Resumes and Cover Letters...Job Doc Overview 2. Drafting Resumes 3. Drafting Cover Letters 4. Resume...
Transcript of Resumes and Cover Letters...Job Doc Overview 2. Drafting Resumes 3. Drafting Cover Letters 4. Resume...
Resumes and Cover Letters
MAPH Spring Workshop
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Why Attend GRADUCon?
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• LEARN HOW TO LAUNCH A CAREER IN VARIOUS FIELDS
• Careers in Museums panel
• Careers in Nonprofits panel
• Where Else Can You Teach? panel
• CONNECT WITH MAPH ALUMNI
• Kamran Swanson, Asst. Professor, Harold Washington College
• Katie Rahn, Director of Marketing, Art Institute of Chicago
• Anna Piepmeyer, Manager, Chicago Public Education Fund
• BUILD NEW SKILLS
• Negotiation workshop
• LinkedIn workshop
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AGENDA
1. Job Doc Overview
2. Drafting Resumes
3. Drafting Cover Letters
4. Resume Workshop
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AGENDA
1. Job Doc Overview
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• Resumes and cover letters are
arguments
• They use claims and evidence to
convince employers that you are a
great fit
• They must be tailored to every job
description
• They are not a replacement for
networking
Overview
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How do they fit together?
Resume LetterLife
Sources Article Abstract
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AGENDA
2. Drafting Resumes
Formatting: 11-12 Pt. Font
AVOID
Arial
Times New Roman
CalibriCambria
Comic Sans
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USE
Garamond
GeorgiaPalatino LinotypeHelvetica Neue Light
Century GothicTrebuchet MS
Formatting: Margins
.6” – 1” for all docs
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Formatting: StructureContact Info
Education
Thesis?
Awards?
Study Abroad?
Headings
Bullets
Spacing
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Formatting: Structure
Vertical
Reverse
chronological
order in each
section
Under each
heading, most
relevant bullets
on top
More bullets for
most recent,
relevant
experiences,
fewer for past
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Formatting: Structure
Horizontal
Most
important
information
on the left
Compound
bullets can
get lost
Strong action
verbs should
run down the
left-hand side
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Content: Education
• Top of page
• Lead with name of university
• Degree-based programs only (incl. study abroad)
• Prominent awards/honors
• Relevant course work (optional)
• Thesis title (optional)
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Content: Experience• Begin with a master resume containing
all experiences, then tailor to each job
• Consider organizing experiences by
job function
• “Research Experience”
• “Administrative Experience”
• “Customer Service Experience”
• “Teaching Experience”
• Include academic and volunteer
experiences
• Proportions of information included do
not need to reflect actual work
responsibilities
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Reality
Resume
Content: ExperienceBrilliant Bullet Points
• Begin with strong action verbs: led, analyzed, organized,
optimized, developed, etc.
• Try not to repeat the same verbs or competencies
• Implied first person sentence fragments (no pronouns
or periods)
• Present tense for ongoing roles; past tense for past roles
• 1 or 2 lines, never 3
Demonstrate Your PPI
• Project: What did you do?
• Purpose: Why did you do this?
• Impact: What impact did your actions have?
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Content: Skills
Skills and Languages Section: Recommended
• Technical skills: Highlight most impressive,
less common competencies
• Language skills: Fluent, conversational,
basic
Interests Section: Optional
• Chance to “humanize” yourself
• Make these specific and unique
• Use only when space allows
• One line maximum
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AGENDA
3. Drafting Cover Letters
• Expands on a few items in your resume
• Discusses your motivation for seeking
employment in this field
• Explains why you are a good fit for the
specific organization and/or team
• Shows how you will make an impact
• Provides proof of legitimate interest in
and knowledge of the organization
• Demonstrates writing skills
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A Good Cover Letter . . .
Generic Cover Letter
• Introduction
• Reason(s) for interest in organization
• Mention conversations with employees
• Thesis: 2 distinct competencies, A & B
• Claim and evidence of competency A
• Relate example back to the company
• Claim and evidence of competency B
• Relate example back to the company
• Wrap up and thank you sentence
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¶ 1
¶ 2
¶ 3
¶ 4
Cover Letter Formatting
Their full
address
Date
Address a
real person
Physical
signature
Your contact info
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AGENDA
4. Resume Workshop
Resume Workshop
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• Form small groups
• Share your resume
• Receive feedback from your peers
• What story is this document telling?
• Is it organized and easy to read?
• Do the bullet points show impact?
• What changes would you suggest?