Creating a Resume & Cover Letter

What is the purpose of a resume and cover letter?

Goals of a Good Cover Letter Introduce yourself Get your noticed Convey special information Highlight accomplishments Get employers, award judges, and scholarship committees to read your resume!

Goals of a Good Resume Convey information Show who you are Distinguish yourself Look good on paper!

Cover Letter and Resume Who are you? What are you looking for? What kind of job do you want? What kind of college do you want to go to? Where are you going? BE YOURSELF! What is your measure? What have you done? Where did you do it? What can you do? What’s the product? How to sell it?

Writing a Cover Letter Lead with your strongest information Use the logical connector Geography, type of work, Alma Mater, common acquaintance Introduce yourself Highlight activities that set you apart Suggest the next step Let them know what your next step will be for contact

Writing a Resume Step One: BRAINSTORM Step Two: ORGANIZE Write a list of all of your achievements, activities, etc. Step Two: ORGANIZE Categorize your achievements Place in Experience, Education, and Other Headings Include school related honors and activities under education Publications, scholarships, offices, and organizations

Writing a Resume Step Three: PRODUCE Format your resume to highlight the ‘big stuff’ Use bold or underline to offset your name, schools, and places of employment Use bulleted points over narrative Use italics to make something special stand out Make the resume appealing Clutter makes it hard to read and hard to pick out the good stuff

Advice for Cover Letters & Resumes Try not to begin paragraphs with “I” Use the standard business letter format Be brief Make sure it conveys the connection Resumes Show off Reflect useful information Be succinct Make it personal Don’t ever, ever lie

Parts of a Cover Letter Your Contact Information Name Address City, State, Zip Code Date [-------------------------------SPACE------------------------------] Employer Contact Information Title Company

Parts of a Cover Letter Greeting First Paragraph Second Paragraph Specific position you are applying for Show that you have done your research on the company Second Paragraph Specific information about your education Classes you’ve taken; clubs you’ve been in

Parts of a Cover Letter Third Paragraph Fourth Paragraph Work experience you have in the specific field Even if you don’t have any formal experience, you can mention your SAE or participation in WBL Fourth Paragraph Direct reader to look at your resume for more detailed info TWO to THREE sentences is plenty!

Parts of a Cover Letter Fifth Paragraph Complimentary Close Signature Request an interview More contact information Phone number Email Complimentary Close “Sincerely”, “Thank You” Signature Enclosure Statement Tell that your resume in enclosed with the letter

Parts of a Resume Header Name Address Phone Number Email

Parts of a Resume Objective Examples No more than a sentence or sentence fragments that are directly related to what position you wish to achieve Examples Become a greenhouse manager Gain the position of a golf course superintendent

Parts of a Resume Education Work Experience List the high school you attended Time (years) GPA Course work that is relevant to job position Clubs/Organizations Work Experience Name of business Years worked there Locations of the business Highlights of job duties

Parts of a Resume Skills Achievements/Awards Any skills that you feel are relevant to the job Computer skills Woodworking Landscaping Achievements/Awards Honor Roll Scholarships Member of local groups Office positions

Parts of a Resume References Listed in order of importance People NOT related to you, but have worked with you Check with the person before you list them! Your resume should NOT be more than a page