1 Resumes Cover Letters Preparing for an Interview

2 In This Presentation We Will Cover The Following Topics: Resume: Appearance of a Resume Elaborate Your Education Employment History Interests and Activities References Types of Resumes Cover Letters Introduction Paragraph Education Paragraph Employment Paragraph Concluding Paragraph Preparing for an Interview

3 Resume

4 Appearance of a Resume Normally employers see your resume before they see you. As a result your resume must make a good first impression. Resumes should: - have one inch margins on all sides. - be printed off with a good quality printer. - be arranged so the page has a balanced appearance. - contain adequate white space. example: there should be space between employment and education.

5 Elaborate Your Education The following suggestions can help with elaborating your education: List your grade point average: List your overall average if it is above normal otherwise list averages in courses that are more impressive. Compile a list of courses: Include courses that will be of particular interest to an employer. They may include college and university courses or courses such as first aid and WHMIS. Describe a special Accomplishment: Briefly describe the accomplishment through a title or its objective List Honors and Awards you received: Honors and awards indicate exceptional ability. If you have a number of honors and awards you may want in list them separately.

6 Employment History The employment section should convey at lest the basic information about each job you held or the three most recent jobs. Details should include:  Dates of employment  Organizations Name and Location  Your position or title  Responsibilities  Contact information such as a phone number

7 Interests and Activities This section is the appropriate place for information on: - Involvement in community organizations. - Hobbies related to your career. - Involvement in extra circular activity that involve being a member of team Resumes should not include information on height, weight, martial status, and other personal information. In addition, it would be best not to include activates that provide a negative image, such as hunting or gambling, unless such activities are job related.

8 References Potential employers will want to learn more about you from previous employers, teachers, or leaders of community groups. When providing references follow these steps: Decide how you want to present the reference. This includes details such as number of references, contact information, and references job titles. Choose your reference carefully Select references form those who you know that you have done your best work. Ensure the referee knows who you are. As for permission to use an individual as a reference. Ensure there are a verity of references. Three or four is typically a good number. All ways include a list of references. Otherwise you are creating additional work for the employer.

9 Types of Resumes Chronological – The chronological resume is organized by job titles with the most recent position listed first. Contains the following components: Identifying Information – includes your full name, address, phone number, and . Generally presented in bold at the top of your resume. Job Objectives – typically a one line statement indicating the position you are applying for. Education – If you are a student or a recent graduate this section would come before employment. Employment History – Presents the basic information of previous employment. Interests and activities – See description on slide 7 References - See description on slide 8

10 Analytical – Information is presented in a brief list and contains an additional section titled Skills and Abilities. In the skills and abilities section you choose headings, arrangement, and level of detail. The goal is to highlight the skills a employer is looking for.

11 Cover Letters Introduction Paragraph: - Identifies your source of information on where you have been made aware of the open position. For example internet, newspaper, through another another person. - Identifies the position you are interested in. - States that you wish to be considered for the position Education Paragraph: For recent students the education paragraph comes before the employment paragraph. However if your employment experience is stronger then present it first.

12 Employment Paragraph Begin with a topic sentence and indicate from your experience why you are suitable for the job. This applies to the education paragraph as well. Conclusion Paragraph Contains a reference to you resume and a polite request for an interview.

13 Preparing for an Interview The following are some suggestions for preparing for an interview: Study for Interviews There are books and websites dedicated to interviews Study the organization to which you applied Think about what you are offering to the organization Review Lists of common interview questions Compile a list of questions you wish to ask