Secrets of Résumés and Application Letters that Work and its abridged editions were developed to help readers find positions that match their talents and interests.

Moving beyond conventional lists of dos and don’ts that encourage generic, “one-size-fits-all” résumés and application letters, the Secrets of… guides offer a rationale for common and unfamiliar communication strategies that can impact prospective employers. By examining where, how and why various choices may affect a hiring manager, readers can make more strategic decisions in their own application materials.

Although time-tested exercises and activities throughout the guides show readers how to apply strategies in their own documents, some discussions inevitably prompt related questions and concerns. To address these topics, each guide comes with auxiliary materials in the form of Bonus Tip Sheets.

Bonus Tip Sheets supplement and extend Secrets of… topics by contextualizing information within broader discussions, offering additional considerations, synthesizing information and resources, or modeling practices in different contexts. Whatever the approach, the Tip Sheets—like the guides themselves—aim to shift conversations away from prescriptive directions and toward ways applicants can think about presenting themselves on the market most effectively.

If you’re interested in what Bonus Tip Sheets include, you can download the “Bonus Tip Sheet: Functional Résumé Categories” as a free sample by clicking here.

This Tip Sheet, from the Secrets of Resumes that Work Packet, demonstrates the type of information you’ll find not only in Bonus Tip Sheets, but throughout the Secrets of… collection. Therefore, if you find this download of use, we invite you to visit the Digital Downloads page to learn more about Secrets of… materials that can help you find work that engages and inspires.