Cover Letter and Resume Tips from an Expert

For all my instructional design career changers, I know you’re looking for all the resume tips you can get! But, regardless of what field you’re coming from, a resume change is in order! You just can’t expect to be considered for an interview if you haven’t spent time working on your instructional design resume.

I have a lot of valuable resources for those trying to transition into an instructional design career. Don’t worry. I’ll share those with you! My main focus for this episode of The Accelerated ID was to get the best cover letter and resume tips from a resume expert.

Your Instructional Design Resume

A great, customized instructional design resume is one thing you have to invest time and effort into. It’s literally your ticket to an instructional design job! 

As far as resume tips go, here’s my favorite one. You’ve got to tailor your instructional design resume to each job you apply for. That means, if you apply to ten instructional design jobs, you’re writing ten instructional design resumes! 

I know it sounds like a lot, but it’ll all be worth it when you land your dream instructional design job. There’s more specific advice for what to include and how to format your resume in this instructional design resume ebook.

We walk you step-by-step through the resume, application, and interview process in The Instructional Design and Tech Accelerator Certificate program. So if you’re looking for even more support than the resume tips we have on deck, check it out!

Resume Tips from a Resume Expert

I’m so excited to bring you these three tips from professional resume writer Marissa Lessman. Marissa has 15 years of experience working with top companies to create successful resumes for job seekers. 

We’re lucky to work with Marissa here at The Instructional Design Company, where she offers one-on-one resume coaching. In addition, students and alumni of The Instructional Design and Tech Accelerator Certificate program also benefit from group coaching sessions with Marissa.

Let’s get into the top three resume tips for instructional design career changers!

Resume Tip Number 1: Celebrate Your Point of View

This is Marissa’s biggest tip for helping you stand out in a sea of candidates. Recruiters read generic resumes every day. So anything you can do to show your personality and what you can bring to this position will help you get noticed.

That’s why you should embrace your entire journey as a professional. It can all be made relevant, from bagging groceries at 16 to your first job out of college to where you are now. Of course, gaps in employment can also be part of your professional story. Do not shy away from aspects of your work history that you consider ‘unworthy.’ 

Here’s the trick: ask yourself what you can bring to an organization that is of value. Now, how does your professional history celebrate that? At the end of the day, recruiters and hiring managers want to get to know you.

Resume Tip Number 2: Stay Inside ATS Standards

If you don’t already know about ATS, this tip is for you! ATS stands for Applicant Tracking System. It’s software that most companies use to filter candidates.

Hiring managers tell ATS what skills and requirements to search for. Then, the system scans all the submitted resumes. Based on the scan, recruiters and hiring managers then get a list of candidates who ATS thinks are the best matches.

Here’s where your resume comes in. If your resume isn’t formatted in an ATS-friendly way, it won’t read your skills and experience. That means the potential employer will never even see your resume!

To ensure your resume is ATS friendly:

• Include buzzwords that are important to the specific job requirements.
• Avoid using graphics and other design elements. 
• Use only black or navy font.
• List information in a single column
• Don’t insert tables

Resume Tip Number 3: Keep Your Resume Accomplishment-Based

Here’s another way to make an impression on a recruiter or potential employer based on your resume alone. Instead of simply listing skills and education, connect how you add value to the position through those skills. 

Let’s look at an example. A common skill in instructional designers is curriculum design. However, that alone doesn’t provide much information. Instead, try adding a quantitative element to the skill. For example, how many modules of a particular curriculum did you design? For what size audience?

If you have data you can include to show the impact of your skill, even better! “Designed workplace safety curriculum that resulted in 25% fewer safety incidents,” tells a much better story than just “designed curriculum”!

Create the Perfect Cover Letter

If you’re not a fan of the cover letter, you’re not alone! Even professional resume writers agree they can be a headache. Unfortunately for all of us, they are a necessary evil. You should never skip the cover letter attachment when submitting your resume for an instructional design job. 

Use these three cover letter tips to make the writing process easier!

Cover Letter Tip Number 1: Keep it to One Page!

Did you know that most recruiters only look at your cover letter for 8-12 seconds? That’s not a lot of time to make a good impression! Up your chances by limiting your cover to one page. 

Your cover letter should tell the recruiter or hiring manager:

• Who you are
• What you want
• How they can help you

You can explain those three things in 4-5 paragraphs at the most. You might be tempted to bury your accomplishments within your cover letter. Leave that for your resume!

Cover Letter Tip Number 2: Marry the Personal and the Professional

I mentioned you shouldn’t be using your cover letter to reiterate the accomplishments you already have included in your resume. Instead, our resume expert recommends that you keep your cover letter a little more personal.

Don’t be afraid to talk about yourself in a way that is personal in your cover letter. At the end of the day, you’re a human being! Just like the recruiter reading your resume. 

Ask yourself what you want that potential employer to think about you after reading those four paragraphs. Then, tell that story!

Here’s are some things to consider when you’re writing your cover letter:

• Do you have any connections with the company you’re applying to? Maybe it’s a company that does work you admire or a university you toured with a child.
• What values do you share with the company? Look for their mission statement online and see how you connect with it.
• What excites you about the position? 

These are just a few ideas for marrying the personal and the professional in your cover letter.

Cover Letter Tip Number 3: Consistency is Key

Not only will this help your cover letter to be ATS friendly, but consistency can be important for building your brand as well. Using the same fonts, sizing, and formatting helps align all your information. It also presents as more polished and professional.

Follow the same resume tips for ATS tracking when formatting your cover letter. Don’t include graphics or design elements. Keep your text in a single column, and utilize those keywords if you can.

Here’s an excellent way to tell if your formatting is on track: does it look boring? If it does, then you’re on to something! Save your fancy Canva templates for a situation where you can hand your resume directly to the hiring manager. When you submit your cover letter and resume online, keep it simple!

Wrapping it Up

I hope you found these cover letter and resume tips as helpful as I did! Don’t forget, if you’re looking for extra support in crafting your cover letter and/or resume, you can sign up for one-on-one coaching with Marissa.

If you’re getting started with your instructional design cover letter and resume, what questions do you have? Bring them to The Hangout, a community for instructional design lovers like you!