We all hate paperwork! It takes ages to do, but there’s no getting away from the fact that you will probably need lots of papers for your job search. You’ll need to write a résumé and a cover letter, and you’ll probably need transcripts for the education you have completed. These documents are summaries of your experience. The cover letter is a formal letter of interest in the job, explaining why you would be an excellent fit for the company, and how your past accomplishments will help the company. The résumé shows all the work you’ve done. The transcript shows all the classes you’ve taken. If all your education was received outside the United States, you may want to consider hiring a company that can Americanize your transcript; that is, it will analyze your courses to see how they match up to similar courses in the United States, and they will figure out your GPA.

Although some companies still hire new employees using only a paper or online application form (without requiring a résumé), for many jobs, you will probably need to complete both. We know, we know. It seems like a waste of time, but hey, gotta keep the big wigs happy! No matter what paperwork you need for a new job, it’s a good idea to think through all your previous experience and skills before an interview. You’ll need to be on the ball to really sell yourself. The interview is a very short time to give as much information as you can.

Writing a good cover letter and résumé is an art form! There are hundreds of books and articles about how to do this, and, of course, there’s a ton of free information online. It’s important to choose information that applies to the type of position you are looking for. Although it may take a lot of time, it really is worth doing this well. Make sure you get someone to check it over for you. Employers say that there is nothing worse than looking at a résumé full of errors. (Hoo boy, we know. We’ve seen some paperwork, and he may think that you’ll be the type of employee who doesn’t put much effort into his job. Employers often go by first impressions, so it’s a great idea to have an extra pair of eyes to look over your writing.

Before a new employer even meets you, he may make judgments about you based on your résumé and cover letter. And once you’ve prepared a good résumé (and you’ve saved a copy to your computer and backed it up!), all you’ll need to do is tweak it as your skills and work experience grow. This paperwork could mean the difference between getting your dream job or not.