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Every resume and cover letter in this book actually worked. And most of the resumes
and cover letters have common features: all are one-page, all are in the chronological
format, and all resumes are accompanied by a companion cover letter. The book is
divided into three parts. Part One provides some advice about job hunting. Step One
begins with a discussion of why employers prefer the one-page, chronological resume.
In Step Two you are introduced to the direct approach and to the proper format for a
cover letter. In Step Three you learn the 14 main reasons why job hunters are not
offered the jobs they want, and you learn the six key areas employers focus on when
they interview you. Step Four gives nuts-and-bolts advice on how to handle the
interview, send a follow-up letter after an interview, and negotiate your salary. At the
end of Part One, you’ll find advice about how to research and locate the companies and
organizations to which you want to send your resume.
Since the cover letter plays such a critical role in a career change, Part Two of the book
is entitled Cover Letters for Computer Jobs. You will learn from the experts how to
format your cover letters and you will see suggested language to use in marketing your
computer training, knowledge, or experience. It has been said that “A picture is worth a
thousand words” and, for that reason, you will see numerous examples of effective cover
letters used by real individuals to find their first job in the computer field, change
industries, or assume new kinds of responsibilities within the field. Part Two ends with
answers to the 16 most commonly asked questions about cover letters and job hunting,
and the answers are provided in the form of actual cover letters.
Parts One and Two lead up to the most important part of the book, which is Real-
Resumes for Computer Jobs—Part Three. In this section you will see people in varying
stages of change. Some of the individuals whose resumes and cover letters you see
wanted to change the product, company, or service they were selling, managing, or
representing. As Part Three evolves, you discover resumes and cover letters used by
people who wanted to find a completely different type of work to do. Then there are
resumes and cover letters of people who wanted a change but who probably wanted to
remain in their industry. Many of you will be especially interested by the resumes and
cover letters of individuals who knew they definitely wanted a career change but had no
idea what they wanted to do next. Other resumes and cover letters show individuals who
knew they wanted to change fields and had a pretty good idea of what they wanted to do
next. Part Three ends with resumes and cover letters of folks who moved from selfemployment,
usually in small companies, to something totally different.
Whatever your background or training, you’ll find resumes and cover letters that will
“show you the ropes” in job hunting. Bear in mind that you can learn a lot from any of
the resumes in this book. For example, if you are already a part of the computer industry,
you will find many resumes used by individuals to advance in the industry. If you are
seeking your first job in the computer field, you will find numerous examples of resumes
and cover letters used to launch careers. |
