They say looking for a job is a full-time job. My personal experience has taught me that, whoever "they" are, they're entirely right. Looking for a job is exciting and tedious and frustrating at the same time. And with the current job market as depressing as it already is, it doesn't make looking for your dream job any easier.

In order to make sure that you even stand a chance in landing that interview, you have to make sure that all of your hiring tools are in check: your resume and cover letter are the most important part of landing any job, and you have to make sure they are up to snuff.

Brian Malcott is an employment consultant with Fanshawe's Community Employment Services located in Citi Plaza, and he straightened out exactly what a cover letter and resume should be. "(The cover letter) is like the wrapping paper of a present, almost. It gives an employer a snapshot of what your skills are, why they should hire you and why they should even bother reading your resume," he said. "The purpose of the cover letter is to be the personalized thing that's on top of your resume that's directed right to the employer … how you fit in the employer's culture, their needs, where they're going as a company and why you would be a good fit. And then the resume would show you the skills, knowledge, and abilities that would back up why you would be a good fit for the position."

Malcott suggested that your cover letter should be no more than one page in length, quick to the point and in proper business format with all your contact information and proper salutation. Avoid simply making the cover letter out to "the hiring manager" — try to find the exact name of the addressee. In the case where the addressee for the job is female and you don't know for sure if they are married or not, include "Ms." in the salutation.

When it comes to the resume, Malcott said you want to be as specific and informative as possible. "A good resume is kind of going to tell a story about you. It's going to talk about your abilities and skills but also put some hard facts behind that, too," he said. "So for instance, instead of saying 'I answered the phone,' I would say 'I answered a six-line Meridian system dealing with 150 phone calls a day, directing them to five sales professionals.' What that communicates to the prospective employer is your ability with your different skills."

He also added that it's a good idea to include any previous work experience (paid or volunteer) and education, as well as any job skills learned outside of the classroom.

Malcott stressed the importance of tailoring the entire resume to the particular employer, to avoid the mistake many applicants make in submitting a resume that is one-size-fits-all, which won't make any lasting impressions. The truth is, employers have many profiles to deal with and resort to simply weeding the unattractive ones out. "When people look (at) a resume, the first thing they look for is a reason to get rid of that resume. Typically most jobs will get about 500 applications, so if you have a stack of 500, any reason you can get rid of that resume off the pile, (you do it)." What people attempt to do when hiring is get that 500 down to a manageable 100 that they will actually read. Make sure you're one of those 100.

But the best advice Malcott gave was something that we all know of too well (but many of us continue to disregard): proper spelling. It's a good idea to proofread multiple times to make sure your cover letter and resume are cleaned up as much as possible. A cover letter that is plagued with too many spelling mistakes will simply find its way in the recycling bin.

If you need help making a standout profile as well as other hiring advice, Fanshawe's Community Employment Services has two locations, one downtown in Citi Plaza on Wellington Street, and the other at 155 Clarke Rd. On campus, you can head to Career Services in D1063 for resume and cover letter advice.