Resume and Cover Letter Workshop

Purpose of a Resume  The resume alone will not get you the job, but it can get you an interview.  Will distinguish you from someone competing against you.  Allows you to sell your skills and abilities.  Designed to help a future employer easily spot your strengths.  Helps manager ask you questions during the interview.  First opportunity to make a good impression and shows that you are organized and prepared.  Shows a future employer the quality of your work.

Tips for Preparing Resume  Attempt to obtain the job description and target your resume to show that you have the skills and experience the employer desires.  Write your resume using your own words. If someone is helping you, make sure you understand and can address the statements they are making.  Be honest about your background, work and educational experience.  Omit personal information such as age, martial status, height, weight, gender, and Social Security Number.  Minimize jargon and abbreviations.

Tips for Preparing Resume Continued  Type all resumes with non-decorative typefaces in a font size of points (examples- Times New Roman, Arial, Courier New ). Avoid- Monotype Corsiva, Comic Sans MS, etc.  Keep your resume limited to one page, two if absolutely necessary.  Check the resume for spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors.  Use white or off-white 8 ½ x 11 inch resume paper (24#).

Sections of a Resume  Contact Information Name, mailing address, telephone number/message phone, address  Job Objective: A brief statement specifying what type of work you are seeking.  Summary of Qualifications/Highlights: These are the key skills (4-5 skills) that you possess and want to highlight to the employer to show that you are a perfect fit for the position.

Sections of a Resume Continued  Work Experience/History: Include your work experience listing the most recent first and work backward. For each work experience include:  Title of position  Name of organization and location of work (city, state)  Dates of employment (month and year, e.g. January June 2001)  Describe your work responsibilities with emphasis on specific skills and achievements. Describe what you contributed to or accomplished on the job.  Use action verbs to describe job duties. (Constructed, Assembled, Maintained, Inspected, or Organized)  Go back far enough to demonstrate to the employer that you have the necessary experience to do the job you are looking to fill.

Sections of a Resume Continued  Education: List your highest education first. Include adult education, college, high school, seminars, special training or course work.  List school, city and state  On separate line, list degree and major  List any professional certifications or licenses you have attained.  References: Available upon request. A separate reference sheet must be prepared.

Resume Formats Chronological: This style presents your work experience in a traditional by-date format, listing the jobs you’ve held and describing the activities and accomplishments of each job in a single paragraph, with the most recent job appearing first. Advantage- If you are staying in the same field and have an unbroken employment history. Functional: This style presents your work experience by listing the most important skills you’ve used and then describing a number of activities and accomplishments (drawn from ALL your jobs and life experiences) to document each of those skills. change. Especially useful if your relevant skills (the skills required by the new job) are not particularly obvious when an employer looks at your chronological work history. Advantage- Can be used if you are making a career change. Especially useful if your relevant skills (the skills required by the new job) are not particularly obvious when an employer looks at your chronological work history.

10 Steps for a GREAT Resume From The Damn Good Resume Guide by Yana Parker 1.Choose a job target/job objective. 2.Find out what skills, knowledge, and experience are needed to do that target job. 3.Make a list of your strongest skills or abilities (3-4 skills) that make you a good candidate for the job. 4.For each key skill, think of several accomplishments from your past work history (paid or unpaid) to illustrate that skill. What Problems existed in your workplace?What Problems existed in your workplace? What Actions did you take to resolve the problem?What Actions did you take to resolve the problem? What were the beneficial Results of your action? PARWhat were the beneficial Results of your action? PAR 5.Describe each accomplishment in a simple, powerful action statement that emphasizes the results that benefited your employer.

10 Steps for a GREAT Resume Continued 6.Make a list of the primary jobs you’ve held, in chronological order. Include any unpaid work that fills a gap or shows you have the skills for the job. 7.Make a list of your training and education that is related to the new job you want. 8.Choose a resume format that fits your situation - either chronological or functional. 9.Arrange your action statements according to the format you chose. 10.Summarize your key points at or near the top of your resume.

Cover Letters  A cover letter is a short (one page), typed letter that is used to introduce yourself and explain why you are sending your resume.  It should make an employer interested in you so they will read your resume and interview you.  ALWAYS mail a cover letter with your resume.  Use standard business letter format on the same quality of paper as your resume. The font size should be point and match your resume style.  Address the letter to the contact person or to the Human Resources Director. Ensure that you sign the letter at the bottom of the page.  Check the letter for spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors.

Paragraphs of a Cover Letter Paragraph I:  Identify the position for which you are applying.  State how you learned about the position.  State why your are interested in the position or organization. Paragraph II:  This is your opportunity to let the employer know that you are well qualified for the position.  Target the job description and discuss how your skills relate to the job requirements.  Highlight one or two of your accomplishments, positive characteristics, or past experiences that illustrate how you will benefit the organization. Paragraph III:  Thank the person for considering your resume and offer to provide additional information.  Include your phone number where you can be reached.

Questions???