SAT and ACT 2015 dates to remember

Perfct Cover Letters & Resumes - You can DO this!

Perfect Cover Letters & Resumes: You can totally DO this!

We live in an age of perfect information, with the answers to many of our most common and most complex issues literally at our fingertips.  You've got a one-of-a-kind story to tell, so let's get it right the first time!

So here it is, a list of probably the best tools available for creating a Cover Letter or a Resume that gets results!

I tried to make this a good mix, from the simplest infographics to full-fledged interactive writing guides.

Cover letters are frequently only one page, so you've got 300 words or less to make it truly effective.  Resumes are the same situation - one page to say it all.

Overall, the best advice I could possibly give you is this: do not use a cookie cutter approach!  Customize your Resume - yes, your resume! - as well as your Cover letter to your audience.  Recruiters, admissions boards, and more know what a form letter looks like as opposed to a thoughtful, well-planned, customized document.  It makes a difference and, frankly, it's your life.  You get out of it what you put into it.  So put in your best!

More specifically, cater your cover letter and resume to the company or school you are applying to, such as finding out names of contacts, reading, digesting and responding to the school's or company's mission, and or values statement.  Additionally, and by no means least, cater your skills and experiences to the position or program to which you are applying!

Resumes

Purdue OWL: Introduction to Resumes – It's not just for APA and MLA citations!  Make your resume count! OWL provides a list of optional sections and offers specific suggestions to tailor your resume for each perspective employer and or academic program.

ALA JobList: Resumes – the American Library Association resume resource page offers a variety of suggested topics for creating and maintaining your resume, including librarian the Resume Review Service Committee (service requires ALA NMRT membership).

UC Berkeley: Writing Effective Resumes Online Workshop – Excellent example-focused video guide that offers a comparison of presentation formats, sections to consider including, as well as industry and objective-based suggestions. Advice from a panel of human resource representatives provides practical tips for improving resumes and avoiding common mistakes.

Entrepreneur.com: How to Impress the Robots Reading Your Resume – Entrepreneur offers an entertaining and informative infographic that can help you understand how to tailor your resume to better appeal to filtering technologies, known as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), to make your resume less susceptible to being filtered out of the selection process.

Boston University: Anatomy of a Resume – When researching resume writing you will encounter many terms regarding presentation styles and sections, such as chronological versus functional formats. Anatomy of a Resume is an interactive tool that allows users to identify common formats, sections, and styles with descriptions and tips to help you choose which ones best fit your needs.

Cover Letters

Purdue OWL: Cover Letter Workshop – OWL asserts that the cover letter may be one of the most difficult documents you will write and offers a wide variety of advice regarding formatting as well as writing tips to help you get your audiences’ attention.

The Ladders: How to Write a Great Cover Letter – According to The Ladders’ research-based article on writing a cover letter, generalizations (such as a blanket salutation) can make you seem lazy and work against you. This article provides examples from hiring professionals on content and format to help you connect with perspective employers.

The Muse: The Pain-Free Cover Letter Builder – This interactive tool helps applicants create a custom cover letter (requires Muse account).

Boston University: Anatomy of a Cover Letter – Anatomy of a cover letter is an interactive tool that demystifies the components of a cover letter and provides specific recommendations for each section to help you refine your letter and make an impact.

The Muse: 31 Attention-Grabbing Cover Letter Examples – This article lists introduction suggestions for opening statements to cover letters that will help your resume get attention. You can also sign up for a free cover letter writing guide.

And of course, it is our belief that MyStatementofPurpose.com is quite possibly the only writing site you will ever need.

Top 5 Scholarship Essay Mistakes to Avoid

1. Waiting to the last minute: Deadlines really light a fire under most people, but in order to do your best, start writing early!  Nothing is worse than sending out your application materials and then thinking of a great way of saying something better two days later.  Also!  Write when you are on vacation, the weekend, or other times when deadlines and demands on your time are at a minimum.

2. Not researching who/what you are writing for or about: Don't fall into the cookie cutter mentality!  While the bottom line is getting money for school, each application is to be approached appropriately.  Take your time to get to know your audience.  You know you can tell when someone is recycling, they can too!  Moreover, follow directions to the "T".  If they call for 12pt TNR font, and 1" margins, do it without question!

3. Blah Writing: The scholarship committees don't want to read dry, sterile drivel and incidentally, you don't want to sound this way, especially since you are talking about your favorite topic: You!

Be creative!  Use an original opening and ending that comes from the heart - your heart! not someone else's!

4. Using slang, and abbreviations: Your scholarship essay may require you to write only 300 words.  This does not mean that you use abbreviations that should be reserved for the cellular device!  Avoid slang at all costs, however, some colloquialisms are OK, but only in extreme moderation, maybe once per 300 words.  Be professional not texty!  For example, "through" is not spelled "thru", and "espc" is not an acceptable replacement for "especially"!  IMHO...

5. Spell check and grammar check are not enough: 

Will you please read your essay carefully before printing it or sending it out?  Spell and grammar check are good for picking up glaringly obvious errors, but leave plenty behind.  They are not perfect and may never be completely perfect. It doesn't pick up on the fact that you said, "amazing" three times in your essay, so proof it yourself before letting Dr. Grammar Check at the patient.  Have a friend read it over, or if your best friend is a rock, then try your school's writing center.