Looking Professional on Paper – Electronically that is.

How awesome is your résumé? Is it completely formatted, spell checked, and grammar checked? Everyday I filter through résumés and emails of those interested in working with The Windsor Agency. I know it has been said, but it seems that our ‘electronic world’ has kept many from using their ability to write professionally. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are full of #hashtags and incomplete sentences.

The Windsor Agency has standards and if those are not met it is likely your résumé may not make ‘the cut.’ We want you to make ‘the cut’ so lets journey though some thoughts about applying with us or any other company for employment.

1. Attachments are ah-mazing.

It is imperative to have a professional résumé correctly formatted before submitting. There are tons of programs out there, so there truly is no reason why anyone shouldn’t have an ah-mazing résumé. Microsoft Word (among other programs) has is set up to where it puts the text in the correct spot for you. After you have put all the information in your résumé, it would be wise to have someone else look it over to make sure you didn’t miss anything. Sometimes an extra set of eyes can help you see something you didn’t. Did you know — if you read everything backwards in a document you’re more likely to catch mistakes? Odd, but it works.

When sending your résumé it is very important that you attached the document to the email. If you copy it into the body of the email it becomes unformatted and is impossible to read at times (and likely overlooked for consideration very quickly). It is best to send it as a PDF, doc, or docx. Formats outside of these are not usually compatible and save your résumé in a weird format. If you save it as something else it is likely it doesn’t transpire to the recipient in the same format.

2. Cover letters are still cool.

When you attach your résumé to a blank email it doesn’t show any type of interest or passion. It more-or-less shows you are applying to any and everything without a true interest in the job you are applying for. While this may not be your intention that is what it shows to many companies. Be sure that your email contains content that accurately depicts your skills, experience, and assets that you bring to the table. This shows confidence and professionalism to the agency or company you are applying to. The Windsor Agency has this particular requirement for these reasons. Having background to your résumé is imperative to showing us who you are, and why you might be an amazing addition to our team. Also, you can attach a cover letter to your email. If you attach a cover letter it is still important to write a couple sentences about your interest and make note that you have attached your résumé and cover letter. Cover letters are still cool!