Transcript Resumes & Cover Letters - Seattle Pacific University

Seattle Pacific University
The Center for Career & Calling
Résumé Stats
 150 – 900
 Cost of a professional résumé writer
 $1800 - $10800 on résumés over your career!
 78,937
1
 Number of résumés per month (Microsoft)
 10-30
 Number of seconds your résumé will be looked at
(if at all)
1.http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/bestcompanies/2007/snapshots/50.html
Agenda
What is a Résumé?
How to Write a Résumé
Cover Letters
Letters of Reference
“Thank You” Notes
What is a Résumé?
 An advertisement… your personal billboard
 A way to obtain an interview, not a job
 A summary of your skills and accomplishments
selected specifically to demonstrate your VALUE
 Digested in 10-30 seconds
What Does a Résumé Say About You?
 How well you communicate in writing
 Your attention to detail
 Your relevant knowledge, skills, & abilities
 Your experience, what you have accomplished
What are Employers Looking For?
• Bottom line: Will you be able to help them?
▫ Make money
▫ Save money
▫ Make their life easier
• A match with job qualifications, experience, education,
and skills
• A “personal” fit within their organization
(communication style, personality, character)
Résumé Writing Process
1.
Identify Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, &
Accomplishments
2. Organize, Prioritize, and Write
3. Format
4. Proofread, Proofread, Proofread!
5. Re-write..this is an ongoing process!
Components of a Good Résumé
 Heading: Name, Address, Phone #, Email address
 Qualifications: 4-8 of your core accomplishments,
knowledge, skills, and abilities
 Education:
 Degree, Major/Emphasis
 School, City & State, Date
 GPA (optional, if above 3.3) or Honors
 Experience: Position, Company, Date,
Responsibilities, Transferable Skills(Include volunteer
experience)
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STUDENT’S NAME
Ave. Seattle, WA 99111 (206) 555-5555  [email protected]
QUALIFICATIONS
Firm grasp of financial analysis, risk analysis and working knowledge of balance sheets
Highly proficient in MS Excel, Word, Power Point, Access and internet tools
Vice President, Finance Club. Spearheaded undergraduate investment competition
Innovative problem solver with advanced ability in clarifying problems and evaluating alternatives
Reliable, purposeful and solutions oriented worker
EDUCATION Bachelor of Arts in Accounting
Seattle Pacific University, anticipated graduation, June 2010
RELATED EXPERIENCE
Computer Information Systems Help Desk: Seattle Pacific University, Sep. 2003-present
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Promptly respond to 15-50 phone and email technology questions per hour presented by faculty, staff, and students.
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Equip users with the information and skills to effectively use the campus wide technology.
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Schedule campus wide portable computer and media equipment usage. Oversee check out and return process.
Payroll Officer: ABC Company, Inc., Seattle WA, Summers 2002 & 2003
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Starting with action verbs is powerful.
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Created a certified wages payroll handbook and oversaw its implementation to ensure quality payroll procedures.
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Handled, collected, and inspected over 60 employee’s timesheets daily.
Administrative Assistant: Seattle Law Firm, Seattle WA, Summer 2000
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Recorded daily incoming payments to assist accounts receivable.
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Reconciled General Ledger with bank statements to ensure accurate records.
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Prepared bid reports and checked for accuracy upon submission.
OTHER EXPERIENCE
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Part time Assistant Manager: The Body Shop, Summer 2001
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Supervised part-time sales associates to encourage and ensure impressive customer service.
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Finance Club, Vice-President, Seattle Pacific University, 2002
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Camp Activities Director; Ponderosa Bible Camp, Summer 1999
Objective
• Objectives are theme statements that will help
organize the rest of the résumé
▫ Do NOT put objective on your résumé
▫ DO use your objective to organize each statement on
résumé
• Write objective on separate piece of paper
• Tailor your résumé to your objective
Sample Objectives
 Ensure that each statement on your résumé meets
your objective
 Compare every line in your résumé to your objective
 “To obtain a position as a financial manager in the
health care industry.”
 “To work as an intern in the electrical engineering
field in the greater Seattle area, specifically at
public utility companies.”
Qualifications
 Similar to the abstract of a research article.
 First thing read, most important information
 What would make people want to keep reading?
 First on résumé, but write it last.
 Go through final résumé and choose core components
(Accomplishments, Knowledge, Skills, or Abilities)
 4-8 bullet points.
 Use powerful words such as: strong, broad, excellent
Qualifications Example
Qualifications
• Broad knowledge of public relations based on 2 years of
internships and several projects
• Strong presentation skills. Regularly present to groups of
30-50 people
• Top performer in debate team. Winner of multiple awards
for outstanding debate skills
• Excellent organization skills, complimented for project
coordination and attention to detail
• Fluent in Spanish, experience translating
• Skilled in Microsoft Office Suite, FrontPage, proven ability
to easily learn new software
Education
 Full name of degree:
 Bachelor of Arts in English.
 Full name of School
 Location
 Graduation Date:
 June, 2010
or
 Anticipated graduation
June, 2010
 GPA / honors
Education Example
Bachelor of Arts, English
Seattle Pacific University, Seattle WA June 2010
• Major GPA: 3.6 (only if 3.3 or higher)
• Dean’s List 6 out of 7 quarters
• Related Coursework: (optional)
Experience
 Job title, company, location, date, and
accomplishment/results
 Use action verbs and details
 Highlight transferable skills
 Be specific about How, Where, When, etc.
 Show what you personally did and how it benefited
your employer (Job sketch)
 Numbers and percents highlight accomplishments
 Formula:
 Task + Skill (Action Verb) + Result
Transferable Skills vs. Job Description
 Bullet points should describe your skills, not be list of job duties:
 NO: ~ Took orders
~ Cleaned counters
 YES: ~ Complimented for superior customer service skills
~ Maintained sanitary and attractive work environment
 Use general language that demonstrates skills you will transfer to your next
job:
 NO: ~ Babysat kids, changed diapers and played games
 YES: ~ Provided for daily care of 3 children including nutrition and recreation
Organization/Layout
 Positioning on the page is important; what comes
first gets read first
 Qualifications first – Why hire you?
 Reverse chronological order (recent first)
 Remember it is an advertisement…sell yourself with
a few key points
 Brief is best, 1-2 pages maximum
 Clean, simple layout with few indented margins
Style of résumé
 Avoid personal pronouns
 Use action verbs and accomplishment statements.
 Use bullet points for skills
 Emphasis: CAPITALS, Bold, Underline, or italicizing
Final Product
 Use laser printing
 Use résumé paper – recommend white
or off-white
 Absolutely NO errors!!
One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Develop multiple versions of your résumé:
 Word processed document formatted for “human
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eyes”
Scannable
ASCII Text-only
HTML coded file
Targeted for specific positions
Formatted vs. Electronic
 FORMATTED:
 ELECTRONIC
 Viewed by a human
 Loaded into a
 Written for quick
computer database
 Written to be
searched by
keywords
 Formatted for
complete and exact
transfer of data
visual scanning
 Formatted to be
pleasing to the eye
Electronic Résumé Tips
 Save or create your résumé as “text-only”
 Review your résumé and replace all unsupported
characters with their ASCII equivalent
 Break the one-page rule. 1-3 pages is OK
Keywords are the Key
• Employers and recruiters search
résumé databases using keywords
▫ Nouns and phrases that highlight
technical and professional areas of
expertise
▫ Industry-specific jargon
• Pull keywords
• Out of detailed job descriptions
• Industry publications
• Ask professionals in your field
Submitting Electronic Résumés
• Follow employers instructions on how to submit résumé
on-line
• Always include an appropriate subject line
• Ex. John Doe – Application – Job Title
• Attach your résumé as a PDF
• When submitting a paper résumé that will be scanned:
▫ Do not fold
▫ If faxing, use “fine” mode
How to Stay Unemployed
 Post your résumé only on job boards (Career Builder,
Monster, Hot Jobs, Craigslist)
 Apply to 200 random employers online
 Apply only to companies on the Fortune 500 list (ex.
Microsoft, Boeing, Amazon, Google)
 Rely completely on your résumé to find your next job
Cover Letters
What Stands Out?
 Clear, concise, well written, and interesting
 Helps the employer easily see the match between their
needs and your qualifications and experience
 Shows your knowledge of the organization and its
needs
 An internal company reference
What’s in a Cover Letter?
• First Paragraph:
Who you are, Why you are writing, What position you are
applying for, and How you learned of the opening.
*Add something creative so that your letter stands out. (Personal
passion for the company? Liked something on their website?
Love of their product? Know someone who works there?)
• Second (Third) Paragraph(s):
Make the case for why you are a match for the position. Point
out related experience, specific skills, unique qualifications that
you know they need. Demonstrate how you will add to their
organization. (Stay clear of what you hope to gain from
working there – unless you are applying for an internship.)
• Final Paragraph:
Closing and follow up. Repeat your desire for the position
and your interest in a chance to meet in person. Mention your
intentions for follow-up (e.g. “I will contact you next week to
confirm receipt of my application.”)
List of References
 Should be a “stand alone” document that matches your
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résumé format and style
Is not typically sent with your résumé; bring it with you to
the interview or offer it once they have shown an interest in
you as a candidate
Include your name and contact information at the top
along with the heading “References”
List reference’s name, title, company, contact information,
and how they know you (e.g. “Former Supervisor”)
Be sure your references know what you are applying for and
supply them with your current résumé
Thank You Notes
• Send a thank-you email within 24 hours of the
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interview
Send a hard-copy thank-you within 48 hours
Use business letter format and be brief
Hand-written is okay for less professional settings
Include specifics about your interview or unique
qualifications that will remind them of who you are
Consider sending an article on a topic discussed or an
answer to a question raised.
Reiterate your interest in the position and your
anticipation of their response
Questions???
Call 206.281.2485