Helping your kids with cover letters and resumes

[mousefan73]

I have a general question about helping your kids with cover letters and resumes. Keep in mind things are a little bit different where I am at here in Germany. My son is 17 will graduate in May german high school. He has two options - either go straight to university or he can apply for a competitive dual study program. Basically here in Germany there’s also the option to do an apprenticeship/bachelor degree sponsored by a company. You’re basically hired as a “management trainee” straight out of high school where they develop you practically and also at the same time you do a bachelor. They give you a monthly stipend.

So keeping in mind that my son is only 17 with no real work experience besides doing jobs here and there- he needs to now needs to put together a cover letter and résumé. Résumé is easy but he just did his first draft for a cover letter. He was saying to me that he has “writers block“ so I said just throw thoughts on paper and will fix it up. Some parts I was quite impressed and some parts I was like oh dear God never put that on the cover letter and or it was simply to cringe.

So the situation I am in is that I also have experience hiring at work and I’ve recently done this process for myself so I have to admit I’m kind of an expert in writing cover letters- plus I work in a field that requires a lot of writing so I’m also a good writer. Should I basically rewrite my sons cover letter? I can make it perfect and wow but I’m wondering if that’s too much for a 17 year old? On the other hand I’m thinking nowadays so many parents pay and outsource “consultants“ to guarantee their child success why shouldn’t I help my kid? Would you guys let your kid do this totally on their own and just give a few tips and correct some grammatical error? Or would you really sit down with them and make a “wow” letter that obviously cannot be written by a 17-year-old with no real experience in the field they’re applying for. ?? Thx

 

[Boopuff]

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!

 

[lanejudy]

Should I basically rewrite my sons cover letter?

No. Give him feedback. Let him re-write it. Then give more feedback. Etc. Didn't he learn to write a cover letter in high school? They do here.

 

[DLgal]

No, do not write it for him. Go over it paragraph by paragraph and give him constructive feedback so he can omit and make changes/edits.

I don't think anyone is expecting a polished, professional level cover letter for ANY 17 year old.

 

[Karin1984]

Give tips. As in:
- In your first sentence you say this. This can come across as if you [blank], how could you say it a different way?

No. Give him feedback. Let him re-write it. Then give more feedback. Etc. Didn't he learn to write a cover letter in high school? They do here.

If Germany is like the Netherlands next door, probably not. Here in the Netherlands 90-95% continues their study after highschool. There is no need to learn to write a cover letter yet if you are not going to do anything with that knowledge for the next 4 years.

 

[lanejudy]

There is no need to learn to write a cover letter yet if you are not going to do anything with that knowledge for the next 4 years.

Obviously they do need the skill...it's just not taught. Too bad. Writing various types of communication is a basic skill that can be built upon in future years. Back in the dark ages I learned letter writing in 7th grade; DD's school specifically does resumes and cover letters in 9th -- well before graduation, but a skill that is useful in other ways besides just a job.

 

[Karin1984]

Obviously they do need the skill...it's just not taught. Too bad. Writing various types of communication is a basic skill that can be built upon in future years. Back in the dark ages I learned letter writing in 7th grade; DD's school specifically does resumes and cover letters in 9th -- well before graduation, but a skill that is useful in other ways besides just a job.

That's why I say they don't learn it 'yet'. Depending on the school you can get it in college/uni.

 

[TwoMisfits]

It needs to sound like your son, so you can't really totally rewrite it, b/c it would sound like you.

I would find all of his glaring mistakes (spelling, grammar, punctuation, format) and fix them, and then for the overall work, I'd suggest sentences/paragraphs I didn't like and see how he could fix them.

 

[_19disnA]

I would not write the documents for him, it is something where you can provide input/guidance, but this should be something he learns to do. If he is only graduating high school then most potential employers would understand he likely has limited/no job experience. I live in USA, so I can't comment on how things might work in Germany if they are different. He should elaborate about what he accomplished in h.s. things like ECA's/academics/extracurriculars or sports. If he had any part-time jobs, should mention those as well.

I personally don't see much value in 'cover letters' since they mostly seem to restate what is in the resume. Resumes generally need to be standalone documents and a max of 2 pages. No potential employer wants to read pages of rambly statements that basically say you attended high school.

No paid consultant can 'guarantee' success with what they are offering. Many are just overpriced resume writing services and what they find important may not be what you or your son consider significant. Save your money and have him write his own documents.

In the company where I work, we interview people graduating from college for entry level positions. We tend to toss cover letters in the trash and focus on the resume. I have never read any cover letter that adds to what is already stated in the resume.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Please, please, don't do this for him. Not only would he be missing the chance to do it himself (and, hopefully, succeed on his own!), but if his resume and cover letter look TOO professional, it could hurt him, because they won't look like his work.

What you can do:

-Help him consider which options are the best fit for him
-Brainstorm with him about what he wants to say
-Make suggestions as to wording
-Review his documents and offer corrections
-Remind him that he's smart and competent and however things work out, it'll be okay

Stepping back is hard!

 

[tvguy]

No. Give him feedback. Let him re-write it. Then give more feedback. Etc. Didn't he learn to write a cover letter in high school? They do here.

Depends on the school. Both my children went to Catholic High School and were REQUIRED to take summer school for 3 of the 4 years. They took an English class one year, a Math Class another summer, and a science class. So cover letters and writing College level papers were covered in the English class. But the public schools here do not generally teach that.
However, my kids, who are 31 and 35 now have said that most of the jobs they have applied for in recent years have no provision to provide a cover letter or resume. You go to their website and fill out their application form. HR reviews it and forwards your name to the person responsible for hiring if they feel you are qualified.

 

[mousefan73]

The job he is applying for has a section to upload the letter. It’s pretty much standard here to write a “motivational” letter. Why you want the job and what you can bring to it

 

[DLgal]

Depends on the school. Both my children went to Catholic High School and were REQUIRED to take summer school for 3 of the 4 years. They took an English class one year, a Math Class another summer, and a science class. So cover letters and writing College level papers were covered in the English class. But the public schools here do not generally teach that.
However, my kids, who are 31 and 35 now have said that most of the jobs they have applied for in recent years have no provision to provide a cover letter or resume. You go to their website and fill out their application form. HR reviews it and forwards your name to the person responsible for hiring if they feel you are qualified.

Your kids in their 30s aren't being asked for resumes for job applications? I find that hard to believe. Online applications are definitely a thing with many companies, but a resume always needs to be uploaded as well if the job is anything above entry level or internship.

Without a resume, how does HR determine if someone is qualified?

 

[tvguy]

Your kids in their 30s aren't being asked for resumes for job applications? I find that hard to believe. Online applications are definitely a thing with many companies, but a resume always needs to be uploaded as well if the job is anything above entry level or internship.

Without a resume, how does HR determine if someone is qualified?

The application form asks all the questions HR needs to determine if a person is qualified.

 

[Southernmiss]

Is there a teacher or counselor at his school who could help him with the letter?

I would think they do this all the time with students and have a good idea what a student's cover letter would look like.

 

[LuvOrlando]

Do you have access to LinkedIn to see what other young people his age are doing? Things change so quickly I'd say looking to peers would be useful, it helped my kids construct their resumes so a useful tool. A quick way to discover peers might be to search based on schools etc.

It would be best if he is able to copy an existing format and then you can just help with alignment and grammar etc since I'd expect him to be nervous and to appreciate the assistance.

 

[MillauFr]

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.

 

[DLgal]

How you get a resume through those AI tools is an art form.

Not really. It just requires basically having multiple resumes tailored to different types of jobs, along with adding in keywords from the job listing in a strategic way (like using white, tiny font and including them at the very bottom of your resume). At this point, you should not expect to get most jobs by sending in a generic resume. You have to tailor your resume to each specific job.

The easier way is to have a contact on the inside. Use LinkedIn. When you want to apply to a job, look up the company on LinkedIn. Find someone in recruiting or HR. Send them a request to connect. Let them know you are interested in the job and that you will be applying soon. Sometimes these people will give you their email so you can follow up after you apply. You have to really be aggressive at this point.

 

[NotUrsula]

That trick with keywords in white font is a ship that has sailed. Most ATS systems are now programmed to look for it and discard any resumes that contain it, and if they are not, every HR professional I know highlights the entire resume of any candidates that make it to their desks, specifically to look for it. It's a sneaky tactic, and it marks you as disingenuous.

OP, I think that as one of my favorite college profs used to say, your best option is to "bleed all over" the documents. Print them out, grab a colored pen, and heavily mark them up as a critique, and don't spare the reasons why (but warn him ahead of time that if you look at it from a hiring mgr. POV, the remarks are likely to be kind of harsh; that you're setting aside your Mom hat on this bit.) Then, if he gets stuck on fixing a particular section, go ahead and brainstorm it with him to get it right. (The prof in question always said that a lot of red ink was the mark of a teacher who cares; taking the time to let a student know exactly where his weaknesses are takes a lot more effort than just jotting a letter at the top of the page.)

 

[DLgal]

That trick with keywords in white font is a ship that has sailed. Most ATS systems are now programmed to look for it and discard any resumes that contain it, and if they are not, every HR professional I know highlights the entire resume of any candidates that make it to their desks, specifically to look for it. It's a sneaky tactic, and it marks you as disingenuous.

OP, I think that as one of my favorite college profs used to say, your best option is to "bleed all over" the documents. Print them out, grab a colored pen, and heavily mark them up as a critique, and don't spare the reasons why (but warn him ahead of time that if you look at it from a hiring mgr. POV, the remarks are likely to be kind of harsh; that you're setting aside your Mom hat on this bit.) Then, if he gets stuck on fixing a particular section, go ahead and brainstorm it with him to get it right. (The prof in question always said that a lot of red ink was the mark of a teacher who cares; taking the time to let a student know exactly where his weaknesses are takes a lot more effort than just jotting a letter at the top of the page.)

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.