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Resume & Cover Letter Resume & Cover Letter Workshop Workshop

RESUME : A MARKETING TOOL

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Resume Purpose Resume Purpose

The goal of a resume is to provide prospective employers with a concise summary of your

experiences and qualifications.

This is the first impression of YOU that organizations and companies will see!

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Common Resume Pitfalls Common Resume Pitfalls

Grammatical ErrorsObjective [not needed]High School Information [not needed]Exaggerations and broad statementsFormatting Inconsistencies

January 2009 – 7/2009

font styles and sizes Verb tense uniformity

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Resume EssentialsResume Essentials

Current Contact InformationEducationExperienceLeadership & ActivitiesSkills

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TemplateTemplate

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Each activity/experience should be clearly identified in your resume

Company /Organization [Bolded], City, State Month Year(sp)dash(sp)Month Year

Position [Italicized] Bullet Bullet Bullet

ExampleXYZ Corporation, Miami Lakes, FL October 2008 - January

2009Finance Intern, Cost Accounting Group Assisted in the consolidation of world-wide financial statements Collected and pre-verified documentation for Sarbanes Oxley testing Created an Excel-based index for all financial reports published monthly Assisted with CFO ad-hoc requests such as currency conversion impact on sales and

net income

BulletsBullets

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Begin with strong action verbs Analyzed, Presented, Prepared, Organized, Performed, Supervised, Managed No punctuation is needed

Use descriptive bullets without being too wordy Quantify your experience if possible

i.e. How big was the budget that you managed? How many people did you supervise?

Answer at least two questions in each position/experience What did I do? How did I do it ? What were my results?

Examples Tracked daily expenses for 40 ongoing projects and ensured compliance with

budgets and financial plans Analyzed financial statements and reported on company owned assets using

CFROI and other company metrics Created and analyzed monthly ‘Budget vs. Actual’ reports on plant spending and

communicated key drivers to company controller

Current Contact Current Contact Information Information

Necessary Components Mobile number Email address College mailing address Permanent mailing address is optional

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EducationEducationNecessary Components

Majors, minors Expected graduation date Study Abroad GPA Honors & Awards Relevant Coursework (optional*)

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Experience Experience

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Leadership & ActivitiesLeadership & Activities

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SkillsSkills

• Necessary Components Computer [MS Office Suite, Java, C++] Languages [ Fluent, Proficient]

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Resume Writing TipsResume Writing Tips•A resume is a marketing tool, not an autobiography•Formatting: one page, no typos, no high school

experience•Concise, quantifiable, action-oriented summary of

experiences, education and skill sets•Highlight leadership roles, clubs/organizations &

unique achievements/awards•Tailor your resume for the job you want•Keep your resume current and available•Always carry a few copies to events where

networking opportunities exist14

COVER LETTER: A WRITTEN INTRODUCTION

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11stst Paragraph Paragraph

• Answer the question as to why you are writing and the position to which you are applying

• From your research, explain why you are interested in this position or organization

• The goal is to make a connection - do this briefly and specifically or leave it out; sweeping statements will not work so make sure to tailor each cover letter for each job you apply for

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22ndnd Paragraph Paragraph• The first sentence should be a hard-hitting opener- a

quick introduction, which is accomplishment-oriented and directed at the skills and qualifications needed for the job/industry

• The body of the paragraph should provide evidence to back up what you've just claimed

• Discuss why what you did is relevant to the employer- relate the facts to the job. Strong examples are important!

• The final sentence is a summary of what you've discussed above

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Final ParagraphFinal Paragraph

• You should refer to the enclosed resume and request an interview. It is vital that you thank the reader for his/her time and consideration.

Sincerely, Your Signature Your Name

Enclosure(s)

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Tips to Make your letter Tips to Make your letter Professional Professional

• Research the company and the specifics about the position to tailor your letter to the position

• Avoid using too many sentences that in the passive voice (ex. "This experience enabled me to..." or "Through my internship, I was responsible for..."); instead, make yourself the subject of each sentence and use active descriptions (ex., "In this internship, I demonstrated sound judgment and problem-solving skills on a daily basis.").

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Tips (Cont.)Tips (Cont.)• Do not use contractions (I'd, didn't, it's). • Spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes are

out of the question! Cover letters are a reflection of your writing skills, so make each cover letter an example of your best work

• Be sure to sign your letters (black ink is suggested)

• Keep your letter short and simple• If sending via mail, use good quality paper that

matches your resume paper and envelopes20

SummarySummary• Make sure there is uniformity and consistency• Use a bulleted format that begins with strong

action verbs• Make sure there are no spelling or grammatical

errors• Use matching verb tenses• Full sentences are not necessary• Do not put anything in your resume that you

cannot explain clearly and precisely21

QUESTIONS?

careerprogram@gmail.com