Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Business Writing
Sem 5/2023-2024
What is a Resume?
Marketing Tool: Designed to capture attention and get you to the next stage in
the recruitment process. It presents in writing the skills, accomplishments and
qualifications that you bring to a potential employer.
Key Component: It is the first essential tool in the job search process. The
resume is the first introduction a hiring manager will have of you. You want
them to feel drawn in and motivated to invite you in for an interview.
Written Inventory: The resume is an inventory of your skills,
accomplishments, experiences and education to date. It should be customized
and targeted for each individual position.
Interview Getter: This is your ultimate goal with a resume; it tells the hiring
manager that you have the necessary experience, skills and education.
What to include in a Resume
Here's a list of what many students include in their resumes.
Some of these may be heading titles, or not. Not all resumes will
include all these things. Remember, each job-seeker is unique.
Note that the job candidate did not talk about the actual duties that would be obvious, e.g.
mowing lawns and trimming trees, but instead focused on the transferable skills that would be
important to an employer hiring for a management trainee position.
Quantify Accomplishments
Quantify your accomplishments if you can. For example:
Consistently ranked as the #1 or #2 sales associate out of a
team of approximately 20 sales professionals.
Awarded "employee-of-the-month" twice during eight-
month employment.
Planned and implemented activities for groups of 8-10
elementary school students.
Organized an awards ceremony attended by over 200
student athletes.
Activity
1. Write down 3 transferrable skills that you have
2. Review the Action Verbs in your packet
3. Write each transferable skill, starting with an
action verb
Before You Write Your Resume
What type of job are you seeking? It can help to have a
specific objective or use the position to craft a targeted resume.
Example: When I read your ad in the Daily News for a civil engineer, I
almost believed you had written it for me. (Follow with a description of your
qualifications).
5. Ask a question
Example: Are you looking for an individual who has set sales records for
two different companies and has reorganized an ad campaign to reach
thousands more customers? (Follow with the details of this accomplishment).
Example: How much are rising production costs affecting your bottom line?
(Immediately give an example of how your work can improve the bottom
line.)
Cover Letter – Middle Paragraph
Write about how your experiences and education match what the employer is
looking for. You can expand on the main point(s) you introduced in the
opening and bring up new examples. Provide specific examples as to how
your qualities meet the employer's qualifications.
Example: While I served as the fundraising chair for my fraternity, I planned the
campaign; researched and identified possible donors; and organized phone
solicitation efforts, visits to potential donors, and several one-day events. As a
result, we raised $50,000— a 200 percent increase over the prior year. To be
successful, I trained teams in solicitation techniques, acted as mediator when
tempers became frayed, and recruited committees who worked together to
anticipate and resolve difficulties before they became crises.
Cover Letter – Final Paragraph
Your closing paragraph or sentence should encourage action. Offer one of two choices:
either "you call me" or "I will call you." If you have a personal connection with the employer
and actually have a personal contact name and phone number, the "I will call you" approach
is good. These days, however, it is often difficult to get contact information so do not worry
if you can't follow-up. Finally, thank the employer for taking the time to read and consider
your letter and resume.
Example: As I have described above, I am confident my sales skills, organizational
abilities, and technical expertise will benefit (name of company). I will call you in a
week to check on the status of my application. I look forward to setting up a time for an
interview. Thank you for your consideration.
Example: I would appreciate the opportunity to meet and further discuss my
qualifications and your new graduate registered nurse program. Please contact me at
530-898-3245 or sjsmith6@yahoo.com. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you
for your time and consideration.
Resume vs. Cover Letter
Resume
“Matter-of-Fact” Document
Skills, Experiences, Education
Include Scope, Size, and Achievements
Cover Letter
Enthusiastic, Passionate, Persuasive
How your Skills meet the position Needs
How and Why you can help
Samples of Resume/CV and Cover letter