ST JOHN FISHER COLLEGE

Your guide to
resume and letter writing

Once you have selected the job you wish to apply for you need to determine:
1. What the employer is seeking
2. What you have to offer
In the space provided below, make a list of all of the skills/attributes the employer
requires/desires from their applicants. For each skill/attribute consider what you can offer the
employer.
An example has been completed for you in the first row.
What does the employer want?

A positive outlook

What do I have to offer?

I am an optimistic person and approach all tasks with a

sense of willingness. I have been involved in .

Application Letter Model

Subject matter, language and layout features

State what you can do for the employer, not what the employer can do for you!
This is your introduction to you; it gives you the chance to cover all criteria required for the position and provides reference
points to the rsum. It is a good indicator of written communication skills. Also, it is an avenue to gain insight into your
character / personality.

2.54cm margins

My name
Street address
Suburb Qld postcode
Ph: (07)
Mb:

Arial 11 font

Date

INITIAL LAYOUT use:

word

full justification
4 hard returns/ section
up to salutation

If you know the

employers name
then use Dear Ms
James & then
sincerely; if not,
use Dear Sir/
Madam (or their
Title) & then
faithfully.

FINAL LAYOUT use:

3 hard returns at the
end of the final
paragraph
6 hard returns between
the sign off and your
name
a personally signed
handwritten signature
above your name

LANGUAGE use:

clear, plain English

(Australian not American)
short simple sentences

Employers name
Employers title
Employers workplace
Street / PO Box address
Suburb Qld postcode
Dear (employers name)
Paragraph 1
Why I am writing
response to ad in
personal qualities
your fit for the job
Paragraph 2
What I have to offer
show how experiences are transferable to job
refer to criteria listed
relate abilities to job
emphasise achievements/ problem-solving skills
Paragraph 3
How I will follow up
bid directly for job
request an interview
indicate phone call
thank employer

Yours sincerely

name

correct spelling/ grammar/

punctuation
positive wording
active words/ verbs
2
a variety of words/
.
adjectives to describe
5
skills/ experiences
4
c
write
m in your own words
show your personality/
style
m
a
r
g
i
SUBJECT
MATTER:
n
s
A
3 paragraphs
r
1 page
ONLY
i
a
answer
Why should I hire
l
this person?
1
identify
1 work skills &
qualities; back up
personal
4
with good examples
h
a
r
d

Tailor your letter to

r
the needs
of the
e
t
employer,
the job and
u
the organisation.
Use
r
the first
paragraph
to
n
s
grab the employers
/
attention.
Dont use
clichs
2 s like Enclosed
.e find my
please
5cParagraph 2
rsum
this is
4t
ci
obvious!
Avoid
o
m
rehashing
your
n
rsum
you are
m
a
wasting
an
r
employers
precious
g
time!i Do assert
n
yourself.
A

S
h
o
w

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i
a

h
o
w

Personal Attributes
and skills
The cover letter is vital to your resume. It makes a
statement about yourself and your suitability for the job
and should give the personal touch that your resume will
intrinsically lack. You need to sell yourself and summarise
your strengths and how they might be an advantage to the
organisation. Relate your skills to the competencies
required in the job.

Here are some examples of attributes and skills you can

use in your cover letter and resume.

Good communication skills

Effective
planning
skills

Dependable

Self-motivated

Effective in
completing
projects

Excellent
leadership
skills

Good problem-solver

Good learner
Outstanding decision maker

Energetic and
ambitious

Exceptional
troubleshooting skills

Openers and Closers that Really Work!

I believe I could confidently carry out the duties as described in your advertisement.
I know you need someone who is a good reliable worker which is why I am applying for the
position.
I know your time is valuable, which is why I have listed only relevant details.
Your search for an appropriate employee is over!
I have diverse experience in
I understand your need for a responsible multi-skilled secretary, which is why Im applying for your
vacant position.
I am excited about AAA Company because
My hands-on knowledge with computers makes me the ideal candidate for the position of
programmer.
I am confident my previous experience and my ability to work as part of a team, has prepared me
well for the position of
I believe you should consider me for the position of secretary, as advertised in The Age.
I have always had a keen interest in
I understand the need to serve your customers well.
I put my heart and soul into helping people, and expect no returns.
I have some really creative ideas, which I believe you would find quite resourceful.
Putting people at ease is one of my strengths.
Having been self employed I realise your needs for a
I can see we have a similar vision of where we are going.
Working with AAA Company gave me a great understanding of peoples needs.
Todays advertisement for a secretary attracted me because
I am an intelligent bright person who would be an asset to AAA Company.
When I worked for AAA Company, designing fliers and promotional material was my main
responsibility.
I have a strong desire to succeed, but especially in your industry.
I am pursuing a career in
If youre looking for a secretary who is very adept at multi skilling, look no further.
I believe I have strong business ethics.
AAA Companys fine reputation has encouraged me to apply for a position.
I recently studied and discovered some amazing facts.
I am well respected in the community for my tireless efforts in
Your job description and my skills and knowledge fit like a glove.

I am available to discuss with you personally my skills.

A rsum does not reveal the real person I am, and I look forward to an interview.
My rsum reveals facts, but an interview would show you the person I am.
An interview would confirm my skills.
I am excited about having an interview.
I look forward to meeting you.

I have enclosed for your perusal my rsum, and I look forward to discussing this further at an
interview.

The Long Line

A
Achieved, acquired, acted, activated, adapted, addressed, administered, agitated, analysed,
anticipated, assembled, assisted, audited
B
Boosted, briefed, budgeted, built
C
Calculated, centralised, changed, collaborated, composed, condensed, conducted, constructed,
contracted, converted, coordinated, created
D
Demonstrated, designed, developed, devised, discovered, doubled, drafted
E
Edited, eliminated, enforced, established, evaluated, expanded, explained
F
Facilitated, finalised, fixed, focused, followed up, forecasted, formed, founded
G
Gained, gathered, generated, graduated, guided
H
Handled, headed, helped, hired
I
Identified, illustrated, implemented, improved, improvised, increased, influenced, informed,
initiated, innovated, installed, instigated, instructed, insured, integrated, interacted, interpreted,
interviewed, introduced, investigated, issued
J
Joined, judged, justified
L
Launched, lectured, led, liaised, lobbied, located, logged
M
Maintained, managed, manufactured, marketed, mastered, maximised, measured, mediated,
minimised, mobilised, modernised, monitored, motivated

N
Navigated, negotiated, nominated, notified
O
Observed, obtained, opened, operated, optimised, orchestrated, ordered, organised, originated,
overhauled, oversaw
P
Perceived, perfected, performed, persuaded, piloted, pinpointed, pioneered, planned, predicted,
prepared, prescribed, presented, prevented, produced, prioritised, procured, produced,
programmed, proposed, protected, promoted, proved, provided, publicised, published, purchased
Q
Qualified, questioned
R
Raised, ran, reached, realised, recognised, recommended, reconciled, recruited, rectified,
reduced, refined, regulated, remodelled, reorganised, repaired, replaced, reported, represented,
researched, reshaped, resolved, responded, restored, revamped, reviewed, revitalised, revived
S
Saved, scheduled, searched, secured, selected, separated, serviced, setup, simplified, sold,
solved, sorted, surveyed, staffed, specialised, spoke, staffed, standardised, supervised, supplied,
surpassed, surveyed
T
Tabulated, targeted, taught, terminated, tested, totaled, tracked, traded, trained, transcribed,
tutored
U
Uncovered, undertook, unified, updated, upgraded, utilised
V
Validated, verified, vitalised, volunteered
W
Welcomed, won, worked.

CUSTOMISE YOUR RESUME

It is very important that both your resume and your letter of application fit or match
the job you are applying for.
Customise your current resume to meet the required skills and attributes of the position
you have decided to apply for. In some places this might simply mean reordering your list to
skills/personal attributes so that those most relevant or desirable for the job appear first on
the list.

By the end of this process you should have TWO copies of your resume.
1. Your original resume
2. The customized resume for the job interview you will have on Friday the 24th June

You will need to consider changing/adjusting the following:

1. Career objective This should relate specifically to your chosen job
2. Personal characteristics These should link closely with those listed in the job
advertisement. Reorder them so that the ones that best match the job are listed
first
3. Personal achievements Shuffle these so that those suited to the job are listed
first
4. Demonstrated skills and abilities
5. Recent work experience Arrange your experience so that the experience
which best fulfills the requirements of the advertised position is listed first
6. Hobbies/interests While you can still include those that are not entirely related
to the job, focus on and emphasise those that demonstrate your natural interest
in anything related to the job

During this process you will need to:

o Work closely with your copy of the job advertisement
o Rearrange the order of your information in some sections
o Add or build on certain sections, e.g. your personal interests/personal
attributes
o Carefully check and edit your work