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Resume & Cover Letter Workshop

RESUME : A MARKETING TOOL 2

Resume Purpose The goal of a resume is to provide prospective employers with a concise summary of your experiences and qualifications. This is the first impression of YOU that organizations and companies will see! 3

Common Resume Pitfalls Grammatical Errors Objective [not needed] High School Information [not needed] Exaggerations and broad statements Formatting Inconsistencies  January 2009 – 7/2009  font styles and sizes  Verb tense uniformity 4

Resume Essentials Current Contact Information Education Experience Leadership & Activities Skills 5

Template 6 Each activity/experience should be clearly identified in your resume Company /Organization [Bolded], City, State Month Year(sp)dash(sp)Month Year Position [Italicized] Bullet Example XYZ Corporation, Miami Lakes, FL October January 2009 Finance Intern, Cost Accounting Group Assisted in the consolidation of world-wide financial statements Collected and pre-verified documentation for Sarbanes Oxley testing Created an Excel-based index for all financial reports published monthly Assisted with CFO ad-hoc requests such as currency conversion impact on sales and net income

Bullets 7 Begin with strong action verbs  Analyzed, Presented, Prepared, Organized, Performed, Supervised, Managed  No punctuation is needed Use descriptive bullets without being too wordy Quantify your experience if possible  i.e. How big was the budget that you managed? How many people did you supervise? Answer at least two questions in each position/experience  What did I do?  How did I do it ?  What were my results? Examples  Tracked daily expenses for 40 ongoing projects and ensured compliance with budgets and financial plans  Analyzed financial statements and reported on company owned assets using CFROI and other company metrics  Created and analyzed monthly ‘Budget vs. Actual’ reports on plant spending and communicated key drivers to company controller

Current Contact Information Necessary Components  Mobile number  address  College mailing address  Permanent mailing address is optional 8

Education Necessary Components  Majors, minors  Expected graduation date  Study Abroad  GPA  Honors & Awards  Relevant Coursework (optional*) 9

Experience 10

Leadership & Activities 11

Skills Necessary Components  Computer [MS Office Suite, Java, C++]  Languages [ Fluent, Proficient] 12

Resume Writing Tips A resume is a marketing tool, not an autobiography Formatting: one page, no typos, no high school experience Concise, quantifiable, action-oriented summary of experiences, education and skill sets Highlight leadership roles, clubs/organizations & unique achievements/awards Tailor your resume for the job you want Keep your resume current and available Always carry a few copies to events where networking opportunities exist 13

COVER LETTER: A WRITTEN INTRODUCTION 14

1 st Paragraph Answer the question as to why you are writing and the position to which you are applying From your research, explain why you are interested in this position or organization The goal is to make a connection - do this briefly and specifically or leave it out; sweeping statements will not work so make sure to tailor each cover letter for each job you apply for 15 **

2 nd Paragraph The first sentence should be a hard-hitting opener- a quick introduction, which is accomplishment- oriented and directed at the skills and qualifications needed for the job/industry The body of the paragraph should provide evidence to back up what you've just claimed Discuss why what you did is relevant to the employer- relate the facts to the job. Strong examples are important! The final sentence is a summary of what you've discussed above 16 **

Final Paragraph You should refer to the enclosed resume and request an interview. It is vital that you thank the reader for his/her time and consideration. Sincerely, Your Signature Your Name Enclosure(s) 17 **

Tips to Make your letter Professional Research the company and the specifics about the position to tailor your letter to the position Avoid using too many sentences that in the passive voice (ex. "This experience enabled me to..." or "Through my internship, I was responsible for..."); instead, make yourself the subject of each sentence and use active descriptions (ex., "In this internship, I demonstrated sound judgment and problem- solving skills on a daily basis."). 18

Tips (Cont.) Do not use contractions (I'd, didn't, it's). Spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes are out of the question! Cover letters are a reflection of your writing skills, so make each cover letter an example of your best work Be sure to sign your letters (black ink is suggested) Keep your letter short and simple If sending via mail, use good quality paper that matches your resume paper and envelopes 19

Summary Make sure there is uniformity and consistency Use a bulleted format that begins with strong action verbs Make sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors Use matching verb tenses Full sentences are not necessary Do not put anything in your resume that you cannot explain clearly and precisely 20

QUESTIONS?