Here are some sources for help with resumes and cover letters. Keep in mind that many of sites listed in Step 1 also have information on this topic.
Books!
There are lots of books out there that can provide great resume examples and instructions on building a good resume. Check your local library (including the reference section) or your university library. Try to find books that are both recent (especially considering the current economic conditions) and books that have specialized information for the field you are interested in. A few available from McKeldin Library:
Enelow, Wendy S. Expert Resumes for Computing and Web Jobs. Print.
Greene, Brenda. Get the interview every time : Fortune 500 hiring professionals' tips for writing winning resumes and cover letters . Print.
Newlen, Robert. Resume Writing and Interviewing Techniques that Work: A How to Manual for Modern Librarians. 2006. Print.
Troutman, Kathryn. Federal Resume Guidebook: Write a Winning Federal Resume to Get In, Get Promoted, and Survive in a Government Job. Ebook. http://www.netlibrary.com/Details.aspx
Weber, Karl. The insider's guide to writing the perfect resume. Print.
University of Maryland Career Center Career Counselors http://www.careercenter.umd.edu/staff.cfm?sort=counselor FREE! Free counseling is available through the University of Maryland. Professionals will look at your resume, critique it and offer advice on how to improve it. They will also coach you for interviews. It’s FREE everyone take advantage.
National Career Development Association http://associationdatabase.com/aws/NCDA/pt/sp/Home_Page Career counselors are typical for hire and can be expensive. However, hiring professional can help set you apart in the search.
Job Specific Resume Help
As mentioned in Step 1, become familiar with the field or category of job you have a particular interest in. Professional organizations and sites devoted to that kind of career will much more specific and helpful information than a lot of the general resources, so be sure to check out these kinds of sites so that you can tailor your resume to the norms of your career path. USA Jobs provides tips for how to format a resume for government jobs. This is very beneficial for those looking for jobs at all levels of government because government software programs sort using very specific terms and understanding this is key to getting your resume past the first round of processing. http://www.usajobs.gov/infocenter/resumetips.asp
LIS Jobs An example of an organization devoted to library jobs that offers recommendations relevant to library job applications. http://lisjobs.com/jobseekers/
Online Sources
Hartford Public Library Resume and Cover Letter Information The Hartford, CT library has some outstanding job hunt resources and their resume page is exceptional. This page gives basic resume instructions and then dozens of further resources. http://www.hplct.org/job_and_ career_center/ ResumeCoverLetter.shtm
http://www.job-hunt.org/starting.shtml
This site has lots of articles on resume building. The link below will help you to build an Internet ready resume. Resume-Help.org http://www.resume-help.org/
This is a free online site that offers resume tips, a resume builder, and other general information. Resume-Help has a lot of links to other sites and sources of information.
http://www.resumeedge.com/
For pay site where you can build or have someone build a resume for you. Amazing Resumes MD http://www.amazingresumesmd.com/ An organization that offer job coaching, resume writing, cover letter writing, and a variety of workshops on job searching skills. A perk of the service is that it is focused on the Maryland, DC, and Northern Virgina areas.
Cover Letters
Cover letters are as if not more important than you resume. These should be tailored to each job you are applying for. The majority of the sites listed on this page have information about cover letters with their resume information. Here are some quick links to a few:
Step 2: Build Your Resume and Write Cover Letters
Here are some sources for help with resumes and cover letters. Keep in mind that many of sites listed in Step 1 also have information on this topic.Books!
There are lots of books out there that can provide great resume examples and instructions on building a good resume. Check your local library (including the reference section) or your university library. Try to find books that are both recent (especially considering the current economic conditions) and books that have specialized information for the field you are interested in. A few available from McKeldin Library:Enelow, Wendy S. Expert Resumes for Computing and Web Jobs. Print.
Greene, Brenda. Get the interview every time : Fortune 500 hiring professionals' tips for writing winning resumes and cover letters . Print.
Newlen, Robert. Resume Writing and Interviewing Techniques that Work: A How to Manual for Modern Librarians. 2006. Print.
Noble, David. Gallery of Best Résumés. Ebook http://www.netlibrary.com/Details.aspx
Troutman, Kathryn. Federal Resume Guidebook: Write a Winning Federal Resume to Get In, Get Promoted, and Survive in a Government Job. Ebook. http://www.netlibrary.com/Details.aspx
Weber, Karl. The insider's guide to writing the perfect resume. Print.
In Person Career Centers
Find a career center near you at:
http://www.servicelocator.org/
DC Department of Employment Services:
http://www.does.dc.gov/does/cwp/view,a,1233,q,538261.asp
Many cities will have services similar to these so it is important to search for these kinds of services in your area.
Job Counseling and Resume Help
University of Maryland Career Center Career Counselors
http://www.careercenter.umd.edu/staff.cfm?sort=counselor
FREE! Free counseling is available through the University of Maryland. Professionals will look at your resume, critique it and offer advice on how to improve it. They will also coach you for interviews. It’s FREE everyone take advantage.
National Career Development Association
http://associationdatabase.com/aws/NCDA/pt/sp/Home_Page
Career counselors are typical for hire and can be expensive. However, hiring professional can help set you apart in the search.
Job Specific Resume Help
As mentioned in Step 1, become familiar with the field or category of job you have a particular interest in. Professional organizations and sites devoted to that kind of career will much more specific and helpful information than a lot of the general resources, so be sure to check out these kinds of sites so that you can tailor your resume to the norms of your career path.USA Jobs provides tips for how to format a resume for government jobs. This is very beneficial for those looking for jobs at all levels of government because government software programs sort using very specific terms and understanding this is key to getting your resume past the first round of processing.
http://www.usajobs.gov/infocenter/resumetips.asp
LIS Jobs An example of an organization devoted to library jobs that offers recommendations relevant to library job applications.
http://lisjobs.com/jobseekers/
Online Sources
Hartford Public Library Resume and Cover Letter Information
The Hartford, CT library has some outstanding job hunt resources and their resume page is exceptional. This page gives basic resume instructions and then dozens of further resources.
http://www.hplct.org/job_and_ career_center/ ResumeCoverLetter.shtm
Career One Stop
http://www.careeronestop.org/ResumesInterviews/ResumesInterviews.aspx
Again it is sponsored by the US Department of Labor, but beyond the
Job-Hung.org
http://www.job-hunt.org/starting.shtmlThis site has lots of articles on resume building. The link below will help you to build an Internet ready resume.
Resume-Help.org
http://www.resume-help.org/
This is a free online site that offers resume tips, a resume builder, and other general information. Resume-Help has a lot of links to other sites and sources of information.
For Pay Sites or Services
Career Builder
http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Resumes/SR_Start.aspx
Career Planner
http://www.careerplanner.com/Default.cfm
Members have are eligible for career counseling and help with resume writing.
Resume Edge
http://www.resumeedge.com/For pay site where you can build or have someone build a resume for you.
Amazing Resumes MD
http://www.amazingresumesmd.com/
An organization that offer job coaching, resume writing, cover letter writing, and a variety of workshops on job searching skills. A perk of the service is that it is focused on the Maryland, DC, and Northern Virgina areas.
Cover Letters
Cover letters are as if not more important than you resume. These should be tailored to each job you are applying for. The majority of the sites listed on this page have information about cover letters with their resume information. Here are some quick links to a few:Career One Stop
http://www.careeronestop.org/ResumesInterviews/Letters/CoverLetters.aspx
UMD Career Services –Cover Letters
http://www.careercenter.umd.edu/page.cfm?page_ID=54§ion_ID=1
Wall Street Journal
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124389654963374069.html