In this week’s episode, Dan and I talk about busting through all the myths about how to write a cover letter, crafting a resume and most importantly what a recruiter or hiring manager is looking for in those documents. This is the first impression you have with a potential employer so you need to be able to convey your brand, what you are looking for in a job and not get caught up in outdated rules of the cover letter and resume. We talk about how the more you can help the recruiters connect the dots between your background and their role, the more likely they are to reach out for an interview. And as always, we have helpful tips, tricks and actionable steps!
In this episode, you will specifically learn…
- What are recruiters are looking for on your resume - spoiler alert they start with your most recent role and how it relates to the role you applied for - and THEN the rest of your resume and your cover letter
- How to use keywords to grab the recruiters attention and when it may be appropriate to “retitle” yourself that correlate to the position you are applying for
- What story to tell in your cover letter and how to make a genuine connection to the brand, position and/or company
Links mentioned…
Cover Letter Format
More about Karen and Dan…
I’m Karen Weeks, the CEO & Chief Shine Officer (aka transformation coach) at KDW Coaching, the host of the Shine at Work podcast, award winning culture leader (currently leading the People team at Ordergroove), a speaker and published author. My purpose is to help career-oriented humans get unstuck so they can shine bright in business and in life. And I know how that feels, I navigated a career from theatre & the arts to HR (with lots of twists and turns there) to expanding my career into coaching as well. I am a recent Charlotte transplant where I live with my husband and furry babies.
Dan Carr is KDW Coaching’s Talent Partner and co-host of the Shine at Work podcast. Over the last decade+, Dan has partnered with early stage, high growth, startups as a recruiting leader, driving strategic direction and execution of all areas of the talent lifecycle. His role is to understand and advise on the skill sets needed to achieve company goals and then identify and engage with the best talent in the industry, building world class teams. He found that success is achieved with authentic relationships that have a foundation in empathy, transpar
Welcome to the Shine at Work Podcast! On this show, your co-hosts Karen and Dan will shine a light on your job search so you can land a role that lets you flex your strengths and progress your career in an environment you actually look forward to working in each day. From creating a stand-out resume, to confidently negotiating your salary, to finding your footing as a new manager, you can expect to hear actionable advice to help you shine your brightest in your role.
Karen D. Weeks is the CEO and Chief Career Coach of Shine at Work Coaching. She has over twenty years of HR experience, including as CPO at Ordergroove.
Dan Carr is a Shine at Work Career Coach with over a decade of recruiting experience helping high-growth startups expand with top talent.
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