The Quick Resume & Cover Letter Book, Fifth Edition

Available as an e-book at oreilly.com and the iBookstore.

Surveys show that human resource managers receive, on average, 75 resumes for each open position. Of the candidates who submitted these resumes, only a few are selected for face-to-face interviews. Often, these are the candidates who submitted strong resumes and cover letters, followed up, and demonstrated that they have something to offer the employer that other candidates don't.

The Quick Resume & Cover Letter Book teaches job seekers how to master these essential steps in the job search process. As the definitive guide to resumes, it offers techniques proven to get results quickly; a friendly, easy-to-follow design; and rock-solid advice for creating outstanding resumes and cover letters and, more importantly, using them effectively.

The first section of the book shows how to create a basic resume in about an hour and an improved resume in about half a day. Readers also gain guidance on how to define their ideal jobs and then go out and get them. In addition, the book provides more than 90 sample resumes written by professional resume writers for all types of jobs and people. This edition has been updated with sample print and electronic resumes; information on using your resume online; advice for creating and using print and online portfolios; and guidance for leveraging social networking for job search success.

Section One: The Same-Day Resume
Chapter 1: Quick Tips for Creating and Using a Resume
Chapter 2: Create a Simple Resume in About an Hour
Chapter 3: Write a Skills Resume in Just a Few Hours
Chapter 4: Develop an Electronic Resume and Portfolio in Less Than an Hour

Section Two: A More Thorough Approach to Resume Writing (and Career Planning)
Chapter 5: Develop a Powerful New Skills Language
Chapter 6: Document the Many Details of Your Work and Life Experience
Chapter 7: Identify Your Perfect Job and Industry
Chapter 8: Present Strengths and Overcome “Problems” on Your Resume
Chapter 9: Write a Better Resume Now

Section Three: A Stupendous Collection of Professionally Written and Designed Resumes
Chapter 10: Sample Chronological Resumes
Chapter 11: Sample Skills-Based, Combination, and Creative Resumes
Chapter 12: Sample Electronic Resumes

Section Four: Quick Cover Letters, Thank-You Notes, JIST Cards®, and Other Job Search Correspondence
Chapter 13: The 15-Minute Cover Letter, Plus Tips on How and When to Use It
Chapter 14: Two of the Most Effective Job Search Tools—Thank-You Notes and JIST Cards, Plus Other Job Search Correspondence

Section Five: Getting a Good Job in Less Time
Chapter 15: Seven Steps to Getting a Good Job in Less Time
Chapter 16: Quick Tips for Using the Internet and Social Networking in Your Job Search

James Michael Farr founded JIST Publishing and was a nationally recognized job search expert, multi-award winner and best-selling author of more than 20 career books, including The Quick Resume & Cover Letter Book and Getting the Job You Really Want. He passed away in December 2010.

Widely known as America’s Career Expert, Farr was an important figure in the self-directed job search movement. His passion was empowering job seekers with the knowledge and skills they needed to take control of their own job searches, so that they’d be less reliant on outplacement and vocational services and counselors to find jobs for them.

In 1981, Farr founded JIST, which has been one of the nation’s largest career publishing houses for nearly 30 years. Farr’s ground-breaking job search and career planning books have sold more than 2 million copies and dominate the career shelves of bookstores and libraries across the nation. Farr is the primary author of the Best Jobs series, Top Careers series, and The Quick Resume & Cover Letter Book.

During his lifetime, Farr received numerous awards and recognitions for his work. His books Getting the Job You Really Want, The Very Quick Job Search and Best Jobs for the 21st Century were finalists or winners of Benjamin Franklin Awards. Several videos based on Farr’s job search expertise and book content also have won prestigious Telly, Communicator, WorldFest, NY Film Festival and Videographer awards.