Question:
Just a word to the wise should be sufficient....
DON'T EVER SEND A RESUME WITHOUT A COVER LETTER!!
I don't care if you're sending a resume via email, fax, or US Post. Always,
always, ALWAYS include a cover letter! If you don't, you can easily be
perceived as unprofessional, lazy, disorganized, or even arrogant! You do
NOT want a prospective employer to get the wrong impression of you. (Because
you do NOT have those negative traits, do you? ;-)
Tell the prospective employer why you're writing, where you learned of
their need for your skills, summarize why you're such a perfect fit for
their job opening. Also expand on any topic that will get the prospective
employer interested in you and is not clearly covered in your resume.
Remember that you have about 20 seconds to get their attention when they
open that envelope. A cover letter can do that and a resume often can not.
Craft your letter as carefully as your resume. Target it to what the
employer is looking for. Make them WANT to read your resume.
Please spell-check the letter, and watch your grammer. We're not English
teachers grading your letter, but we often have the phrase "good
communication skills" in the job description. If you use horrible
grammar in your letter, you do not have good communication skills.
They really do want to fill the position, but they have probably gotten 100
resumes so far. A nicely written letter gets read. A resume gets scanned
for keywords. You want them to think well of you, and a letter is your best
way to get them to do it. The letter will usually be routed along with your
resume.
And, folks, 99% of employers do not care about paper color or paper finish,
unless the photo-copier has trouble with it.
I'm just speaking as one who has drowned in resumes over the years.
Answer:
Yes, you caught me. Let's just say that was a test to see if anyone
would notice. I should have taken my own advice and spell-checked my
own posting!
