Resumes & Cover letters Sandy Brown Career Services Center Old Main 280 (360)

LETS FACE IT… There is a lot of conflicting advice out there about resume writing While there is no format that will work for every employer we have included the most popular guidelines that are generally accepted by most employers

What is the purpose of a resume? The resume is a tool with one specific purpose: to win an interview It convinces the employer that you have the experience and the skills It isn’t a history of your past, a personal statement or self expression. It IS marketing your skills for future potential

Target Your Resume! Research companies Research positions WorkSource.com O*net Occupational Outlook Handbook (bls.gov) Network Information interviews

WHAT IS A TARGETED RESUME? keywords and content will match you with the job, industry, career field, and employer.

Resume Formats Chronological or historical * Highlights past job titles, accomplishments *Works well if you have relevant professional experience Combination Resume *Emphasizes skills and related job titles *Relevant experience can include volunteer & class projects/courses Skill-based (Functional) *Emphasizes skills rather than job titles *Works well if you have limited relevant job history or are changing careers.

Resume sections Qualification Summary-what is it? A brief paragraph or bullets that showcases your most effective skills and experience as they pertain to the position. declares what you can do for the targeted company

Education and Training If you’ve just graduated from college or an entry level candidate with little professional experience-your education should be presented immediately after the Qualifications Summary You could include: GPA-(if 3.5 or above) Awards/scholarships Dean’s list Course work relevant to job search

Continued…… If you’re a professional with five or more years of experience, education should be listed last on your resume. Include all specialized training that is transferable to the position!

Professional experience Can be showcased in the three formats Chronological- providing work history dating back from the present- most common Combination- stressing what you know in one section, while providing work history in another-one of the most popular Functional- you are stressing what you know over where you gained your experience.

More! Begin with action verbs (see pg 20 of green packet), avoid phrases like ‘responsible for’ or ‘ duties included’ Emphasize accomplishments and skills Quantify what you’ve done- (i.e- number of employees supervised, savings as a result of your actions) be specific!

Highlight your skills and accomplishments List your job title, company name, location and dates worked Under each job, list problems you solved, issues you addressed, accomplishments you achieved, skills you gained or used List other skills you’ve gained or used in school AS IT PERTAINS TO THE POSITION!

ONE, TWO, THREE Skills and accomplishments EXAMPLE: BARISTA (TITLE) Provided excellent customer service in fast paced setting serving 200+ customers per day Developed efficient strategies for organization of work station Created client base of over 50 customers for returning business

Formatting for maximum impact 20 second rule Easy to read fonts-Arial Use bold or italics sparingly Effective use of white space Prioritization of data

LETS TALK ABOUT E-RESUMES e-resumes are delivered electronically -- via , submitted to Internet job boards, or residing on your own Web page. More than 80 percent of employers are now placing resumes directly into searchable databases and an equal percentage of employers prefer to receive resumes by

FORMATTING text-based (ASCII, Text only), you might also want to have a Rich Text (RTF) version and a scannable version. Your e-resume must be loaded with keywords!

STILL CONFUSED? You must tailor your e-resume to each employer's or job board's instructions. Some employers want your resume as an attachment, usually as a Word document (but if no format is specified, and you can't find out, RTF is the safest bet). Others want your resume as text pasted into the body of an message. Still others want you to paste your resume into an online form!

Recruiter "Pet Peeve" Survey - ResumeDoctor.com undertook the immense project of conducting a survey of over 2,500 recruiters / headhunters throughout the US and Canada to find out their "Pet Peeves" with resumes 20. Burying the important info in the resume 19. Gaps in employment st or 3 rd Person - Resumes in either 1 st or 3 rd Person 17. Not easy to follow summary 16. Pictures, Graphics or URL links no recruiter will call up 15. Resumes sent in.pdf,.zip files, faxed, web page resumes 14. Font choice – poor font choice or style 13. Objectives or meaningless introductions 12. Lying, misleading (especially in terms of education, dates and inflated titles) 11. Employer info not included and/or not telling what industry or product candidate worked in

Recruiter "Pet Peeve" Survey - by ResumeDoctor.com 10. Personal info not relative to the job 9. Unqualified Candidates – Candidates who apply to positions they are not qualified for 8. Paragraphs – Long paragraphs….not Bullet-points 7. Long Resumes – too long 6. Functional Resumes as opposed to writing a Chronological Resume 5. Poor formatting – boxes, templates, tables, use of header and footers etc. 4. Contact Info – none or inaccurate contact info or unprofessional addresses 3. Dates not included or inaccurate dates 2.Too Duty Oriented – reads like a job description and fails to explain what the job seeker’s accomplishments were and how they did so 1. Spelling Errors, Typos and Poor Grammar

Cover Letters! Types of Job Search Letters— Cover Letter or Letter of Application Letter of Inquiry Networking Letter Thank you Letter

Writing Effective Cover Letters A cover letter should complement, not duplicate your resume explain the reasons for your interest in the specific organization and identify your most relevant skills or experiences express a high level of interest and knowledge about the position.

Reality check! Cover letter should be about how you meet the employers needs be able to articulate your personal value & skills you bring to the position

Format: Three Paragraphs: Keep it short and simple. A. Introduction  Why you are writing (application, referral, inquiry)  Where you heard about the opening  Capture their interest B. Body  Share your interest in why you want to work for the company  Tell the employer what you can for him/her  Give concrete examples from your experience that directly relate to the needs listed in the job announcement  Show how your education is related to this field C. Closing  Be direct. Ask for an interview; ask for a spot on the Team  State how and when you will follow up; be specific.  Give dates and times you are available  Include your phone number in the body of the letter

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