Resume Writing and Cover Letters Academic Advising and Career Center (916)

Purpose of a Resume To secure an interview Focuses relevant skills and knowledge for audience Acknowledges accomplishments Tailored to the position for which you are applying Updated throughout college and professional career

Styles of Resumes Chronological Combination

Resume Categories Heading Objective (optional) Summary of Qualifications (optional) Education Certifications, licenses Work Experience, Professional Experience Related Experience

Additional Resume Categories Affiliations Community Involvement Professional Development Classes Publications Projects and Research Workshops/Seminars Conducted Interests (work-related) International Experiences

Heading Name Street address City, state, zip address Telephone number with area code Centered or right justified

Objective List the job title, position, or department to which you are applying; company name or industry. Objective may be omitted for some purposes, such as a generalized resume for a career fair Avoid wordy objective statements; simple is better

Objective Samples OBJECTIVE To obtain a position as a Human Resources Assistant with Allison Health, Inc. Sample Objective #1: OBJECTIVE To obtain a position as a Computer Programmer with proficiency in C/C++ and assembly language noted for producing clean, readable, and imaginative code Sample Objective #2:

Education Degree(s) Major(s) Concentration(s); Minor(s) School(s) where you received a degree Graduation date Overall and/or Major GPA (optional) Expected: graduation date

Education Sample EDUCATION Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies Minor: Spanish California State University, Sacramento, May 2009 EDUCATION Bachelor of Science in Communication Studies Concentration: Public Relations Minor: Spanish California State University, Sacramento, Expected: December 2009 Education Section Examples #1 and #2:

Sub-categories within Education These provide an excellent way to highlight information related to your school accomplishments The information should relate to the requirements of the position in priority order

Samples of Sub-categories within Education Achievements Credentials Language Skills Honors Awards Related Coursework Projects Class Projects Computer Skills Certifications Licensure Scholarships

Sample of Sub-categories within Education EDUCATION Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, Digital Media Minor: Computer Science California State University, Sacramento, May 2010 Honors:Golden Key National Honor Society Certification:C++ Programming Language Skills:Bilingual and biliterate in Spanish Computer Skills:Microsoft Access, PowerPoint, Excel

Showcasing Your Leadership Experiences Awards/Achievements Campus Activities: Orientation leader, Peer mentor University Service Recognition: Senior Sales, Manager, Supervisor Program or Project Leader Publications Organizations, Clubs Volunteering

LEADERSHIP PROFILE Three year membership in the Honor Society, including acting as Treasurer and President for one year Five years volunteer experience at Loaves and Fishes Three years experience as a recreation leader at the Boys and Girls Club of Sacramento COMMUNITY INVOLVMENT Recreation Leader, Boys and Girls Club, Sacramento, CA Volunteer, Loaves and Fishes, Sacramento, CA Examples of Showcasing Your Leadership Skills

ACTIVITES Treasurer, Queer-Straight Alliance, California State University, Sacramento, CA 2010 Member, Art History Club, California State University, Sacramento, CA 2009 WORKSHOPS PRESENTED Effective Marketing Tactics, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sacramento State, CA 2008 Career Options, Philosophy Club, Sacramento State, CA 2007 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Leadership Conference, California State University, Sacramento, CA, 2011 Examples of Showcasing Your Leadership Skills

School Experiences in Resumes Technical skills and knowledge, Internships and volunteer work Projects, group work, assignments Senior project and/or other research projects/assignments Lab courses Soft skills, such as communication, leadership, organization, and research skills Student clubs and organizations Course content skills and knowledge Community engagement opportunities

Chronological Resumes Advantages  Known, Conventional  Good for work history that relates to the position  Employer can see job duties for each position  Emphasis on job titles and dates Disadvantages  May not highlight most relevant skills  Reflects gaps in employment history  May not highlight skills and knowledge from school and volunteer work

Combination Resumes Advantages  Includes skills acquired from school and other experiences  Emphasizes skills most relevant to the position  Underplays chronology, limited experience, “job hopping”  Helpful to those who have limited job related experience, are transitioning from the military, or who are changing careers Disadvantages  Employers may be unfamiliar with style or wary that you are trying to “fix” something  Employer cannot see job duties from each position

Work Experience in a Chronological Resume In reverse chronological order by date Job title Company/Organization Department/Division City, State Dates of Employment Action-verb sentences in priority order and written to reflect skills/knowledge relating to the job

Sample of Work Experience in a Chronological Resume PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Instructor and Networking Assistant January Present Technology Resource Center, Hansen University, Happy Valley, CA Instructed 120 college students in web-designing and multimedia video production during the summer. MIS InternSept Dec 2008 Globe Central, Inc., San Francisco, CA Installed, configured, enhanced, and maintained computer systems for the Human Resources Department with 50 employees and workstations.

Skills Section in a Combination Resume Three skill categories that relate to the position or purpose of the resume Always include a Work History section after the Relevant Skills and Knowledge section  The Work History section only includes the Job Title, company or organization name, City, State, and date range. The date range can be express by year only or month and year.

Sample of Skills Section in a Combination Resume RELEVANT SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE Program Development Prepared and taught health education programs to students in stress management, relaxation and exercise. Implemented a smoking education and cessation program in the residence halls for freshman and sophomore students; 85% of students attended. Management and Supervision Supervised a staff of up to 15 personal trainers in a center that specialized in professional and college athletes. Project Management Directed a 15-person team that conducted a nutrition health survey of 1,000 school age children, ages 9 – 17.

Action-verb Statements Describe skills, knowledge and/or accomplishments that relate to the position, industry, department, or company Begin with past-tense action verbs Are quantifiable, if possible Are usually no more than two lines Are written in priority order in relation to the skill set required for the position

Action-verb Statements Taught a technical workshop. (First Draft) Designed and taught a workshop on web-based video. Designed and taught a 10-week training session for 20 Consulting Department employees on Web-based Video Production. Sample Action-verb sentence #1: The following is an example of an action-verb sentence demonstrating the progression of creating a sentence from a first draft through a more developed and comprehensive sentence.

If you were a group of employers, what would you look for in a resume? Activity

References References are listed on a separate page with the same heading as your resume and include your reference name, business title, business address, telephone number, and address Printed on the same paper as your resume Same heading as your resume with a title, for example, REFERENCES or Professional References Personal references are not acceptable.

Cover Letters Are an essential part of your application packet Must be written for each job for which you are applying; avoid generic cover letters Avoid “essays”; keep your letter simple and pertinent to the job and/or purpose of the letter Personalize the letter by including information about the position/company/organization. There are many types of business correspondence, including cover letters One page. Keep to a minimum sentences that start with “I” Sign your letters in black ink. Use 100% cotton paper or the same resume paper as your resume Letters should have plenty of “open space” This handout is provided by the Academic Advising and Career Center at California State University, Sacramento and is intended for personal non-commercial use. 2013

Sections: Your name and contact information Inside Address: Employer’s name and company address Salutation Body Closing Enclosure (Resume) Cover Letters

Briefly introduce yourself and your interest in the organization/position Mention how you heard about the position, if someone referred you, or you met the recipient at a previous event or meeting First Paragraph

Highlight your background, with examples, as it relates to the position or purpose Focus on skills and accomplishments What attracts you to the company or organization What makes you unique? Middle Paragraph(s)

Appreciation for considering your application How to contact applicant Thank them for their time and consideration Closing Paragraph

Thank you The Career Center offers drop-in services where you can obtain assistance with questions about resumes, cover letters, interviewing techniques, and other aspects of your job search. If you need help beginning to write a resume or if you have a draft that you would like critiqued, visit the Career Center in Lassen Hall. Thank you, The Career Center Staff