Introduction and

key components of a
 CV and RESUME- What’s the
difference?
CV (Curriculum Vitae) Résumé

Audience Academics in your field of study.
For international jobs, graduate
programs, teaching, or research
positions in a university or research
setting.
Employers hiring you for a specific
position. For employers outside of academic
settings

Length
Highly flexible
1-2 pages

Focus Represents your academic

achievements and your scholarly
potential
Represent skills, job-related experience
accomplishments and volunteer efforts

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 CV (Curriculum Vitae) Résumé

Skills and experiences related to the job

Essentials List of publications, presentations,
you are seeking
teaching experience, education,
honors and grants

Extraneous Complete list of publications, Activities unrelated to academic pursuits

presentations, and titles of classes
you’ve taught

List of Include Don’t include

References
Present a full history of your
Goal academic credentials, including
teaching, researching, awards, and
services
Present a brief snapshot of your skills and
experiences that communicates your
ability to perform the job you’re seeking
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So, What is
resume?
“ A resume is a summary of one’s
identification, qualification and
intended career path. It acts as an
advertisement of a person’s
qualifications and stimulates the
potential employers to call the
person to the interview.
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Purpose of a RESUme
Your resume is a marketing tool. It needs to
demonstrate:
⊹ That you are employable
⊹ How you meet the job and the organization's
requirements
⊹ That you have the right qualifications and education
⊹ That you have the right experience and skills
⊹ That you have the right level of professionalism for
the job
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Resume Style
⊹ Chronological
⊹ Functional
⊹ Combination

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Chronological
⊹ It lists work history job by job, starting with the most
recent position (reverse chronological order)

⊹ Recruiters favor chronological format because such

resumes quickly reveal a candidate’s education and
experience record.

⊹ It works well for candidates who have experience in

their field of employment and for those who show
steady career growth. 8
Functional
⊹ Focuses attention on a candidate’s skills rather than on
past employment.
⊹ Like chronological, it begins with candidate’s name,
address, telephone number, job objective, and
education.
⊹ Instead of listing jobs, though, the functional resume
groups skills and accomplishments in special categories
such as Supervisory and Management Skills or Retailing
and Marketing Experience.
⊹ Skills are used as headings followed by statements
demonstrating accomplishments and utilization of skills. 9
⊹ It highlights accomplishments and can
deemphasize a negative employment
history.

⊹ People who have changed jobs frequently

or who have gaps in their employment
records may prefer the functional resume.

⊹ Recent graduates with little employment

experience often find it useful as well.
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Combination
⊹ It draws on the best features of the chronological
and functional resumes.

⊹ It emphasizes a candidate’s capabilities while also

including a complete job history.

⊹ Combination resumes list information in reverse

chronological order and focus on skills.

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Job Application
Letter
 Introduction
⊹ A cover letter is a one-page statement of objective that should demonstrate
your qualifications/skills/strengths to the employer and why you are a good
match for the organization and the position you are applying for. Tailor your
cover letter for each company and position.

⊹ Your resume emphasizes what you have done, your cover letter emphasizes
what you can do

⊹ Purpose:
i. Introducing the resume
ii. Highlighting your strengths in terms of benefits to the reader
iii. Differentiating yourself from the crowd
iv. Gaining an interview 13
BEFORE You Write the
Cover Letter
⊹ Research the Employer Learn enough about the
organization so that you can articulate why you are a
strong fit for that firm. Review the website, speak with
current or previous employers, and read articles.
⊹ Analyze the Job Description Look for skills, duties,
and qualifications of the job so you can design your
letter to prove you match these as much as possible.
⊹ Analyze your Background Ask yourself what you have
done that is similar to the duties required of the job,
including classes, projects, work experiences,
internships, volunteer, activities, travel, etc. 14
Parts of cover letter
⊹ An opening that gains attention

⊹ A body that builds interest and reduces

resistance

⊹ A closing that motivates action

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Gaining Attention in the
opening
⊹ Address that individual by name
• Personnel Manager, Human Resources Department
⊹ Tell the reader how you learned of the position or
organization (Why did you decide to apply?)
• If an employment position has been announced and
applicants are being solicited, you can use direct approach
• If you do not know whether a position is open and you are
prospecting for a job, use an indirect approach
Strive for openings that are more imaginative than Please
consider this letter an application for the position of… or
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I would like to apply for…
Openings for solicited jobs

⊹ Refer to the name of an employee in the

company
• Hassan Ali, a member of your Customer Service
Department, told me that Intriplex is seeking an
experienced customer service representative. The
attached summary of my qualifications
demonstrates my preparation for this position
• At the suggestion of Sara Hassan of your Human
Resources Department, I submit my
qualifications for the position of staffing
coordinator
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⊹ Refer to the source of your information precisely
(if you are answering an advertisement, include
the exact position advertised, and the name and
date of publication).
• The September 10 issue of The Dawn News
reports that you are seeking an organized and
reliable administrative assistant with excellent
communication skills.
• Hassan Ali, placement director at XYZ
University, told me that DataTech has an
opening for a technical writer with knowledge
of Web Design and Graphics
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⊹ Openings for unsolicited jobs
If you are unsure whether a position actually exists,
you may wish to use a more persuasive opening.
Since your goal is to convince this person to read on.
 Demonstrate interest in and knowledge of
reader’s business. Show that you have done
your research and this organization is more
than a mere name to you.
 Since DataTech is organizing a new information
management team for its recently established
group insurance division, could you use the
services of a well-trained information systems
graduate who seeks to become a professional
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systems analyst?
⊹ Show how your special talents and background
will benefit the company. They need to be
convinced that you can do something for them.
• Could your rapidly expanding publications
division use the services of an editorial assistant
who offers exceptional language skills, an honors
degree from the University of XYZ, and two years
experience in producing a campus literary
publications?

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Building interest in the body
⊹ Relate your remarks to a specific position.
• If you are responding to an advertisement, you will
want to explain how your preparation and
experience fill the stated requirements.
• If you are prospecting for a job, you may not know
the exact requirements. Your employment research
and knowledge of your field; however,, should give
you a reasonably good idea of what is expected for
the position.

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⊹ Emphasize reader benefits. Describe your
strong points in relation to needs of
employer.
• I have completed courses in business
communication, report writing, technical
writing (Wrong)
• Courses in business communication, report
writing, technical writing have helped me to
develop the research and writing skills
required of your technical writers (Correct)

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⊹ Choose your strongest qualifications and show
how they fit the targeted job
• Because you seek an architect’s apprentice with
proven ability, I submit a drawing of mine that
won second place in the XYZ College drafting
contest last year.
• Successfully transcribing over 100 letters and
memos in my college transcription class gave
me experience in converting the spoken word
into the written word, an exacting
communication skill demanded of your
administrative assistants.
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⊹ Discuss relevant personal traits e.g. team player,
take initiative etc.
⊹ Finally, in this section or the next, you should
refer the reader to your resume. Do so directly or
as part of another statement.
• Please refer to the attached resume for additional
information regarding my education, experience
and references.
• As you will notice from my resume, I will graduate
in June with a bachelor’s degree in Business
Administration.
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Motivating action in the
closing
⊹ After presenting your case, you should conclude with an
urge to action. This is where you ask for the interview.
However, never ask for the job. In requesting an
interview, suggest reader benefits or review your
strongest points. Sound sincere and appreciative.
⊹ Make it easy for the reader to agree by supplying your
phone number and best times to call you.
⊹ Thank the employer for taking the time to consider your
application materials
⊹ Close the cover letter with “Sincerely” or
“Respectfully” 25
⊹ I hope this brief description of my qualifications and the
additional information on my resume indicate to you my
genuine desire to put my skills in accounting to work for
you. Please call me at +92783894948 before 10 am or
after 3 pm to arrange an interview.

⊹ To add to your staff an industrious, well-trained

administrative assistant with proven word processing
and communication skills, call me at +92783894948 to
arrange an interview. I can meet with you at any time
convenient to your schedule.

⊹ Next week, after you have examined the attached

resume, I will call you to discuss the possibility of
arranging an interview.
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Avoid “I” dominance
Reduce the number of sentences beginning with
this pronoun by using two techniques:
⊹ By putting it in the middle of a sentence
I was the top salesman in my department
While working in X department, I did---
⊹ Making activities and outcomes, and not yourself,
the subject of sentences
I took classes in business communication and
computer applications
Classes in business communication and computer
application prepared me to
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