1. City Year Resume Workshop

2. Agenda Why do I need a resume now? What makes a resume ‘good’?
How do I create a great resume?
What is a cover letter?
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

3. Start building your resume now, regardless of your plans for next year
An effective resume is necessary whether you are applying to college or for a job next year
College
Job
Colleges / scholarships may ask you to submit your resume
Brainstorming tool that can help in completion of applications
Organizes your activities and achievements
At college, you may end up applying for a job
Serves as your introduction to a potential employer
Showcases your accomplishments and skills
Does not guarantee you a interview, but a poorly constructed resume can guarantee that you don’t get a job
Resumes often serve as a guide for interview
Start building your resume now, regardless of your plans for next year
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

4. When reading resumes, employers often:
To stand out against other resumes, yours must be organized and written for maximum impact
When reading resumes, employers often:
Spend less than 60 seconds on average, so you need to make a good impression quickly
Some estimates claim time spent is as low seconds!
Look for mistakes as frequently as they look for great achievements
Give less attention to, or stop reading, resumes when information is not well-organized
City Year resume & cover letter presentation
Source:

5. Agenda Why do I need a resume now? What makes a resume ‘good’?
How do I create a great resume?
What is a cover letter?
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

6. What makes a resume ‘good’?
What makes a resume great can be subjective, but below are some common characteristics associated with the ‘great’ resumes:
Honest
Organized
Not a one-page block of text
Concise and appropriate language
Sufficient detail to convey experiences
Eliminate ‘fluff’ language or unnecessary words, and replace with more powerful action words
Example: “The team’s project was centered around increasing the revenue of Business unit A” “Collaborated with team to increase revenue of business unit by 20%”
Experiences are well-communicated and convey that you have the skills for the job
Explicitly explains what you did and what the results were
Calls out instances of leadership, initiative, teamwork, etc.
There are no holes
Interests A+
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

7. More detailed tips to ensuring your resume is fabulous!
Key point
Rationale
Contact information
Include all relevant contact info at top of resume ( , phone number, address)
Work-appropriate address
Potential employer needs to be able to contact you
Employer may judge you by a weird address
Formatting
Use one normal font throughout resume
Use a font between 10 and 12
Organize resume into sections to provide structure and flow
Stick to one page (reduce margins if necessary)
They have a lot of resumes to read – don’t make it even more difficult on their eyes!
If resume is difficult to read or follow, employers won’t bother
Some people will not read beyond first page
Honors
Include honors and awards you have received, but make sure that they are significant and timely enough to include
Although they are not work experiences, they do speak to your achievements and abilities
Proofreading
Proofread, proofread, PROOFREAD!
Look for spelling and grammar errors, ensure vocabulary is at appropriate level
Resume mistakes can immediately decrease your credibility and give the wrong first impression of your abilities
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

8. Agenda Why do I need a resume now? What makes a resume ‘good’?
How do I create a great resume?
What is a cover letter?
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

9. So what are the steps to developing this great resume?1
Gather information
Brainstorm
Determine format and organize information
Revise
Obtain feedback from others
Revise (and repeat previous step) 2 3 4 5 6
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

10. Start off easy, gathering some of your education info first1
Start off easy, gathering some of your education info first
GPA from various educational experiences
If you had a concentration or major, and your grades were higher in those courses, include that GPA as well
List of relevant courses
May provide additional credibility and show you have experience in subject matter
Example: If applying for a business position, you may want to call out that you have taken courses in Economics, Math, Communications or Marketing
Ensure these courses are actually relevant to position, and keep this section updated for the various types of jobs you apply for
Example:
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

11. Brainstorm around, and write down, your experiences and activities…2
Brainstorm around, and write down, your experiences and activities…
Awards, honors, extra-curricular activities, clubs / organizations, volunteer work, your own business, major academic projects, student govt, certifications, publications
Within these activities and organizations, brainstorm projects you have been involved in, or positions you have held, that demonstrate your capabilities
What was your role / what did you do?
E.g. led team, performed analysis
What capabilities did you exhibit?
E.g. leadership, initiative, analytic abilities
What was accomplished / the outcome?
E.g. raised $X for charity
High level:
Detailed:
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

12. 2
“What if I don’t have experience?” You have GREAT experience – City Year!
Leadership opportunities / initiatives
E.g. CYFK, Recruitment A team, participating in roundtables, Love and Joy Crew, etc.
Community projects
What activities have you participated in, planned or lead?
Curriculum at local schools
Have you planned and / or led student exercises and activities?
How many students do you mentor or teach each week?
After school programs at the schools
Have you planned and / or led after school activities?
How many students do you mentor / tutor each week?
Consider City Year training you have received and / or led
Awards or honors received at City Year
As before, consider what your role was in these activities, what capabilities you exhibited and what was accomplished
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

13. General structure of resume is comprised of 3 (to 4) parts
Heading
Name, address, phone, work-appropriate
Multiple addresses: pick one or put one on each side of the page
Include area code on phone number and ensure voic is appropriate
Objective
Brief, detailed statement of your career goal as related to position you are applying for
Often a source of mistakes on resume and I do NOT recommend using it
E.g. “To obtain a position as X where I can contribute my X and Y skills”
Education
School, location, major, expected or actual graduation date
List all schools attended, including high school, even if you did not earn a degree
Skills and abilities
Organization of this category will vary, but is the ‘meat’ of the resume
Overviews your leadership and teamwork experiences, and highlights your communication, computer, language and other relevant skills A B Eh C B C
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

14. 3b
Based on your experiences, determine which resume format type is best for you
Chronological
Functional
Combination
Overview:
Organize achievements by date
Include company name, your position, location, date
Below, describe duties & responsibilities, skills gained, and elaborate on experience in concise way
Organized into 2 sections: “Summary of Experience”
Lists 3 – 6 skills relevant to job sought (e.g. leader-ship, communication skills)
“Work History”
Lists employer information, positions held and dates
Mix of chronological and functional elements
E.g. Work experience section organized chrono-logically, and a leadership section highlighting leadership roles not captured under work experience
Good for:
Emphasizes employment, extra-curricular activities and academic-related experiences
More emphasis on skills acquired than where or when experience was gained
Emphasizing experience and key skills acquired
City Year resume & cover letter presentation
Source:

15. 4/5
After you organize your activities and skills into a first draft, revise it again!
Does resume contain the key pieces of information?
Name and contact information
Education (including any honors/awards received)
Experiences / skills
Interests (optional)
Is it free of spelling and grammatical errors?
Is it formatted so that resume structure is easily understood (i.e. reader can easily differentiate employment versus education sections, or employer name versus position held)
Is word choice powerful, with each line beginning with an action verb?
Are phrases concise and to the point?
Once you have checked off these items, seek input of teacher, advisor, mentor or parent for a new perspective
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

16. Review of successful resume characteristics: What helps a resume stand out! (1 of 2)
Short, powerful sentences beginning with action verb
Variety of word choice (don’t start with the same word more than twice)
Avoid personal pronouns (I, me, my) – write in third person
Use appropriate tense (if something happened in past, use the past tense)
Avoid acronyms, contractions (e.g. don’t, can’t), abbreviations or slang
Word Choice
Sufficient Detail
Sell yourself because applicants you are competing against are doing the same!
Explain what you have done clearly enough, so that someone who has no idea what your job entailed can understand it
Having others read your resume is a good test
Quantify and note results wherever possible
Can significantly increases your credibility
Example: “Increased membership and led fundraiser” “Increased membership by 30% and led 10 peers in bake sale fundraiser to raise $4,000 for our organization” (then elaborate a bit more on what you did to achieve this
If organization is not well-known, it can be helpful to describe in a few words what your employer did to acquaint reader with industry / market
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

17. Review of successful resume characteristics: What helps a resume stand out! (2 of 2)
Prioritization
Focus on your achievements and do not be shy to call out what you have accomplished or recognition you have received
List most important experiences / skills first (even if doing a chronological resume, there are times you may want to deviate from structure)
E.g. If you are applying for a position at a bank and you interned at a loan office in the summer of 2005 and served as waitress in 2006, list the loan office experience first
Formatting
Poor formatting will almost guarantee your resume does not get the attention it deserves!
Use bolding, italics, underlining and spacing appropriately to provide structure and organization – but do not go overboard
Look at other resumes for examples and ideas
Example:
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

18. One-on-one resume review
Participating in one-on-one review is another step toward making your resume stand out!
Resume Workshop
Resume draft deadline
One-on-one resume review
Description:
Discuss importance and key characteristics of resume, and how to make it stand out
Provide step-by-step process for resume creation, with examples
Draft of resume is due to Program Manager if you would like to participate in one-on-one workshop
One-on-one resume reviews with a Bainie
Potential for follow-up meetings and assistance
Timing:
Today
Friday, March 20th
Friday, March 27st
Stress “dos and don’ts” of resumes
Initiate brainstorming of your activities and achievements
Get you started!
Encourage you to draft and refine your resume!
Resume is a graduation requirement
Detailed, personalized feedback discussion
Opportunity to ask questions and get an objective set of eyes on your resume
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

19. Agenda Why do I need a resume now? What makes a resume ‘good’?
How do I create a great resume?
What is a cover letter?
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

20. What is the purpose of a cover letter?
A cover letter is your sales pitch to the employer
Gives you the opportunity to highlight the skills and experiences from your resume
Tailors your application to a specific position and/or company
Establishes a personal connection with the reader
Tells the company why they should hire YOU!
We won’t be reviewing cover letters in the one-on-one workshop, but here is a quick primer to get you started
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

21. What makes a cover letter ‘good’?
Tailor each cover letter to the specific company
Address the letter to specific company and individual
Show that you know something about the company and the industry
Explain why you are qualified for this position
Highlight your most relevant accomplishments
Pick out the most relevant qualifications listed in your resume and discuss them in detail
Do not just list everything from your resume!
Reflects your personality
Write it in your own words
No spelling or typing errors. Not even one.
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

22. What do I write about in my cover letter?
Introduction
States job you are applying for and how you learned about it
Mentions any personal contacts you have with the company
Briefly explains your general qualifications for the job
Body
Expands upon your qualifications and interest in the position
Highlights your most relevant accomplishments
Demonstrates how your background and experience qualifies you for the job
Conclusion
Requests an interview
States how, when, and where you can be reached
Thanks reader for his/her time
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

23. Q&A
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

24. Resume Basics & Examples: Contact info
Key advice: Ensure address and voic message are work-appropriate, and be sure to include all pieces of contact info (address, phone number, etc)
One address: 1 2
Two addresses: 3 4
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

25. Resume Basics & Examples: Education
Key advice: Be sure to include any honors / achievements, GPA, concentration / major, and relevant coursework (optional) 1 2 3
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

26. Resume Basics & Examples: Experience / Activities
Key advice: Use actions words to concisely summarize your experience. Quantify results whenever possible to increase credibility. 1 2 3
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

27. Resume Basics & Examples: Other info
Key advice: Include other capabilities, such as computer or language skills. Listing a few of your interests (nothing too crazy or inappropriate) can be helpful in rounding out your resume and providing an ice breaker during interview. 1 2 3 4
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

28. Cover Letter Basics & Examples: Introduction
Key advice: Address cover letter to specific company and individual. State who you are, what job you are applying for, and how you learned about the position.
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

29. Cover Letter Basics & Examples: Body
Key advice: Expand on your qualifications and interest in the positions. Highlight your most relevant accomplishments
Explain how you are qualified:
Show that you are interested:
Tell the reader who you are:
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

30. Cover Letter Basics & Examples: Conclusion
Key advice: Ask for an interview and thank reader for his/her time.
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

31. Helpful action words to incorporate into your resume
accomplished
achieved
analyzed
assessed
attained
completed
concluded
conducted
coordinated
designed
determined
developed
devised
directed
eliminated
established
evaluated
forecasted
formulated
founded
headed
identified
implemented
improved
initiated
launched
managed
mediated
operated
organized
presented
proposed
recommended
solved
strengthened
supervised
City Year resume & cover letter presentation

32. Some web resources as you get started on your resumes!
More detail and tips on completing your resume
Lists of useful action words to increase impact of your resume
Variety of sample resume formats that can be helpful if you are looking for different ways to present your information. Be aware that not all of these formats are spectacular and use your judgment!
Look at some of the ‘After’ resumes for ideas on how to organize and convey your experiences
Some humorous examples of what NOT to do
City Year resume & cover letter presentation