Job Searching 101: Writing

Your Resume and Cover Letter

January 5, 2008
Presenter: Donna Brice, Director

What We Will Cover in This Workshop

What Goes into a Resume
Resume Templates
Resume Dos & Donts
Cover Letters: Dont Send Your Resume

Without One
Cover Letter Templates
Cover Letter Dos & Donts

Ways to Apply for a Job

Phone or Fax your resume and cover letter
Deliver a hard copy of your resume and cover

letter in person
Email your resume and cover letter
Post your resume and cover letter online
Create an employment blog about yourself
and direct prospective employers to it

What Goes into a Resume

Contact Information
Objective (optional)
Career Highlights / Qualifications (optional)
Experience
Education
Honors or Citations, Publications (if any)
Membership in Professional Organizations
Military Service
References Upon Request

Parts of the Resume

Contact Information:
Legal name The name on your drivers
license
Legal street address, city, state and zip code
Phone # with area code, home and cell
Email address
Objective (optional)

The purpose of the objective is to describe

specifically the position you want by job title,
function, and/or industry

Parts of the Resume

Career Highlights / Qualifications (optional)

It highlights your key achievements, skills,

traits, and experience relevant to the position

Experience

The experience section of your resume

includes your work history. List the companies
you worked for, dates of employment, the
positions you held and a bulleted list of
responsibilities and achievements

Parts of the Resume

Education

In the education section, list in reverse

chronological order colleges, technical schools
or high School(s) you attended, the degrees
you attained, and any special awards and
honors you earned.

Membership in Professional Organizations

If you belong to a professional organization,

include it. It shows dedication to learning and
keeping current in your career.

Parts of the Resume

Military Service

If this is your only work experience, put it

under that section.

References upon request

You do not need to include your work/personal

reference when you submit your resume.
The employer will ask for your references.
References should be on a separate sheet of
paper. Do not make it a part of your resume.

Resume Templates
See Handouts:
Chronological
High school student with part time work history
Entry level with work history and no college
College graduate with some work experience
Professional with advanced degrees and education
Returning to work with past work experience
Job Specific Resumes

Resume Dos & Donts

DO:
Do choose a font style appropriate for the job
Conservative Times New Roman or Arial, Artistic be
careful that your font is legible.
Do use 1 inch margins on all sides, indented bullet
points will show hierarchy.
Do use bold and italics to emphasize important
information, do not over use.
Do print your resume on white or off white paper
printed in black ink.
Do use action verbs when writing about job
responsibilities. (see handout)
Do proof read your resume.

Resume Dos & Donts

Dont:
Dont squeeze too much on one page, font
size shouldnt be smaller than 11pt. Try to
keep your resume one to two pages long and
no longer.
Dont use personal pronouns (I, me, my).
Dont include your salary history or reasons for
leaving previous jobs.
Dont include a picture of yourself.
Dont lie on your resume. They will eventually
find out.

Cover Letters: Never Send a

Resume Without One
What is the purpose of a Cover Letter:
It serves as an introduction.
Your cover letter is your chance to let

potential employers know who you are and

what you can do for the company.
A cover letter does not contain the same
information that is on your resume, it is used
to support your resume.

Cover Letter Templates

The format of a cover letter is basically the same as a
typical letter.
See Handouts:
In response to an ad (3 examples)
After a phone conversation
Company that has not advertised a job
New College Graduate (2 examples)
Referred by a mutual friend
With employee salary requirements
Follow up to a cover letter

Cover Letter Dos & Donts

Do:
Do include your full address and the address
of the company.
Do use a colon not a comma after the
greeting.
Do use the persons name or title; ex. Dear
Mr. Smith or Dear Human Resource Manager.
Do check your spelling!

Cover Letter Dos & Donts

Dont:
Dont use To Whom it May Concern, find out the
name of the person who is receiving the application.
Dont hand write the cover letter. Type it.
Dont tell them your life story. Keep each paragraph
brief and to the point. Use action verbs to describe
yourself.
Dont miss the opportunity to stand out by not
including a cover letter. It can make or break you
chance at an interview.