Helping your kids with cover letters and resumes

[MillauFr]

It was only a matter of time. You can still get by with including the keywords organically, if you actually have the experience they are looking for.

But isnt' that just it. There are people who have the experience they are looking for that won't have their resume see the light of the day.

 

[DLgal]

But isnt' that just it. There are people who have the experience they are looking for that won't have their resume see the light of the day.

I mean, I agree it's all just too much.

My husband is transitioning from active duty military to the civilian corporate world and a LOT of time has been spent updating his resume and creating multiple versions to target different industries (he has project, organizational, and operational management experience). He has like 4 versions of resumes to fit the language used by different industries. He landed a direct to hire fellowship at a Biotech company and had absolutely no experience in that industry, but it was ironically his military key words that got him an interview, because the recruiter, the guy he will be working with as well as the guy who will be his boss are all former military as well. So, you never know.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

My dad was an editor for a magazine. I'd give him my work, he'd do his "editor" markups, discuss with me any changes that need/should be excluded/included. So in your position, I'd help him out as an "editor" but have him do all the writing. Good luck!

My mother-in-law was an editor too and her kids (well 2 out of 3) would have her look over the papers. While I don't think that was bad at the same time I'm watching my 31 year old sister-in-law do a master's program but give all of her papers she has to write (weekly papers) to her mom for her mom to look over and edit. Sometimes entire sections are redone. My sister-in-law is quite intelligent but at the same time the past behaviors is now being relied on. My husband was the other one who his mom would look over papers in high school but his personality is such that he wouldn't go to her now at his age (33) for help, he didn't at all in college either, not really his style.

So I guess I would agree more with the posters that say let him write it. I'm not saying the OP can't look over it but these days how to write CV and resumes are easy to find online. Have him research it (good for independent work) try his best on his own and then use the OP as the second set of eyes to review. I know it must be tempting to really help out (like the OP mentioning making a wow cover letter) but when they get on the job there won't be a person to do a lot of that stuff. It might help set up for future expectations by only giving a tad bit of extra set of eyes at his age as opposed to doing it for him.

I'd also wonder what was cringeworthy for the OP to read to not include on the cover letter? Was it just how it was worded or the experience/skill itself that was written?

 

[DisneyTarheel]

Doing some research is key here. I'm not sure if the old rules apply anymore. I know some companies who never have a human read the cover letters / resumes. They just have AI tools that weed through them and then flag good candidates. How you get a resume through those AI tools is an art form.

Fight fire with fire and use your own AI to help create an outline that you can update/edit with your particulars. https://chat.openai.com/chat

 

[MillauFr]

Fight fire with fire and use your own AI to help create an outline that you can update/edit with your particulars. https://chat.openai.com/chat

Exactly correct. That is what everyone should do.