Transcript Crafting a Winning Resume - Indiana University Maurer

Resumes
Your Personal
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Office of Career & Professional Development
School of Law
Indiana University
Program Overview
Section-By-Section Construction
Key Elements
Guidelines for Content
Guidelines for Visual Design
Common Mistakes
The Heading – Without Labels
Name
Present Address
Permanent Address
Phone Numbers–Home or Cell
E-Mail Address
URL – Professional Web Site
Visa/Citizenship
Education
Institution
Location
Degree(s)
Date Awarded (or Expected)
GPA & Class Ranking – OK for LLB
Activities – Moot Court, Journal, Orgs
Honors/Distinctions w/ translations
Coursework w/ Highest Grade
Experience
Title of Position Held
Organization
Location
Dates of Association
List action statements of your duties
which show responsibility and skills
development
Experience – Alternative Headings
Research Experience
Teaching Experience
Leadership Experience
Management Experience
Relevant Experience
Legal Experience
Internship Experience
Volunteer experience
DOES NOT HAVE TO BE “PAID WORK” EXPERIENCE
Activities
Organization & Location
Title – Office Held – Distinction Given
Dates of affiliation
Brief Description (if necessary)
Other Possible Headings
Technical Skills
Publications
Presentations
Licensure or Certification
Foreign Language Skills
Travel Experience
Professional Affiliations/Memberships
Professional Service
Community Service
Special Skills
Things to leave off
Professional Objective
References
Availability
Personal Information and Picture
Formatting Guidelines
Length
Paper Quality and Color
Font Choices
Font Size
Margins & White Space
Using Software & Templates
Font Choices – Yes or No?
Tahoma
Garamond
Times New Roman
SimSun
Arial
Courier New
Americana XBd BT
Vivaldi D
Bard
Century
Common Blunders
Stapling a Resume
Forgetting your Cover Letter
Not Spell Checking
Filling in the Boxes in a Template
One Size Fits All Resume
Using Acronyms
Inconsistent Category Entries
Questions?
Cover Letters
-Your Personal Introduction
Cover Letters
Purpose
Paragraph by Paragraph guide
Formatting
Purpose
Serves as an introduction
Highlights desired skills
Shows your enthusiasm & interest in
the organization and their
geographic location
Demonstrates your writing skills
Paragraph 1 –
Intro
Why are you writing?
Where did you find this announcement
or who guided you to this job?
Overview of qualifications
Paragraph 2 – About You
In what ways do you meet their
qualification requirements?
What skills do you bring to the table?
What is your link to that area?
Paragraph 3 – About Them
Why do you want to work for this
organization/firm?
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Articles
Referrals
Specific Cases – But be careful
Paragraph 4 - Closing
Indicate your desire for an interview
and willingness to meet them
Tell them that you will contact them
within a certain time frame (1 week) –
unless they state no phone calls
Thank them in advance
Formatting and Tips
Send to a specific person
Demonstrate confidence and
professionalism
Avoid restating your resume
One page
Sign in black ink
Cover Letters in E-mails
Can copy and paste into body of
message – minus address block
Can include as an attachment
Combine both
Same level of professionalism is
necessary
Questions?