Your Ultimate Guide to Acing the Job Search Process - Part 1
In this issue, we will cover amazing tips and how to write a persuasive resume and cover letter.
Welcome to your first official The Insight Buffet newsletter! 🚀
In this issue, we are diving into the job search process—covering everything from crafting the perfect resume to nailing that interview. Whether you are applying for your first role, looking to make a career shift, or simply wanting to refresh your approach, this guide is packed with actionable insights to help you stand out.
So, let’s get started!
P.S: We have Instagram, too! It’s only a click from here.
A. Resume Tips: Polish up real nice
On average, human resources (HR) and recruiters can receive 100-400 resumes per day for a job opening, and only 1 in 10 resumes make it to the hiring manager. Facing such a large pool of competition like that is a nerve-racking feeling.
But don’t you worry, because we are here to help! By the end of this newsletter, you can confidently craft an eye-catching resume.
First Few Drops of Recommendation:
Simplicity is key: For a resume, choose a clean, professional layout. Websites like Canva and Novoresume offer free ATS-friendly templates that are super easy to customize.
ATS-friendly formats: Stick to basic file types like .docx or .pdf (usually, job posting mentions a recommended file type, so be sure to read it carefully).
Short n’ sweet file name: You should name your resume First Name_Last Name_Job Position, unless the job posting requires otherwise.
Resume checklist:
Believe it or not, you may miss an important information or section when crafting a resume from scratch. That is why we have this checklist so nothing can slip through your fingertips!
Contact Info: This section must include your name, phone number, and professional email. It would be quite embarrassing if the recruiter does not know who you are, right? Besides that, you can add some optional information such as your LinkedIn or portfolio/website link.
Professional Summary: In just 2-3 sentences, this section can highlight your skills, experience, and what you bring to the table.
Work Experience: This is the most important section of the resume, and where you can outshine other candidates (if you do it right!). Here, you need to list your past roles in reverse chronological order. For each role, include your title, company name, work duration, and bullet points outlining achievements.
Education: For this section, be sure to include your school name, study duration, and degrees. If it is relevant to your desired job, you should consider certifications, courses, or projects. And if you are extra smart, flaunt those GPAs, too!
Skills: In this section, make sure to include both hard and soft skills tailored to the job. Hard skills are job-specific competencies and abilities (or others like to call them “technical skills”), while soft skills describe how you interact with others and work (like teamwork, time management, or critical thinking).
Additional Sections: This section is for the talented, outgoing folks! You can include Languages, Achievements & Awards, or Projects. Beware, additional information might make your resume look lengthy, so choose carefully!
If you don’t want to create a resume from scratch, plenty of websites can provide resume templates (like this one). However, they may include more sections than you actually need, and that can confuse or distract you from what is important. Let’s stick with this checklist, and arrange each piece of information accordingly.
>> This is how your resume should be! Feel free to make a copy of this file and customize it with your own experience and skills.
Order of Section Recommendation:
There are no standard orders in a resume, but some are better than others. To help recruiters scan your resume easily, you should arrange each section like so:
Contact Info
Professional Summary
Work Experience (start with the most recent)
Education
Skills
Additional Sections (if relevant)
>> If you want a prettier checklist, we got you covered right here!
Resume Dos and Don’ts:
>> Need some action verbs for your experience bullet points? This file can help you.
Weird but Work Advice:
Read it in 10 seconds: That is the average screen time duration before someone makes an initial choice, so you should look at your resume from that aspect and see what you can take away from it.
(maybe) Include the Interest section: Interests allow interviewers to connect with you and see you more than just a resume. Try to put down something specific enough like “Pastry”, and who knows, an interviewer might ask what is your go-to cookie recipe.
>> We highly recommend this Reddit post for more general advice.
How to Tailor Your Resume to the Job:
Recruiters search for not only the best but the most suitable candidate. So no matter how much you boast your ability to write 100+ posts or manage social media platforms, recruiters are unlikely to clock you for the “Account Manager” role.
Before hastily sending out your resume, you need to tailor it to the desired job. Depending on the job description (JD), let’s aim to fit your resume like a loose, oversized T-shirt and work your way to fit like a glove.
Step 1: Create a “master” resume
Lay every experience, every skill, every project you have so far into a big file. This will look overwhelming, we know, but you are not using this to apply for jobs. This is a “front-loading” step that helps you see all your capabilities and what type of job you can take a leap at.
Step 2: Search for jobs
With your “master” resume in hand, start searching on platforms like LinkedIn, Indeed, or Glassdoor. Focus on the most compatible jobs with your experience and skills, then work your way to other roles if you feel adventurous and you can handle them.
Step 3: Draft the resumes
This step will take a while because you need to write a resume for each job position. Yes, you read it right, one resume per job position. But since you have the “master” resume, most of your work in this step is copying/pasting and a sprinkle of paraphrasing.
Are you ready? Here comes the work (in bullet point, of course, so that you can read it easily)!
Scan job description: Identify key responsibilities, required qualifications, and skills. Highlight the verbs and phrases used here, you will circle back to them.
Compare to “master” resume: If certain skills and experience from your resume fairly match the JD, copy them to a new resume file. Irrelevant information stays in the “master” file, waiting to be used in another resume (or not, lol).
Borrow from job description: It is time to use those highlighted verbs and phrases, then insert them in appropriate spots on your resume (if you have “reviewed content” and the JD asks for “proofread content”, you can put “proofread” in your resume).
Rearrange your details: The way you arrange experience and skills in the resume should based on how relevant they are to the JD, and how the JD lists the requirements.
>> To keep track of which resume you use to apply for what job position, my advice is to document them in a spreadsheet. You can open Excel and make one yourself, or save time with these awesome templates from Notion!
ATS - Should You Worry?
The ATS (Applicant Tracking System) is a system that helps HR and recruiters automate their resume sorting progress. Many candidates villainize the ATS because they fear a machine is filtering their resumes, and there is no chance for resumes to reach a human recruiter.
We assure you, that is not the case. Let us debunk the urban legend surrounding ATS and put you at ease.
>> Still not at ease with the ATS? Take a look at this Reddit post!
“Befriend” the ATS with These Simple Tips:
Tailor resume to JD: Use similar keywords or borrow it from the JD, but don’t overdo it.
Keep formatting simple: Use pdf. or docx. file format, no funky fonts, graphics, and colors.
Everything is related: Focus on achievements and skills that directly relate to the role.
ATS is not a perfect system, and it is okay to feel frustrated during the job seek process, but it is nothing to be afraid of.
B. Cover Letter Tips: To Write or Not To Write?
A cover letter is more of an option than a necessity in most job postings, and the lack of it won’t kill your job interview chance. But why do we still decide to spend a section in this newsletter for it? Well, there are a couple of reasons:
Show personality: It is your chance to showcase your enthusiasm and personality beyond the bullet points of your resume.
Address special circumstances: If you have a gap in your employment, a career change, or any unique experiences, a cover letter can provide context in a positive light.
For on-the-fence recruiters: When recruiters are indecisive between you and other potential candidates, a well-written cover letter can help you stand out.
Demonstrate enthusiasm: You can impress the recruiters by showing your research into the company’s mission, values, or recent initiatives.
Portray writing skills: Sometimes writing skills are not required in JDs, but now and then, recruiters appreciate a cover letter that communicates well to them.
Secrets about Cover Letter and HR:
Even employers who don’t require cover letters from job applicants read them. 73% of these employers read the cover letters they receive.
36% of hiring managers devote less than 30 seconds to a single cover letter, so make sure yours leaves an impact!
83% of hiring managers take the cover letter into consideration for their hiring decisions.
59% of hiring managers think that the cover letter provides insight into the applicant’s personality and attitudes.
>> Want more secrets? Check out this LinkedIn article!
How to Start Writing a Cover Letter?
There is no one-cover-letter-gets-all, but it does not mean there is no good writing formula to follow.
And there is a good formula for writing cover letters. It is right here, brought to you from us.
>> This newsletter by Shikhar is absolutely useful if you want to know more about writing a killer cover letter (we may or may not reference him)!
Step 1: Analyze the job description
While you are planning a way to tailor your resume, think about your cover letter along the way, too! Focus on these sections in the JD: Responsibilities (what you need to do) and Requirements (what the company is looking for).
In the Responsibilities: The first few bullet points are usually the most important. You will need to cover those in the letter. Don’t forget to highlight them.
In the Requirements: Highlight what skills or requirements you feel confident in. For those you are unable to meet, no worries. Nothing in this section is unnegotiable. You can make up what you lack with what you have.
Step 2: Choose what to write about in the cover letter
Remember those highlighted bullet points and requirements? Great! And your “master” resume? Wonderful. Now is the time to play a little game of matching: For every important responsibility and requirement in the JD, find a similar experience bullet point in the “master” file. This is what you will write in your cover letter. If you can, try to integrate your skills with your experience into one sentence.
Need an example? Right under here!
For now, you should try to borrow as many of the same words as the job description, and worry about polishing your writing later.
Step 3: Research on the company
You may have read the About Us section in the JD, but that would not be enough. Go straight to the company’s website, LinkedIn, and even Twitter (we’re X deniers). Doing your homework will help you customize your cover letter to the company’s tone and make it less generic.
When reading about the company on their platform, you should find the answer to these questions:
Among these missions, products, uniqueness… What draws your attention the most? What leaves a significant impression on you? Why does it leave such an impression?
Can you pinpoint the aspect that speaks to you and explain how? Great! You just got yourself materials to write the “Why I want to work here” paragraph.
While you are on the company details scavenger hunt, try to find out who the hiring manager is as well. It is better to know who is likely to read your cover letter.
Step 4: Write the cover letter
Now that you have collected quite a lot of information, here is a breakdown of all the parts of a good cover letter:
Opening: Who you are, what you believe in, and what you want.
Transition: Connect the Opening and the Body with a short career summary.
Body: Highlight your relevant experience, skills, and achievements that match the JD.
Company connection: Relay the aspect of the company that makes you want the job.
Conclusion: Politely request an interview and express enthusiasm for further discussion.
There are a few minor compartments, such as contact info, greetings, and a professional sign-off, but they can be dealt with later, after you have finished most of the cover letter.
Don’t you worry, I have included instructions with examples on how to write each part.
Opening
This should be a short paragraph of 1-2 sentences stating who you are, what you believe in, and what you want. You should include at least two out of three statements.
Transition
To help the reader ease into the next section, a 1-2 sentence transition would do it!
In the first sentence, you need to sum up what you have brought to your previous employer, or what your overall achievement in school is if you are a new graduate. This will portray what you can possibly bring to the new company.
In the second sentence, you need to show your enthusiasm and willingness to contribute, but make it short.
Body
Let’s go back to our matching game from Step 2 and choose your two strongest experiences, each one is a paragraph. From this, you can polish your writing and tie your qualifications into compelling stories.
For each of your past experiences, you will need a context, a skill, your action, and the result of that action.
Company connection
Since you have done your homework on the company and understand why you want to work here, pick out two reasons and bring them together in a simple paragraph.
Conclusion
In this paragraph, you need to deliver a Call-To-Action (CTA) to the recruiter, politely requesting an interview and expressing enthusiasm for further discussion. Something like the paragraph below would do the trick:
“In closing, I would like to reiterate my strong interest in the [Job Position] at [Company Name]. I am confident that my skills, experience, and passion make me an ideal candidate for this role. I would love to discuss in detail how my qualifications align with your company's needs. Thank you for considering my application.”
There you have it! Now you can go ahead and write a helluva cover letter.
After the first cover letter…
The rest will come easy for you because now you understand the framework! To write the next cover letter for a different job application, you can take your first one, adjust here and there (mostly the part where you did the homework on the company) and you will have a brand new cover letter.
>> You have been reading quite far into this newsletter, how about a bit more advice from Harvard Business Review?
Cover Letter Dos and Don’ts:
Before finishing this newsletter issue, don’t skip these little Dos and Don’ts!
>> Need more cover letter advice from actual HR? Maybe this website can help!
⚠️ Fair Warning
If your resume is bad, recruiters will skip reading whatever cover letter you wrote. If your resume is good, a concise, tailored, company-specific letter can improve your odds and separate you from other applicants. Make sure that you spend enough time polishing both your resume and cover letter, then you are good to go.
That’s a wrap on your first job search guide! We hope these tips help you feel more prepared and confident as you take the next step in your career journey.
But your job-hunting journey does not stop with resumes and cover letters. In the next issue, we will share valuable tips on the application process and how to handle a job interview!
Good luck with your job search, and we can’t wait to share more tips with you next week! 🌟
Best wishes,
The Insight Buffet Team.