experience? It is important to clearly state all education factors that you have to ensure that the hiring board can assess this criteria.
- Work Experience – What specific experience does the position require? Does it state that you must have experience for a specific period of time, i.e. one year’s experience? If so, your resume must reflect how long you have been in each job so the selection board can establish that you meet the required timelines.
- Cover letter vs. Resume – Does the advertisement state that you must include a cover letter or does it state that you must clearly outline in your resume how you meet the required qualifications? If it states that you must outline the details in your resume, then don’t assume that putting information in your cover letter will be enough. If the job advertisement says put it in the resume, that’s where the information needs to be.
Your entire application must address specifically what the advertisement is requesting. The extra work and time involved in tailoring your cover letter and resume for each job for which you apply could be the difference between getting the interview or not being considered further for the job.
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