I recently got a resume critique as part of signing up for one of the major job site engines. If you want to read along, you can find my resume here. You can break it down into five sections, each with its strengths and weaknesses.

Header

This is my contact information and key description. According to the review..

Pros:

• simple and clear — I don’t get fancy with a photo or other fiddle-faddle

Cons:

• uninspiring headline makes me look like a cog in a machine

Key Skills

A summary of the things I’m good at that employers might want.

Pros:

• User-friendly layout
• Complete profile includes lots of keywords potential clients might scan for

Cons:

• Passive presentation of info doesn’t catch the attention
• Needs updating to accommodate new skills from this year

Assignment Matrix

A list of the kinds of assignments I’ve successfully completed in the past.

Pros:

• Far-reaching, capitalizing on my breadth of writing experience
• Includes many high-dollar, little-known kinds of writing
• Keyword stuffing that helps the resume make it through filter programs

Cons:

• Too general. Shows competence, but not expertise

Work Experience

Summary of my relevant assignments, including major contributions.

Pros:

• Uses job tasks to indicate strength in writing even in non-writing positions
• Includes work in a variety of sectors

Cons:

• Tells what I did, not why it was important. A more active presentation would draw more eyes.

Education and References

Brief listing of my education and note that references are available.

Pros:

• I de-emphasize my formal education, which is not the strongest part of my resume.
• Simple, to-the-point presentation.

Cons:

• I don’t need to say “references available on request.” Of course they are. That’s standard.
• I could incorporate writing-related activities from my education here.

I hope that was helpful. Thanks for listening.

Shameless plug: resume redesign is one of the many services I offer. Mention you read this and you’ll get a $50 discount.

As a freelance writer, I have a skill not everybody has — and not everybody knows enough about to gauge what it’s worth. This means I could choose to gouge clients who don’t know any better.

Like the plumbing franchise Rescue Rooter.

Our toilet rebelled the other day. Started leaking from a crack in the porcelain. The handle broke off. Generally acted like a juvenile delinquent with its crappy attitude and carrying on.

Rescue Rooter comes in. They recommend replacing the unit, and say they’ll do it — new toilet included — for just under $1,100. That broke down to $860 for the new toilet and about $240 for the installation.

This seemed high to me. I hopped onto HomeDepot.com and found the identical model for $141. I chased the Rescue Rooter rep out of my residence.

The final result? Home Depot was running an installation deal where they installed my $141 toilet for $69. My city is running a tax credit for water-efficient plumbing, reducing the cost of my toilet to $78. Total price: $147.

Two morals to this story.

1. Don’t abuse your customers. Even if you don’t get caught and make a killing, it’s bad karma. Do good work for a fair price, and the referrals will make you plenty of money.

2. Don’t do business with Rescue Rooter. Seriously, those guys are pirates.

For today’s Friday Fun, check out this interview with Dave Barry on writing humor.

And if you haven’t already read his fiction book “Big Trouble,” take a weekend afternoon and do so.

http://www.learner.org/catalog/extras/interviews/dbarry/db02.html

A cover letter is the first sign any employer has of an applicant’s quality. For writing jobs, it’s doubly important: why would somebody hire you to write for them if you can’t write compelling copy for yourself?

Good cover letter writing strikes a balance between time-consuming customization and a basic form that lets you get the thing in the mail today. Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, your letter should include the following elements:

• Personalized greeting if possible (and possible includes “possible with research”).
• Demonstrating knowledge of the client and the specific assignment or position.
• Pointing out specific traits that make you excellent for the job.
• Specifics called out in the job description or ad post.
• A compelling closing with a call to action.

Email cover letters have the same characteristics, although with the anonymous nature of some job posts, it’s growing increasingly difficult to personalize your greeting.

It’s a good idea to have one or two basic cover letter templates on file for each major job type you routinely seek. You’ll add to the framework with details that tailor the letter to a specific job. Here’s an example of one of my templates, used for marketing copy:

Greetings (XXXX),

Jason Brick here, freelance writer responding to your call for (XXXX). I came to writing professionally after a career in business management and ownership. This means you get not just a solid writer, you get somebody who understands the importance and context of excellent copy.

(XXXX — details of assignment, connections)

You can find my resume and several writing samples at my online portfolio www.brickcommajason.com. (XXXX- qualifications). I work well with editors and meet deadlines with ruthless efficiency.

If my skills and experience match your needs, I look forward to learning more about the project. Thank you for your time and consideration. Have an excellent day.

Best regards,

Jason

I have no illusions that it’s the best darn cover letter ever written, but it’s kept my family fed for a few years now. Sometimes the finished product is pretty much this exactly. Other times — especially when the job description is detailed enough to give me something to work with — it will be unrecognizable.

How about you? What’s your process for cover letters? What lessons have you learned in this part of the job hunt?

For the past three years, I’ve derived my living entirely from writing — which I guess makes me “successful.” The past six days have illustrated for me one important trait of successful writers. During that time, I’ve spent time in the following ways

• Taking a tango lesson
• Changing and singing to a baby
• Helping with my older son’s wrestling team
• Moshing in the pit at a 6-hour folk metal concert
• Teaching karate
• Learning about calculus
• Watching Sesame Street
• Interviewing staff at a local business
• Hanging drywall
• Moving money for investment purposes
• Learning capoeira
• Cooking Italian, Cajun and Thai food

The point here isn’t that I’m awesome (though I take full credit that it’s been an awesome week). The point is that writers must have — and keep having — varied experiences if we want to be successful.

Writers are generalists. (Some specialists also write, but that’s not the same thing). The more you learn, the more you do, the more interest you take in the world around you, the more “hooks” you’ll have to hang information on when it comes to doing your work.

For nonfiction writers this widens the number of assignments you can accept. A wide base of experience gives you the ability to competently research many topics — an ability you wouldn’t have with only a few deep areas of knowledge.

For fiction writers, this experience helps you develop compelling situations and interesting characters. More experiences means you can describe scenes and people with details that come from what you’ve actually seen and done. As Joe R. Lansdale puts it, you can always spot a love scene written by a virgin.

Remember, as a writer your main job is to be interesting — or at least to present information in an interesting manner. If you’re not interested, you can’t be interesting.

Thanks for listening.