Top 10 Resume and Cover Letter Mistakes to Avoid


By Dalya F. Massachi - So you want to improve your nonprofit jobseeking skills? Good news: You’ve come to the right place!

As a writing coach and consultant, I have been working with jobseekers on their resumes and cover letters for many years. My clients have ranged from recent graduates to seasoned professionals entering or re-entering the nonprofit workforce. What are the most common errors I have seen? Here are my top 10:

1. Not identifying the job you are applying for – upfront: Remember that your reader might be only glancing at your cover letter to determine what to do with it. Use the first line (and email subject line) to make it easy to tell.

2. Having only one standard template: Chances are good that you will not only be applying for one specific type of job, but for several related categories. For example, I just had a client who was looking for either a planned giving officer position or an event coordinator position. The skillsets are different (although related) so she needed two sets of documents.

3. Sticking to the template too closely: For each job posting you respond to, you will have to do a bit of tweaking. You need to arrive at some understanding of the organization you are applying to, and explain how you can help them – specifically.

4. Going on and on about how you would love to work for them: Just because you support the organization’s mission does not mean much if your skills and knowledge don’t match up. Focus on how you can be an asset to the organization, and then talk about your personal motivation for applying.

5. Using industry jargon or acronyms from an industry other than the one you are applying to: This is especially common for people moving into the nonprofit sector from the private, public, or academic sectors. If a layperson wouldn’t understand the terms you are using, revise.

6. Downplaying volunteer experience: Even if you have not been paid for your work with nonprofits, you have earned the experience that goes with it. Many nonprofits look upon volunteer experience as vital to an appreciation of their work. Be sure to include details about your volunteer responsibilities and leadership roles.

7. Forgetting to include important information: This ranges from foreign languages you speak, to cross-cultural experiences you have had, to your computer skills and proficiencies (even if you are aiming for a non-computer-focused job) to illustrative examples that give meaning to any broad or abstract statements you make.

8. Not using strong verbs to show the action behind your experience: The verbs you use will liven up your documents. If necessary, get a good thesaurus and find creative ways to talk about the work you did. For example, saying you “worked on” a plan is weaker than saying you “facilitated,” “collaborated on,” “initiated,” “coordinated,” or “led” the planning process.

9. Not proofreading: Be sure to clean up your grammar, spelling, word choice, capitalization, punctuation, spacing, fonts, layout choices, etc. You never know how picky the employer is going to be about such things.

10. Not following the requested format: Even if you follow the rules about submitting your application (in email, in snail mail, with an attachment, without an attachment), you need to make sure you are supplying all of the requested information. That may include a salary range, references, a writing sample, etc. All job application processes are not created equal. Mind the details.

——————————————-

Got a question about writing in the nonprofit job market? Just want to check in about your experiences? I’d love to hear what you have to say! Submit a “comment” on this page and let’s get a dialogue going…


Dalya F. Massachi specializes in helping nonprofit professionals advance their missions through outstanding written materials. She has worked with community-minded organizations for more than 15 years: authoring countless successful marketing pieces, articles, and grant proposals; teaching popular writing workshops; and coaching professionals one-on-one.

Download her free tip sheets and subscribe to her free e-newsletter at:
http://www.dfmassachi.net
dalya@dfmassachi.net

NOTE:For many more writing tips, check out my forthcoming book, Writing to Make a Difference: 25 Powerful Techniques to Boost Your Community Impact. If you pre-order right now, you will get a pre-publication discount of 15% at:http://www.dfmassachi.net/wmd.html

Related Articles: