1 RESUME WRITING The Key to a Successful Future!

2 By the end of this lesson, you will be able to do the following: Identify your skills, experience, and accomplishments. Write a professional resume. List three valid references. Write a convincing cover letter.

3 What is a Resume? It is a summary of your skills, education, and experience. It is a personal marketing tool for you. Consider it your personal advertisement. Use it with one goal in mind – to get you a job interview.

4 Why do I need a Resume? It gives the employer more information about you – more than will fit on the application. Your competition will have one - and you want to be part of the competition.

5 A Resume has 7 essential parts. 1.Name, Address, Telephone #, and . 2.Job Objective or Employment Goal 3.Summary of Qualifications 4.Work Experience 5.Education 6.Accomplishments / Interests 7.References

6 Part #1 Name, Address, Phone # and . Use your full name. Give the address where you receive US mail. Give the phone # where a message can be left for you. Give an appropriate address. Example: Samantha Martin 4280 W. Sixth Street Sunnyvale, CA (408)

7 Part #2 Job Objective or Employment Goal Write about the position that you are seeking in a clear sentence. Example: Seeking a part time position in the computer industry while completing high school. Or To obtain a part time Receptionist position while attending college.

8 Part #3 Summary of Qualifications Qualifications are also known as skills. List the qualifications that you have that will fulfill the job requirements/responsibilities. You can also use characteristic traits. Example: - Bi-lingual (French)- Organized - Customer Service- Self Motivated - Office 2003 Suite- Goal Oriented

9 Part #4 Work Experience List all paid and unpaid experience. Give the company name and location, your title, dates of work, and describe your responsibilities, achievements, and results. Use action words ending in the letters (ed) to describe what you have done.

10 Part #4 Work Experience Continued Paid Example: Gap Inc., Sales Associate5/2004 -Current Santa Clara, California Provided customer service Operated cash register Stocked merchandise Merchandised sales floor

11 Part #4 Work Experience Continued Unpaid Example: Santa Clara County Animal Shelter, Volunteer 6/2005 – 8/2005 Santa Clara, California Monitored front desk operations Cleaned and maintained animal cages Prepared food and water for animals Demonstrated proper care of animals

12 Part #4 Work Experience Continued What if I do not have any experience? Utilize class projects, clubs, sports, or volunteer work, and list as you would for paid and unpaid experience. You can also use community service and service learning experience.

13 Part #5 Education List the name and location of your high school. Include dates that you have attended, expected diploma date and special courses taken. Example: Monta Vista High School8/2006 – Current Cupertino, CA General Education and College Preparatory Courses Diploma expected June 2010

14 Part #5 Education Continued List the name and location of your ROP course including dates that you have attended, expected diploma date and special courses taken. Example: North County Regional Occupational Program 8/2009 – Current Cupertino, CA Engineering Technology Course Certificate expected June 2010

15 Part #6 Accomplishments / Interests List all accomplishments including awards, recognitions, competitions. List your interests including hobbies, sports, extracurricular activities. Example: Member of Key Club Member of Robotics Club

16 Part # 7 References List the following as your last line on your resume: References: Available Upon Request. Or References: Included in Application Packet Or References: Attached to Resume

17 Resume Do’s Keep your Resume to one page in length. Use 12pt Helvetica or Times New Roman font (10pt smallest) with appropriate spacing. Use spell check. Use white paper. Keep it neat and easy to read. Keep it professional, accurate, and honest.

18 Resume Don’ts Don’t make it too long – one page only. Don’t use fancy fonts – stick to suggested fonts. Don’t use colored paper – white or off white is best. Don’t do a sloppy job –remember that this will most likely be your employer’s 1 st impression. Don’t use slang, inappropriate language, or lie.

19 References – What are they? They are people who can speak highly about you and your skills, and have known you for one year or longer. They could be your teacher, coach, manager, neighbor, counselor, etc. They should not be under age 18, a family member, or a friend.

20 Tips when using References Always ask the person before your use them as a reference. You should always list at least three. References should be listed on a separate sheet of resume paper. References should be from different backgrounds – coach, music teacher, high school teacher, neighbor, mentor, etc.

21 Formatting your Reference Page Type References for Your Name at the top of the page, underline, and centered. References for Samantha Martin

22 Formatting your Reference Page Continued Center and list each reference as follows: Name Title Company Street Address City, State Zip Code Address Telephone number Years Known

23 What is a Cover Letter It is a letter that accompanies your resume and introduces you and your skills to the employer. It shows what you know about the job and tells the employer why they should be interested in you. It’s written on resume paper using 12pt (10pt smallest) Helvetica or Times New Roman font

24 A Cover Letter has 8 essential parts Date Employers name and address Greeting 3 Main Paragraphs Closing Your Signature Your name typed Enclosure

25 The 3 Main Paragraphs Paragraph 1 – State your purpose, tell the employer what job you are applying for, how you learned of the opening, and that you are including a resume Paragraph 2 – State your qualifications, indicate what skills, education, and experience make you the ideal person for the job. Paragraph 3 – Get action, ask for an interview, state how and when you can be contacted.

26 Review What is a resume? Name the 7 parts of a resume. What is a reference? Before using someone as a reference, what should you do? What is a cover letter? Name the 8 parts of a cover letter.