TARGETED RESUMES Guidelines for writing an effective Co-op Resume CO-OP EDUCATION PROGRAM arts.ucalgary.ca/coop/

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ OVERVIEW  Resume  Targeting  Format  Sections

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ WHAT IS YOUR RESUME?  Your first impression  A marketing tool to lead to an interview  Highlights how your qualifications match the employer’s needs  Details of your skills and experience that make you a good fit for a specific job  An honest advertisement

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ HOW TO TARGET  Understand employer’s specific needs  Research company  Appreciate company values  Match your skills with their needs

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ TARGETING KEYS  Critically analyze job description  Highlight key skills  Match and detail these skills on your resume and cover letter  Back up skills with examples and quantified details

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ FORMAT BASICS  Times New Roman and Arial fonts easiest to read  Name and Section Titles – font size  Body – font

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ FORMAT BASICS  Two pages  No templates – these are easily identified and formats are difficult to customize  Professional, positive and consistent  Co-op resumes require following info on the top left of the first page above contact info  University of Calgary Co-operative Education ID#123456

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ FORMAT BASICS  Begin each bullet with an action word  Use correct verb tense – watch for inconsistencies in Experience section  Present for current activities  Past tense for past activities

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ FORMAT BASICS  Other Points  Use round or square solid bullets  No Periods – bullets are not complete sentences  Typically up to five bullets per heading with up to two lines of text per bullet

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ FORMAT BASICS  As your first impression and an example of your writing skills be sure to EDIT AND PROOF READ!

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ FORMAT BASICS  AVOID  Personal pronouns such as ‘I’  Superlatives such as ‘excellent’  Vague statements or use of ‘etc.’  Acronyms or university specific details such as ANTH 230

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ FORMAT BASICS  Avoid  Personal Information (gender, marital status)  Exact Dates  Information Over Ten Years Old  References

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ RESUME SECTIONS  REQUIRED  Contact Information  Co-op Status and Student ID  Education  Skills  Work Experience  Interests

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ CONTACT INFO  Name  Address – optional  Phone – If listing more than one, identify as cell/home  – use a professional - preferably your ucalgary.ca address  Check this address regularly

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ EDUCATION Bachelor of Arts, Sociology (Anticipated year of graduation) University of Calgary GPA 3.4/4.0 (include if GPA above 3.0)

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ EDUCATION CO-OP STATUS Currently in third year of full time studies Seeking first work term Available in Winter (year) for a 4 or 8 month work term

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ EDUCATION RELEVANT COURSES Introductory Social Statistics: Developed ability to critically evaluate social research reports utilizing basic statistical analysis including regression and correlations Qualitative Research Methods: Understanding of research processes; problem definition, data collection and analysis, quantitative and qualitative strategies

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ EDUCATION  Possible Additional Subheadings  Relevant or Major Projects/Papers  Research  Additional Training  Scholarships, Honors, Awards

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ RELEVANT SKILLS  Match skills to job requirements to show relevance  Name skill and back up with specifics  List up to 5 bullets  Include a Computer bullet and also add languages if relevant

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ RELEVANT SKILLS EXAMPLE Leadership and/Volunteer Coordination: Experience in leading and mentoring, up 4 co-workers and 6 volunteers in a variety of situations including fund- raising events, strategic planning and project completion Writing: Developed skills in diverse formats including community advertising, speeches, press releases, professional correspondence and formal research reports Computer: Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint; familiar with Adobe Photoshop; some knowledge of Access

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ WORK EXPERIENCE  Bold position title, then company Receptionist Stony Ridge Veterinary Clinic

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ WORK EXPERIENCE Points to Remember  If you have completed co-op work terms highlight first and separately  Start each bullet with an action verb  Focus on your skills and accomplishments rather than duties  Be specific and quantify examples  Within each section use reverse chronological order

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ CO-OP WORK EXPERIENCE SAMPLE Human Resources Assistant Month/Year-Month/Year National Energy Board Canada Responsible for posting up to 15 internal positions through Intranet and 20 external positions via the Public Service Commission website Assisted Co-op/Internship project manager with student recruitment initiatives and career fair displays, attendance and promotion

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ WORK EXPERIENCE EXAMPLES Program Coordinator Month/Year-Month/Year Glenwest Centre for Children Created and implemented daily age-appropriate activities for 50 children aged five to twelve Employed behaviour modification techniques aimed at the reduction of aggressive and inappropriate behaviour Developed extreme patience, effective communication skills and the ability to function well under high stress

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ WORK EXPERIENCE EXAMPLES Maintenance Worker Year-Year Calgary Golf and Country Club (Summers) Exceptional Service Award for Summer (year) Operated and maintained heavy and light turf equipment Trained five new employees individually and in groups Helped develop new program for bunker maintenance resulting in enhanced playability Interacted with club members in a professional and courteous manner on a daily basis

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE  Same format as work experience  Can be combined if relevant  Work and Volunteer Experience

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ VOLUNTEER EXAMPLE Community Advisor Month/Year-Present Residence Services, University of Calgary Address concerns and issues for group of 50 students providing on-call assistance from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Communicate clearly with residents when mediating conflicts between roommates Deal with violations of the community standards professionally considering the impact on individual residents, the entire community and precedence Plan programs for residents of the floor, building and entire community individually and in cooperation with other Community Advisors

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ INTERESTS  In two to three points describe current interests  If possible highlight interests relevant to academic studies or career interests  Use sports, travelling or other leisure activities but as with all resume information provide specifics to give clear picture  Interest section provides employer with some informal and personal information that may help you stand out

arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/ OTHER RESOURCES  Refer to information and samples provided in Co- op Student Handbook  Co-op Coordinators are available to review resumes and cover letters  Optimal Resume – online resume builder with Optimal Resume additional samples and resources