1. Resumes & Cover Letters

2. Resume Overview The purpose of a resume is to get an interview
Be interesting; make whoever reads your resume view you as valuable to their cause
A resume is a marketing piece
Highlight your strong points
Education
Professional or Relevant experience
Skills & Accomplishments
Customize each resume to the job for which you are applying
Read the job descriptions carefully to insert keywords & identify the skills they are targeting (try Tagcrowd)
Know your audience – use industry specific terminology

3. Demonstrate Value What employers have in mind:
“How can you be valuable to us?”
“Value” = skills, accomplishments, education and experience
Successful job seekers understand their unique combination of skills, education and experience and articulate their value to employers.
It takes on average 10 – 30 seconds to review a resume the first time
Most significant part of the resume is the top half of page – must give evidence of a good “match” to the position

4. Resume Components- Contact & Objective
Name & Contact Information
& phone number are important, address optional
Contact information can go all on one line to save space
Use a professional looking (i.e. not or or
If you include an Objective:
List the position you’re applying for and the company or organization
List important, valuable attributes that you bring to the job
Keep in mind the employers perspective
Objectives are concise, usually one sentence, two at most

5. Resume Components- Summary of Qualifications
Highlight skills specific to the job description
Measurable experience that prepares you for job
Can be in list form (more common) or a short paragraph
List skills that are transferable from job to job and highlight flexibility
Try not to use skills that everybody has, or that are generally expected (ex: Hard worker, proficiency in Microsoft Word, motivated self starter)

6. Resume Components- Education
Your degree and expected graduation date
GPA if above 3.5 or if required by company
Relevant coursework or projects
Describe in relative detail the process by which you learned a skill
Group projects, research and presentations are good to use here, they can show your demonstrated ability
Think of your learning objectives of each class

7. Resume Components- Experience
Relevant (Work) Experience
Internships, volunteer, or professional experience applicable to this position
Be specific; “worked at a hotel” doesn’t tell anyone anything useful
Use action verbs
Quantify wherever possible;
dollar amounts responsible for
how many customers served or co-workers managed
how often you made a status report
% of improved efficiency

8. Resume Format First impressions are important
Use professional consistent styles, punctuation and fonts
Chronological, Functional and Combination resumes
Resume “real estate” and page layout -centering/lining up parts of the resume
Utilize bullets in order of importance
1 –2 pages at most

9. Skills to focus on in coursework
No matter what you major in, you need excellent writing skills and eloquent speaking skills. The Association of American Colleges and Universities recently asked employers who hire at least 25% of their workforce from two- or four-year colleges what they want institutions to teach. The answers did not suggest a narrow focus. Instead:
89%  said they wanted more emphasis on “the ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing”
81% asked for better “critical thinking and analytical reasoning skills”
70% were looking for “the ability to innovate and be creative”
From Zernike, Making College `Relevant’, The New York Times, 2009

10. Resume Checklist
Make your resume visually appealing, easy to read, and consistent in resume style and format.
Maximize the space on your resume. Don’t waste an entire line on your page for one to three words.
Keep it to one page (two pages dependent on professional level relevant to the position).
Choose a resume style for your particular skill level/work history. For suggestions on what style to choose, view outlines and sample resumes on the UW Bothell Career Services website.
Spell and grammar check. Keep the correct verb tense. Use past tense for previous jobs and present tense for current jobs. Don’t use personal pronouns.

11. Resume Checklist Continued…
Immediately impress the reader – be job specific, customize.
State up front in your objective and the job for which you are applying.
Include keywords from the job description.
In choosing what character traits, skills, accomplishments, academic knowledge and employment history you are going to highlight, focus on the employer’s needs and job requirements.
In your bullets, not only communicate your job responsibilities; but also make sure to include the abilities and skills that made you successful in performing those. Stress your productivity in terms of your potential for solving employer’s problems. Quantify whenever possible. Numbers help to draw the eye and stand out.

12. iamthemanning@foozballfans.com | 425.555.2111
Something NOT to do…
Peyton Manning |
Objective: Hi. I’m looking for a job. Only for the spring though, cause I gotta go back to work in late summer. Thx.
What do I have to offer?
Like ppl
I have a good spiral
Think outside of the field
Skills:
Good at organizing
Good sense of humor
Good with pople
Good with infants and children
Hobbies:
Football
Laser Tag
Animal training
Eyebrow tweezing
Volunteer:
Visiting the old people at the old age home
Volunteer at the Zoolander Center for Children Who Don’t Read GoOd

13. rwilson@uwis.edu | 425.555.2111 | linkedin.com/in/russellwilson
A Strong Resume
Russell Wilson
| | linkedin.com/in/russellwilson
Summary of Qualifications
Leadership skills learned through academic coursework and professional experiences
Demonstrated leader with commitment to the community and team
Strong verbal communication skills with individuals of diverse populations and backgrounds
Education
Bachelor of Arts: Communications June 2011
GPA: 3.8
Dean’s List: Autumn 2010, Winter 2011, Spring 2011
Relevant Experience
Quarterback, University of Wisconsin
Passed for over 3,500 yards during a single football season
Leading pass rusher in the Big Ten Conference
Honors:
Named Third Team All American, Yahoo Sports
Griese-Brees Big Ten Quarterback of the Year
Quarterback, North Carolina State
Collaborated with team members in effectively planning plays, techniques, and strategies
Effectively lead team to 3 Bowl Games, passing over 500 yards per game

14. Jobvite Infographic: 2015 Recruiter Nation Survey

15. Cover Letters Explain why you are sending a resume
Tell specifically how you learned about the position or the organization
Convince the reader to look at your resume
Call attention to elements of your background relevant to the position. Be specific, use examples
Reflect your attitude and interest in the position
Provide or refer to any information specifically requested
Indicate what you will do to follow-up
Cover Letter Samples

16. COVER LETTER OUTLINE Formal letter header Salutation #1 Introduction
#2 Relevant skill sets
#3 Why this company/job?
#4 Appreciation/conclusion
Become familiar with the professional format for a cover letter to help you create your outline

17. References Choose the Right Reference
A good reference: A professor in whose class you earned a good grade or an employer who has commented positively about your work. 
A great reference: In addition to the above, they can comment on your personality and passions.
Academic Reference Consider any Professor:
who has seen your best academic work
that you engaged with in a quarter-long special topics or research project
Work Reference Consider any Employer:
where you received promotions
where you completed any special projects
where you can qualify or quantify your contribution to the organization
that you left the organization on good terms
with whom you still communicate

18. Questions?