Common resume and cover letter mistakes

Dear Coach:
I’m an Arts major who has been sending out dozens of resumes with NO responses. I’ve posted on every job site I can find. Any ideas of what I’m doing wrong?

Blood, Sweat and Tears

Dear BST:

You haven’t given me enough information to fine tune my answer, but I’ll pass on some common mistakes I’ve seen in the resumes and cover letters that have crossed my desk.

You’re writing a generic cover letter and resume. How do you react to spam? I’m guessing not well. Believe me an employer can tell when they’ve been “spammed” by a resume and cover letter that’s going out to a hundred employers. I know this seems like more work but you’re looking for your 1st professional job. Take the time to tailor a cover letter that looks like you’re serious about my company or organization.

Do the research. I can tell when someone knows something about my industry and why they want to be in it. It shows on their resume. They joined professional organizations that show me they were serious. They figured out what skills were going to be attractive to employers like me, like industry-specific software. Even before I interview them, I can see that their learning curve for my company is going to be short.

Your resume doesn’t tell me anything about what you’ve accomplished. Many resumes I’ve seen read like a history timeline. “2004, hostess at Whitespot. 2005, summer internship at St. Michael’s Hospital.” I need to know what these experiences gave you beyond a paycheck that would be helpful to my company. If you started out as a waitress, then moved to managing a shift, tell me. It lets me see that your employer recognized management skills. If your internship project resulted in a change in the way work was done at the hospital, tell me. It lets me see that your work had an impact that was acknowledged by others.

There’s stuff on the web about you that would singe your mother’s eyebrows. Information about you on the web has become part of the application process. Many, many recruiters that find your resume interesting enough to invite you in for an interview will google you before making their decision. Google yourself. If there’s stuff there you wouldn’t want an employer to see, you need to address it. And please consider what you post on MySpace or Facebook. It could follow you for a very long time.