Like the unicorn of mythology, the perfect resume represents an ideal.  Much like that horned stallion (or would that be a mare?), it stands as a proud testimony to itself, marrying quiet confidence with strength, and manifesting promises of great things yet to come.  And, like the wondrous, legendary beast, the perfect resume exists but within our imagination.

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Is your telephone ringing?  Is your email Inbox presenting you with genuine job opportunities (no, not offers for “work at home” jobs or various “get rich” schemes)?  Are you scheduling interviews?

If  you’ve answered “No” to these questions, understand that employers are saying “No” to your resume and cover letter, and that it is time for you to consider an extreme makeover.  Despite our immersion in a most challenging economic upheaval, job openings are still appearing on electronic job boards and company Websites, and your competition is capturing those jobs!  These individuals are not necessarily more qualified or more fortunate than you.  However, they are savvier, in that they have optimized their potential for gainful employment via high-impact resumes and cover letters.

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Watching a child about to embark upon a career search can be as proud and frightening a moment as when that child first wobbled off on a shiny new two-wheeler:  both experiences can be bumpy rides.  Responsible parents dart forward to protect their children from mishaps and, with the proper guidance, send them off again on the right path.  But for a child soon to graduate high school, technical school, college, graduate school, or professional school, the road meandering through a shaky economy can be precarious and circuitous.  Investing aspirations and finances in their children’s college educations, parents justifiably expect to realize returns on their investments, and not solely for purposes of remitting the considerable debt incurred with student loans.  Every loving parent desires his or her child to experience security and stability through a focused career path, and yet, our economy has proven that job security has become, if not an obsolete term, then a misnomer.  Yet, in crafting high school student resumes, technical school student resumes, college student resumes, graduate school student resumes, and professional school student resumes, there do exist viable strategies and tools upon which parents can capitalize to safeguard their children from the worst potholes scarring the road of the post-graduation employment search.  The best of these tactics revolves around crucial internship positions.

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The first key principle driving the process of cover letter writing is an understanding of, underpinned by a respect for, the cover letter’s purpose.  Known alternately and rather tellingly as “a letter of interest,” an effective cover letter should not merely express a job seeker’s interest in a particular opportunity or echo, word for word, the content of one’s resume.  A well-written cover letter must stimulate the employer to consider the applicant as a serious contender among the vast numbers vying for the position.

The surfeit of job applicants flooding the market has forced employers to accelerate and refine the process of digesting cover letters and resumes.  In such a market, job-hunting is akin to competing as one of the “Final 12″ in the popular reality TV program, American Idol.  Constrained to perform against eleven other contestants in a rigidly timed format, each singer is given but 90 seconds each week to squeeze the essence from songs that are, in their entirety, an average of three and four times as long; 90 seconds in which to wow the judges, garner the support of millions of voters, and continue to compete for that coveted recording contract.  The need for creating cover letters for resumes casts job seekers into roles similar to those of American Idol contestants.  Candidates must condense their professional backgrounds into tightly written documents, providing the judging panel and voting audience (the employers) opportunities to gain a rapid and accurate sense of their individual talents and propel them into the next phase of the competition (the interview).

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Having never written a resume cover letter, many job applicants are uncertain as to the nature of such a document.  If you are one of these candidates, know that a cover letter for resume may also be known as a “letter of intent.”  Designed to precede the resume in a candidate’s package, whether by hard copy or online, the resume cover letter is both a declaration of interest and a brief summary of what you, the job seeker, have to offer the potential employer.
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Nothing is more critical to your job-hunting success than an articulate, compelling presentation of your accomplishments, skills, experiences, educational foundation, and other information pertinent to your background and career.  While resumes and resume formats have historically served the purpose of summarizing the backgrounds of the individuals about whom they were prepared, today’s resumes must do more, as must today’s resume formats.

Much like packaging on a product, a thoughtfully prepared, properly formatted resume attracts attention and generates a positive image of its subject.  In today’s dynamic employment marketplace, the resume is the first and, in many cases, the only means through which the applicant can gain the attention of the prospective employer and distinguish him/herself from other highly qualified applicants.  For this reason, it must accentuate the positive aspects of one’s background, tell the candidate’s unique story, and eliminate or camouflage potential liabilities.  The resume format will determine how this is accomplished.
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