pt. I. Writing your resume and cover letters -- 1. What this book is all about -- 2. Creating your resume -- The experience section -- The education section -- The secondary section -- The introductory section -- Resume mechanics -- 3. Writing high-impact cover letters.
pt. II. Fixing the 50 common problems in writing resumes and cover letters -- Problems with presenting work experience in resumes -- 1. Omitting an introductory section -- 2. Writing too lengthy an introductory section -- 3. Using a typical introductory section -- 4. Stating responsibilities, not accomplishments -- 5. Stating accomplishments only in general terms -- 6. Placing most important accomplishments at end of discussion of experiences -- 7. Presenting work experience in chronological order -- 8. Providing only job titles, with no discussion of activities -- 9. Providing only job functions, with no discussion of activities -- 10. Offering too much information on employers, responsibilities, and activities performed -- 11. Providing a narrative discussion that summarizes an entire career -- 12. A history of job hopping -- 13. Numerous periods of unemployment -- 14. Stating reasons for each job change -- 15. Being close to or past retirement age -- 16. A history of unrelated positions -- 17. Lacking the experience a position traditionally requires -- 18. Required experience appears in an early job -- 19. Recent decreases in responsibility -- 20. The resume contains an embarrassing position -- 21. Dividing key accomplishments between resume and cover letter -- Problems with clarity and word choice in resumes -- 22. Failure to discuss accomplishments in statements beginning with action verbs -- 23. Word repetition, especially in beginning statements -- 24. Using "I" and "My," especially to begin statements -- 25. Beginning statements in an inconsistent way -- 26. Continuous use of clichés and buzz words in introductory section -- 27. Using unclear, confusing, or generally poor language -- 28. Making rambling statements versus crisp, concise ones -- Problems with composition/appearance/formatting in resumes -- 29. Four or more pages in length -- 30. Insufficient white space -- 31. Lacking bold type to highlight key parts of the resume -- 32. Excessive use of bold type -- 33. Using a fancy font -- 34. Using multiple fonts -- 35. Using extra large type -- 36. Using too small type -- 37. Writing a one-page accomplishments-focused resume -- 38. Experience presented in paragraph form and without bullets -- 39. Utilizing a two-column, multiple-font format -- 40. Utilizing the functional format -- 41. Utilizing the accomplishments format -- 42. Placing a border on a resume -- Cover letter problems -- 43. Writing too brief a letter -- 44. Omitting accomplishments and stating only responsibilities -- 45. Writing a letter devoid of enthusiasm -- 46. Beginning a letter with philosophical, global statements -- 47. Providing a career summary in chronological order -- 48. Offering a narrative presentation with excessive use of "I" and "My" -- 49. Focusing on personal needs, not on value being offered -- 50. Writing a two-page letter.
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Learn how to. Uncover and correct any resume or cover letter weakness. Compensate for any gaps in your employment history. Present your skill and experience in the best light.