Foundation: Career Search

Professional Applications

The purpose of a cover letter and resume—your professional application—is to attain an invitation for an interview. 

Your application is an opportunity to:

• introduce yourself,
• express your knowledge and alignment with the company/organization, 
• highlight your qualifications, 
• demonstrate your written communication skills, and
• utilize the stories and examples that you have developed throughout the Resource (Skills Employers Want module; and Determining Direction, and Discovering Connections Units).

As well, the aim of cover letters and resumes is to create rapport—just as you would if you were in person. This is akin to meeting someone new, you would introduce yourself. 

Reflecting the same (or similar) words the person uses and/or in the same tone (e.g., corporate vs. casual) is an active listening skill that builds rapport. Researching the company is key as well as analyzing the job posting—to know your audience. You should add keywords from the posting (in a selective way) as a way of active listening and producing rapport. 

This will also help your application make it past the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) or the first reviewer, and catch the attention of human resources (HR) and/or the hiring manager.

Research shows by incorporating statements that express how you align with the organization can generate a positive response to your application (Waung, McAuslan, DiMambro, & Mięgoć, 2017).

Show, Don't Tell

Adding skills statements such as “Excellent communication skills” or ”Strong time management” in your resume or cover letter does not show or prove your competence with this skill. Moreover, this could increase the possibility for your application to be eliminated from the competition. Instead, include stories and examples that provide evidence. Or write results-oriented statements that include your skills, experience, and knowledge that address the listed qualifications. 

Your drafted stories/examples from the Career Planning and Skills Employers Want modules provide the foundation for your cover letter and resume and interview preparation.

Do not include all the responsibilities for each position you have held in your resume; instead, align your experiences to the job requirements.

Add specifics and quantify as much as possible, and integrate your transferable skills explored in the Skills Employers Want module.

Consider that employers' are trying to gauge your fit for the role and the company from your written application. Essentially you are a stranger to an employer and they are learning about your abilities to execute role responsibilities as assigned.

• How do you demonstrate trustworthiness? 
• How do you keep yourself accountable and motivated? 
• How do you collaborate virtually?

For the most part, all these pointers can be applied to both cover letters and resumes.