Dietetics Resume Workshop Angela Pau Center for Student Involvement and Careers

Agenda 1.Resume Essentials Targeting Organization Accomplishment Statements 2.Writing a Cover Letter 3.Formatting

Fun Activity! Partner up with someone in the room and introduce yourself Talk for one minute about an accomplishment you are proud of At the end of one minute, switch!

Targeting, targeting, targeting… 1.What skills are they looking for in this program? 2.What types of experiences (paid, unpaid, volunteer, academic, extracurricular) have you had? 3.What skills did you develop or demonstrate through these experiences? 4.How might these skills be transferred or applied to this program?

Decision Making Professionalism Interpersonal Communication Collaboration/teamwork Fine motor skills Manage Time Conflict Resolution They want…You have… ___________________ AMA (2010) + University of Toronto Report on Grad Competencies (2011) + SSHRC

Summary (optional)

Use Relevant Headings Education Work Experience Volunteer Experience Extracurricular Activities Community Involvement Awards & Scholarships

What do you write …. ? Based on this experience – what do we know about this persons skills?

How did this improve the resume? Added clarity to tasks and goals of job Transferred skills from seemingly not-so- relevant examples

Action Verbs Communication Skills Addressed, arbitrated, arranged, authored, collaborated, convinced, corresponded, developed, directed, drafted, edited, enlisted, formulated, influenced, interpreted, lectured, mediated, moderated, negotiated, persuaded, promoted, publicized, reconciled, recruited, represented, referred, spoke, translated, wrote Leadership Skills Administered, assigned, attained, chaired, coordinated, delegated, developed, directed, evaluated, improved, oversaw, prioritized, produced, recommended, reviewed, supervised Team Skills Assessed, assisted, clarified, coached, facilitated, familiarized, guided, motivated

How to Write Accomplishment Statements VerbTaskResult Action Verb Sentences start with an action verb Highlights a key transferable skill Creates a strong, consistent language on your application Task What you did Choose a task relevant to what you might do in your future role Results Outcome What happened? Measurable success (e.g. Achievements, size of project, # of people at your event, recognition)

Accomplishment statements vs. job descriptions Tutored students in math. Coached students in math and increased their average by 5%. Coached students in math and increased their confidence in completing their assignments on their own.

Final thoughts Take time to write Bridge the gap between your experience and the reader

COVER LETTERS

Resume Describes all of your RELEVANT experiences Describes all of your RELEVANT skills Point form and accomplishment focused Resume or Cover Letter Cover Letter Conveys who you are Answers “why” you should be accepted in to the program Selects a few choice relevant stories to tell in depth Fewer examples, more detail

Program Guidelines for Application Your reasons for applying to dietetics. Any specific professional goals you may have. Personal attributes, skills, work/volunteer experience, and any qualifications or highlights that speak to your suitability for dietetics. Any information that you feel the review committee should be aware of in assessing your application that may not otherwise be apparent from reviewing your application package.

Cover Letter strategies Answer two main questions 1.Why would you be a good dietitian? 2.Tell me about a time when … Team skills Communication skills Leadership skills Remember, this is a mini-interview

Things to avoid Starting the story at the beginning Skipping over the details Putting in as many experiences as possible

Try instead Be personal Focus on a few relevant and excellent examples Tell the committee stories about your experiences, and then link those stories back to the program “Why would this experience make you a better dietitian?” “Why would this experience make you successful in the program?”

Final Thoughts Cover letters are a great place to… Tell stories Be relevant Be descriptive and specific Choose less examples than your resume Provide more detail than your resume

Formatting Fonts: Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri, Verdana, Tahoma, Helvetica, or others. Size: 12 pt. Spacing and 1” margins *** Consistency in bold/italics *** Consistency in order of job title/employer

Additional Resources Resume Advising – Peer Coach Sign up through Careers Online Resume Tutorials and Online Samples