Originally posted by: chusteczka
Use
CutePDF Writer to create a PDF version. You do not want potential employers to see the red and green squiggly lines of spelling and grammatical errors in an MS Word file.
Cover Page
I always put "Greetings [Company Name]" in the salutation. They are not my "Dear" or in any other way of an informal relation to me and by putting the company name rather than a person's name my cover letter may be passed around the office without losing its relevancy.
Opening Paragraph
First Sentence: State interest in position. "I am interested in a full time, entry level, mechanical engineering position with your company."
Second and Third Sentence: State why you are qualified for that position. "I am a graduate of the college of engineering from SCU with a Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering. My minor was in Computer Science and I am further qualified through [interest, experience]."
"My professional goals include ...". Provide a precursor to your Objective by stating professional goals
that fit the position applied for. Certification, achievement of the status for a "Professional Engineer", and such.
State relevent projects and experience.
State preferred work location.
Thank them for their consideration.
Grab their attention with the cover letter and attempt to input key words that a database search engine selector will use to search for the applied position.
Resume
My education in Aerospace Engineering has prepared me well for a position such as the one your company is offering.
s/such as the one/like/
Be concise with your words. You want to attract their attention with minimal effort on their part.
Not have I only studied intensely in the fields you are looking for, but I also have a very strong personal interest in the field."
Do not introduce negatives within your introduction, it reflects on you. The use of "Not have I ... but" provides a clumsy sentence structure.
I would very much appreciate a chance at an interview.
Be concise by removing "very much" or rephrase with something similar to "I would enjoy the opportunity to discuss the position."
The statements currently in the Objective should be put in the Cover Page if they are considered to be the applicant's strong points that allow him to stand out from the crowd. They seem too general for my interest though.
"To work in a position with the potential for professional development that will allow my contributions to contribute to the team's achievements by working with the following technologies ..."
Keep the Objective to one sentence since it is easy to continue reading a well constructed sentence but more than one will appear too long with unneccessary sentence structure requirements.
Background & Education
Bachelor of Science - Aerospace Engineering
University of Southern California (USC) - December 2002
I am certain engineering supervisors are aware of the material taught in classes within the field, such as "Fluid Dynamics" and "Mechanics I and II". There is little utility in using space to describe this common knowledge that does not further the applicant's unique qualities.
The information in the resume should be short and concise.
- Objective
- Education
- Work Experience
- Skills
The current setup is too unorganized. A list of classes taken is useful but put it on the last page with each class on its own line so it can be read quickly and easily. The last page allows it to be optional if they are interested in your objective, education, and work experience.
Work Experience
Dates, company name, and position title are the most important information to convey here. Start with most recent position and work backwards.
January 2005 - Present
Applied Electronics Systems - Position Title
Position Description - keep it relevent
April 2004 - January 2005
Cingular Wireless - Customer Service Representative
No need for further details since it is outside of the scope of the currently applied position. Unless there is some experience that provided directly related growth.
Start with an outline structure and fill it in from there. When you are finished. Assume the attitude of a supervisor for such position and consider what you would want to see from an applicant desiring to work with you in the open position.
Good luck with it.
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