Impress
[im·press]
1. make (someone) feel admiration and respect.
2. make a mark or design on (an object) using a stamp or seal; imprint.
3. an act of making an impression or mark.
Resume Building
There are infinite ways to format a resume, but the details you’ll want to include are always the same:
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- Your name and contact information
- Experience you have had (current and previous employment)
- Education you have received (high school, college, graduate degrees)
How you present this information (the formatting) is up to you, but you’ll want to make sure it’s easy to read, cleanly organized, and provides the best possible view of your experience, skills, and training.
By the end of the page, the reader should have a clear view of where you have come from and why you’re the perfect person for this job, at this moment.
Do's and Don'ts
DO include any experience (previous employment) you’ve had that is relevant to the job for which you are applying.
If the job you had previously is quite different from the job you’re aiming for now, focus on qualities that helped you excel in that position that might overlap or be helpful in the next role. Leadership abilities, organization, collaboration, and creativity are always things an employer wants to hear about.
DON'T make your resume too long
Your work experience and education should be able to fit neatly on one page. Your resume is a highlight reel, not a chapter book. If you truly can’t fit all of your experience, education, and expertise on one page, go ahead and expand if necessary – but just make sure the document stays concise and focused.
DO make sure you have your contact information on the resume
You can’t get the job if they can’t contact you!
DON'T be too crazy with style/formatting
You want your resume to stand out and be memorable because of the excellent experience you’ve highlighted, not because of the whacky layout you chose. This is a professional document so strike the right balance; creativity works, chaos does not.
DO include any training, courses, certifications, or experience outside of work or school that have helped prepare you for this job.
Hobbies and spare time endeavors can show how passionate you are about growing your expertise.
DON’T make your resume too short.
Your resume should be a complete, full page. If you don’t have enough entries to really fill the page, play with formatting to give a sense of fullness – but make sure you’re saying enough about you, your experience, and your qualities that make you a standout. Don’t skimp on the sell!
Let's Talk About Pronouns
More and more, it’s becoming standard to include pronouns alongside the name on professional documents, including on resumes. For some trans and nonbinary people, this is a helpful and important way to establish communication surrounding your candidacy.
If your resume includes work experience where you used different pronouns for any reason, you may want to include that information on your resume, particularly if you are using that previous employer as a reference.
If you prefer not to flag pronouns on your resume, or feel that doing so could put you at a disadvantage (for possible discrimination or unconscious bias), you don’t have to include them. However, if doing so will help a potential interviewer address you correctly, you may want to do so. In a professional interview situation, your interviewer will want to get it right, and if they address you incorrectly, they may feel embarrassed about their mistake. You don’t want negative feelings associated with your interview, so if you decide not to use pronouns on your resume, consider other ways in which you can stay in control of how you’ll be addressed.
We have downloadable resume templates available for free right here on our website. Obviously these don’t provide a guarantee that you’ll get the job, but they may help you organize your experience effectively to communicate the skills that make you a standout!
Cover Letters
A cover letter is the ultimate advertisement for your experience and skills. It’s the rom-com movie-trailer of why you and this job were meant to be together. It’s the teaser that gets them excited to see your resume and meet you in person.
A cover letter is NOT your resume. If you’re describing the day-to-day tasks you’ve been performing, you’re writing a resume not a cover letter, and if you’re listing your education and skills with no context, you’re wasting an opportunity to connect you to this job specifically.
A cover letter is brief and to the point. Use this document to clearly connect the dots on why you, your experience, and your skills are a perfect match for what they’re looking for in this role. The goal of the cover letter is simply to get them excited to see your resume. Half a page will do the trick – less is definitely more!
A cover letter is NOT a personal biography covering your life story and all the obstacles you’ve overcome. It is professional, not emotional; it is personable, not personal. As trans and nonbinary people, our personal stories often demonstrate our resilience, our resolve, and our strengths – but it’s better to represent those qualities on your resume or in an interview in the context of your work skills and experience.
Interviews
Interviewing is a skill, and like any skill it takes practice. We’ve got a few general tips and tricks we’d love to share that you can practice. While we can’t guarantee these will get you the job, we hope it will help you feel prepared to present your best self to your future employer.
Tip One:
Almost every interview starts with some form of the question, “Tell me about you”. This is the perfect opportunity to thread together your personal background, your education, your experience, and your skills that have brought you to this moment right here, talking about this potential job – and how that exact thread is what makes you the perfect candidate for this job right now. Practice your pitch to keep the thread tight; a lengthy, meandering story will not keep the interviewer’s interest. Instead, think of your path that brought you to this moment, and identify the crucial stepping stones that got you here. Talk about your journey here in terms of those exact stepping stones to keep it clear and compelling.
Tip Two:
Almost everyone gets nervous in an interview, and that’s okay! Accept that you’ll probably feel this way at some point, and take a deep breath when you feel it start to happen. If the nerves do get the best of you and you find yourself having a hard time being present or focusing on your responses, default to simply talking about why you’re so excited about this opportunity. As simple as that sounds, it can make your responses (even if they start to ramble and go off-track!) seem focused and connected to the larger story of your candidacy.
Tip Three:
Keep negativity out of the interview. Avoid talking about what you didn’t like at a former job, and instead focus on what you liked in that role, and what more you’d like to have as you look ahead. It can also go a long way to speak warmly about former colleagues and supervisors (if you’re able), as it can show that you’re a team player. Keep the conversation positive and upbeat, and focus on the future.
Tip Four:
This one seems obvious, but sometimes when nerves kick in, it’s easy to forget the basics. Conveying your enthusiasm about the job you’re trying to get in every response goes a long way.
Tip Five:
Interviews may have a formal Q&A style, or a more casual conversational tone. No matter what the style of interview is, you can make sure you stay on track in your mind if you give the interview a three-act structure.
Act I:
Who are you, and why are you the perfect candidate at this perfect moment for this job?
– This is your elevator pitch! Your artful answer to why you for this job, right now!
Act II:
What experience and skills do you have that make you a standout?
– Have at least three good examples of skills or experience that make you a unique standout for this job that you can talk about or work into responses.
Act III:
What questions do you have for the interviewer?
-Almost every interview concludes with some form of
“Do you have any questions for me?”. Have a few questions ready to ask that demonstrate you are curious, intelligent, and thoughtful.