So there you are…staring at the Microsoft Word page. Maybe it is just a fresh document, or maybe you are trying out one of Word’s overused résumé/letter templates. You’ve read up on all the “rules,” the plethora of do’s and don’ts. You think you have a pretty good handle on how a résumé and cover letter should be put together. After all, people tell you that you’re a good writer. You know all about proper usage of white space on a page.

So why does everything you seem to write come out like a bad marketing promo? It ranges anywhere from bloated to desperate to not bad, but not you. In fact, you’ve pretty much just described everything you aren’t or don’t want to be.