Resumes

and
Cover Letters
Purpose of a Resume
1. Helps in obtaining a job
2. To promote yourself - It's a marketing tool
3. To get you an interview (not a job)
4. Aids the process of getting into college
College recruiters and employers want to see:
o a summary of your abilities
o education
o experiences
Resources to Help Write your Resume &
Cover Letter
Resume Templates: Cover Letter Templates:

Resume Template 1 - Initials Cover Letter Template - Initials
Resume Template 2 - Standard Cover Letter Template - Standard
Resume Template 3 - Creative Cover Letter Template - Creative
Resume Template 4- Traditional Cover Letter Template- Traditional
Resume Template 5 - Bold Cover Letter Template - Bold
Essential Elements of a Resume
1. Heading
2. Summary (formerly the Objective)
3. Education
4. Extracurriculars / Related Experiences
5. Work History
6. Skills
7. References
How to Write a Resume
Heading
Click text for full resume
Heading
Your name, address, telephone number, and email
address should all go at the top of your resume.
Be sure to use a permanent address and telephone
number.
Use an e-mail address that sounds professional.
FirstnameLastname@ is the standard format for an e-
mail address when using it on a resume.
Do not use an e-mail address such as
hotbody@soandso.com. It just doesn't sound
professional.
Heading
Click text for full resume
Summary or Objective?
Begin your rsum with a section that briefly
summarizes your professional qualifications.
The objective statement that appears in many older
style resumes used to tell the employer what the
candidate wants
The summary is focused on what you, as a candidate,
can do for the employer.
This is the feel-good section. Its equivalent to the
handshake. Highlighting soft skills here gives your
resume a core of humanity.
Summary Exampes
SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER - Champion of social media tools and
technologies, with a track record of creating and implementing
successful social media programs. Keep up-to-date with
constantly evolving technologies in online social networking, the
blogosphere, search tools and Web 2.0, and work closely with
clients to create innovative, effective campaigns.

CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANT - Reliable, service-focused
nursing professional with excellent patient-care and charting
skills gained through five years of experience as a CNA.
Compassionate and technically skilled in attending to patients in
diverse healthcare settings. BLS and CPR certified (current).
Summary



Click text for full resume
Summary
Click text for full resume
Summary
Click text for full resume
Education / Academics
List the schools you have attended.
Be sure to include your GPA if it is a 3.0 or higher.
You should mention:
o Academic honors
o Awards
o Recognitions
These can include honor-roll recognitions, essay-
writing awards, science competitions, etc.
Education
Click text for full resume
Education
Click text for full resume
Education
Click text for full resume
Extracurriculars / Related Experience
Used as a place for key elements of your background
that do not fit in any other section.
You may want to include:
o Special skills
o Leadership roles
o Volunteer experiences
o Participation in sports, band, yearbook, etc.

This section is where you can demonstrate your
uniqueness.
Work Experience
Give an overview of work experience that has taught you
valuable skills
Include:
o title of position
o name of organization
o location of work (town and state)
o dates of employment
o description of work responsibilities
Use action words to emphasize the impact of your work
and experiences (click here for action words list)
Work Experience
What sounds better?

Was the boss of a team of six service employees
or
Supervised a team of six service employees


Work Experience Social Media Manager
Social Media Manager, 2008 to Present
Develop and manage online marketing campaigns for ABC Co., DEF
Co., GHI Co. and JKL Co., effectively driving brand awareness,
engagement and traffic to social media pages.
Achieve a strong, visible social media presence and develop
concepts with viral potential. Continuously monitor online public
relations and ensure the success of client programs.
Assess social media marketing strategies to determine rate of
return. Identify and tap into new channels to optimize ROI and fuel
revenue growth.
Build a strong base of repeat business and serve as the #1 requested
IT consultant.
Develop Achieve
Assess Build
Work Experience Nursing Assistant
Restored function for patients and prevented/lessened disabilities
following disease or profound injury (including loss of limb,
traumatic brain injury, stroke, lymphoma and paralysis).
Planned and administered treatments, modalities and therapeutic
exercise programs encompassing active and passive ranges of
motion, muscle reeducation, massage and
heat/water/ice/electrical/light stimulation.
Instructed patients in the safe and effective use of pulleys, weights,
inclined surfaces and other equipment prescribed for their
treatment. Participated in wound-care treatment and helped
patients adapt to the use of wheelchairs, braces, canes, crutches and
prosthetic/orthotic devices.
Skills
Use the Skills Inventory Chart found HERE to come up
with different skills that you may be having a hard time
thinking of yourself
Examples Include:
handling complaints
planning agendas/meetings
coaching individuals
motivating others
resolving conflicts
selling ideas
Skills
List a Skill Category Actions Words Categorized by Skill Set
o This would include things like Communication, Financial,
Leadership, Teaching, etc.
o They could even be specialized courses youve taken like
Computers, Automotive Repair, or Cosmetology
Then provide specific skills within that category
o Begin each statement with a strong, descriptive verb
Job Skills Chart
Actions Words list
SKILLS (Category with Specific Example)
Communication Skills
Negotiated price reductions of up to 30% with key suppliers
Interpreted financial information from the companys annual report
Translated all relevant company information into three different
languages

Creative Skills
Created an interior design layout for a 500 square foot retail venue
Introduced a new method of navigating through the A Software
Program
Presented a new research project to the managers at the location
SKILLS Category with Specific Example
Management / Leadership Skills
Administered a variety of surveys to collect data about the employees
Implemented a safety communication program to promote safety
awareness
Recommended an alternative solution to several company problems

Teaching Skills
Defined a new product strategy and discussed how it would be
implemented
Instructed Department B on how to reduce inventory and raise net sales
Prepared a tutorial manual for an English class last semester
References
Be sure to ask people if they would serve as your
reference before you give their names out.
You do not need to include your reference
information on your resume.
A statement at the bottom of your resume that says,
"References available upon request," is sufficient.
References
For each reference, include the following:
Name
Job Title
Employer
Employer Address
St. Address
City, ST ZIP
Phone #
Email
Resources to Help Build a Resume
Resume Generator from ReadWriteThink.com
Resumes and Cover Letter Tips from Monster.com
Sample Resumes by industry / career
All Sample Resumes used in this presentation
Action words list
Actions Words Categorized by Skill Set
Job Skills Inventory Chart
Formatting and
Writing a
Cover Letter
You might lack real-world work experience, but your cover
letter can be chock-full of activities that demonstrate your
potential to succeed.
Parts of a Cover Letter ThingLink
1. Your Contact Information
2. Date
3. Employer Contact Info
4. Salutation
5. Introductory Paragraph that mentions the specifics of the
position you are targeting
6. 1-2 paragraphs outlining what you have to offer the employer
Include 3-4 bullet points highlighting your qualifications
that are relevant to the job youre seeking
1. A concluding paragraph providing an easy way for the
employer to contact you
2. Complimentary Close
3. Signature
4. Enclosure if sending with your resume
How to Write a Cover Letter
Josh Michaels
4 Church St. | Sometown, NJ 08888 | (555) 555-5555 | josh@somedomain.com

June 1, 2011

Katherine Yu
HR Director
ABC Company
1530 State St.
Anytown, NJ 08999

Dear Ms. Yu:

Your advertisement for an HR assistant fits my qualifications perfectly, and I am writing to express my interest in and
enthusiasm for the position.

After completing a business degree from Rutgers University in May, I enrolled in a human resource development program to
further enhance my credentials in the field.

Course highlights include: Leadership in an Organizational Setting, Performance & Task Analysis in Human Resource
Development, and Technology in HR Settings.

Based on your description of the ideal candidate, I also offer:
A solid educational foundation in organizational development, employee training and development skills and
knowledge of how to use technology to improve individual/organizational performance.
A proven ability to build rapport with individuals from all cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds.
A track record of excellent performance as a part-time/summer employee concurrent with full-time college
enrollment.
Technical proficiency in database programs (including Oracle) and MS Office Suite.
If you agree that my services would be valuable to ABC Company, I would very much like to meet in person to learn more
about your HR support needs. Please feel free to call me at (555) 555-5555 or email at josh@somedomain.com.

Thank you for your time and review of the enclosed resume, and I look forward to speaking with you.

Sincerely yours,


Josh Michaels



Enclosure
1

2


3

4

5






6



7

8
9

10

Sample Cover Letters
Purchasing Specialist - Cover Letter

College Grad. HR Rep - Cover Letter

Elementary School Teacher - Cover Letter

Customer Rep - Cover Letter


Body Paragraphs
After making it clear which job youre interested in, show your
passion by sharing relevant items such as:
volunteer work,
class projects and
extracurricular activities, as well as
special interests such as traveling or playing sports
a high GPA,
school leadership positions and
seasonal jobs
Find out what skills are important to the employer, then show
how you have used those skills.
Read Sample Cover Letters HERE
Cover Letter - Ending
How to Avoid Common Blunders
The most common cover letter mistakes involve the following:
Clearly State the Position You're Applying for:
o Recruiters often try to fill more than one job simultaneously. After the
salutation, state exactly which job you're applying for.
Connect on a Personal Level:
o The point of a cover letter is to make a personal connection with the
reader. Tailor your letter specifically to each company you send it to.
Don't Repeat Yourself:
o Don't regurgitate everything that's in your resume -- offer deeper
insights into what your resume does not say.
o Provide an in-depth explanation of some of your key achievements at
your last job
o Explain how your accomplishments could help the company.
o Tell a story about a tough problem you solved.
How to Avoid Common Blunders
What's in It for Me?
o Don't say you are applying for the job because of the money,
the travel opportunities, a better commute or anything else
that concerns only you.
Balance Confidence and Humility:
o Appear competent,but arrogance can turn a recruiter off:
"Throw away all those other resumes -- I'm your guy!" Show
enthusiasm and a positive attitude, but don't overdo it
A badly written cover letter can hurt your chances for landing a great job.
More than 76 percent of recruiters said in a recent that they would not consider a
cover letter with typos, or at best they would toss the accompanying resume into a
file rather than consider it for that current job.
Style Pointers and Tips
Don't open with "To Whom It May Concern" -- get a name.
Highlight first and foremost your skills and experiences that
match those the employer is seeking.
Open with a strong lead sentence.
Refer to the job ad and its specific language.
Compare your letter to a sample cover letter.
Offer to follow up with the recruiter -- and do it!
For electronic letters, attach your resume and make sure any
links to professional samples you include work.
Proofread your work.
Cover Letter Resources
Cover Letter Tips for new graduates
Cover Letter Tips from Monster.com
Cover Letter Samples from Monster.com
COVER LETTER CHECKLIST