Transcript TARGETED RESUMES - Faculty of Arts | University of Calgary

CO-OP EDUCATION PROGRAM
TARGETED RESUMES
Guidelines for writing an effective
Co-op Resume
arts.ucalgary.ca/coop/
OVERVIEW
 Resume
 Targeting
 Format
 Sections
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
WHAT IS YOUR RESUME?
 Your first impression
 A marketing tool to lead to an interview
 Highlights how your qualifications match the
employer’s needs
 Details of your skills and experience that make
you a good fit for a specific job
 An honest advertisement
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
HOW TO TARGET
 Understand employer’s specific needs
 Research company
 Appreciate company values
 Match your skills with their needs
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
TARGETING KEYS
 Critically analyze job description
 Highlight key skills
 Match and detail these skills on your resume and
cover letter
 Back up skills with examples and quantified
details
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
FORMAT BASICS
Times New Roman and Arial fonts easiest to
read
Name and Section Titles – 14-16 font size
Body – 11-12 font
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
FORMAT BASICS
 Two pages
 No templates – these are easily identified and
formats are difficult to customize
 Professional, positive and consistent
 Co-op resumes require following info on the top
left of the first page above contact info

University of Calgary
Co-operative Education
ID#123456
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
FORMAT BASICS
 Begin each bullet with an action word
 Use correct verb tense – watch for
inconsistencies in Experience section
 Present for current activities
 Past tense for past activities
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
FORMAT BASICS
 Other Points
 Use round or square solid bullets
 No Periods – bullets are not complete
sentences
 Typically up to five bullets per heading with up
to two lines of text per bullet
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
FORMAT BASICS
 As your first impression and an example of
your writing skills be sure to
EDIT AND PROOF READ!
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
FORMAT BASICS
 AVOID
 Personal pronouns such as ‘I’
 Superlatives such as ‘excellent’
 Vague statements or use of ‘etc.’
 Acronyms or university specific details such as
ANTH 230
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
FORMAT BASICS
 Avoid
 Personal Information (gender, marital status)
 Exact Dates
 Information Over Ten Years Old
 References
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
RESUME SECTIONS
 REQUIRED
 Contact Information
 Co-op Status and Student ID
 Education
 Skills
 Work Experience
 Interests
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
CONTACT INFO
 Name
 Address – optional
 Phone – If listing more than one, identify as
cell/home
 Email – use a professional email - preferably
your ucalgary.ca address
 Check this address regularly
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts, Sociology
(Anticipated year of graduation)
University of Calgary
• GPA 3.4/4.0 (include if GPA above 3.0)
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
EDUCATION
CO-OP STATUS
• Currently in third year of full time studies
• Seeking first work term
• Available in Winter (year) for a 4 or 8 month work term
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
EDUCATION
RELEVANT COURSES
• Introductory Social Statistics: Developed ability to critically
evaluate social research reports utilizing basic statistical
analysis including regression and correlations
• Qualitative Research Methods: Understanding of research
processes; problem definition, data collection and analysis,
quantitative and qualitative strategies
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
EDUCATION
 Possible Additional Subheadings
 Relevant or Major Projects/Papers
 Research
 Additional Training
 Scholarships, Honors, Awards
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
RELEVANT SKILLS
Match skills to job requirements to show
relevance
Name skill and back up with specifics
List up to 5 bullets
Include a Computer bullet and also add
languages if relevant
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
RELEVANT SKILLS EXAMPLE
Leadership and/Volunteer Coordination: Experience in leading and
mentoring, up 4 co-workers and 6 volunteers in a variety of situations
including fund- raising events, strategic planning and project
completion
Writing: Developed skills in diverse formats including community
advertising, speeches, press releases, professional correspondence
and formal research reports
Computer: Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint; familiar
with Adobe Photoshop; some knowledge of Access
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
WORK EXPERIENCE
 Bold position title, then company
Receptionist
Stony Ridge Veterinary Clinic
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
WORK EXPERIENCE
Points to Remember
 If you have completed co-op work terms highlight first
and separately
 Start each bullet with an action verb
 Focus on your skills and accomplishments rather than
duties
 Be specific and quantify examples
 Within each section use reverse chronological order
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
CO-OP WORK EXPERIENCE SAMPLE
Human Resources Assistant
Month/Year-Month/Year
National Energy Board Canada
• Responsible for posting up to 15 internal positions
through Intranet and 20 external positions via the Public
Service Commission website
• Assisted Co-op/Internship project manager with student
recruitment initiatives and career fair displays,
attendance and promotion
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
WORK EXPERIENCE EXAMPLES
Program Coordinator
Glenwest Centre for Children
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•
•
Month/Year-Month/Year
Created and implemented daily age-appropriate activities for 50
children aged five to twelve
Employed behaviour modification techniques aimed at the
reduction of aggressive and inappropriate behaviour
Developed extreme patience, effective communication skills and
the ability to function well under high stress
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
WORK EXPERIENCE EXAMPLES
Maintenance Worker
Calgary Golf and Country Club
•
•
•
•
•
Year-Year
(Summers)
Exceptional Service Award for Summer (year)
Operated and maintained heavy and light turf equipment
Trained five new employees individually and in groups
Helped develop new program for bunker maintenance resulting in
enhanced playability
Interacted with club members in a professional and courteous
manner on a daily basis
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
 Same format as work experience
 Can be combined if relevant
 Work and Volunteer Experience
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
VOLUNTEER EXAMPLE
Community Advisor
Month/Year-Present
Residence Services, University of Calgary
• Address concerns and issues for group of 50 students providing
on-call assistance from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m.
• Communicate clearly with residents when mediating conflicts
between roommates
• Deal with violations of the community standards professionally
considering the impact on individual residents, the entire
community and precedence
• Plan programs for residents of the floor, building and entire
community individually and in cooperation with other Community
Advisors
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
INTERESTS
 In two to three points describe current interests
 If possible highlight interests relevant to academic
studies or career interests
 Use sports, travelling or other leisure activities but as
with all resume information provide specifics to give clear
picture
 Interest section provides employer with some informal
and personal information that may help you stand out
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/
OTHER RESOURCES
 Refer to information and samples provided in
Co- op Student Handbook
 Co-op Coordinators are available to review
resumes and cover letters
 Optimal Resume – online resume builder with
additional samples and resources
arts.ucalgary.ca/co-op/