Career Essentials Creating an Be sam ACU and Cover LetterWhat is a resume? ¢ Aresume is a personal summary of your professional history and qualifications. It includes information about your career goals, education, work experience, activities, honors, and any special skills you might have.Specialized Skills Rae © Include skills that make you unique, such as computer skills, foreign language skills, or military service. © Be specific in describing your special skills; name computer programs you know, how long you studied a foreign language, or your dates of military service.Resume: Purpose e Summarize Experience and qualifications e¢ Support the cover letter e Make an immediate impression of competency and “fit” — Research shows that personnel take 15-45 seconds to scan the resume and make an initial decision (Lannon 436)Resume: Purpose e Make an immediate impression of competency and “fit” - Top 2 qualities looked for: ¢ Communication skills ¢ Honesty/IntegrityResume: Overview of Content md (la aKsl ales) ¢ Contact info e Statement of objective ¢ Education e¢ Work Experience ¢ Personal data (optional) e References or statement of ref.’s available upon requestResume: Contact Info ¢ Full name e Mail address with two letter state abbreviation — As needed include both home and school address ° E-mail address Ca aaeatom el nal oiResume: Statement of Objective * One study (1991): 88.5% of managers consider such a statement important (Markel 399) © Definition: In one sentence or phrase specify how you fit the company and/or the position e Statement should reflect your personal discipline and purposeResume: Education e Put in reverse chronology (most recent first) * Degree; institution; location of institution e Note rank if ranked in top 30% of class; note [e] 7 aml] ele) mC) * Possibly indicate how much % of tuition you paid for by working while going to school « List some classes you elected to take that may be pertinent to the job you are applying for « See handout for for more specificsResume: Work Experience * Put in reverse chronology (most recent first) ¢ Dates worked; organization’s name and location that you worked for; position ° Work Details - What you worked on or with: documents, clients, skills, equipment, money and personnel - Emphasize results - Use action verbs to begin each work detail (see handout for list of them)Resume: Personal Data (Interests) e Share interests relevant to position and that show initiative--especially: - Leadership skills — Volunteer workResume: Format conventions 1” margins all around resume Try to keep to one page Must be error free (in terms of content, mechanics and grammar and spelling) Use clear, specific language (nouns and verbs predominate) not generalizations or phrases of self-congratulation Laser Printer output Quality paper TIE Tala eM) 9) ole 18 Line spacing greater between chunks of info 2nd/3rd lines of any one item need indentationResume Formats ~ Chronological RMR Melt ay dene Og company/title in reverse order of when you performed the work ~ Functional ¢ Arranges experience according to functional heading, such as Managerial, Purchasing, or Administrative ~ Combination Mixes the two styles to highlight progressively complex duties under a functional headingCover Letter Guidelines » Qualities of a good cover letter ~ Anatomy of a good cover letter ~ Types of cover lettersQualities of a Good Cover Letter ~ Professional, concise, and clear business letter-writing style ~ Employee-centered, not self-centered Recipient's name and title is correctly spelled Error-free, clean, and visually attractive Highlights skills, qualifications, and experiences most relevant to the position No more than one page printed on quality stationery and envelopesAnatomy of a Good Cover Letter ~ Opening paragraph * Identifies your purpose for writing and how you heard about position or ferent oy NYO AON KL fel ~ Middle paragraph(s) States reasons for wanting to work for this employer and your qualifications, skills, and experiences in relation to their needs. ~ Closing paragraph Bae Malla ete ULLAL meeting time, and informs them of how you intend to follow up.Types of Cover Letters ~ Application ¢ Used for positions that have been publicly advertised. ~ Prospecting ¢ Used when contacting an organization Armee eee lena acine Rami) (el8 41a] * Introduces you to a person who can assist you in your career field by providing information on that field and/or on specific opportunities.THE RESUMESTYLES AND TYPES OF RESUMES By and large, resumes styles can be divided into three general types. * Chronological + Functional + Combination Most garden variety resumes fall under these three types WHICH ONE SHOULD YOU USE? The tricks to find the right one for you, so that you can present yourself in the best possible way, hacause you know vary wall that a rasume Is nat merely a Invantary afyaur accomplishments and jobs. [tis your marketing tool. tis said thal an employer decides to hire an individual in the first few seconds cf seeing that individual's resume, The Interview that may follow is merely a confirmation and verification of that decision THE CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME This style lisis your job and education history in a reverse chronological order. You begin with the most recent and work backwards, THE FUNCTIONAL RESUME This style does netfollow a chronological order, and |ea¥es cul the names of employers, educational history, and all datas Instead, this rasurne concentratas on your skills and abllitias and prasents them in ¢ cleat, concise manner, THE COMBINATION RESUME This style combines the prime elements of both the Chronological and Functional Resumes, presenting your skills and abilities in an effective manner, while atthe same time respecting the demands of employers to see some sort of jab chronology.Sample Resume ‘THOMAS KLEINSTEINSample Resume BRAD J. WATERMANSample ResumeSample Cover LetterSample Cover Letter Michael R. WoffordGood Luck