Journal  What characteristics make you unique?  How do you stand out in a crowd?  What sets you apart from your peers? You have 10 minutes – create!

MOCK INTERVIEWS Day 2: Resumes and Cover Letters

Résumés and Cover Letters  Résumés and Cover Letters are your introduction to the person making the decision regarding your application and employment  A quality résumé and cover letter can help you get the work you want and are qualified for

Using a Template  Templates are available on both Pages and Word to help you format your résumé and cover letter  If you use a template, be sure that it has all of the information necessary  Formatting can also be a problem, so make sure that you check out a full page view to see if the final draft looks nice

Hi, my name is…  First name, middle initial, and last name  Make sure this is the most visible part of the resume…you want them to remember who you are  Address  Capitalize all words including Street, Boulevard, etc.  Either place city, state, zip on the next line or separate from address by a comma  Other contact information (phone # and )  (402) xxx-xxxx <--Don’t forget your area code  DO NOT USE AN THAT IS UNPROFFESSIONAL!

I would like to…  Objective  This is where you write what you want in regard to the position/school/scholarship you are applying for  Example objectives To be accepted into the University of _____________. To be considered for the ______________ scholarship. To work for ______________ as a ________________.  Remember If you are sending the same resume to multiple places, change your objective to fit each situation, or make your objective more generic in order to fit multiple needs.

Your life to date…  Education  Dates of high school, name of school you will graduate from (Burke), GPA, class rank, any special classes you took (AP, Honors, etc.), honor roll  Work Experience  Date started to date ended (or present), Business, Location, Job title List your duties in that particular job (past-tense, use exciting verbs)

More details…  Volunteer Experience  List each place you volunteered and the date on separate lines  Extracurricular Activities  List the activity and the year(s)  Awards  List any award you may have received in high school

Remember!  Your resume must be 1 page long or less – NOT longer  Easy to read font, point  Your name can be bolded and larger, but do not use a hard to read font  PROOFREAD! Typos will render your resume unnecessary. Turning in a resume that appears has little work put into it does not look good.

Cover Letter  Once again, use a Microsoft Word Template!  This will help you format your letter properly.  While in the template  Complete the information that is marked dates, addresses, and the like  A well formatted letter is more appealing than a letter that is not put together well  Recipient  If you know who you are sending the letter to use a names, otherwise stick with the old fallbacks. Dear Sir or Madam, Dear Admissions Committee, etc.

Paragraph 1  Get straight to the point  This paragraph should have information regarding the job/scholarship/etc. you are applying for and how you found out about the opportunity  Mention something that you agree with that the company/school is proud of  May require some research into their mission statement or school/company history

Paragraph 2  Relate why you fit with the job or you deserve the scholarship  Which parts of your resume/past show that you are the one that should get the job/scholarship or be admitted over another college applicant  Use language specific to the job posting or scholarship requirements

Paragraph 3  Mention that  You are excited to hear from them  You are attaching your resume  When you may best be reached  ALWAYS thank them for their time!

Closing  Leave 4 spaces after the word Sincerely,  Type your name as it heads your resume  Type the word Enclosure under your name to show that your resume is included  Don’t forget to hand sign your name between Sincerely, and your typed name  BLUE OR BLACK INK ONLY!