Tips from a Recruiter: Resumes and Applications and Cover Letters, Oh My!

I’m sure that at some point, you’ve been guilty of looking at people who say, “looking for a job is basically a job!” and rolling your eyes…until you were the one on the prowl. I’m almost convinced that job hunting was designed to take away a piece of your soul. Between the daily monotony of submitting applications (some that basically require you to re-write your whole resume into a 15 page form that looks like it was built in 1995), to the never-ending, gut-wrenching “just following up here” emails you’ve sent to recruiters that have probably ghosted you, it’s super normal to feel like you’re the least qualified person on the planet and to start deeply regretting that Psychology B.A. from NYU. But all hope is not lost! I’m here to tell you that it’s not all terrible, you are a badass and those four years WERE in fact worth it. You just need your sassy little recruitment fairy godmother (me) to sprinkle some of her knowledge dust on you!

The truth of the matter is, no one is ever really taught best practices around job hunting and yet, those best practices govern which applicants stand out. Looking for a job is FOR SURE a job, but there are ways you can set yourself up to make the search, dare I say it, kind of fun! Well maybe not fun but at least a lesser version of hell. I’ve put together a few tips that will help you get there:

The first hurdle: your resume.

Even recruiters, scratch that, ESPECIALLY recruiters, hate writing resumes. It’s not easy to sit down and review everything you’ve done in the last year, two years, however long it’s been since you’ve last looked for a job. This is why, first and foremost, you should aim to spruce up your resume every six months or so, even if you’re not actively looking! Chances are that eventually, you will be. It’s much easier to think about what you’ve done in the last six months versus the last six years, right? Right. But Ron (my close friends call me Ron), how can I make my resume stand out from the rest?

Make your resume easy to read! On average, recruiters spend about six seconds reviewing a resume. SIX. SECONDS. That means your resume has six seconds to make a good impression. Have I said six seconds enough for it to be permanently ingrained in your brain? Good. If your resume is hard to follow, you run the risk of being dumped in the rejected pile before you even get to show what you’re made of.

I know it might be tempting to make your resume look cool and edgy, but simplicity is key. If a chunk of the page is covered in some funky pattern or a poorly photoshopped photo of yourself, you’re going to start off on the wrong foot. First of all – a recruiter doesn’t want to scroll down half the page to find what they’re looking for (six seconds, tick tock). Second of all – you’re wasting precious resume real estate on something that isn’t offering any insight into your experience. Third of all – for any company using a software that filters through resumes before they reach a human, you run a serious risk of your resume being rejected because it can’t be parsed by that software.

When it comes down to your experience, make sure that’s all listed in chronological order, with your most recent role being listed at the top. The eyes should be drawn to your title, company you work(ed) for, and your tenure there, so make sure those are easily distinguishable. 

When writing out your bullet points (NOT full paragraphs) make sure you quantify your accomplishments by focusing on stats and results. While it’s super great that you increased sales by <big looking number>, unfortunately, that really means nothing to me if I have no number to compare it to. Increasing sales by <percent> from <big number> to <even BIGGER number> and opening up <so many!> new accounts? Now we’re talking.

More importantly – it’s totally normal, even encouraged, to have multiple versions of your resume. No two jobs are going to be the same, which means, you won’t always be applying to positions that are looking for the exact same skills. It only makes sense that the one-resume-fits-all approach isn’t going to work. Tailor your resume to the role you’re applying for each time you submit an application. I know it sounds like a lot of work, but the more relevant your experience to the role, the more you’ll increase your chances of a callback.

We are in 2020. No one is printing out your resume to review it - it’s bad for the environment and a waste of time. Use hyperlinks! I guarantee you that the recruiter reviewing your information is probably going to look you up on LinkedIn. Make it that much easier for them by hyperlinking it at the top of your resume! While we’re on the topic, if you have a site that’s relevant to your work (think a GitHub or a design portfolio), add that in as well and please please PLEASE make sure that you’re including your password if the site is password protected.

Finally, and arguably, most importantly, kiss that “1 Page Resume” rule goodbye…kind of. I think this rule is great for anyone early on in their career – if your experience fits on one page, keep it that way! There is no reason to make your resume any wordier than it needs to be so that it looks like there’s more substance. On the other hand, don’t feel the need to smush everything on one page by decreasing the font size down to 7.5 and cutting out important information. If you have years of experience or have worn many hats, it’s going to be impossible to fit all of that on one page. You can definitely get away with shortening your bullet points for less recent, perhaps less relevant roles you’ve held, but don’t feel constrained to that singular page – literally no one is going to judge you for it.

What even is a Cover Letter?

Every person who has ever applied for a job in the history of ever has googled “how to write a cover letter in <current year>”, myself included. Ron…noooo. Yep – that’s right! I’ve honestly probably spent more time drinking than actually writing when “writing” a cover letter, and I’m sure you can relate.

Personally, I don’t believe in requiring applicants to write cover letters, but I quite enjoy reading those that are written well. Cover letters are not the enemy – they can provide a LOT of value to your application, and most importantly, show just how interested you are in the role. However, most job seekers have no idea what they’re doing and end up with that godforsaken google search that leads them to writing something like this:

I am writing to express my interest in <XYZ role> at <ABC company>. I feel that my experience and skills make me a great fit for this position.

[Reiterates points from resume…but this time in paragraph form.]

 I am confident that my aforementioned skills will make me a fantastic addition to your team, and I look forward to touching base.

My advice? Just don’t do that.

What you SHOULD do is take this opportunity to let your personality shine through while offering more information about yourself and your experience. The best way to start a cover letter is by taking a look at the Team or About Us page on the company’s site. You can get a glimpse of their culture and tone and use that to guide your writing style. I’d argue that more often than not, (especially when thinking about startups) the more you let who you are bleed into your writing, the better.

You can use that cover letter to show that you’ve done your homework well beyond the company’s culture. Seriously – do your research. Has the team been featured in an article recently? Read that article and bring it up! Have they released a new product? Mention why you think that’s awesome. Are you super pumped about the industry because it relates to something in your life? Pop that in there!

Most importantly, use this to address anything that your resume hasn’t. Do you have gaps in your resume? Is there a project you worked on that’s relevant to this role in particular? Take the time to round out your experience and highlight anything that’s most closely tied to the role that you feel deserves more of an overview.

End on a personal note. Check the “About Me” section on LinkedIn of whoever you’re writing this cover letter to and add in a personal touch at the end of your message (even a quick P.S. will do the trick!) It seems like a small gesture, but it will go a long way, especially when compared to the mass amount of cover letters that all sound the same.

Finally, don’t think of a cover letter as something that should only be written for roles that require it. Don’t think of it as this evil monster you have to fight to make it through the application process. Think of it as an extension of your resume that’s giving you an informal chance to show how kick ass you are. If there’s a role posted with a company that you’re super interested in, the best way to show that interest is through what you have to say in that cover letter. Just remember: the cover letter doesn’t need to be a “letter” - it can be as informal as a quick message on LinkedIn or pasted into the Additional Information section of the application (just PLEASE don’t add it as the actual first page of your resume). Keep it short (half a page, max), keep it interesting, keep it personal and I guarantee you, even if you don’t get the job, you’ll make a lasting impression.

 P.S. My favorite cover letter came in the form of an email with a subject line: ‘I want to be your next PM!’ and a few quick facts in the body. We hired that guy.

Making LinkedIn your BFFL.

And no, I don’t mean spam every single person you know with a generic message. As an internal Head of Talent at an early stage startup, I get at least a dozen messages a day that look exactly the same (please see example below), and I can only imagine what my colleagues at later stage companies end up with in their inboxes. FYI – those don’t work. This…

Hello, my name is <name> and I am a recent graduate of <school> looking for opportunities in <all of these various fields>. Can we schedule 15 minutes to chat about openings at your company that might be a fit for my experience?

… tells me that you haven’t done your homework. Recruiters and hiring managers are busy – we certainly don’t have the time to review your experience and tell you what roles you’d be best suited for at our company. That’s YOUR job! Don’t waste your time – or even worse, your inMails – with a generic message that makes you blend in with the oftentimes hundreds of other applicants or interested job seekers. Start to curate every message you send to a recruiter or a hiring manager. It sounds like a lot of work…because it is, but the results will be worth it. Hell, I’ll make it super easy for you! All you have to do is take two or three sentences from your cover letter and send those through. Make sure you’re reaching out about a specific opportunity, even if that opportunity isn’t listed. When looking at roles opportunistically, something like this…

Hey, I know that your team isn’t hiring for <XYZ role> but I wanted to share my info over with you in case anything comes up in the future. I think what <company> is doing is so cool because <these awesome reasons!> and I’d love to keep in touch! By the way, <personal note here>.

…will go a long way and might help you stay at the top of that Hiring Manager/Recruiter’s mind for any future openings. I call this an introduction to Networking.

Networking is going to be a serious game changer, especially for those job applicants that are either just starting out their careers or looking to break into a new industry. Do your research on companies you’re interested in and extend that LinkedIn connection to recruiters and potential hiring managers! Don’t be afraid to reach out to them (just be smart about what you’re saying) – the worst thing that can happen is they ghost you. Don’t hesitate to follow up over email (Pro-Tip, a lot of recruiters have their emails listed in their About Me)! To top it off, you know who recruiters know? Other recruiters. While they might not have a job for you, they may very well know someone who might, and that referral will come with A LOT more value than just an application. Most importantly, look for groups and mentors you can learn from. There are SO many awesome industry-specific LinkedIn groups with Slack channels (shout out to Women in Talent and Products by Women) that offer a lot of great resources, free workshops, and share information about available roles. Seek those out and get active!

Outside of your application and your cover letter, the best way for you to show a company what you’ve got is to build a personal brand. When Mighty was hiring junior engineers, we had over 600 candidates in less than a month’s time submit an application. To this day, almost a year later, one of those 600+ still stands out. Why? She sent over a brief, informative message, and, more importantly, she pops up on my LinkedIn feed with new content weekly. It’s clear that she’s passionate about what she’s doing and she’s using that to fuel her fire and inspire others to jump into this career. While we had filled the last open role right as she submitted her application, she'll definitely be the first person I circle back with when a relevant role opens up. The gist here is don’t be afraid to post content! Share your experience! Be authentic and be yourself – when recruiters click that link to your LinkedIn, your personal brand will help make you stand out.

By optimizing your resume, writing a great cover letter, and using LinkedIn or other social networks to your advantage, you’ll increase your chances of making a first impression that will help you stand out from the dozens (if not hundreds) of other applicants. The more thoughtful you can be with your job hunting, the more personal and creative your outreach, the more lasting that first impression will be. Sure, it’s a lot of work, but this tailored approach will align you with those sick jobs you’re most interested in and will better position you for that first round call. Hopefully, you now have some tips to help you get started with your new and improved job search - now get out there and get to it!