Resums

1
Resumés Cover Letters

• Foundations of Business
• Saint Michaels College

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Resumés are . . .
Hermione WatsonHome Address 12 Grimmauld Place
Phoenix, CT 06000 [phone]
hwatson7_at_smcvt.edu School Address Saint
Michaels College One Winooski Park, Box 7000
Colchester, VT 05439 Objective Marketing
Manager Education Saint Michaels College,
Colchester, VT Bachelor of Arts in English
Literature anticipated May 2010 Minor in
Marketing 3.5 cumulative GPA 3.6 GPA in
major Honors Deans List all semesters Saint
Michaels Scholarship, Academic years 2006 -
present Skills Technical Microsoft Word,
PowerPoint, Publisher, Adobe Photoshop
CS3 Languages proficient in French Strong
writing and organizational skills Marketing Marke
ting Assistant and Newsletter Editor, Watson
Inc., Phoenix, CT Experience Created the layout
and graphic design of the monthly company
newsletter. Interviewed, researched and
composed articles for publication Planned and
organized the annual corporate party. Assisted
in the composition of numerous magazine
advertisements for print. Collaborated in the
design of marketing products for upcoming 2009
tradeshow. Designed motivational posters for
workplace. Summer 2008 Other Human Resources
Office Assistant, Saint Michael's
College Employment Opened and distributed
incoming mail. Filed payroll paperwork.
Entrusted with confidential information.
Answered phones and provided administrative
support. Academic years 2006
present Nutritional Lab Assistant, Watson Inc.,
Phoenix, CT Assisted in the preparing of lab
tests. Revised and organized lab files
electronically. Summer 2007 Library Page,
Albus Library, Gilderoy, CT Organized
bookshelves and materials. Assisted clients in
locating books. Fall 2004 - Summer
2006 Interests Hiking, kayaking, skiing, travel,
and literature. References Available upon
request

• a summary of your qualifications
• a brief history of your experiences
• a tool to alert prospective employers to your
  skills
• used to get you an interview, not to get a job

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General Resumé Tips

• Time to prepare vs. 3-10 second rule
• Know your audience
• Keep to a reasonable length based on your
  experience (1-2 pages)
• Consistency throughout the document
• Capitalization (summer/Summer)
• Abbreviations (VT/Vermont, St./Saint)
• Years (four or two digits 2009 or 09) and
  months (spelled out, abbreviated or numbers
  December, Dec., 12)

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Resumé dos and don'ts

• Dos
• proofread thoroughly
• highlight experiences, both employment and
  volunteer
• use a standard print style and font size, easy to
  read font
• consistent format
• use action verbs and be concise
• use high quality paper in real employment
  situation

• Don'ts
• no typographical errors
• for U.S.-based resumés, do not include personal
  information (height, weight, marital status,
  health, etc..)
• stay away from hard-to read type
• information should not be difficult to find
• dont exaggerate experiences

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Identifying Data

• Name
• Addresses
• current, campus, temporary
• permanent
• Phone numbers
• voicemail and answering machines
• Clearly label cell number
• email
• check regularly
• professional address

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Career Objective

• Be clear
• provide a definite objective
• Keep it short
• dont get too wordy, not more than one line
• Dont be too restrictive
• To obtain the Sales Division Trainee position
  with XYZ Company in Boston
• For the real world, can put a sentence in your
  cover letter instead, but create one for this
  class

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Career Objective Examples

• Entry-level accounting staff
• A marketing position with an advertising or
  public relations agency
• An internship with a financial services
  organization
• A position in human resources working with
  benefits administration

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Education

• College Name and Location
• Degree and Major
• Date of Graduation
• Minor, Concentration
• GPA, Awards, Honors
• Scholarships
• Relevant Courses
• Other Colleges, Study Abroad

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Skills

• Technical/Computer
• Hardware
• Software
• Operating Systems
• Language
• Proficiency Level
• Laboratory
• Communication

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Skills Examples

• Software Applications
• Dreamweaver, SPSS, Microsoft Office Suite,
  FrontPage, Exchange, Internet Research
• Operating Systems
• Macintosh, DOS, Windows
• Programming Languages
• HTML, C, COBOL
• Foreign Languages
• Highly proficient in German
• Working knowledge of Italian

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Experience

• Employment vs. Experience
• Consistent format
• Reverse chronological order in each section
• Bullet points vs. paragraph format
• Job descriptions use ACTION VERBS, not full
  sentences

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Experience Example

• Sales and Public Relations Intern, Vermont
  Symphony Orchestra, Burlington, VT Fall
  2008
• Sold subscriptions and advertising space
• Composed press releases and public service
  announcements to publicize events
• Oversaw production of posters, flyers and
  programs
• Helped increase event attendance by 10

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Relevant vs. Other Experience

• Relevant
• Experiences related to the position
• Can be employment or volunteer
• Target your skills and responsibilities to the
  job
• Action verbs

• Other
• highlight skills that may be useful to any
  employer (communication, integrity, loyalty)
• Shows consistent employment
• Action verbs

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Activities Campus Involvement

• Campus Organizations
• Athletic Involvement
• Volunteer Experiences
• Community Organizations
• Artistic Endeavors
• Leadership Roles

15
Interests

• Things you like to do
• Comfortable talking with others about them
• Only one line
• Be politically correct

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References

• Available upon request
• How many? Who?
• Permission to use
• Verbal vs. written
• List on separate page from resumé

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Cover Letters are . . .

• Written in business format
• Focus attention on your experiences that relate
  directly to the employers needs
• Usually one page in length

• A letter of introduction to a prospective
  employer
• Tailored to the available position
• Well-written, with no typographical errors

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Writing a Cover Letter

• Why you are writing
• Your qualifications and examples of experiences,
  expanding on resumé
• Refer to enclosed resumé
• Follow-up
• Business closing
• Remember to sign your letter