Guidelines in Writing Resume and Job Application Letter Writing Application Letter One of the most critical factors that can affect an applicant’s chances of being hired is his/her application letter.
The application letter speaks about you.
It tells about your personality, about your values, and about your overall potential as an employee. A well-written letter will speak of responsibility, intelligence, and discipline. A badly-written letter will speak of the lack of all these essential qualities.
Your application letter may significantly
increase your chances of success. Parts of an Application Letter 1. Letterhead ○ This is located at the topmost part of your letter. Essentially, the letterhead contains the name of the owner of the letter. 2. Return Information
○ It should include the address,
email address, and contact information (mobile number) 2. Return Information
○ Due to privacy invasion, identity theft,
and other security issues, applicants are no longer encouraged to include their complete address. ○ For email address, it should be formal. Ideally, your email may contain your name. 3. Inside/Letter Address
○ It is the important part if the letter
because your letter may get lost if you do not out the right information. ○ The addressee or the person to whom the letter is addressed might feel offended or might feel disrespected by the way you addressed them. 4. Salutation
○ Under the inside letter is the salutation.
The person’s name need to be followed by a colon (:). ○ A comma (,) is only used for personal letters and never in formal letters. 4. Salutation Dear Mr. Lopez: If you are sure of the surname.
Dear Ms. Lopez: If you are unsure of the marital status
of the female employers, it is safe to use Ms. Dear Miss Lopez: Dear Mrs. Lopez: If single, use Miss. It married, Mrs. You must watch out for professional or honorary titles (Atty., Dr., etc.)
Sir/Madam: If one does not know the employer. But
this is not advised. 5. Body
○ This is the most critical part if the
letter. The body usually consists of 3-5 paragraphs. ○ In writing the body, you must consider the AIDA pointers. 5. Body - (AIDA)
● You must attract your employer’s
ATTENTIONS. ● You should state your INTEREST in the company and the position you are applying for. 5. Body - (AIDA)
● Tickle the employer’s DESIRE to
interview and get to know you; and ● Ask the employer to take ACTION through an interview. ● Two spaces after your name, you keying in your enclosures or attachments. There are the documents that you submit for preliminary assessment along with your application letter which are the resume and transcript of records. What to use in Writing an Application Letter? 1. Good quality white paper. 2. Standard-size paper (8.5” x 11”) 3. Block Style Format (All lines begin at left margin) 4. One-inch Margin 5. Font size must be at least 12-point. 6. Font should be easy to read- Times New Roman, Calibri, Cambria.
7. Single spacing
8. One page maximum
9. Print using a laser printer
Guidelines in Writing an Application Letter 1. Keep it short. 2. Do not use abbreviations. 3. Remember to include the area code with your cell phone number (+63) 4. Avoid using contractions. (I’ve, I’m) 5. Spell out numbers one to ten; use numbers/values above ten. 6. Make every statement positive - do not say that you are not qualified. 7. Keep the tone and content professional. 8. State the position to which you are applying. 9. Explain why you want the job. 10. Clearly describe ways you will contribute. 11. Avoid generic phrases such as “I have excellent interpersonal skills”. You want your letter to be unique. 12. Tell the reader what you are going to do next. Writing a ResumÉ In applying for work, your cover letter or application letter is sent along with resumé.
Resumé is a brief document containing the
summary of an individual’s qualifications, experiences, and skills with the purpose of securing a work interview and getting hired for a particular job position. Essential Parts of a ResumÉ 1.Heading 2.Contact Information 3.Work History* 4.Educational Qualifications/Achievements* 5.Skill Set List* 6.Relevant Certificates and/or Awards 7.References and their Contact Details *For numbers 3-5, they do not necessarily always follow this order. Types of ResumÉs ● Reverse Chronological Resumé ○ This type of resume starts with the enumeration of work history, beginning with the most recent work experience (reverse chronological order). ○ Most employers prefer this type of resume because it allows them to see the last works experience quickly, and the most recent job positions are given more importance. ● Reverse Chronological Resumé ○ This is most ideal for applicants with solid work history. ○ This is not a good type to use if, for instance, you have not had work in the last couple of months or years or if you are a fresh graduate. ● Functional Resumé ○ This is the most appropriate resume format for fresh graduate. ○ This put emphasis on one’s educational background, skills, and training experiences. ○ This is also the resume to use if you are changing careers or if you have gaps in your work history. ● Combination Resumé ○ If you are confident of both your educational qualifications and job history, you can use this type. ○ First in the list are your educational background and your skills. ○ This way, your employers will see your impressive transcript and skill sets, this is then followed by your solid work history following the reverse chronological arrangement. ● Targeted Resumé ○ Employers as of today generally prefer this type of resume over the others. ○ This is something that you do not pick out and print and submit to employers, whoever or whatever they may be;a targeted resume is something more time consuming, but more attractive. ● Targeted Resumé ○ A growing number of employers shun generic af all-around resumes. You need to take time to modify and customize your existing resumes so that they are most compatible and relevant to a specific position you are applying for. ● Creative We-based Resumé ○ This is also known as non-traditional resume. ○ It includes non-healthy amount of graphics, photos, graphs, and other visual devices. ○ However, this type of resume is limited to web- related jobs like web and graphic designing, programming, and the like. How to Write a ResumÉ ● Here are some common rules for resume writing: ○ 8.5” x 11” (letter) or 8.5” by 13” (legal) size of bond paper ○ 1.5” form bust photo on the upper right corner of the resume ○ 1” margin on all sides ○ Font size 12 ○ Formal font style (Arial, Century Gothic, Times New Roman, Bookman Old Style, and other like styles) ○ Black font ○ Conspicuous section headings (font style for section headings should be bigger than the rest) ● Heading and Contact Information ○ The heading is your name, therefore it must be the most conspicuous part of the resume. ○ Typical font size for the body of the resume is 12.therefore, the banner just be font size 18-24 and it must be bold. ○ It is centered-aligned, relative to the position of the 1.5” formal bust. ○ The heading must be readable even at six feet away. ● Section Headings and Content ○ The arrangement or sequencing of the sections will depend on the type of resume that you are making. Make sure that each section is separated from each other and that the readers of the resume will not have a hard time distinguishing the different parts. ● Section Headings and Content ○ You can capitalize all the words on your heading, you may bold and underline the headings, or you may use differently colored font. ○ For the last, make sure your resume is not multicolored. There must only be one color, preferably blue, other that black. ● Section Headings and Content ○ The content of your headings should contain the necessary information your employer or interviewer will need. ○ In work history, you should include the name of the company, dates of the employment, position title, and very brief description of designated responsibilities. ● Section Headings and Content ● Section Headings and Content ○ You may refer to the list of strong action verbs below: ■ analyzed, authored, budgeted, built, compiled, coordinated, contributed, developed, directed, drafter, earned, engaged, expedited, endorsed, facilitated, financed, functioned, generated, guided, hired, handled, identified, installed, inspected, managed, processed, promoted, reinforced, updated, and verified ● Section Headings and Content ○ For the Academic Background, mention the school you are from, the years you started and ended, course or program, and awards and distinctions (if any). ● Skills ○ Soft Skills are general skills that apply to every job. They are also skills where rules changes from one company or culture to another. ○ For example, Communication Skills. ● Skills ○ Hard Skills are more job-specific. The rules stay the same wherever you may go. ○ For example, Marketing, Microsoft Access, QuickBooks, welding, and e-mail correspondence. ● Relevant Trainings and References ○ Put only those seminars that are relevant to the position you are applying for. ○ Include up to three references for the employers to contact for verification. Their respective positions and organizations are included. T H A N K Y O U!!