Resume and Cover Letter by Emily Salazar Career ServicesMoody Hall 134(512)

Resume - Important Points It’s a marketing document; you’re selling yourself There’s not one right way to create it; there are exceptions to every rule Content should be relevant and emphasize accomplishments No such thing as a generic resume; best resume is tailored to specific goal or job You have to know what you want to do first It’s a time consuming process

Basic Rules Develop the content before focusing on the “look” Don’t use fill-in-the-blank templates; you need flexibility Font/Margins: 11 font/Garamond ( or 12/Times New Roman or 10/Arial); margins set to 1” or.75”) √ Be consistent throughout document Resumes for a recent college graduate = one page High school activities not included (except when you’re a freshman) Quantify whenever possible √ “Raised over $500 in donations for charity event.” Proofread, proofread, proofread!

Main Resume Categories Your Name, followed by: address, city/state/zip, phone #, address √ Where can you be reached? Objective (“Seeking…..”) √ Employers differ on this Profile or Summary of Qualifications (Skills, such as languages, etc.) √ Capture their attention; tailor to job description Education √ Degrees, major, school, dates Bachelor of Business Administration, Marketing Expected May 2012 St. Edward’s University, Austin, TX Experience (bulleted or mini-paragraph) √ Reverse chronological order √ Company name, job title, from-to dates √ Description using action verb phrases

Other Resume Categories Create separate category/section if you have sufficient information; otherwise double up with another section Honors, awards Clubs, organizations Leadership roles (and training) Volunteer service Certifications and licensures Computer/technical skills Class projects Professional organizations Research, papers written, presentations delivered

Action Verbs for Resumes Action verbs should be used abundantly throughout your resume to stress achievements Find them through a Google search √ Example: “Responsibilities included…” or “Duties included…” are a weak way to describe achievements Action verbs help make a strong impression √ Supervised five students at business conference √ Coordinated plans for promotional event, resulting in…..

Incorporating Key Words Every industry/job has key words specific to the field Career Counselor: advise, counsel, train, resume, interview, internship, etc….. √ What are key words in Finance industry? Marketing? Key words can be verbs, nouns, adjectives √ Organized, bilingual, public speaker, spreadsheets…….etc. Job description has key words √ Tailor to job description, but don’t just copy; you have to have the skill,knowledge, trait Assume resume will be electronically scanned for key words

More Resume Tips Location in a resume is very important; employers read top to bottom and left to right Place most important information at the top of the page Don’t make employer have to search for important information Don’t expect employers to read verbatim; they speedread/scan your resumes; help them by using: bold font, indention, underlining, well titled categories……

Layout and Appearance Appearance is part personal preference and part strategy to capture the reader’s attention Find samples online (Google images is a good source) Hard copies: use resume paper; since most people use white paper, make yours stand out by using ivory or other color Most business resumes are conservative, but tailor to your audience; in creative fields (Advertising, etc.) you can add clip art, graphics, etc. To make your resume look unique, you can use a touch of color

Effective Resumes Lead to Interview If you want to get that interview, before starting the resume: Research company website thoroughly Look up key words you don’t understand Learn the terminology in the target industry Look up sample resumes of people in the field Create rough drafts and have them critiqued The research alone can take days to conduct; don’t wait until the last minute to create your resume

Cover Letter Guidelines Personalized for company; more time consuming than resume. Outer shell: copy/paste heading from resume; include date, inside address, closing, signature, and notation about “Enclosure: Resume” Body: √ 3-4 paragraphs (one page) √ Intro.= who are you and why are you writing √ Closing = thank you’s, courtesy, request interview, final sales pitch √ Middle= why this company, why this field, details about a major achievement, why you are a perfect match for the job; tell a story; be conversational

In Conclusion Create a resume that stands out in the crowd.