Easy resume improvements + great ways to tailor cover letters and emails

Career Launch November 2017

November Greetings, Jumbos! Have you revised your resume lately? This month we're diving into resume essentials, with the goal of sprucing up your document in a short amount of time. We'll also talk about tailoring correspondence (cover letters, emails) to get a better response rate. Get a Resume Review from an Alumni Career Services Advisor Spotlight on ... Resume Refresh: The Essentials It's hard to find time for a resume overhaul. And hey, good news: most of the time you don't need a complete overhaul. Instead, take a half hour (or less!) to go through your document, focusing on ways to keep it current and dynamic. Consider the following: 10 Easy Ways to Improve Your Resume Is a Two-Page Resume Ever Okay? 45 Quick Changes That'll Help Your Resume Get Noticed (including what to do if you have 2 minutes, 5 minutes or 10-15 minutes) P.S. This spotlight closely relates to our FAQ of the Month ... read on! Are You Still Using an Objective Statement on Your Resume? Up Next for the Professional Development Series Led by Alumni Career Services staff, the series features free 1-hour teleseminars designed for Tufts alumni. All you need is a phone and a computer to join. Coming soon: Job Search Success Secrets -- October 31 Market Your Brand: Cover Letters, Follow-up Emails and More -- November 14 Make Your Resume Pop -- November 28 Ace That Interview! -- December 5 Sign Up for a Free Teleseminar Today FAQ of the Month What are the best ways to tailor cover letters/networking emails? And do I HAVE to do it? Yes, it's tempting to create a "general" cover letter and use it for different jobs. Similarly, it's easy to draft an email template and send it to multiple networking contacts. Resist the temptation! Think about how you'd feel in this situation ... You receive two letters (or emails): #1 is clearly meant for you, while #2 is generic and could be going to anyone & everyone. Which is more likely to get your attention? (Easy answer!) Consider doing the following to show a potential employer or networking contact that you're paying attention: Cover the basics: If possible, always address a piece of correspondence to a specific person vs. "Dear Hiring Manager" or "To Whom It May Concern" Speak to your audience. Show that you know something about the employers/individuals to whom you're writing. What's happening with their organizations lately? How do your professional or personal pursuits sync with what's important to them? Pass the test: Pretend to remove the individual/employer name from your letter or email. Can you still tell that it's intended for one particular individual/employer? If so, you've probably done your homework. If you're unsure, try to come up with additional ways to customize your message. 3 Excuses You're Making to Avoid Tailoring Your Application (and Why They're Wrong) Wednesday Career Webinars Offered by the Career Center & Tufts Alumni Association, these FREE hour-long presentations feature career experts speaking on a variety of topics. Coming in November: The Motivated Networker: A Proven System to Leverage Your Network -- November 1 Recalibrate for Life 2.0: Transition Stories for Business Leaders -- November 8 Pitch Perfect: How to Say It Right the First Time, Every Time -- November 15 Strategies for Retiring Right! -- November 22 Mark Your Calendar with Upcoming Webinars Check out the new Tufts Alumni website Work for Tufts! Know someone looking for a great development job? Check out the following listings on the Careers @ Tufts site: Director of Development, Tufts Medical School Director of Development, Friedman School and HNRCA Featured Listings in Handshake & Beyond NYC - CICFinancial Services Examiner Trainee -- NY State Department of Financial Services, New York, NY Safe Routes to School Communication Specialist (part-time) -- Boston Public Schools, Dorchester, MA Foreign Filing Paralegal -- Wolf Greenfield and Sacks, Boston, MA Producer -- Citadel Communications, Providence, RI Systems Administrator -- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, MO Cyber Strategy & Policy Associate -- Simon Everett, Ltd., Arlington, VA Research Technician -- Faustman Immunobiology Lab, Charlestown, MA Career Fairs, Events and Special Opportunities Bender Virtual Career Fair for People with Disabilities -- Tuesday, November 15 Big 10 Academic Alliance FreeApp grad application fee waiver for PhD and MFA programs at 14 schools -- Apply by November 15 16th Asian Diversity / AMBA Career Expo -- Friday, November 17, 10 am - 6:30 pm, NYC Boston Career Forum for Japanese-English Bilinguals -- November 17-19 Want to network with Tufts alumni in your field? Register for the new Tufts Online Community and join the Tufts Career Networking Group on LinkedIn to make career connections today! Career Launch is a publication of Tufts Alumni Career Services. Alumni Career Services is a lifelong resource for alumni of AS&E and the SMFA. Contact us for assistance as you navigate your career path. In-person, phone, email and Skype appointments are available.

Tufts University Career Center   9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday Dowling Hall Suite 740 617-627-3299 See Calendar

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