Tag: Resume Writing

How to Write a Cover Letter in 6 Easy Steps

WAI Staff
Hands typing out a cover letter on a laptop

Key Takeaways:

  • A quality cover letter is essential for making a good first impression.
  • When learning how to write a cover letter, it’s important to tailor it to the specific job you’re applying for rather than using a generic template. 
  • The best tips on how to write a cover letter are also often the simplest. Personalize it, proofread it, and make adjustments each time you apply. 

There’s no substitute for a good cover letter. Most recruiters expect them, and those who do will take the time to read them. This isn’t something to write off as unimportant. 

Your cover letter is typically submitted alongside your resume when you apply for a job. It tells the recruiter or hiring manager why you’re interested in the role, what makes you a good fit, how your skills or background are beneficial to the company, and what kind of experience you have. It’s your chance to showcase your personality and experience.

We believe everyone should know how to write a cover letter, as it can mean the difference between making an exceptional first impression or getting lost in the potentially hundreds of applicants that most companies receive daily. That’s exactly why we created this guide. 

How to Write a Cover Letter for Your Job Application

Writing a cover letter isn’t rocket science. We’ve broken it down into six simple steps that you can follow below.

1. Start With Your Header/Contact Information

    Your header should include your contact information so the recruiter or hiring manager knows how to reach you. Make sure it’s accurate. You don’t want to miss an opportunity because your phone number had a typo. This includes making sure your voicemail is empty so a message can be left. 

    Example header:

    Jane Doe

    1707 L Street NW, Suite 650, Washington, D.C. 20036

    (202) 659-2111

    resumes@whitmanjobs.com

    linkedin.com/in/janedoe

    2. Personalize Your Greeting

      If possible, address your cover letter to the person who’s going to receive your application. There’s a bit of extra effort involved, but that extra effort goes a long way. Not only is it more thoughtful, but it also shows the person you’re capable of doing research and going the extra mile. 

      Recommended greetings:

      • Dear Ms. Reynolds
      • Dear Daniel Kim
      • Dear Hiring Manager 
      • Dear Hiring Team

      Greetings to avoid:

      • To Whom It May Concern
      • Dear Sir or Madam
      • Hi or Hello

      If you’ve scoured the company’s website and LinkedIn page twice over and still can’t find the name of the person you’re looking for, “Dear Hiring Manager” is the best choice. 

      3. Make the First Paragraph Count

        One of the best tips on how to write a cover letter we can give you is to cut generic filler. 

        Instead, the opening paragraph should include a few things:

        • A quick explanation of the role you’re applying for.
        • How you found the role.
        • Why you’re interested in working with that company. 

        This is your chance to show you know the company you’re applying to. Keep it laser-focused and be specific.

        4. Build a Strong Second Paragraph

          The second paragraph should go into your background. Keep it relevant. The hiring manager likely doesn’t need to know about your part-time job as a barista in college. 

          This section usually includes:

          • One or two relevant responsibilities from your past roles
          • A measurable result or achievement 
          • Your experience with software or tools related to the role
          • Natural keywords from the job description

          Many large employers, particularly Fortune 500 companies, use applicant tracking systems (ATS) to review applications. It streamlines the process of reviewing thousands of applications, but it also means you have to put in a bit more effort to make sure your letter aligns with the role as closely as possible. Regardless of how a given employer uses their ATS, it’s important your information is clear and parsable. 

          We have an article about writing ATS-friendly resumes that has relevant crossover when it comes to crafting your cover letter. 

          Using relevant keywords is one of the most important aspects of how to write a cover letter for a modern job application.

          5. End With a Closing Paragraph That Accentuates Your Resume

            We’ve reviewed thousands of cover letters, and one thing we see often is those that feel like they run out of steam by the last paragraph. Too many applicants use this section to echo things they’ve already included in their resumes, which doesn’t do them any good. 

            Instead, take something from your resume, like a listed skill, achievement, or strength, and expand on it with an anecdote from your past job. If your resume says one of your skills is helping companies cut costs, this is your chance to give an example. How did you do it for them? Can you do it for the company you’re applying to? 

            Again, be brief. This isn’t a biography. However, an anecdote can show the person reading your resume how you apply your skills.

            6. Finish With a Professional Close

              Keep this part brief. Reaffirm your interest, thank the reader for their time, and let them know you look forward to hearing from them. 

              Additional Cover Letter Dos and Don’ts

              If you’re still working out how to write a cover letter that stands out, you can use these dos and don’ts as a checklist:

              Do:

              • Differentiate your cover letter from your resume.
              • Personalize it with the hiring manager’s name if possible.
              • Adjust your letter for each job you apply to.
              • Close with a professional phrase, such as “Respectfully” or “Sincerely”.

              Don’t:

              • Address it with a generic greeting, such as “To Whom It May Concern”.
              • Use incomplete sentences.
              • End on a weak note.
              • Forget to thank the reader.
              • Forget to sign your name on a hard copy.

              Put Your Cover Letter to Work

              Now that you know how to write a cover letter, the next step is putting it to use. However, if you want further guidance regarding your cover letter or any part of the application process, our team at Whitman Associates is happy to offer career advice.

              When you’re ready to apply for jobs, explore some of our current job openings here in the D.C. metro area.

              Resume Writing Tips and Tricks

              WAI Staff
              Resume checklist next to a laptop

              Key Takeaways:

              • Most of the top tips for resume writing include keeping content simple, relevant and easy to scan through.
              • Optimizing your resume for ATS is important, but never do so at the cost of it sounding unnatural.
              • Utilizing AI for resume writing can be helpful, but approach it cautiously.

              Your resume should evolve as frequently as your career does, so you should constantly be improving and editing it while on the job hunt. To help, here are some of our top tips for resume writing to keep in mind the next time you update your resume. At Whitman Associates every resume is reviewed personally by one of our recruiters, however it is still important to know how to use AI and optimize your resume for ATS.

              1. Make Sure Your Contact Information is Correct

                Our top resume writing tip may seem like a no-brainer, but ALWAYS include your contact information on your resume. An email address and phone number at a minimum are a must on your resume. 

                You don’t need to include your full street address on your resume, but it can be helpful to list your city so that hiring managers know you are in the area. 

                In the same vein, your phone number should be on your resume, so make sure your voicemail is set up and that you can receive messages. While you may not leave voicemails yourself, hiring managers will. When employers hear “mailbox not set up” or “mailbox is full,” this signals to them that you don’t really care if you find work or not. 

                Feel free to include your LinkedIn profile URL if you use LinkedIn regularly. 

                2. Send a Standard File

                Another resume writing tip is to send a Word document or a PDF version of your resume if possible. 

                Shared Google Docs can sometimes have accessibility issues, and you certainly don’t want to send a JPEG of your resume. If you’re serious about optimizing your resume for ATS, this is also important because standard file types are easier for employers and software systems to process correctly.

                3. Use Simple and Consistent Formatting

                A clean resume is much easier for an employer to scan through. Don’t use more than one font for the body and the heading. It’s also helpful to have standard section headings. Even if employers are not utilizing AI to review resumes, internal ATS tools help with searching skills and experience, which is also why it’s important to optimize your resume for ATS using straightforward layouts.

                Here’s an easy-to-follow formatting checklist: 

                • Keep the font simple and readable (such as a 10 or 12-point Times New Roman or Arial).
                • Use PDF or Word file types.
                • Keep the length anywhere from 1 to 2 pages. Longform 8 to 12 page governmental resumes don’t translate well to the private sector. 
                • Use clear and standardized section titles.
                • Make sure the layout is easy to scan.

                Another tip for writing your resume: avoid sending auto-generated Indeed or LinkedIn resume exports when you can. These inevitably have formatting issues when transmitted or emailed outside those platforms. It also tells your potential employer that you didn’t spend much time on your resume.

                4. Don’t Worry So Much About the One-Page Rule

                We see a lot of articles on tips for resume writing that scare job seekers out of creating resumes that are longer than one page. 

                A resume doesn’t have to be one page to be effective. If you have held several relevant positions, it’s completely reasonable to have two pages. What matters is whether the content earns the space. 

                Now, if you have a resume that’s longer than three pages, it’s probably a sign that you have some outdated or unrelated material that you can eliminate.

                5. Showcase Your Strongest and Most Relevant Experience

                Laptop showcasing an executive summary on a resume

                One of the most important tips for resume writing is to try to highlight the work that best matches the role you’re applying for. This might mean you have to make adjustments to your resume each time you send it out, but it also increases your chances of making the biggest impact.

                When listing out the responsibilities for each job, be intentional. If some responsibilities seem irrelevant, either omit them or put them toward the end. Employers don’t have all the time in the world to read through your resume, but if they can get an idea of your strengths and experience on an initial scan, you have a much better chance of making a good impression.

                Using AI for resume writing can be helpful for determining if something is relevant or not. 

                6. Use Active Writing

                An obvious sign of a weak resume is one that sounds passive or overly padded with extraneous adjectives.

                One of the best tips for writing resumes is to start bullet points with active verbs to show what you actually did.

                Use words like:

                • Managed
                • Coordinated
                • Created
                • Improved 
                • Led 
                • Organized

                For example, if you were responsible for handling employee onboarding paperwork at your last job, you might write:

                “Coordinated onboarding paperwork for new hires and maintained up-to-date records.” 

                7. Optimize Your Resume for ATS Without Sounding Robotic

                Optimizing a resume for ATS doesn’t mean stuffing it with a bunch of keywords.

                Instead, you should actually read through job descriptions and identify which terms the employer is prioritizing.

                Here are a few ATS optimizing tips for your resume:

                • Use standard headings (e.g., Experience, Skills, Education).
                • Pull relevant keywords from the job posting to use in your resume.
                • Match the employer’s language and writing style.
                • Don’t overdo it to the point where the writing sounds unnatural.

                8. Highlight the Results of Your Work

                One of the strongest tips for resume writing is to replace your generic duties with accomplishments. Employers respond to measurable value. If you have hard data that highlights some of your top achievements, include it in both your resume and cover letter:

                For instance, instead of this:

                “Responsible for vendor communication.”

                Try this:

                “Coordinated communication with 25+ vendors and reduced response delays by 34% by improving follow-up tracking.”

                Doing so shows scale, action and outcome. 

                9. Use AI Cautiously

                Using AI for resume writing can be helpful, but use it cautiously.

                AI is great for brainstorming and arranging ideas. It can also be a helpful starting point if you want to tailor your resume to different jobs. But if you depend on it completely, your resume will end up sounding generic.

                It’s up to you to re-write, edit and take tips to make it your own.

                Treat AI like a helpful friend. AYou can ask it for advice, but don’t blindly copy what it gives you. 

                10. Proofread, Proofread, Proofread

                If your resume says one of your strengths is “attention to detail,” yet it’s filled with spelling and grammar issues, you’re doing yourself a disservice. It’s one of the biggest resume mistakes we see job candidates make. Double-check (or triple-check) your resume before sending it out.

                Grammarly can be a helpful tool for catching any issues you may have missed during a manual proofread. 

                Send Out Your Resume!

                Of course, the whole point of sharing these tips for resume writing is to ensure you are building a 5-star resume that will help you secure a job. 

                At Whitman Associates, we see hundreds of resumes a week and want to share our tips with you. We work with many job seekers, some looking for temp opportunities to get their foot in the door and others who are looking for their next permanent role. To get started on the search for your next role, send your resume to resumes@whitmanjobs.com.

                5 Common Resume Mistakes To Avoid

                WAI Staff

                Having a great resume is key to being successful in your job search. Your resume is typically the first impression an employer has of you, so it’s important that it properly represents you. Recruiters often receive hundreds of resumes for each open position. To speed along their process, they’ll often throw away a resume as soon as they note certain mistakes. We don’t want you to fall into that trap! To help, we’ve listed five resume mistakes you need to avoid that job hunters often make.

                Scrabble letters spelling pause, breathe, resume.

                1. Spelling and Grammar Mistakes

                The most frequent resume mistakes are errors in spelling and grammar. Common resume mistakes like this are the easiest way to get your resume rejected because employers are likely to assume you are careless or sloppy in your work.

                Make sure to edit your resume several times before submitting it. It also helps to have someone else read it over — a new set of eyes is more likely to pick up on any small resume errors. Or, there are a plethora of free, online grammar and spell-check sites you can run your resume through before submitting it. Grammarly and Scribbr are two popular options.

                2. Length

                Submitting a resume that is too long or too short is one of the five common resume mistakes you need to avoid. While it’s important that your resume is not excessively long, you should not exclude relevant work experience just to fit everything on one page. You don’t want a potential employer to discount you because you left off relevant experience.

                At the same time, you don’t need to include every position you’ve had since the beginning of your career. Some of your past jobs might not be relevant to the current position you are applying for. Feel free to leave off the coffee bar you worked at through grad school if you have more relevant experience to include.

                However, having too short of a resume is also a common resume mistake. If you are a recent college grad or just out of high school and have only worked at one or two positions, try to expand upon your responsibilities to lengthen your work history. Also, you can include extracurricular activities you participated in if the experience you gained seems relevant to your career. 

                When expanding on specific positions, include quantitative details when describing your responsibilities. For example, if you worked as a sales representative, be sure to mention numbers such as your sales close rate, average deal, and number of sales per month.

                3. Too Much Personal Information

                Getting too personal is another one of the five common resume mistakes you need to avoid. Employers are going to hire you based on your work experience, not on your favorite hobbies. You can have a section for “Skills and Interests” on your resume, but you should avoid listing more than one or two interests unrelated to the job. It’s better to allow your interests to come up naturally. In a job interview, if your interviewer mentions their love of volleyball, then that would be an appropriate time to mention you share the same interest.

                It’s not necessary to mention your marital status or children on your resume — these are also common resume mistakes. Again, a potential employer is only interested in your professional background. 

                Don’t include your picture on your resume. At this stage of the application process, it is better to allow the recruiter to judge you solely based on your qualifications and work history — not your appearance. The exception is if you are applying for an acting or modeling role.

                Close-up image of a person writing with a pen

                4. Too Busy

                You want your resume to be easy for the recruiter to read, allowing them to quickly note how qualified you are for their position. Creating a resume that is too busy is an often overlooked one of the top five common resume mistakes you need to avoid. 

                For example, some people choose to use more than two fonts. Instead, keep it simple, so that an employer’s eye can easily follow your work history down the page. There is no need to go crazy with bold and italicized fonts in different colors.

                Avoid using borders and underlines to separate sections on your resume. As long as you have everything labeled appropriately, an employer will be able to understand it.

                5. Missing Critical Information

                Don’t make the common resume mistake of forgetting to include pertinent contact information. Make sure the header of your resume includes your full name, phone number and email address. You can also include a link to your LinkedIn profile or your address. If an employer doesn’t have your contact information, they won’t be able to reach you to set up an interview or offer you a job.

                Always list the month and year you started and finished each position on your resume. Job seekers avoid adding dates to their work history for various reasons, but this is a huge common resume mistake to avoid! Omitting dates makes employers feel that you are hiding something.

                List the appropriate job title for each of your positions. New employers will most likely conduct employment verifications on your work history and reference checks, so it’s important you have all the correct information. If there is a discrepancy with your job title or dates of employment, your new employer will be suspicious.

                Lastly, one of the biggest of the five resume mistakes you need to avoid is leaving off software or programs that you’ve used. Be sure to list these, especially since an employer may be screening resumes electronically, and you don’t want to be overlooked because of what you left out.

                Find Your Dream Job

                Keep these five easily avoidable common resume mistakes on hand next time you update your resume and you’ll be sure to land a great job in no time! If you’ve been struggling with the job search for some time, consider working with a staffing agency for a qualified partner in seeking your dream job.

                How to Build a 5-Star Job Resume

                WAI Staff

                Because everyone follows the same resume “rules,” many resumes start to look and sound the same. Do you make sure to include keywords in your CV so that scanning software will approve it? Are you listing your task responsibilities, achievements, and results with your work experience? Do you put in phrases that specifically relate to the required job skills from the original posting? All of these tactics are now well-known and don’t guarantee you’ll stand out from the crowd. If you want to craft a memorable, five-star resume, you’ll need a little help.

                At Whitman Associates, Inc., our team has spent years sifting and sorting through applications, so we know what building a job resume is all about. If you need tips for writing a good resume, turn to our experts for additional assistance.

                1. Treat Yourself as a Brand

                What is it about certain brands that give them value? How do you shop for the brands you want? HR, recruiters, and employment managers shop around for people to hire in a similar way. They want to find the person that’s the best fit for their needs. Instead of focusing on your career goals for the future, showcase what you can do for this company right now. When building your job resume, tailor it to the needs of the position you are applying for.

                2. Keep Your Search Precise

                In order to be efficient in your job search, read job postings carefully regarding skills and experience required. If you are missing some of the skills that are required, be sure to highlight the experience or skills that most closely line up with the job specifications instead of not sending your resume at all. Your career prospects lie in those job postings where you can show the areas that make you a good fit for the role. Extend this rule to building your resume; if you’re missing skills that are listed as requirements, highlight the next best related skill that you do feel proficient in.

                3. Read Directions Carefully

                Employers may weed out applicants by including specific directions in the application process. If you demonstrate an inability to follow these instructions properly, it could hurt your chances of being considered for the position. Is there a particular format they want for your cover letter? Are your introductory emails supposed to have a specific subject line? Be aware that the employer may be giving you specific directions on how to apply for the job in order to determine if you follow instructions and pay attention to detail. This could be used as yet another way of screening candidates for the position. The outcome of this hidden test may determine if you are moved on to the next step.

                4. Follow a Standardized Format

                When building a resume, adhere to an intuitive format that makes it easy for the reader to follow. There are many templates you can choose to use if you wish, but most will be variations on a few basic points:

                • Include your name and contact information in the header section
                • List your work experience in chronological order
                • Use bulleted lists to keep your information organized and easy to digest

                Proper formatting is one of the most important tips for writing a good resume because it makes it easy for employers to quickly gather relevant information about you and your qualifications.

                5. There’s No One-Size-Fits-All Approach

                You must personalize every cover letter and resume for the company and position. There’s no point in sending out the same information to every single place and hoping one of them will get you a callback. A resume that matches the company’s job description and qualifications will help you get an interview. Even if the position and requirements are the same, you will want to tailor the resume for that specific job and company culture.

                Now that you know all about building a resume, take a look at yours and explore the changes you can make to enhance it.

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                How Recruiters Read Your Resume

                WAI Staff

                Many employers enlist the help of staffing agencies to help them fill open positions, both permanent and temporary, which means your resume needs to get through a recruiter before it is ever seen by the hiring manager. So in order to optimize your resume for review by a recruiter, you need to know what goes through a recruiter’s head as they read it.

                Continue reading “How Recruiters Read Your Resume”

                The Most Important Part of Your Resume

                WAI Staff

                What is a resume? A document that showcases you as a professional and demonstrates to potential employers why you are the perfect fit for their open opportunity. The main purpose of your resume is to show why you are qualified for certain positions, but a lot of job seekers tend to forget this fact when applying to jobs. Don’t lose focus by spending too much time worrying about trivial aspects such as the length of your resume, the formatting, or the objective statement. The most important part of your resume is your work experience and how that experience applies to the jobs you are applying for.

                Continue reading “The Most Important Part of Your Resume”

                Customizing Your Resume and Cover Letter

                WAI Staff

                Searching for a new job is a job in itself, and you should treat it as such; work! Although it may be easy to send the same resume and generic cover letter for every job posting, you are not doing yourself any favors by cutting corners. Customizing your cover letter and resume for each and every job you apply to could be the difference between you receiving an interview offer or not. From a hiring manager’s perspective, this is what a custom application says about you:

                Continue reading “Customizing Your Resume and Cover Letter”

                Five of the Biggest Mistakes Applicants Make

                WAI Staff

                When submitting your resume and cover letter to a potential employer, the last thing you want to do is make a minor mistake that can make you appear to be careless or lazy. Check out our list below to see five of the biggest mistakes that job seekers make when applying for a position, and avoid them at all costs!

                Continue reading “Five of the Biggest Mistakes Applicants Make”

                When to Update Your Resume

                WAI Staff

                We have previously mentioned that your resume should be updated frequently, because you never know when you will be back in the job market. As your career evolves and changes, so must your resume. If you are vigilant about updating your resume through the course of your professional career, you will not need to worry about completely overhauling it every time you reenter the job market. Below you will find a list of specific times to update your resume:

                Continue reading “When to Update Your Resume”