Title of Presentation Here Subtitle Here Explore Build Connect CAREER SERVICES STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER UW1 160 (425)

Resumes & Cover Letters  Together they help you get a job interview  They are a team  Best to complete a resume first to help complete the cover letter  Turn in both each time you apply, even if they are not asking for both  Opinions on both developed from speaking with HR people

The Word of the Day: CUSTOMIZE!

Prove It!  Show your evidence  Avoid weak statements  Add bullet points that are unique to you  Use evidence and artifacts from your portfolio & experience

Customize Your Application  You want to give the employer what they want  The job description explains what the employer wants  Use the job description to customize your application  Match the tone of the company  Use your highlighting skills  Run the description through

What is a Resume?  Typically a 1-page document that highlights your viable skills for a potential job  A resume is a marketing piece  Highlight your strong points: Education; Professional or Relevant experience; and Skills & Accomplishments  Customize each resume to the job for which you are applying  Read the job descriptions carefully to insert keywords & identify the skills they are targeting  Do not include: “I,” “me,” “my,” “we,” or “us”

How Long to Review a Resume?  A resume review can be as little as a few seconds  On average, for someone who does this full time, it takes seconds to decide if you will be invited for an interview  We want to create your resume for a 10 second and 5 minute review  Keep the reviewer happy – consciously and subconsciously

Produce a Clean Looking Resume  Keep a clean, professional and easy to read format  Make sparse use of lines  Okay to have a filled resume, but also need to add white space  Minimum font size to use is 10pt and minimum margins is ½”  Do not use colors

The Header  Make sure name is one you go by: Joe vs Joseph  Mailing address is okay to add, but not needed  Use a professional address  Un-hyperlink your address  Double, triple check and phone number  Contact info can go on one line to save space

Objective Statement  Not seen as much on resumes today  Good to have if there is no cover letter with the application (although most should have a cover letter)  Generally list the position and company you are applying for  Your one sentence pitch for why you have the skills or want this position

Summary of Qualifications  Generally used to bring your most relevant qualifications to the top of the resume  Avoid general statements like, “Great customer service” – prove it  Good place to put language and technical skills  Not always required

Education  Degree first, followed by university  Right justify “expected graduation”  Post GPA if above 3.5 or if required by company  Add in relevant course work, but don’t just put the course title, state the skills you learned in the course  In most cases, do not need to put community college

Relevant Experience  Like to call (or at least think about) the section “Relevant Experience”  Can add work, internships, volunteer, class projects, personal projects to this area  Right justify the dates  Lead with job title, then the company you did the job  Include 3-5 bullet points for each experience

Relevant Experience Continued  Rank them in order of importance  Start each bullet with an action verb  Quantify whenever possible  Dollar amounts responsible for  How many people trained or managed?  Percentage of improved efficiency

Do Not Include…  References should be on a separate sheet and given during the interview, not written on your resume  Typically you do not add interests or hobbies

What is a cover letter?  In most cases, it is a one- page description of why you want this position and how you are qualified.  The cover letter gets people to read your resume, which gets you an interview.  Gives a sample of your writing.

Here is How to Start:

Four Paragraph Cover Letter  Formal letter header  Salutation  #1 Introduction  #2 Strongest skill sets  #3 Why this company/job?  #4 Thanks/conclusion

Formal Letter Header 123 Maple Ave NE Bothell, WA (  un-hyperlink) (  double check) Date Sally Jones Hiring Manager Acme Company 1122 Business St SW Seattle, WA 98103

Salutation – Make an Effort Best- “Dear Ms. Smith:” (  use colon)  Try to find a name  Contact Human Resources: “Who is the hiring manager for this position?”  Research on website  Find person in charge of department  Contact the person  Check status of application  Ask a question  Do not annoy the person Last Resort- “Dear Hiring Manager:”

First Paragraph - Introduction  Say what position you are applying  “I am submitting my application for your Social Media Manager position at Eddie Bauer that I found out about via HuskyJobs.”  This is the time to name drop  “One of the reasons I am interested in applying for this position is I recently spoke with Larry Wilson, Social Media Associate, and learned how your company is leveraging social media to increase your marketing reach and my skills could help you continue to grow your presence.”

Second Paragraph – Strongest Skills  Choose the 2-3 skill sets that best connect to what the employer wants  Do not re-hash your resume  Should “wow” them into wanting to look at your resume  Matching what they are looking for with what skills that you have

Third Paragraph – Why this Job?  Missing from most cover letters and probably most important  Why do you want this job/position  Make the employer feel “special”  Go deeper than, “You are a great company to work for”  Tell them something about themselves that they already know  Do some research: company website (about, values, mission statement), looking on Wikipedia, GlassDoor.com, and check them out on Google News

Fourth Paragraph - Thanks  Conclude your cover letter  “I hope that you can see that my qualifications match closely with your requested skill sets. After reviewing my application, I wish to have an opportunity to discuss in more detail why I might be a good fit for your company.”  Add “Sincerely,” with your name  Do not be too aggressive, but if you are – follow through

When Completed – Not Done  Create your outline of your cover letter, fill in the details  Edit, edit, edit -- a simple mistake can cost you the interview  Use resources, like Career Services or the Writing Center on campus  Now look at examples of cover letters to see if you want to change anything  Customize for each job you apply for

Where do I find jobs?  Job listings:  Husky Jobs  Indeed.com  Career Center News  Target companies directly  Networking  Come to visit Career Services

Title of Presentation Here Subtitle Here Explore Build Connect Questions? Career Services Student Success Center UW1 160 (425) u