Resumes and Covering Letters

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Resumes and Covering Letters

• Sherri Kuss
• Employment Coordinator
• Engineering Employment Centre E2 050
• www.engineering/ualberta.ca/employment

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What is the purpose of a resume?

• Marketing tool
• Highlights the most relevant experiences and
  skills for the position you want to enter into
• The purpose of a resume is to secure an interview
• Highlights your qualifications and
  accomplishments to prospective employers and
  persuade them to want to interview you

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Before you write your resume - THINK

• Before you write consider the following
• Self assessment (knowledge of your skills,
  abilities and interests)
• Analysis of each job you have held
• Think about the key competencies recruiters are
  looking for and how you have developed these
  skills through your work experience
• Research to identify what skills are required for
  the job you are targeting

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Creating a professional image

• Business resumes are a maximum of 1 to 2 pages in
  length
• Clear, concise and correct no gimmicks
• Fluid document, tailor to each application
• Use a standard format font white space
• Edit carefully!

.even 1 error can eliminate your application!
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maybe not
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Standard resume types

• Chronological - Most employers prefer the
  chronological format because it highlights career
  progress.
• Functional - appropriate for senior executives
  because they present a broad profile without
  reference to specific jobs.
• Combination - combines elements of both
  chronological and functional styles - works well
  if you have held a variety of jobs or if you are
  moving into a different career area.

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Overview of a Chronological Resume

• Richard Anderson
• 123 Campus Lane Email RAnderson_at_ualberta.ca
• Edmonton, Alberta Telephone [phone]
• T6G 1Y3 Cellular 780 991-5555
• PROFILE
• Mechanical Engineering graduate with proven
  communication and problem solving abilities
  seeking a challenging opportunity with Sample
  Company to apply my technical skills in
  mechanical design and project management.
• EDUCATION
• 2007 Mechanical Engineering, BSc University
  of Alberta, Faculty of Engineering

Contact information
Objective / Profile / Highlights
Education

• WORK EXPERIENCE
• May August 2006 RVI Industries LTD. Edmonton,
  AB
• Mechanical Student Engineer
• Applied successfully for Truck and Trailer
  National Safety Mark
• Derived new parts naming system
• Created drawing formats and parts tag for
  production use
• Performed an on-site visit to survey area for
  product design
• Wrote installation guides and manuals for
  products
• Performed strength calculations for structural
  members
• Trained co-workers in ProEngineer modeling
• Created presentations for products for RVI
  national conference
• Installed Transporter decks onto a Peterbilt
  truck
• May August 2005 XYZ Industries LTD Edmonton,
  AB
• Mechanical Student Engineer
• Managed parts and assemblies within Interlink
• Designed posters and wellhead quote drawings for
  customers using Drawingboard and ProEngineer
  Wildfire 1.0
• Created and modified wellhead components to meet
  American Petroleum Institute specifications with
  ProEngineer Wildfire 1.0
• Performed thermal testing on new wellhead
  equipment

Work Experience
Computer Experience
Additional Information
Reference
Page Number
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Contact Information

• Name
• Address (passive contact)
• Telephone with proper answering service and
  e-mail (active contact)

Richard Anderson 123 Campus Lane Email
RAnderson_at_ualberta.ca Edmonton,
Alberta Telephone [phone] T6G
1Y3 Cellular 780 991-5555
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Objectives / Profile / Highlight of Qualifications

• There are several options paragraph, bulleted
  list
• Summarize your objective, who you are and your
  key offerings in this section.
• Differentiate yourself by highlighting what is
  unique about you.

PROFILE Mechanical Engineering graduate with
proven communication and problem solving
abilities seeking a challenging opportunity with
ABC Industries Inc. to apply strong technical
skills in mechanical design and project
management.
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Keep it real keep it you
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Education

• If you have graduated

EDUCATION 2007 Mechanical Engineering, BSc
University of Alberta, Faculty of Engineering

• If you have not yet graduated

EDUCATION 20042008 Electrical Engineering,
BSc University of Alberta, Faculty of
Engineering Expected completion April 2008
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Education

• May also include these options
• Relevant courses
• Projects
• High School irrelevant in later years
• Awards / scholarships

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Professional Experience

• Chronological order most recent first
• Company name, position held, dates
• Start each bullet point with an action verb
• Key accomplishments as well as duties and
  responsibilities
• Quantify your achievements
• Use relevant experiences which highlight your
  transferable skills

• PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
• May August 2005 XYZ Industries LTD, Edmonton
• Mechanical Student Engineer
• Created and modified wellhead components with
  ProEngineer Wildfire 1.0 resulting in compliance
  with American Petroleum Institute specifications

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Accomplishment Statements

• Formula for creating Accomplishment Statements

Accomplishment verb with result
Transferable Skill
Quantifying scope of what was accomplished
Accomplishment Statement (result of what you did)



Generated over 35,000 unique hits per month by
developing and managing a 200 page, active server
commercial site within 6 months of going live.
Attained superior quality control through
implementing ISO training programs for all
production employees.
Saved 10,000 annually by developing an
innovative, cost-effective concept in project
management through assigning the design
engineering to outside contractors.
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Optional Sections

• The following headings are optional depending on
  your own personal experience

• Academic Projects
• Computer Skills
• Specialized Training
• Volunteer Activity
• Interests and Additional Skills

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Samples of Optional Sections

• COMPUTER SKILLS
• Advanced competency with Microsoft Word, Excel,
  Power Point, AutoCAD, AutoDesk Inventor, Matlab,
  ProEngineer Wildfire 1.0 and Interlink
• Proficient with Microsoft Operating Systems
• Experienced using Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator,
  Streamline and QuarkXpress

VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY Current As President of the
ABC club, increased membership by 24 due to
effective marketing and networking
initiatives 2001-2005 Founding member and leader
in a youth group

• INTERESTS AND ADDITIONAL SKILLS
• Possess a Class 5 drivers license with a clean
  drivers abstract
• Enjoy reading, recreational sports and building
  models

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Keep it relevant professional
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A comment on references

• State on your resume
• References available upon request

Have professional references available for the
interview
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Purpose of the Covering Letter

• In combination with the resume, cover letters
  should develop sufficient interest on the part of
  an employer to warrant a personal interview with
  you.

• GOAL IS TO GET THE INTERVIEW
• One page introduction, not a duplication, of your
  resume
• Tailored to a specific position
• Highlights why you are interested and suitable
  for the job

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What the Employer Wants To Know About You!

• Nearly all employers are looking for three things
  in a candidate. Little else matters. They want to
  know

• Can you do the job?
• Will you do the job?
• Will you fit in?

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Constructing the Cover Letter

• Richard Anderson
• 123 Campus Lane Email RAnderson_at_ualberta.ca
• Edmonton, Alberta Telephone [phone]
• T6G 1Y3 Cellular 780 991-5555
• October 16, 2007
• Human Resources
• Sample Company Engineering Inc.
• 10010 100 Street
• Edmonton AB T5J 0N3
• Attention Mr. John Smith
• Re Junior Engineer opportunity
• Dear Mr. Smith,
• Please accept this letter, the enclosed resume
  and transcript as my application for the summer
  position of Junior Engineer with Sample Company
  Engineering Inc. that is posted with the
  Engineering Employment Centre at the University
  of Alberta.

Contact info
Date
Company Address
Attention Subject
Opening
Body
Closing
Signature
Enclosure
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Cover Letter Essentials

• Company contact details specific name is
  preferable
• Do some research before writing the cover letter
  to be able to customize your letter to meet the
  needs of the prospective employer
• Show how you would be able to contribute to the
  organization, not how the position will help you!
  
• Be business professional not gimmicky
• Clear concise correct
• SIGN IT

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Most Importantly!

• PROOFREAD
• THE
• COVER LETTER

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Keep it relevant professional
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Questions?

• Visit the Engineering Employment Centre website
  for more tips
• www.engineering.ualberta.ca/employment
• Come to the Engineering Employment Centre
  E2-050 ETLC
• THANK YOU!