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CAREER SERVICESSTUDENT SUCCESS CENTER

UW1 160(425) 352-3706

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BIS 499: Resumes & Cover Letters

Resumes & Cover Letters

Together they help you get a job interview

They are a team Best to complete a resume

first to help complete the cover letter

Turn in both each time you apply, even if they are not asking for both

Opinions on both developed from speaking with HR people

The Word of the Day:

CUSTOMIZE!

Prove It!

Show your evidence Avoid weak statements Add bullet points that are unique to

you Use evidence and artifacts from

your portfolio & experience

Customize Your Application

You want to give the employer what they want

The job description explains what the employer wants

Use the job description to customize your application

Match the tone of the company Use your highlighting skills Run the description through

www.wordle.net

What is a Resume?

Typically a 1-page document that highlights your viable skills for a potential job

A resume is a marketing piece Highlight your strong points: Education; Professional or

Relevant experience; and Skills & Accomplishments

Customize each resume to the job for which you are applying

Read the job descriptions carefully to insert keywords & identify the skills they are targeting

Do not include: “I,” “me,” “my,” “we,” or “us”

How Long to Review a Resume?

A resume review can be as little as a few seconds

On average, for someone who does this full time, it takes 20-30 seconds to decide if you will be invited for an interview

We want to create your resume for a 10 second and 5 minute review

Keep the reviewer happy – consciously and subconsciously

Produce a Clean Looking Resume

Keep a clean, professional and easy to read format

Make sparse use of lines Okay to have a filled resume,

but also need to add white space

Minimum font size to use is 10pt and minimum margins is ½”

Do not use colors

The Header

Make sure name is one you go by: Joe vs Joseph Mailing address is okay to add, but not needed Use a professional email address Un-hyperlink your email address Double, triple check email and phone number Contact info can go on one line to save space

Objective Statement

Not seen as much on resumes today Good to have if there is no cover letter

with the application (although most should have a cover letter)

Generally list the position and company you are applying for

Your one sentence pitch for why you have the skills or want this position

Summary of Qualifications

Generally used to bring your most relevant qualifications to the top of the resume

Avoid general statements like, “Great customer service” – prove it

Good place to put language and technical skills

Not always required

Education

Degree first, followed by university Right justify “expected graduation” Post GPA if above 3.5 or if required by company Add in relevant course work, but don’t just put the

course title, state the skills you learned in the course

In most cases, do not need to put community college

Relevant Experience

Like to call (or at least think about) the section “Relevant Experience”

Can add work, internships, volunteer, class projects, personal projects to this area

Right justify the dates Lead with job title, then the company you did the

job Include 3-5 bullet points for each experience

Relevant Experience Continued

Rank them in order of importance Start each bullet with an action verb Quantify whenever possible

Dollar amounts responsible for How many people trained or managed? Percentage of improved efficiency

Do Not Include…

References should be on a separate sheet and given during the interview, not written on your resume

Typically you do not add interests or hobbies

What is a cover letter?

In most cases, it is a one-page description of why you want this position and how you are qualified.

The cover letter gets people to read your resume, which gets you an interview.

Gives a sample of your writing.

Here is How to Start:

Four Paragraph Cover Letter

Formal letter header Salutation #1 Introduction #2 Strongest skill sets #3 Why this

company/job? #4 Thanks/conclusion

Formal Letter Header

123 Maple Ave NEBothell, WA 98011jstudent@uw.edu ( un-hyperlink)

206.555.1212 ( double check)

Date

Sally JonesHiring ManagerAcme Company1122 Business St SWSeattle, WA 98103

Salutation – Make an Effort

Best- “Dear Ms. Smith:” ( use colon)

Try to find a name Contact Human Resources:

“Who is the hiring manager for this position?” Research on website Find person in charge of department

Contact the person Check status of application Ask a question Do not annoy the person

Last Resort- “Dear Hiring Manager:”

First Paragraph - Introduction

Say what position you are applying “I am submitting my application for your Social Media

Manager position at Eddie Bauer that I found out about via HuskyJobs.”

This is the time to name drop “One of the reasons I am interested in applying for this

position is I recently spoke with Larry Wilson, Social Media Associate, and learned how your company is leveraging social media to increase your marketing reach and my skills could help you continue to grow your presence.”

Second Paragraph – Strongest Skills

Choose the 2-3 skill sets that best connect to what the employer wants

Do not re-hash your resume Should “wow” them into wanting to look

at your resume Matching what they are looking for with

what skills that you have

Third Paragraph – Why this Job?

Missing from most cover letters and probably most important

Why do you want this job/position Make the employer feel “special” Go deeper than, “You are a great company to work for” Tell them something about themselves that they

already know Do some research: company website (about, values,

mission statement), looking on Wikipedia, GlassDoor.com, and check them out on Google News

Fourth Paragraph - Thanks

Conclude your cover letter “I hope that you can see that my

qualifications match closely with your requested skill sets. After reviewing my application, I wish to have an opportunity to discuss in more detail why I might be a good fit for your company.”

Add “Sincerely,” with your name

Do not be too aggressive, but if you are – follow through

When Completed – Not Done

Create your outline of your cover letter, fill in the details

Edit, edit, edit -- a simple mistake can cost you the interview

Use resources, like Career Services or the Writing Center on campus

Now look at examples of cover letters to see if you want to change anything

Customize for each job you apply for

Where do I find jobs?

Job listings: Husky Jobs Indeed.com Career Center News

Target companies directly Networking Come to visit Career

Services

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Questions?

Career Services

Student Success Center

UW1 160

(425) 352-3706

careers@uwb.edu