Resume Writing & Cover Letters

As helpful as social media and sites such as LinkedIn are, a traditional resume is still a necessity. Since you never know the exact format an employer or connection will require, you need to have a full set of documents prepared. A hard copy resume is also useful for networking, during an interview, and other uses that may arise. Even though many companies use computer programs to screen resumes (Applicant Tracking Systems, or ATS), at some point, a real person will read your resume, and human readers prefer information that is both visually appealing and presented in an understandable format. Therefore, you will need more than one resume. This includes the traditional, hard copy resume (the “pretty,” print-ready paper version), an electronic version, and the corresponding cover letter.