Transcript Resume Workshop

Resume and Cover
Letter Workshop
MR. JULIUS A. SISON
INSTRUCTOR I\COORDINATOR FOR CULTURAL AND
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
PSU ASINGAN CAMPUS
What is a Resume?
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30-second infomercial
Marketing brochure
Door opener
Guide for interview questions
It should:
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summarize your qualifications and values
Highlight the history of your experiences and
accomplishments
Why Do You Need a Resume?
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To market yourself to a potential employer
To summarize your skills
To identify your strengths
To fine-tune your career plans
To prepare for an interview
Launching the Product
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Package yourself
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Know your product – Assessing Yourself
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What are your strengths?
How can you differentiate yourself?
What makes your product better than the competition?
What are your accomplishments?
Know your market
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Do you know your target audience?
Have you done your research?
Package Yourself
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Use terminology appropriate for the industry
or job
Ensure content is relevant and marketable
Quantify your actions
High-quality product with no errors
General Guidelines
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Length: It is best to limit an entry-level
resume to one typed page. Be as concise as
possible in stating information in each
section of your resume.
Font: Avoid fonts smaller than 10 point and
larger than 12 point.
Paper: Use 8 1/2” x 11” 20 lb paper. Print
your resume with a laser or high quality inkjet printer.
Preliminary Research
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Find out
* General job
information
* Desired qualifications
and skills
* Key values and
words
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Check with
* Placement office files
* WWW
* Trade journals,
magazines, and
newsletters
* Directories
* Professors
* Company literature
Identifying Information
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KIMBERLY ANN HURST
1305 Palmer Dr. #1276
West Lafayette, IN
[email protected]
(765) 555-1706
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Put your name, permanent
and campus addresses,
permanent and campus
phone numbers, and email
address prominently at the
top of your resume.
Avoid using a nickname to
identify yourself.
Consider including your URL
address or fax number if you
have one.
The Objective Statement
What is an objective statement?
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A short section (usually 1-3 lines), often in
the form of a sentence fragment, immediately
below your contact information
An “at a glance” picture of you and your
career interests
Other names: Professional Objective,
Resume Capsule, Career Goals, etc.
Why write one?
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Emphasize key
qualifications, skills
and/or goals
Help your readers
find what they need
to know quickly
Make a good first
impression
Q: Is this a good objective
statement?
An internship allowing me to utilize my
knowledge and expertise in different areas
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Well-written but raises too many questions
For example: What kind of internship? What
knowledge? What kinds of expertise? Which
areas?
A good objective statement
answers questions
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What position(s) are
you applying for?
What are your main
qualifications?
What are your career
goals?
What is your
professional identity?
The importance of tailoring
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Sometimes one size
does NOT fit all
Each person and
employer is unique
in certain ways
Aim for a custom fit
when possible, but
how?
Getting started...
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Reflect on your overall qualifications and
career goals: In what ways are they typical?
Unique?
Research individual employers in your field:
In what ways are employers alike?
Different?
Questions about you
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What are your main qualifications, strengths,
skills, and areas of expertise?
What position(s)--or type of position--are you
seeking?
What are some of your professional goals?
What type of organization or work setting are
you most interested in?
Questions about employers
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What qualifications are most desired by
employers in your field?
What positions are available on the job
market? What are they titled?
What are some goals of the organizations
that interest you?
What kinds of organizations are now hiring?
“Instant” objective statements
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For practice, fill in the parts in brackets
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To utilize my [qualifications, strengths, or skills] as a
[position title]
A position as a [position title] for [company name]
allowing me to develop my [qualifications, strengths, or
skills]
An opportunity to [professional goal] in a [type of
organization, work environment, or field]
[position title] with emphasis in [areas of expertise]
Which of your objective
statements is “best”?
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The one that best…
– Emphasizes your qualifications and/or
goals
– Appeals to employer expectations
A trick question: You’ll probably need to write
more than one objective statement.
Tailor for each type of position that interests
you and, for best results, modify for each
particular employer (as necessary)
Objective Statement
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One to three sentence summary of your area
of expertise and career interest.
Write as complete sentences or as
descriptive phrases with minimal
punctuation.
Relate your existing skills directly to the job
you are seeking. Demonstrate what you can
do for the company rather than what they
can do for you.
Objective Statement
Avoid overgeneralized
Make the statement as
statements:
specific as possible:
A position allowing me to
A position which allows
utilize my knowledge and
me to apply my
expertise in different areas.
background in
Avoid statements that focus
engineering and high
only on what a company can
performance computing
do for you:
to biological problems.
A position where I gain
experience in working on
biological problems.
Education
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This is an important section for recent
college graduates or students seeking
internships or summer jobs.
Beginning with the highest level of
educational achievement, include information
such as university attended, degrees earned,
major, minors, grade point average, date of
program completion, and so forth.
Education
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN Graduation May 2000
Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering
GPA: 3.2/4.0
Major GPA: 3.5/4.0
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You do not have to include your GPA on the resume,
but if it isn’t included, employers may assume that it
is lower than it really is.
Always state the grade point scale your school is
using.
Relevant Courses
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List relevant courses that:
– Help you stand out
from the crowd
– Have provided you
with specific skills or
knowledge
Consider including this
information in the
education section of the
resume.
Spanish (4 semesters)
Computer Science
Business Writing
Business Law
Ethics
 Only include courses
taken in addition to your
major or minor.
 Refer to the course by
name rather than by
number.
Employment Experience
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Include positions you have held which are
related, in some way, to the job you are
seeking. These might be both paid and
volunteer positions.
Be creative with this section of your resume
by describing and emphasizing your
experiences in the most relevant way
possible.
Employment Experience
Hospitality Intern
(May 1999-August 1999)
Mountain Jacks, Lafayette,
IN
* Oversaw the planning,
production, preparation
and prompt delivery of
food
* Assisted in training and
retaining new and
experienced employees
* Created a positive and
healthy atmosphere in the
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Include information
such as company name
and location, job title,
dates, and duties
performed.
Make this section easy
to read by using
spacing and bullets.
Use action phrases to
highlight the duties you
have performed.
Action Phrases
Hospitality Intern
 Action phrases will help
(May 1999-August 1999)
you avoid being too
Mountain Jacks, Lafayette, IN
brief and from
* Oversaw the planning,
understating your
production, preparation
qualifications.
and prompt delivery of food
 Think about your
* Assisted in training and
retaining new and
qualifications as a
experienced employees
professional would.
* Created a positive and
healthy atmosphere in the
restaurant
Parallel Phrases
Hospitality Intern
(May 1999-August 1999)
Mountain Jacks, Lafayette,
IN
* Oversaw the planning,
production, preparation
and prompt delivery of
food
* Assisted in training and
retaining new and
experienced employees
* Created a positive and
healthy atmosphere in the
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Make your descriptions
easy to read through
parallel structure.
Set up a pattern and
stick with it.
In the example, all the
verbs are parallel:
“oversaw,” “assisted,”
and “created” are all
past tense verbs.
Activities and Honors
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Include relevant
activities and honors that
you could discuss with
your prospective
employer or that have
given you valuable
experience or skills.
Specialized Skills
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Include skills that make
you unique, such as
computer skills, foreign
language skills, or military
service.
Be specific in describing
your special skills; name
computer programs you
know, how long you
studied a foreign
language, or your dates
of military service.
How to Differentiate Yourself?
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Leadership
Teamwork/Building partnerships
Initiative and Follow Through
Communication
Decision-making
Learning & Growth
Creativity and Innovation
Analytical
Customer Service
Leadership/Management Skills
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Has a vision or takes initiative to make
improvements.
Aligns resources to achieve results
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Founded lawn care business and grew to a customer base
of 30 residences
Led a team of six to develop a marketing plan for club event
resulting in largest attended event in 3 years
Initiated philanthropy program for sorority to increase
participation by 10%
Teamwork Skills
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Works cooperatively and collaboratively with diverse people to
seek their opinions to achieve a common goal and shares
credit with others.
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Collaborated with camp staff to organize special events and
educational programs for more than 20 children ages 5 – 12
Managed and trained a lifeguard staff of 12 for a private club with
a membership of more than 800 families
Acted as a liaison between the floor governors, vice-governors,
and the Executive Board in organizing meetings for 1,400
students living in residence hall
Communication Skills
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Demonstrate verbal, written, presentation,
and listening abilities
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Contacted customers by cold-calling to increase
customer database by 5%
Composed training manual for 60 employees to
introduce new service
Presented to groups of 40 persons using
PowerPoint to explain product benefits
Adapted rapidly to living in another culture during
6-month studies in Spain
Analytical Skills
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Ability to synthesize information and form
conclusions.
– Analyzed financial data for loan department to
determine credit worthiness of commercial
accounts
– Evaluated customer service by surveying
customers over a 3 month period
– Researched market effectiveness for 2 products
and reported results using spreadsheets, tables,
and graphs
– Solved technical problems for up to 45 daily users
of a computer lab
Decision Making Skills
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Make rational decision based on factual information
and logical assumptions
Ability to develop alternative solution to problems.
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Conceptualized new service offering to solve summer
delivery problem
Developed strategic plan for rush committee using strengthweakness-opportunity-threat (SWOT) analysis
Planned layout for summer garden merchandise display in a
3600 sq. ft. area
Creativity and Innovation Skills
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Takes informed risks and thinks out of the box.
Strives for technical and market leadership.
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Crafted set displays for local theater group using
recycled materials
Displayed merchandise to increase traffic through
kitchen wares department
Entertained groups of residents in a nursing home
using music and drama
References
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In general, do not include the names and
addresses of your references on your
resume.
It is enough to state that references are
available upon request.
Choose professional references rather than
character references. Employers and
professors who know you and your work are
the best references.
Reference Sheet
Dr. Mary Delinsky
Heavilon Hall, Room 226
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN 47907
(765) 494-3723
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Dr. Delinsky is my current
academic advisor in the
Creative Writing and
Science Fiction Program.
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Include the names,
addresses, and phone
numbers of your references.
Always ask permission
before you include any
information on your
reference sheet.
Consider giving your
references a copy of your
resume so they will be
prepared to talk to
employers.
What Is a Cover Letter?
A cover letter
expresses your
interest in and
qualifications for a
position to a
prospective employer.
What Should My Cover Letter
Accomplish?
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Your cover letter should
introduce the main
points of your resume.
It should also help you
to “sell” your
qualifications to the
prospective employer.
Header
Emma Markley
Human Resources
Director
St. Luke's Medical Center
729 S. Paulina
Chicago, IL 60612
Dear Ms. Markley:
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Address your letter to a
specific person, ideally
to the person who will
interview you.
Look for the person’s
name in company
publications, or phone
the organization and
ask for the person’s
name or for the
personnel manager.
Introductory Paragraph
Your first paragraph should:
 Get the reader’s attention, stimulate interest,
and be appropriate for the job you are
seeking.
 Make your goal clear to readers.
 Preview the rest of your letter. Highlight the
qualifications you will discuss throughout the
letter.
Solicited Application Letters
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Solicited application
letters are letters
written in response to
an advertised job
opening.
It is appropriate to
mention where you
learned of the opening
in the first paragraph.
I believe that my knowledge
of public relations and my
proven communication and
leadership skills make me a
strong candidate for the
position of Media Relations
Coordinator that was posted
by the Delta Airlines Job
Opportunities Program.
Unsolicited Application Letters
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Unsolicited application
letters are written to
companies that have
not posted a job
opening.
It is important to gain
the reader’s attention
and persuade them that
you can contribute to
the company’s goals.
As a member of one of the
fastest growing publishing
houses in the world, do you
have an opening in your
acquisitions department for
a recent college graduate
with a major in English and
publishing and editing
experience?
Goals of the Body Paragraphs
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Highlight your strongest
qualifications for the
position for which you
are applying.
Demonstrate how these
qualifications will
benefit the employer.
Refer employers to
your enclosed resume.
Detailing Your Experience
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Show (don’t tell) employers
your qualifications
Include specific, credible
examples of your
qualifications for the
position.
Use numbers, names of
equipment you've used, or
features of a project that
may apply to the job you
want.
As a banking
representative at Bank
One, I provided quality
customer service while
promoting the sale of
products to customers.
I also handled
upwards of $20,000 a
day and was
responsible for
balancing the bank’s
ATM machine.
Using Active Language—Don’ts
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Don’t be vague in your
descriptions.
Don’t use weak verbs
such as endeavored,
tried, hoped, and
attempted.
Don’t use sexist
language such as
chairman and
manpower.
Vague: I worked as a
ramp agent at Comair.
Weak: I attempted to
attract customers.
Using Active Language—Do’s
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Use concrete words to
describe your experience.
Use present tense to
discuss current activities
and past tense for
previous job duties or
accomplishments.
Be as specific as possible
in descriptions; list dollar
amounts and figures when
you can.
Vague: I worked as a ramp agent
for COMAIR.
Specific: As a ramp agent, I
assisted in loading baggage,
oversaw fueling the aircraft, and
stocked commissary items on
the aircraft.
Weak: I attempted to attract
customers.
Strong: I initiated a program to
attract customers to Pizza Hut,
which resulted in a 5% increase
in sales for the month of June.
Organizing Your Letter
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In general, cover letters should be no longer
than one typed page.
Organize your body paragraphs to emphasize
your strongest and most relevant qualifications.
Only include the two or three strongest
qualifications from your resume.
Make it easy for readers to scan your letter by
beginning each paragraph with a topic sentence.
Concluding Your Letter
I would welcome the
opportunity to discuss
these and other
qualifications with you. If
you are interested, please
contact me at (317) 5550118 any morning before
11:00 a.m., or feel free to
leave a message.
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Conclude by asking for
a personal interview.
Be flexible regarding a
date and time for the
interview.
Be specific about how
the interviewer should
contact you.
Include a thank you.
Mailing Your Letter With Your
Resume
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Coordinate the design
of your letter with the
design of your resume.
Be sure to send both to
prospective employers;
they both reveal
different kinds of
information about you.
Key Points to Remember
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Appeal to company values,
attitudes, goals, projects,
etc.
Elaborate on the information
in your resume.
Provide evidence of your
qualifications.
Proofread carefully for
grammatical and
typographical errors. The
letter should be error-free.