Executive Chat - October 2019

Top Ten Tips for Resumes and Cover Letters

by Rebecca Patt, Senior Vice President of Development, Wray Executive Search

1. Your resume needs to be easy to read at-a-glance. Use bullet points to detail your biggest achievements.

1. Include all the basic details including your contact info, the companies your worked at and for how long, and what your title and main responsibilities and successes were, and your relevant education.

1. Focus on quantifiable results, and, if applicable, your experience leading a team.

1. Summarize the answers to these questions: What kind of revenues and budgets did you manage? How did you move the needle with achieving goals, making money, saving money for your employer? How did you specifically help your company grow and evolve? Who did you manage, and how were you able to develop and promote people on your team?

1. Don’t worry about how many pages the resume is, provided the information is relevant to the role you are applying for.

1. Tell the truth. It’s the right thing to do, and the information may get fact checked.

1. Check your spelling and grammar.

1. Don’t spend much time on the cover letter because it will probably be quickly skimmed if it even gets read at all. If you must have a cover letter, keep it short and sweet. Highlight a few of the most salient points why you’re a great fit.

1. Avoid stuffy, stilted, stock language in your cover letter.

1. Don’t be afraid to follow up if you don’t get a response to your submission. If you still don’t get a response after following up, move on. Don’t take it personally.

Rebecca Patt specializes in retained executive search for the restaurant industry with Wray Executive Search. Need to hire an ace executive for your team? Email her at rebecca@wraysearch.com.

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