Calling all resume doctors.

[SlowwHand]

Actually, he's right. A resume should be altered for each job you apply for, highlighting the hiring agent's needs and how your skills match.

[MrFun]

No accomplishments? What did you do? Fiddle your thumbs all day.

What did you complete at the end of each of your jobs? Take the Abe Papers, did you just scan stuff and throw it away? How much data did you actually collect? What was it used for? What did you do with it?

Well yeah, I have scanned numerous in-scope documents, and edited hundreds of digitized copies of documents. But does something like that count as a substantial accomplishment?

[MrFun]

germanos asked about cover letters. Yes, I write and submit cover letter with each job I apply for, with my resume.

I've attached a cover letter example that I've written for an actual job.

[Egbert]

The letter seems a bit too long. Keep it as clear and concise as possible in a way intended to indicate that you are a promising candidate with the skills, experience and accomplishments to do the job.

In that letter you talked about your customer service skills in one paragraph and then your academic achievements in the next. It is not clear, from the letter alone, whether you are looking for an academic type job or a call centre job or a checkout operator job. It creates a confusing picture of you. It sounded a bit like a checkout operator wanting an academic job. (Never sound needy or desperate even if you are). You do have a goodly amount of academic experience and qualifications so focus on getting that across. (And don't mention checkout operators or call centres, you could simply mention you have had jobs involving customer contact).

From your previous comments you have teaching experience under your belt. Redsigning and improving course content and delivery sounds like something you could focus on to market yourself (see germanos's post.). I also liked the bit where you mentioned you were able to enthuse students who had no previous interest in history. Perhaps you could work something into your letter or CV showing how and why you are a good teacher (certainly something along those in an interview to show how you bring out the best in your students).

[germanos]

Not bad. It's a bit over the top ("I used excellent communication skills") but I think that's more a cultural difference between Europe and the US where everything deserves an exclamation mark (or so I'm let to believe).
Again, "I also have extensive personal, academic, and professional experience with Microsoft Word and Excel." is not really a thing to advertise, but that's been talked over before. These programs are so basic in any office-environment that IMO it goes without saying you can use them. If you think it's necessary write "experience with word-processors and spreadsheets" as you no doubt will be able to work with any such program regardless of manufacturer. It will get the message across without the 'DUH!' reaction that at least I experience when reading that.

[Egbert]

Again, "I also have extensive personal, academic, and professional experience with Microsoft Word and Excel." is not really a thing to advertise, but that's been talked over before. These programs are so basic in any office-environment that IMO it goes without saying you can use them.

I agree.
Advertising these things in your letter gives the appearance of "clutching at straws" to support your application. You have real teaching and academic achievements to focus on. Set aside mentioning all the filing and photocopying and focus on the guts of teaching.

BTW Leave the excel and word lited in your computer skills on the CV. So after you have sold yourself they can check that you can use that software in your CV.

[Jon Miller]

I am not too experienced with cover letters, or applying, but that letter is longer than the ones I sent out when applying for my first post doc/jobs, and the one I have created now to apply for my second post doc.

The Cover Letter should answer a few questions:

Why you are applying for the position.
Why you are a good candidate for the position.
What information they should expect.
Where 'you are' now.

JM

[MrFun]

The letter seems a bit too long. Keep it as clear and concise as possible in a way intended to indicate that you are a promising candidate with the skills, experience and accomplishments to do the job.

In that letter you talked about your customer service skills in one paragraph and then your academic achievements in the next. It is not clear, from the letter alone, whether you are looking for an academic type job or a call centre job or a checkout operator job. It creates a confusing picture of you. It sounded a bit like a checkout operator wanting an academic job. (Never sound needy or desperate even if you are). You do have a goodly amount of academic experience and qualifications so focus on getting that across. (And don't mention checkout operators or call centres, you could simply mention you have had jobs involving customer contact).

From your previous comments you have teaching experience under your belt. Redsigning and improving course content and delivery sounds like something you could focus on to market yourself (see germanos's post.). I also liked the bit where you mentioned you were able to enthuse students who had no previous interest in history. Perhaps you could work something into your letter or CV showing how and why you are a good teacher (certainly something along those in an interview to show how you bring out the best in your students).

I discussed the other types of jobs in the letter in so far as those jobs had allowed me to develop TRANSFERABLE skills for the office job I was applying for.

[Jon Miller]

Maybe focus on the skills, and only mention the jobs in the CV (which they look at after they are interested)?

JM

[rah]

Keep the resume generic and alter the cover letter for each different job. It's easier to tailor the cover letter than the resume.
Neither should be longer than one page.

[Japher]

Use Asher's resume, he doesn't seem to have problems finding work.

We've interviewed a number of "engineers" here who have lied on their resumes. Something that is readily apparent after talking to them for 2 minutes. They still got the interview though. So if that is what you are after I say go for it.

[MrFun]

Keep the resume generic and alter the cover letter for each different job. It's easier to tailor the cover letter than the resume.
Neither should be longer than one page.

That's how I prefer to do it; it saves time to just have two or three variations of my resume, and just tailor the cover letter (which I already do).