Resume Cover Letter basics Why is my Resume

Resume & Cover Letter basics

Why is my Resume important? ❖ The first impression ❖ GETS YOU IN THE DOOR - THE INTERVIEW ❖ ALL ABOUT SELLING YOURSELF! A tool to market your best self ❖ Highlights your skills, experience, & achievements ➢ Written with the employer in mind ❖ You will always have more to add to your resume & should always be updating

Basics - Does your resume fit the job? ❖Tailor your resume to match the job you want ➢ It is encouraged to create 2 or 3 different versions of your resume ❖Formatting: Easily readable ➢ All dates needs to align ➢ Style & font needs to be consistent ➢ Company name (bold) ➢ Hierarchy - Remove outdated or high school jobs/clubs ➢ Your title/position (italicized) ➢ Start with action words - What you did & why? BE SPECIFIC ❖Use # of children you watched or what subjects your tutored in ❖Make sure tense is correct

Things to do when writing a Resume ❖Have an easily readable resume ➢ Consistency (bold, caps, italics, underlining) ➢ Space ➢ Safe fonts: Helvetica, Times New Roman, Verdana, Calibri, Cambria or Arial ❖Be honest, unique & targeted ❖No errors - a resume expected to be the BEST sample of your work ❖If you can - spend a few extra cents to use thick paper for your resume ❖Place your most important job duties within the first, second and third bullets ➢ Employers will take 20 -30 seconds on a resume

Things not to do when writing a Resume ❖Do not use crazy colors or fonts (especially if you are not a graphic design major) ➢ Unprofessional ❖Do not lie - they will find out & reputation could be threatened ❖Do not cram your info together, it should have room to breathe ❖KISS - Keep it simple silly! ❖Typos - spell check!

The heading / contact info ❖Remove hyperlinks ❖Add in your personal Linked. In shortened URL ❖Use separators ➢ Such as dots, lines, asterix ❖Have your name stand out ➢ Use caps, bold and a bigger font size

Summary/Objective ❖Unless you have a clear, targeted statement & goal you do not need this section on your resume Example of a strong objective/summary: Outgoing Certified Public Accountant with an MBA and +2 years of experience in specialized tax services. Seeking to leverage my technical and professional expertise to grow in the new role of Accountant at your company.

education NAME OF INSTITUTION, City, State Bachelor of Arts/Science in MAJOR, Minor in _____ Expected Graduation 2020 NAME OF INSTITUTION, City, State Bachelor of Arts/Science, MAJOR, Expected: May 2017 GPA: 3. 8/4. 0 (must be higher than a 3. 3) NAME OF INSTITUTION, City, State Bachelor of Arts/Science in MAJOR with Concentration in _____ Minor in ______ Current GPA: 3. 7 Relevant Coursework: (List the proper names of 4 -6 courses) Expected Graduation 2020

experience ❖ Both credited and uncredited internships may be highlighted ❖ In this section you can include both paid and non-paid activities

skills ❖Language: Specify your level ➢ Proficient, conversational, fluent in Spanish ❖Computer: SPSS, Microsoft Office Applications ❖Additional: ➢ Google Drive ➢ Social Media ➢ Certifications ➢ Lab skills ➢ TV studio ➢ Design software (Photoshop, Illustrator, In. Design. . . etc. )

Volunteer services ❖VOLUNTEER SERVICE – Unpaid service to a community organization

Campus involvement ❖Positions of leadership ➢ Resident Assistant ➢ Orientation Leader ➢ Campus Tour Guide ➢ Executive officer position in a club ❖CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS – General membership in clubs and organizations

Additional sections ❖ATHLETICS – College level athletic involvement ❖HONORS & AWARDS – Highlight academic honors or awards (including scholarships) ❖CONFERENCES – Professional conferences you’ve attended or presented at ❖RESEARCH– List Research Assistant positions, either on-campus or off ❖PUBLICATIONS – List any publications

Breaking down the cover letter

What Is the deal with Cover letters? ❖ Many job applications require one ➢ This accompanies the resume ❖ Musts: ➢ ➢ ➢ ➢ Be well written Have no grammar or spelling mistakes Address an actual person (Ex: Dear Mr. /Ms. LAST NAME, OR Dear Hiring Managers, ) Include the date written out (Ex: February 2, 2017) Include your address (Ex: Street then underneath city, state zipcode) Include the employer's name, position, company and address Be formatted correctly: Single space, no indents, 3 -4 short paragraphs

Getting started

Opening paragraph ❖Where did you find this specific position? ❖Can you mention anyone you know who works there or who recommended the job? ❖Why does this job appeal to you? ❖Create one sentence on how you fit the company and match their mission

Body Paragraph(s) - May be two ❖Introduction of where you are now ❖Why should they hire you? ❖How do you meet the position qualifications & requirements? Use your experience & provide specific examples! ➢ Relevant courses ➢ Education ➢ Leadership ➢ Volunteer services ➢ Campus Involvement ➢ Retail work

Closing paragraph ❖Thank the employer for their consideration and taking time to read your letter! ➢ INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT! ❖Provide your contact information ➢ Email & phone number ❖Sign a closing “Sincerely, ” ➢ Leave two lines of space to print & signature and type your name under that too

Do’s & Don’ts of a Cover letter ❖Do not repeat everything from your résumé ❖Enthusiasm vs. Desperation ❖Keep it to one page ❖Be clear, use positive language and active verbs ❖Keep the font style the same as your resume & font size between 11 -12 pt ❖Margins should be 1 inch all around but you may adjust if needed ❖Do not name a skill you have without proof ❖Do not double space

References - should i add them? ❖ Only provide upon request ❖ Create as a separate page ❖ Copy & paste your contact information at the top from your resume for consistency