My Best Resume & Cover Letter Hacks
Plus the Secret to a Winning Resume
Do you ever feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and frustrated by your resume? The way it looks. The way you have a sense of dread every time you even think about making updates to it.
There is so much conflicting advice out there. And quite honestly, there are some really terrible templates out there. I want you to be prepared with the best possible resume and cover letter you can have.
Let me save you some time. Here are the resume “hacks” that work consistently for my clients across all industries. These are even proven to get you through ATS (applicant tracking systems), past a real human (who only has 7 seconds to say yes or no), and be invited for a job interview.
Resume Hacks
Resume is 1 page ONLY
Classic look with Black Font
NO fancy colors, graphs, or designs
NO photos! NO images! NO tables!
Sans Serif Font: Arial, Calibri or Garamond
Customized LinkedIn profile link
The most important resume hack? Is, well, liking your own resume. What if I told you that the way you feel about your own resume has a huge impact on whether or not you’re getting invited to job interviews?
And, when you get invited to more job interviews, your confidence increases. When your confidence increases, your opportunities expand. And it’s a whole snowball effect for positive momentum! So, make sure that you feel good about your resume before sending it off and applying for ANY jobs.
I’ve helped thousands of people get hired for jobs they want using these simple yet effective strategies for simplifying resume writing. And all of these tips PLUS the template for this exact resume with formatting are in my eBook “Best Resume Recipe: An Essential Guide to Meaningful & Lasting Career Change” available now on Amazon.
Cover Letter Hacks
But wait, do I also need a cover letter? Yes! The answer is always yes. Even if the box for cover letter is labeled “optional.” If there is a space for it on the application, uploading a cover letter will make you more likely to receive a job interview.
My best and quickest advice for cover letter is this:
Have a cover letter draft/template ready
Keep it to 1-page
Begin with an attention-grabbing sentence (something interesting from personal or professional life)
Only change a few key points (company name, date, job title)
Share details and allow for storytelling/showing
End with a thank you and a call to action (view my portfolio, reach out to schedule an interview)
Have a cover letter draft/template ready
Even if you don’t need a cover letter yet, you will soon. Give your future self a headstart and save time by creating a draft cover letter ahead of time. This way, when the time comes for you to apply for jobs, you will be prepared and have one less thing to stress about.
Keep it to 1-page
It sounds easy, but communicating a concise yet compelling story in 4 paragraphs or yes can be a challenge. Show the employer/hiring manager that you value their time by providing them with a 1-page cover letter.
Begin with an attention-grabbing sentence
As a writer, I always save the opening line for last. This first sentence of your cover letter should be interesting that immediately sets you apart from the other candidates. It can be something interesting about you from your personal or professional life as it relates to the kind of professional you are. Some great examples: hiking, photography, mountaineering, skiing, biking, teaching/mentoring, change management, project management, etc.
Only change a few key points
Save yourself time and–more importantly–mental energy. Don’t re-invent the wheel for each job application. Initially set up your cover letter correctly and it will be strong enough that it can be modified only slightly for each position. The core messaging will be the same. You can switch out details: company name, date, job title, and what you like about that particular company culture or role.
Share details that allow for storytelling
Showing your past impact on an organization, by recalling clear metrics or quantifiable results. This helps tell your story while giving you the opportunity to “toot your own horn” and the cover letter is the prime place to do this. No need to overdo it. Choose one or two of your most memorable and measurable metrics.
End with a thank you and a call to action
Always end each cover letter with a paragraph that says thank you and gives the reader/hiring manager a clear call to action.
For example:
“Thank you for the opportunity. You can view my professional portfolio/writing samples/art samples here: www.bestresumecoach.com Please reach out to me via phone at 512-710-7017 to schedule an interview. I look forward to connecting with you soon about the next steps.
Sincerely,
Jennifer Anne Garcia”
Does that help clear things up a bit? You can find templates for both resume and cover letter plus more valuable tips included in my eBook “Best Resume Recipe: An Essential Guide to Meaningful & Lasting Career Change.”
This article was originally published on LinkedIn by the author Jennifer Anne Garcia in February 2024.