1. Presented by: Co-op Programs Office Sarah Kitsemetry Senior Career Consultant Resume & Cover Letter Writing Computer Science, Computing & Business, CNET

2. Objectives  To learn effective techniques and strategies to capture the employer’s attention.  To understand how to write content for your cover letter and resume by communicating your skills and how you achieved business objectives  To better prepare you for the competitive job market

3. Truths & Myths There are clear rules for developing the perfect resume. FALSE. There is no such thing as a perfect resume. You need to determine how to develop a strong marketing document that highlights your experience. The purpose of the resume is to get a job. FALSE. Resumes are an introduction of your skills and experience – its purpose is to get you an interview. It is smart to copy words/language from the posting to use on your resume. TRUE. Incorporate as much of the language from the posting as you can in order to demonstrate your fit for the job and organization.

4. Truths & Myths Your resume should identify your job responsibilities for positions you held. FALSE. Do more than restate the job description – create accomplishment statements that identify your achievements and contributions, and only highlight aspects of the job that are relevant to the employer. When it comes to resumes, less is more. TRUE. Simplicity is the key. Employers will spend 20-30 seconds reviewing your resume. Too much text can be overwhelming. A cover letter is a sales pitch and a proposal for further action. TRUE. The purpose of the cover letter is to encourage the employer to review your resume.

5. Truths & Myths It is important to provide a record of every job you have held. FALSE. Your resume is a marketing document, not a biography. For students, 5 years is an appropriate timeline. It is important to provide a list of references with your resume. FALSE. Never include references with your initial application. Using a template is a good idea. FALSE. Common templates that can be downloaded online or through common Microsoft programs are not effective – it shows a lack of creativity and employers can spot them. Instead, use samples for ideas on how to display your information appropriately.

6. Understanding Your Skills  Skills are developed and acquired through various activities and experiences: work, volunteer, extracurricular, etc.  Recognizing the skills you have and how you have demonstrated them successfully will be the foundation for your cover letter and resume.  Being able to effectively communicate your skills on your cover letter and resume takes time and practice.

7. Skills Employers Look For  Communication  Problem Solving  Research  Organization & Time Management  Flexibility/Change Agent  Decision Making/Good Judgment  Positive Attitude  Interpersonal/ Teamwork  Negotiation/Ability to Influence & Persuade  Leadership  Creativity/Innovation  Critical Thinking  Ability to Learn Technical skills are important to include in your cover letter and resume but you need to demonstrate transferable (soft) skills as well

8. Resume Writing-Basic Content INCLUDE:  Contact Information  Education  Academic Projects  Computer & Technical Skills  Work Experience  Extracurricular Experience  Volunteer Experience  Awards and Scholarships  Memberships/Associations  Certifications OMIT:  Gender, Age, Marital Status  Social Insurance Number  An Objective Statement  Detailed Interests or Hobbies  A List of References  Your Student Number

9. Choosing a Format Reverse Chronological  Organize your experiences from most recent to least recent  Highlight job titles, company names, and dates  Include a few bullet points with each experience to describe your skills and contributions

10. Personal Information Incorrect Carol Jones 346 Glen Ave. St. Catherines, ON, L2S 3A1 (905) 680-5559 sk00ee@brocku.ca Correct Carol Jones 346 Glen Avenue St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1 (905) 680-5559 sk00ee@brocku.ca  Check spelling and grammar carefully  Use the full spelling of abbreviated terms  Choose/create an appropriate email address

11. Personal Information Carol Jones sk00ee@brocku.ca Current Address Permanent Address (until April 30, 2011) (as of May 1, 2011) 346 Glen Avenue 588 Smith Road St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1 Waterloo, Ontario L1N 2P8 (905) 680-5559 (519) 458-3391 Include your current and permanent address: Use Brock email

12. Education Common Mistakes: Computer Science Bachelor of Computer Science Comp. Sci. Correct: Honours Bachelor of Science, Computer Science Co-op Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario Honours Bachelor of Science, Computing & Business Co-op Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario

13. Education – Relevant Courses The keyword is relevant courses 1.Don’t include Foundations of Computing 2.Don’t include Algorithms and Data Structures 3.Use course name and not course number 4.Focus on courses that are unique / considered elective  Data Structures and Abstraction  Advanced Data Structures  Introduction to Operating Systems  Mathematics for Computer Science Could add these courses at later time:  Software Engineering  Algorithms

14. Awards & Scholarships  Use this section only if you have 3 or more scholarships / awards Might include:  Academic Achievements  Awards  Scholarships  Grade point average above 80% (major or overall average)  Ensure information is recent – nothing older than 5 years

15. Projects  Used correctly, this section can set you apart from other students  Show any lengthy, impressive, or relevant projects to which you have made real contribution * can be academic or extra – curricular projects  Each project should have at least two bullets (outcomes) Market Basket Analysis System Course Name, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario ○ Designed and implemented a Java application for predicting future purchases based on a probabilistic analysis of past purchase records ○ Deployed system as a web service using XML and SOAP and an Oracle database on the backend ○ Used synchronized threads to increase overall throughput of the system to handle up to 50 client requests per second ”

16. Computer & Technical Skills This is where you emphasize your technical skills Programming Languages  Put in order of familiarity Platforms  Nice to list Windows and Linux Packages  Eclipse, Oracle 9i, MS SQL Server, ClearCase, Rational Rose, … Development Methodologies  Rational Unified Process, Extreme Programming, Agile Development

17. Work Experience  Can have two Work Sections: Career Related Experience and Other Work Experience  Career Related = any technical work experience in IT  Work Experience or Other Work Experience = all other employment  Chronological order – most recent to least recent

18. Sample: Before & After WORK EXPERIENCE ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Web site Developer August 2009 - Present Scotiabank, St. Catharines, Ontario Sales Associate – Technology May 2009 – August 2009 Best Buy, St. Catharines, Ontario Office Assistant May 2008 – August 2008 The Burke Group, St. Catharines, Ontario Lawncare Technician January 2008 – April 2008 BMG Landscaping Service, St. Catharines, Ontario

19. Sample: Before & After CAREER RELATED EXPERIENCE (OR IT EXPERIENCE) _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Web site Developer August 2009 - Present Scotiabank, St. Catharines, Ontario Sales Associate - Technology May 2009 – August 2009 Best Buy, St. Catharines, Ontario OTHER WORK EXPERIENCE _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Office Assistant May 2008 – August 2008 The Burke Group, St. Catharines, Ontario Lawncare Technician January 2008 – April 2008 BMG Landscaping Service, St. Catharines, Ontario

20. Work Experience: Techniques  Use industry keywords and language  Articulate your work experience based on business objectives  What was your contribution, accomplishment, impact, or acquired learning?  Result + Skill + Action bullets (70 %, listed first)  Skill + Actions + R esult (30%, listed after RSA bullets)

21. Sample: Poor, Better, Best Poor:  Advised customers on IT related products Better:  Provided information about IT products to customers, which resulted in sales Best:  Exceeded monthly sales targets by 20% by assessing customer needs and providing relevant IT product options

22. Sample: Poor, Better, Best Poor:  Stacked pool supplies in secure area Better:  Participated in, and documented annual inventory counts Best:  Reduced costs associated with seasonal merchandise by reviewing consumer purchasing activities and managing inventory accordingly

23. Use Action Words  Each bullet point should begin with an action word (verb) – not responsible for, duties included etc. A list of action words can be found at: http://www.brocku.ca/co-op/current-students/employment- resources (current undergraduate  employment resources  action words)

24. Outcomes & Results Some of the best outcomes and results are as follows:  Increased/generated revenues  Faster time to market  Decreased costs  Improved operational efficiency  Increased market share  Decreased employee turnover  Improved customer retention levels A list of sample outcomes / results can be found at: http://www.brocku.ca/co-op/current-students/employment- resources http://www.brocku.ca/co-op/current-students/employment- resources (current undergraduate  employment resources  results list)

25. Formula for Bullet Success What business objective did this meet? (to increase, decrease, expand, improve, etc) + What was your task? What did you do? + What was the outcome, result, achievement or acquired learning? (something that can be measured/evaluated) = A VALUE STATEMENT or ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENT

26. Sample: Before & After Before: Sales Associate / Key Holder July 2006 - Present Danier Leather, Niagara Falls, Ontario  As a sales associate and key holder I have learned the importance of meeting personal and store sales goals, listening closely to each customer, asking the right questions, following store standards and wardrobing. I’ve also learned how extremely important customer service and organization is in the retail industry, especially when taking and following up on special orders, being an expert on our product and anticipating our customers’ needs and wants.

27. Sample: Before & After After: Sales Associate / Key Holder July 2006 – Present Danier Leather, Niagara Falls, Ontario  Exceeded monthly sales targets by 20% over a six month period by reorganizing merchandising displays  Retained client base representing 25% of store sales by developing a follow up calling system  Reduced inventory control issues by implementing a loss prevention program

28. Additional Content  Languages (Fluent in English & French)  Extra-Curricular Involvement (committees, clubs)  Volunteer Experience  Professional Memberships

29. References References: “Available upon request”  Place references on a separate page  Include personal information at the top (copy from resume) Provide three references: Work-related references are preferred Academic references are acceptable (in some cases) References will include: Person’s Name, Position Title, Organization/Company, Phone Number Make sure to ask your references for permission to use their name

30. Carol Jones 346 Glen Avenue, St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1 (905) 680-5559 ss00ee@brocku.ca REFERENCES _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Mr. John Taylor Manager Danier Leather (905) 123-4567 Ms. Sue Ann Jones HR Administrative Coordinator The Burke Group (905) 222-2222 Dr. John Smith Assistant Professor Brock University (905)866-5550

31. Remember…  An effective value or accomplishment statement describes what you did in terms of tangible results; it draws interest and shares a success story within a few words  Start every bullet point with an action word; avoid starting any point with “duties include” or “responsible for”  Only highlight points that are relevant to the job and employer  Organize your bullet points based on relevance and significance  You are not your audience – think like an employer

32. Cover Letter Writing: A cover letter is a tool to analyze:  Written communication skills  Technical skills  Organizational skills  Abilities and accomplishments  Focus and goals  Your understanding of the job and organization

33. Understand the Job Posting Before writing the cover letter you need to analyze the job posting and look for:  Business objectives or goals  Industry key words  Technical and Soft Skills

34. Date EMPLOYER INFORMATION First and last name, title Full company name & address Address the letter to a specific person: “Dear Ms. Cockell:” Avoid “Dear Sir or Madame:” Avoid “Dear Jennifer Cockell:”

35. Paragraph 1: Why you are writing. State the following:  Job title  The company name  Where and when you saw the posting Quote job code/number if instructed

36. Cover Letter Writing: Paragraph 1 Sample: Paragraph 1 It was with great interest and enthusiasm that I read your advertisement for the IT Helpdesk Associate (#JC11555) on Brock University’s Co-op job postings board. I am actively pursuing my Honours Bachelor of Science, Computer Science degree and am seeking my first co-op placement beginning in January 2011. Sample: Paragraph 1 Please accept this letter and attached resume as my application for the co-op position of Network Security Specialist (Job ID: 288764), as posted on Brock University’s Co-op job postings board. I am confident that my previous work experience combined with my academic training make me an excellent candidate for this position.

37. Paragraph 2: READ THE JOB POSTING CAREFULLY  Begin with your technical skills 2- 3 sentences. Provide evidence to support these skills.  Evidence that your experiences match the employer’s needs.  Summarize your skills as they relate to the skills and competencies outlined in the job posting and provide evidence.  Focus on the top 2 or 3 objectives, skills or competencies from the job posting.

38. Cover Letter Writing: Paragraph 2 Sample: Paragraph 2 Currently, I am completing my second year of a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at Brock University. My academic experience has provided me with the necessary tools to become an effective analyst/programmer. Through the design and implementation of several projects completed in both individual and group environments I have become proficient in programming, using Visual Basic, C, C++, GUI, Java, as well as Windows NT 4.0.

39. Paragraph 3: Your research of the employer.  Evidence of your research  Why this employer/job appeals to you  Common values and beliefs

40. Cover Letter Writing: Paragraph 3 Sample: Paragraph 3 After attending RBC’s information session at Brock, it was evident that the company places great emphasis on its surrounding communities. Impact Day at RBC is an impressive collective effort put forth by the company’s people and would be a very rewarding experience. A full day of helping surrounding communities would be of great interest to me, as I volunteer my time frequently for activities and events coordinated by Brock’s Computer Science Club. Sample: Paragraph 3 I am interested in working at RBC because I believe in your vision of earning the right to be a client’s first choice through excellent service. In my experience, I have valued my relationships with customers and thrive in an environment where I can provide excellent service in order to meet customer needs.

41. Paragraph 4: Closing  Express your interest in an interview  Provide your contact information  Thank the reader for their time and consideration

42. Cover Letter Writing: Paragraph 4 Sample: Paragraph 4 I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to personally describe my potential contributions in more detail and I would welcome a personal meeting at your convenience. I can be reached at (905) 688-5050. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sample: Paragraph 4 I would welcome the opportunity to discuss my qualifications further. Please feel free to contact me at (905) 688-5050 should you have any questions. Thank you for your time.

43. “ Yours Truly” or “Best Regards” Your first and last name

44. Remember…  The cover letter is your first introduction to the employer  Be clear and concise  The employer wants to know what position you are applying for and why YOU are the best candidate for the job  Spend the time to understand the role and tailor your cover letter to meet the needs of that employer  It is recommended that you include a written signature above your printed name at the bottom of your cover letter

45. What Do Employers Say? “ Customize each cover letter and resume to the company & job” “Quantify as much as possible (numbers, percentages)” “Highlight experience that is most relevant to the position” “Be honest” “Include volunteer work”

46. Next Steps 1. Cover Letters and Resumes due September 13, 2010 at 4:30. Cover Letters / Resumes that are submitted after this deadline will be reviewed behind students who adhered to the deadline. 2. Please submit to co-opresumes@brocku.caco-opresumes@brocku.ca  1 document / MS word attachment 3. Subject line of your email & file name should be as follows: Last Name_First Name_Program_Entry Year program Questions / Concerns: Sarah Kitsemetry Ext. 5577, skitsemetry@brocku.caskitsemetry@brocku.ca