Resume and Cover Letter Writing

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Resume and Cover Letter Writing

• Alison Bowes
• Director, Career Services
• Building M-8
• abowes_at_alliant.edu

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What is a Resume?

• Your marketing tool
• A way to sell yourself
• A way to highlight your experience and
  accomplishment
• A way to get you an interview

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What should be on a resume?

• Heading- name, address, contact info, etc.
• Objective statement (optional)
• Summary of qualifications (optional)
• Education
• Work experience
• Skills (computer, language)
• Honors/Awards/Affiliations

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What should not be on a resume?

• Personal information such as age, ethnicity,
  marital status, political affiliation, sexual
  orientation, children, etc.
• Personal pronouns such as I, me, My, etc.
  Use sentence fragments only
• Reference information

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How do I get started?

• What are you applying for?
• What experience/classes have you had that relate
  to what you are applying for?
• Talk about yourself in glowing terms
• Use action oriented words
• You dont have to include every job/experience
  you have had
• Just get it on paper! (You can revise later)

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Example

• CHRISTOPHER A. SMITH
• 4444 Antigua Blvd, San Diego, CA 92124
• christopher.smith_at_gmail.com
• 619-555-2328
• SUMMARY
• Thorough understanding of Project Management,
  in theory and practice
• Experienced leader of multiple levels across
  diverse cultures and circumstances
• Well organized, detail-oriented yet, highly
  focused on mission goals and strategy
• Energetic and creative self-starter with a
  reputation for process improvement
• EDUCATION CREDENTIALS
• US Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented
  Information (TS/SCI)
• Adjudicated by the Department of the Navy
  Valid until September 23, 2008
• Master of Science, Global Leadership
• School of Business Administration,
  University of San Diego, CA Mar 2008
• Graduate Certificate in Project Management
• University of San Diego, CA Mar 2008

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Example

• PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
• LEADERSHIP SKILLS
• Supervised multiple production teams in
  generating accurate portrayals of complex
  geo-political climates around the world for
  timely dissemination to operators
• Trained over 700 aircrewmen in evasion
  procedures during combat
• Processed extensive escape protocols for over
  2,000 combat missions during the 2005 Iraqi
  invasion that resulted in the safe recovery of
  all downed aircrew
• Set the vision and direction for enriching the
  scholastic experience of more than 4,800 students
  by chairing multiple student board meetings,
  overseeing a 500,000 budget
• COMMUNICATION SKILLS
• Adapted communication style to accommodate
  varying personalities and ranks
• Appraised and counseled staff on performance,
  work ethic, and values
• Disseminated varying degrees of sensitive
  material to appropriate personnel
• Effectively mediated staff conflicts and
  implemented realistic solutions
• EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
• Apr 2007 - Present Project Manager Accredited
  Home Lenders Jan 2007 - Present Management
  Trainee Accredited Home Lenders
• 2006-2006 Senior Intelligence Watch Officer US
  Intelligence Cell 2004-2006 North Africa
  Analyst Joint Analysis Center
• 2002-2004 Security Manager Naval Air Station
• 2001-2002 Intelligence Officer in
  Training Naval Air Station

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Sample Internship Resume

• Jane Smith
• 300 4th Avenue apt. 1 San Diego, CA 92103
• mobile[phone]jsmith_at_gmail.com
• EDUCATION
• Bachelor of Arts, International Business
  Administration 2008
• Alliant International University, San Diego, CA
• Associate of Arts, Psychology, 2005
• San Diego Mesa College, San Diego, CA
• COURSES TAKEN
• International Trade and Economics
• International Marketing
• International Business
• Business Law
• Finance
• Strategic Management
• Marketing, Communications and Buyer Behavior
• Work Motivation and Productivity

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Sample Internship Resume Contd

• STRENGTHS
• Editing
• Writing
• Teaching
• Presenting
• International orientation
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Interpersonal communication
• WORK HISTORY
• Business English Teacher May 2005 March 2006
• XYZ Language Academy, Taipei, Taiwan
• Private teacher for business professionals
• Catered each class to fit students industries,
  position, and occupational responsibilities
• Prepared and edited presentations for XYZs human
  resources department for overseas
• conferences
• Edited staff handbook (mission statements,
  visions/goals, team-building, moral-building,
  etc)
• Intern Fall 2004
• Acme Cross Cultural Community Center, Garden
  Grove, California

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What is a cover letter?

• A way to introduce yourself and your resume
• Your opportunity to say why you are the right
  person for the job
• A chance to talk about skills that relate to the
  job that are not on your resume

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Cover Letter Outline

• First paragraph why are you writing? Reference
  the job you are applying for and where you saw it
• Second paragraph link your education, skills and
  experience with the job description
• Third paragraph ask for an interview and thank
  them for their review of your resume

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Cover Letter Example

• Same Heading as Resume
• Date
• Name
• Title
• Company
• Street Address
• City, State, Zip
• Re Job Title
• Dear Hiring Manager
• I am applying for the Sales Associate position
  that we discussed during the Career Fair at The
  George
• Washington University in Washington, D.C. on
  (date). My varied sales experience and my
  bachelor's
• degree in Business Administration are my
  strongest qualifications for this position.
• As you can see from the enclosed resume, I have
  sold a variety of products through my
  extracurricular
• activities and have worked in many banking
  environments through my cooperative education and
  
• internship positions. My marketing, computer
  research, and customer relations experiences, as
  well as

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Interviewing- Get to Know Yourself

• Why should the interviewer hire you rather than
  someone else ?
• Know your strengths, job-related skills,
  work-related interests, goals, and your basic
  values and attitudes towards work
• Be Prepared
• Review your work history and education
• Make several copies of your resume
• Make a list of your qualifications and experience

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Get to Know Yourself, cont.

• Practice Interviewing
• See the list of Commonly Asked Interview
  Questions and answers
• Use the STAR interview answer technique to answer
  each question. This is done by the following
• S/TDescribe the Situation or Task
• ADescribe the Action you took to improve the
  Situation or complete the Task
• RDescribe the Results which occurred because of
  your Action

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Research the Employer

• Research the Company Background
• Research the companies history, mission, values
  products or services, business methods, standing
  in the industry and organizational structure
• Research the position that you are applying for
• Research the Company Location
• Plan your route/transportation to the interview,
  locate parking, be prepared to show up 15 minutes
  early for the interview

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Dress for Success

• Dark two-piece suit, white dress shirt or blouse,
  conservative shoes (closed toe, low heel for
  women)
• Showered, clean shaven, little cologne/perfume,
  well-groomed hairstyle, carry breath mints
• Little jewelry, no visible tattoos, not too much
  makeup and conservative nail colors for women

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Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication

• Interviewing Dos
• Wear the appropriate clothing and be well groomed
  
• Be polite and courteous to all persons in the
  building and office
• Be 15 minutes early
• Greet the interviewer with a firm handshake
• Make plenty of eye contact with the interviewer
• Smile and have good posture
• Be a good listener

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Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication

• Interviewing Donts
• Dont chew gum or smoke
• Dont wear too much jewelry, perfume or makeup
• Dont interrupt the interviewer
• Dont look at your watch during the interview
• Dont volunteer negative information about
  yourself and dont criticize former employers or
  coworkers

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Types of Interviews

• One-on One
• One person will be interviewing you only
• Group
• Several candidates are interviewed at once
• Panel
• You alone are being interviewed by a panel of
  several employees
• Multiple
• Several interviews set up with different members
  of the same company

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Typical Steps in the Interview Process

• Establishing Rapport
• Arrive 15 minutes early, Greet the interviewer
  with a firm handshake, and make small talk
• Questions About You
• Make your responses positive, organized and
  informative, Use the STAR technique

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Typical Steps in the Interview Process, cont

• Questions for the Interviewer
• You should have two or three questions prepared
  to ask the interviewer
• This expresses your interest in the company
• Concluding the Interview
• Thank the interviewer by name
• Express interest in the position
• Arrange a reason and time to call back

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Interview Follow-Up

• Send a Thank You Letter within 24 hours of your
  interview
• 76 of those employers polled indicate that it is
  helpful for a job candidate to send a thank-you
  note after the job interview
• This is an excellent opportunity for you to let
  the employer know how interested you are in the
  position while thanking them for their time and
  the opportunity to interview

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Who Do I Contact If I Have Questions or Need
Assistance?

• Contact Career Services
• [phone] for an appointment
• Visit the Career Center in M-8
• Email abowes_at_alliant.edu

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Questions or Comments ???