A GuideTo Resumes And Cover Letters

re su me (rez'oo ma', ra'zoo-; ra'zoo ma') n.[Fr., pp. ofresumer: see prec.] a summing up; summary; specif., a statement of a jobapplicant's precious employment experience, education, etc.

Sounds pretty technical and cold doesn't it? This is what Webster'sDictionary defines "resume" as, but where does it leave us? I know that Ineed to write one, but how do I get started? This guide should give you areasonably good idea about how to start and develop the resume that bestreflects you, and only you.

Everyone should have a resume and a resume file into which they aredropping notes to themselves on experiences they should add to theirresume. It is not only handy to have an updated resume around, but it alsofeels good.

So let's start from scratch.

A resume is a concise written statement which highlights the qualities andskills you possess as a result of your life experiences. It communicates amaximum amount of relevant information through a minimum number of words.A resume is a printed synopsis, a capsule biography designed to persuade anemployer to grant you an interview or to request your formal application.A resume is just one of three ways we can communicate our experiences withpotential employers. The other two ways are through the cover letter, andthrough the interview.

A well-prepared resume is a necessary tool for effective employmentseeking. The time and effort devoted to resume preparation is a worthwhileinvestment in your future. Another major advantage to developing your ownresume is that the very discipline required to collect, analyze, andprepare your data for writing provides the opportunity for necessaryself-assessment. In addition, you will be better prepared to intervieweffectively with your educational and employment history at yourfingertips.

Resumes may include any or all of the following:
Career objective
Education and/or training
Qualification statement
Paid work experience
Skills and competencies
Interests/hobbies
Honors/memberships
Reference availability
Unpaid work experience

The 1st All-Important Rule To Resume Writing: There is no correct way towrite a resume.

It is easy to adapt someone else's style and form and "fill in the blanks."In fact, if that is what you have in mind, go ahead...

But first consider this: you are unique. And it is that very uniquenesswhich will land you a job if you are willing to spend the time learning whoyou are, what you want, and how this can be presented to anemployer.

If you would like to create a personalized vechicle to present you and yourstrengths to a prospective employer, read on.

Resume vs. Curriculum Vitae

There can be some confusion as to the difference between a resume and acurriculum vitae. A resume, usually one page, summarizes the education,experience, and skills of an individual; and may also include leisureinterests and community activities. Resumes are developed to fit aparticular purpose; to target a specific job pool.

Curriculum vitae (CV or just "vitae"), usually 3-10 pages, is abiographical statement that has been traditionally used in highereducation, but is now finding its way into more mainstream areas, such ascorporate applications. The CV emphasizes professional qualifications, andactivities including degrees earned, teaching and research experience,publications, and presentations. Usually as a recent undergrad, experiencein these areas is limited. Although some contend that the differencebetween a resume and CV is not length but content, recent undergrads shouldkeep their resume to an acceptable one page.

"So, Now What?"

The format of your resume should be determinded by arranging your uniquecombination of skills in a manner that will interest a potential employerenough to grant you an interview.

Obviously then, you cannot write a resume in a vacuum. It must bedirected toward a particular career area. You may choose to omitthis career OBJECTIVE on your resume (you can state it in the accompanyingcover letter if you prefer). Knowing your career objective will allow youto present the skills and strengths which are most relevant to thatparticular field first.

Sometimes, it is difficult to write a directed resume because you areundecided about your career choice. If you are considering more then onefield, you may wish to write different resumes that are specific to eachfield.

Most job applications require that you list all past experiences in reversechronological order. For most of us, that is not necessarily in our bestinterests. Perhaps the skills we gained as a result of an experienceseveral years ago are the skills we want to emphasize, and we don't wantthose buried in the middle or the end of your resume.

If at this point you do not know to whom you are submitting your resume orfor what type of position, you need to stopand spend some timecollecting information about the position. you ought to be able to answerthe following:

* If you were hired, what would you be doing on the job?
* Could you describe the job to someone who is unfamiliar with theactivities?
* What do you know about the company or institution in which you would beemployed?
* What does the company or institution look for in an employee?
* Are you "right" for the employer? Is the employer "right" foryou?

Information-seeking takes time but it is crucial to your job hunt.The better informed you are, the better you will be able to presentyourself in the job interview. Always remember that a resume's goal isto get you an interview, not a job. Once it has served the part ofgetting you that all-important interview, it is up to you to perform in theinterview. If you need help with your information gathering orinterviewing techniques, contact the Career Development Office in MearsCottage at x4940.

Formatting

After you have completed the worksheets from thebooklet "Guide To Resumes And Cover Letters" that you can obtain from theCareer Development Office, you can begin thinking about the best format topresent your "case." Although there is no one right format for a resume,there are three commonly used variations:

Chronological:The chronological resume features your work andeducational experience in reverse chronological order. It assumes yourmost recent experience and length of experience are most favorable.

Functional:The functional resume is skills-oriented and can be veryeffective for liberal arts job seekers. It can highligh skills that aretransferable from one field to another.

Combined:The combined resume is a blend of chronological andfunctional, representing some information under traditional headings andorganizing other elements according to job functions.

In the CDO are sample resumes written in each format to give you a feel forthe difference in emphasis. Use them as jumping off points for yourpersonalized resume. Sometimes it might help to "imitate" one or moreforms and then "play around" with what you have created until you arriveat something that is uniquely "you."

Begin with a rough draft, and work it and re-work it.

The following are points to remember:

* A resume should be 100% honest.
* A resume should reflect your "uniqueness."
* Spend some time stating your career goal. Consider your values,interests, objectives, and skills. While your goal should not be overlynarrow, it should show purpose and direction.
* Do not include personal information such as birthdate, height, weight,marital status, number of dependents, or health.
* A short, concise length of one page is best.
* Write in phrases, not complete sentences.
* Do not use personal pronouns.
* A resume is not a book-it is designed to pique the curiosity of thereader, not answer all questions.
* Whatever you do, never use abbreviations.
* State: References available upon request rather than listing namesand addresses.
* Have your resume professionally printed. Noyce Computer Center offerslaser printer workshops for resume writing. The choice of paper, style andcolor should be consistant with your image of yourself and appropriate tothe career field you are addressing (i.e., what appeals to a bank may notto an advertising agency, and vice versa!). Cover letter stationary andenvelope should match resume.
* Resumes should be consistent in format.
* Never mail a resume to a prospective employer without an accompanyingletter (cover letter).

If you have trouble pulling your resume or cover letter together, bringyour worksheets and rough drafts into the Career Development Office forhelp or constructive criticism. We are here to help you. If you haveworked with our staff on your resume, we will provide you with 15 freecopies of your resume. Ask us for details.

SAMPLE RESUME CONTENT

The suggested content and order is not meant to be perscriptive. Yourmost supportive information should appear at the beginning (in terms ofyour entire resume and within categories). Then let the second mostimportant information appear second, and so on.

YOUR NAME
(Permanent Address) (Present Address)
Address (area code) Telephone #
Including Zip Code E-mail Address (optional)

EMPLOYMENT OBJECTIVE
The employment objective is a short, concise statement of the position youare seeking, which may include the kind of organization in which you wishto be employed. Avoid being general or too diversified in your statement.A clear employment objective indicates to an employer that you have givenconsiderable thought to your career goals. Other possible titles include:POSITION DESIRED, EMPLOYMENT GOAL, OBJECTIVE, JOB OBJECTIVE, OBJECTIVESTATEMENT, etc. (This statement should always be developed although someexperts suggest it be incorporated into the cover letter as an alternativeto being printed on the resume itself.)

EDUCATION
In reverse chronological order, list degree received (or anticipated ifwithin a semester) including major, the awarding institution, its location(city and state), and the date your degree was received. You may also wantto include course work emphasis, areas of concentration, honors,scholarships, GPA, etc. Other possible titles include: EDUCATIONALBACKGROUND, TRAINING, EDUCATIONAL HISTORY, etc.

QUALIFICATIONS
This optional category may be especially helpful to the college student whodoes not have much work experience or to a person making a career change.It usually consists of three to five concise statements describing thoseskills and/or qualities that indicate your ability to do the job. Keep inmind that during the interview you may be asked to substatiate thesestatements with examples of activities which demonstrate that you possessthe capabilities you have described. Other possible titles include:SPECIAL SKILLS, AREAS OF EXPERTISE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES, OTHERQUALIFICATIONS, TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE, etc.

EXPERIENCE
This category includes all past and present work experience. It may alsoinclude part-time work, volunteer experience, student teaching, interships,assistantships, military experience, etc. This section is logicallyorganized (usually in reverse chronological order) and includes job titles,name of the employer (company or firm name), location (city and state),duties or responsibities, and inclusive dates of employment (month andyear). Duties and/or responsibilities are described here in short, concisephrases (you might want to use action words from the list provided later inthis document). Other possible category titles include: EMPLOYMENTHISTORY, WORK EXPERIENCE, PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, RECENT POSITIONS,etc.

OTHER CATEGORIES
You may use any category or heading you want to get across your uniquenessin the most positive light. Some possible titles include:
INTERESTS
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
SPECIAL AWARDS
COMMUNITY AFFILIATIONS
STUDENT ACTIVITIES
PUBLICATIONS
PROFESSIONAL WRITING
RESEARCH
PERSONAL INTERESTS
VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES

REFERENCES
There are many schools of thought regarding references. One school statesthat all references (names, titles, professional addresses and telephonenumbers) should be included on the resume. Another holds that theinclusion of references is unnecessary suggesting that all that is neededis the brief statement "References available upon request." A third schoolrecommends having a separate list of references ready to present to anemployer when requested. In all cases, references should be selected aheadof the time they are needed and their permission obtained. You need to beprepared in case a prospective employer asks for thisinformation.

It is important to be specific when describing your experience. Thefollowing list of words will help you communicate your skils in a positiveand active way.

102 ACTION WORDS TO DESCRIBE YOURSKILLS

ACT
ADAPT
ADMINISTER
ADVISE
ADVOCATE
ALLOCATE
ANALYZE
APPROVE
ARRANGE
ASSIST
CATALOG
COLLATE
COLLECT
COMMUNICATE
COMPILE
COMPOSE
CONDUCT
CONSULT
CONTRACT
CONTROL
CONVEY
COORDINATE
CORRESPOND
COUNSEL
CREATE
DESIGN
DETERMINE
DEVELOP
>DIRECT
DISAPPROVE
DISSEMINATE
DISTRIBUTE
DOCUMENT
DRAFT
EDIT
ENCOURAGE
ENLARGE
ESTABLISH
EVALUATE
EXERCISE
EXPAND
FACILITATE
GOVERN
GROUP
GUIDE
HARMONIZE
IDENTIFY
IMPLEMENT
IMPORVE
INDEX
INFORM
INITIATE
INNOVATE
INSTRUCT
INTERPRET
INTRODUCE
INVENT
INVESTIGATE
MAINTAIN
MANAGE
MODERATE
MONITOR
MOTIVATE
NEGOTIATE
OPERATE
ORGANIZE
OVERSEE
PERFORM
PLAN
PREPARE
PRESENT
PRESIDE
PROCESS
PROMOTE
RECEIVE
RECOMMEND
RECORD
RECRUIT
RECTIFY
REFER
REPRESENT
RESEARCH
RESHAPE
RESOLVE
REVIEW
REVISE
ROUTE
SCHEDULE
SELECT
SERVE
SORT
SPEAK
STRAIGHTEN
STRENGTHEN
SUPERVISE
SURVEY
SYSTEMATIZE
TEACH
TESTIFY
TRAIN
WRITE

Effective Cover Letters

The importance of a strong cover letter cannot be overestimated.Your cover letter is your writing sample. It reflects your abilityto make an articulate, succinct statement about yourself and your goals andtheir relevance to an employer. Interview decisions are often made on thebasis of the cover letter alone; a poorly written cover letter willeliminate you from consideration.

For that reason, your cover letter must be letter-perfect,punctuation-perfect. If spelling and grammar are not your forte, be sureto ask for help. In addition, have your final copy proofread by at leasttwo individuals.

Cover letters should never be copied or xeroxed, but should be individuallytyped (or done on a word processer) and personalized. Doing research onthe organization or company before you write will make this taskeasier.

Never copy someone else's cover letter. You cover letter must beyour own; it expresses your writing style and personality. You may get,and use, suggestions and ideas from another person's letter. but nevercopy a cover letter word for word. You letter should give prospectiveemployers an idea of you. Not who you've copied.

When you write your cover letter, think of it in three different sections,or paragraphs. The first paragraph should cover the reason you arewriting. It should address questions such as, "where did you hear aboutthe company, or the position?"

Use the second section to highlight your resume. In this section, you wantto convince your potential employer to read your resume and then grant youan interview. You want to be convincing, but not pushy. This sectioncan be an excellent opportunity to really "blow your horn" and drawattention to your unique skills and abilities. Be sure to back up each ofyour points you make with relevent experience that you haveaccomplished.

The third, and last, section should tell the reader what you intend to doat this point. Will you be calling them next week? Will you be waitingfor a call or a letter from them? You need to be very clear here. Thereader should have no questions in his or her mind about what the next stepis and their role in it. Failure to be very clear in this section couldresult in the end of the whole process for you right then andthere.

Some Final Thoughts...

So, you have now read the guide, done the worksheets, compiled theinformation, written your resume and your cover letter. All you need to donow is send it out, right? Before you do that, let us take a few momentsto ensure that your resume is up to the standards that you deserve.First of all, let's remember there is no right or wrong way to write aresume. It should be accurate in reflecting you. The resume should beable to give potential employers an idea of who you are. Also, pleaseremember that the resumes' ultimate goal is not to get you a job, butrather, to help you get an interview. The interview is an opportunity foryou to breathe life into the information you provided in your resume andcover letter.

IN SUMMARY

Write it yourself: It is OK to look at examples of resumes in orderto get an idea of how to write yours, but don't copy them. The resumeshould reflect who you are, not someone else.

Make every word count: Limit your resume to one page. After youhave done a first draft, edit it at least two more times. If a word orphrase does not support your objective (whether you have it listed ornot...), edit it out.

Keep it free of any errors: Ask as many people as possible to checkover your resume for any grammar and spelling errors. Check everything asmany times as possible to make sure that it is perfect. Nothing will killyour chances for success faster than a resume full of grammatical mistakesand misspelled words!

Make it look good: Have your resume typed professionally and copiedon good quality paper. Using the same standard of paper for your coverletters and envelopes shows nothing but class and a true sense ofprofessionalism.

Stress your accomplishments: A resume is no place to be humble orshy.

Be specific: Give facts and numbers. Instead of saying you workwell with people, say "I supervised and trained three people and increasedour productivity by 40%." That will mean something!

Keep your resume active and positive: Use action verbs and shortsentences. Avoid negatives of any kind. Emphasize accomplishments andresults.

Keep your resume updated: Pull your resume out every 4-6 months andupdate it with recent information. Why wait until you have to look for ajob to revise your resume? Make it part of your professional "to-do"list.

Remember that resumes and cover letters represent you to a potentialemployer. It is a first impression. It is your job to make that firstimpression a good one!