Résumés Cover Letters Thank You Notes

A Résumé  is the first meeting between you and the employer.  tells a great deal about you.  gets you the interview.  is your calling card, so remember that “First impressions are lasting ones.”

A Résumé will NOT... Get you a Job – It’s an advertisement that entices employers Make up for not Being Qualified Hide your Reputation – Employers will ask for references Make up for a Poor Portfolio – Employers want proof Make up for Poorly Written Cover Letter

Attributes Employers Considered During Hiring Process Rank these from 1 to 4 with 1 being least important. Reputation of College Past work experience Reputation of Specific Program Interview Perception does not always equal reality Past work experience (4) Interview (3) Reputation of college (2) Reputation of Specific Program (1)

Perception ≠ Reality Consider that what you think is important to employers may not be what is actually important. Ask Yourself: What experience did you receive that will allow you to make an immediate impact?

Student-Athlete Experience Remember: You didn’t just play games you GAINED AN EXPERIENCE Athletes have many transferable skills

Résumé Principles  No ugly résumé– format must be pleasing to the eye  Do not lie, exaggerate or use words that the interviewer has to look up in a dictionary  Focus on your strengths and accomplishments  Use 8 1/2” x 11” 20 lb paper

Résumé Do s  Target your qualifications for a specific job  Keep it to one page  Accompany with reference page  – keep it professional  Use descriptive action verbs  No errors  Pleasing layout  List relevant work  History or volunteering  Use jargon of the profession  Mention you were a student-athlete  Always format in order of importance n_verbs.pdf

Résumé Don’ts  Avoid abbreviations and acronyms (NRA)  Never use pronouns such as: “I”, “me”, “my”, “our”  Never type - use a laser jet printer  No fancy fonts, binders, layouts  Don’t Have errors

Summary of Qualifications 2 years professional experience providing excellence in customer service. Proven ability to coordinate and complete multiple projects within deadlines. Skilled at developing and retaining partnerships with clients and customers. Driven, dedicated, and effective team player.

Education This is an important section for recent college graduates or students seeking internships or summer jobs. Beginning with the highest level of educational achievement, include information such as University attended, degrees earned/expected, major, minors, grade point average, date of program completion, and so forth. Bachelor of Science in Accounting Expected 2007 Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA GPA: 3.7/4.0 Major GPA: 3.6/4.0 Include GPA only if 3.5 +

Other Categories Awards & Achievements Activities & Honors Professional Experience Volunteering Relevant Course Work Employment Experience Specialized/Technical Skills Reference Page Dr. Mary Smith Business Department Faculty Saddleback College Mission Viejo, CA (949)

Chronological Résumé  most common listing of your jobs and experience with most recent mentioned first  good for job seekers who have practical work experience with long periods of employment  résumé type most preferred by employers aration/pdf/chronological_style.pdf

Functional Résumé  focuses on your skills and accomplishments  highlights what they are, not when you developed them  Great for job seekers who have great transferable skills but little direct experience aration/pdf/functional_style.pdf

Combination Résumé  maximizes the benefits of both the functional and the chronological resume  contains a heading for skills and accomplishments, followed by a reverse chronology of work experience aration/pdf/combination_sample.pdf

Summary, Headline, or Objective? Summary – briefly describes your experience and skills in a impressive way Headline – states your experience more specifically Objective – states your professional intent

Sending your Resume Title your resume properly if attaching it to profile or through – “Joe Smith_Sr.GraphicDesigner_Resume” Follow this format! – Name_Position_Resume

Cover Letters  Must be sent with résumé  explains to the reader your situation and what action you are requesting  should give the employer a reason to look at the résumé  must be tailored to each job opening  will get eight to 10 seconds of the reader’s time, so it must be brief, yet informative

Cover Letter Layout  limited to one page of three to four paragraphs  No indented paragraphs  Should not summarize your resume but add to it  Opening paragraph should answer why you are writing, what position you are interested and where you found out about the job  If you were referred mention this in the opening paragraph

First Paragraph I am a (your identifying characteristic) + I am a (your profession) + I have (your years of experience or education) + I have worked in (your area of expertise) + I am interested in (what position you're looking for)

Middle Paragraph  Revealing statements about who you are and your skills  Why you are interested in working for this employer  Relevant or related work/volunteer experience  Emphasize skills and abilities in relation to position  Provide additional qualifications that are not on resume

Closing Paragraph  Be proactive  What will you do next  What you would like the recipient to do next  Pave the way for an interview  “I will follow up in a week after the closing date of the position has passed. I look forward to speaking with you further.”

Closing Paragraph Thank you Sentences Thank you for your time. Thank you for reviewing my qualifications. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you for your review of my qualifications. Confidence in a Callback I look forward to your reply. I look forward to hearing from you. I look forward to your response. I look forward to your call. BAD: It would be an honor to meet with you. BAD: Call me tomorrow, please.

Scannable Format  Do not fold or staple  Avoid punctuation when possible  Avoid vertical & horizontal lines as well as graphics  Abbreviations - use only those known in your field  Use Keywords  Use fonts like Times New Roman, Courier New, Helvetica  size  Bolding and CAPITALS are acceptable as long as they do not touch each other  avoid condensing the spaces between letters and lines

Thank You Notes  Sent after you complete interview  Must be sent within 24 hours of interview regardless of the day of the week  Individual letter must be sent to each person you interviewed with  Always add one unique detail from the interview  Do not sell yourself, only thank them for their time