What Do You Want?
Your resume must have an objective so that you and your future boss clearly understand precisely what it is you want. Once you focus on a specific goal, everything else will fall into place.

Vague objectives like, “A challenging position to help improve operations and contribute to customer satisfaction and company profits," or "A senior position enabling me to further my professional training and growth,” say nothing and actually work against you. If you don’t know what you want, don’t expect anyone else to figure it out for you.

Since you have to state what you want in your objective, make it specific, but general enough to leave your options open, such as “Radio Advertising Sales,” “Medical Transcription and Office Management “or “Technology and Communications Accounting.”

Your Resume is Your Brochure, Not Your Biography
Your resume is not your autobiography or work history; it is a sales tool, and YOU are the product it is representing. And because it is a sales tool, you can use it to project yourself the way you want other people to see you, which is not necessarily the way you are.

Rather than being crammed with facts or self-serving platitudes stating how wonderful you think you are, your resume should provide just enough information to get your future boss, “Mr. Bigg,” interested in you without going into too much detail.

Think of your resume as an introduction to you, and good introductions are short and to the point. Your resume is an appetizer, a flavor, a taste of you as a professional; it is not a full course meal. Put too much information on your resume and you’ll give the Mr. Bigg indigestion.

Your resume should answer Mr. Bigg’s unspoken questions: “Who are you?” “What have you done and for whom?” and “Why should I care?” And you can believe that “Why should I care?” is more important than everything else put together.

Everything on your resume should support or fulfill your objective, and anything that doesn’t should be left off. Avoid “catch phrases,” “power words, “action verbs,” or such vague phrases as “Acknowledged proficiency in the direction/coordination of customer service disciplines.” If you don’t talk like that, don’t write like that.

Write in plain, simple English, not “resume-speak.” Keep industry jargon to a minimum and write out everything – don’t use acronyms unless you spell them out. You would be amazed to learn that not everyone knows what you know, even if you’re in the same industry.

Don’t disregard, underestimate or disqualify any professional or personal experiences (not necessarily jobs), training or abilities that support your objective and/or may benefit your employer. If you are targeting an international firm, the fact that you can speak three languages is a big plus.

What Do They Want?
Contrary to what you may have been taught, your cover letter is not a transmittal sheet for your resume, nor is it an opportunity to “pitch” your experience or state your need for a job.

Your cover letter is, in fact, your most important marketing piece because it is the first thing Mr. Bigg will see about you, and it will determine if he reads your resume, how he feels about you as he reads your resume, and what, if anything he does with your resume.

Always remember that Mr. Bigg is a real person just like you, and he will respond to your materials in a very human way. If your letter turns you off for any reason (even if you don’t know why), it will turn off Mr. Bigg, so don’t send it.

Don’t Pitch
The Traditional System is all about pitching and hustling yourself, which is a form a selling that most buyers AND sellers find uncomfortable and very often, offensive.

Truly effective selling is actually teaching or explaining and persuading. It encourages Mr. Bigg to make up his own mind that you are the answer to his problems, but it doesn’t pressure him. Remember, nobody likes to be sold, but everyone loves to buy. This is especially true when it comes to getting hired.

You, Not I
The most powerful and effective word you can use in your cover letter is “you,” (you, yours, Mr. Bigg’s name and/or the name of his company) and the worst word is “I” (I, me, mine).

The key writing a successful cover letter is to make sure you have more you’s than I’s. If your I’s outnumber you’re you’s, rip it up and start all over. You’ve written about the wrong person.

Being only human, Mr. Bigg is selfish – he doesn’t care that you need a job or that you think you are the ideal candidate. Mr. Bigg only cares about himself and getting his problem solved and that problem is the reason he’s hiring.

Forget what you want and place yourself in Mr. Bigg’s shoes. Think about what he wants. What are his problems, needs or concerns, and how can you help him? You might not know the specific questions or answers, but with enough research, your professional judgment and some common sense, you won’t be too far off the mark.

In any event, Mr. Bigg will appreciate your concern for his interests. Remember the old secret to popularity: “If you want people to be interested in you, you have to be interested in them.” The concept works exactly the same, whether you are recruiting a new date or a new boss.

You Make the Call
If you want this job, you must assume full responsibility for following up with Mr. Bigg promptly after sending him your materials. In your letter, politely say that you will call in a week to set up a meeting, and then be sure to make the call.

Never assume that Mr. Bigg will call you. Follow up is not his job; it’s yours and he knows this. If Mr. Bigg doesn’t hear from you when you say you’ll call, he will assume either you’re not interested or are unprofessional.

Say “Thank You”
Finally, it is just plain good manners to thank Mr. Bigg for taking the time to read your materials. After all, if everything goes the way it should, you will be taking up a good deal more of it sometime soon.