RESUMES AND COVER LETTERS
Northwestern Michigan College Career & Employment Services
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RESUME WRITING
INTRODUCTION The best resume is the resume that gets you an interview. The process of writing a resume is not an easy task. It takes time and much effort to refine it into an effective tool that can be used to get you an employment interview. It should not be written in a single day. A quote from Yana Parker’s Resume Catalog says it very well. “"A resume needs to 'shake down' a bit; after it's completed, it should be considered only a 'draft' for at least a day or two, until the owner has 'slept on it' and some knowledgeable others have looked it over and given feedback." Although there are many examples of how resumes may be laid out, the enclosed example is used to illustrate the different parts of a resume. When writing your resume you should feel free to arrange, change, add, or eliminate different sections to best present your qualifications. I am often asked what is the best source or reference for resume writing. That is very difficult to answer because there are many good books and other resources available. I use the “Wizard of Work, 88 Pages To Your Next Job” by Richard Gaither. Having said that I would have to say that there are many other excellent guides. The principles the Richard Gaither incorporates into his resumes and job search methods are why I like this book. He offers examples, but like all examples, they do not apply to all situations. Also Word Processors such as Microsoft Word, Works and Word Perfect offer templates for writing your resume. The only draw back with templates is that they are not flexible and can be difficult to adapt to your resume. The one concept that many writers miss when writing their resume is that they are writing it for someone else. Always keep the writers needs in mind. MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED RESUME QUESTIONS How many pages should my resume be? There are excellent one page, two page, and three page resumes or even longer. The answer to this question is that it should include everything the reader needs to know about you, nothing more and nothing less. Usually this can be done in one or two pages. What comes first in the resume? We place information in the order of most importance. The most important information is your contact information and it goes at the top of the resume. It includes your name, address and telephone number. It tells the reader how to contact you. The remaining sections include education and work history. Sections such as skills, licenses and certifications, community experience and others may also be useful in your resume. Remember, everything you include in your resume must show your ability or qualification to do the job. An example of what comes first after your contact information may be your education when it is the primary factor or source of qualification for a job. For many people it is their related work experience because it demonstrates your ability to do the job.
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What type of resume should I write? The chronological resume is the preferred resume for the vast majority of us. This type of resume is very specific in that it shows what you have done and (ideally) what you can do as a result of your education and experience. It organizes your experience into a “chronological order” with your most current employment first. On the following page is an example of a resume. Each section is named and an explanation and example of what can be included in that section follows on subsequent pages.
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CONTACT INFORMATIOM. .
JANE P. SMITH
Home Phone: 231-555-5555 Cell Phone: 231-555-5551
HIGHLIGHT YOUR QUALIFICATIONS.
1111 Hometown Lane Traverse City, MI. 49684 QUALIFICATIONS • • • •
Experienced in retail sales and banking with an emphasis on customer service. Skilled and experienced using American Sign Language. Proven ability to meet demanding goals and time constraint. Proficient using M.S. Word, Excel, Access, and Visual Basic 6.0.
Therre are many types of education
EDUCATION
Visual Basic Programming Self Study, Learn to Program with Visual Basic 6.0, John Smiley Completed June 2002 Bachelor of Science Degree – Business Administration GPA- 3.6/4.0 Podunk University, College of Business, Podunk, IA Graduated May, 1998 Certificate, Sign Language/Interpreter Training Courses Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City, MI Completed Sept. 1996 Start with your most recent and work back about ten years and maybe longer TRAVERSE CITY, MI May 2000-Present
EMPLOYMENT
MY FAVORITE BANK Account Relationship Associate/ Trust Department • • • • • •
Assist sales officer by processing and maintaining documentation Resolve discrepancies, prepare materials for presentations on retirement plans Provided administrative support for account officers Responsible for processing 401(k) contributions, requesting and settling trades Balance accounts Build an effective rapport with clients and Huntington personnel
This job has multiple ABC NATIONAL BANK TRAVERSE CITY, MI positions Senior Loan Adjuster Feb. 1999 – May 2000 • Review delinquent accounts and determine billing and collection action to be taken • Discuss delinquency problems with customers and make financial arrangements • Prepare and follow-up small claim actions taken on delinquent accounts • Coordinate collateral protection insurance tracking program and procedures Mortgage Loan Specialist • Maintenance mortgage loan applications for compliance • Prepare management reports and verify new loan bookings Oct. 1998 – Feb. 1999
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•
Prepare payments to land contracts sellers and enter new land contracts Aug. 1996 – Oct.
Loan Operations Reserve 1998 • Assessment and computer entry of all new loan documentation • Fill in during peak workloads for all loan services areas • Train and monitor new team members performance Retail Cash Coordinator • Responsible for the entire cash flow of ABC Bank • Prepare cash shipments to all major merchants • Prepare and inventory all Federal Reserve shipments • Control and monitor inventory of all negotiable items
Nov. 1994 – Aug. 1996
Reserve Customer Service Partner Oct. 1991 – Nov. 1994 • Process customer transactions and cross-sell numerous bank products • Open and monitor new customer accounts • Travel between branches to provide coverage during peak times SUNDAY METHODIST CHURCH TRAVERSE CITY, MI
Sign Language Interpreter for church services 1997-Present Part-time volunteer work providing interpretation services for clients during church services. This experience has given me an opportunity to apply my skills as an interpreter and gain experience working with the hearing impaired.
This is a volunteer position but it is still work experience
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THE RESUME
Contact Information Contact information is printed at the top of your resume and will be used to identify you and tell the reader how to best contact you. This information should include your name, address, and telephone number. Only include your present work number, if you can be contacted at that number. Generally, work telephone numbers are used. You may also include e-mail addresses, cell phones, etc. Do not use telephone numbers where you can’t be reached or do not have a person, answering machine, or service to receive the calls during normal working hours. Here is an example:
John A. Smith
5555 Anywhere Street, Podunk, ID 47843 Telephone (H): 361-555-5555 Highlight Your Qualifications. The process of selecting persons to be interviewed is often not considered by the job seeker. Just like reading the newspaper, the employer scans the resumes, spending eight - fifteen seconds on each one. Being selected for an interview may depend on the employer immediately seeing that you have the required skills and abilities. One method to insure an employer sees your qualifications is to create a "highlights" or a "summary of qualifications" section in your resume. This section is placed near or at the top of your resume. Use bullets or phrases to state the things you want the employer to know about you. These can be important generalizations or the specific skills and abilities the employer is seeking. Highlights are designed to catch the employer’s attention and make him or her quickly aware of your qualifications. Highlights could be titled "Summary of Skills" or "Key Words " when writing a resume that may be electronically scanned. HIGHLIGHTS of QUALIFICATIONS § § § § Nine years experience in teaching and counseling Sincere commitment to the welfare of the student Special talent for assessing individual needs Work supportively with colleagues and administration
This section can also be incorporated into the cover letter (not in both documents) to show specific skills and experience you have that will qualify you for the position. Skills and Abilities Skills and Abilities are closely associated with your “Highlights” but may be presented in a different section in your cover letter under a title such as “Skills and Abilities.” They are those qualifications that you present to an employer that the prospective employer is specifically looking and those that would enhance your ability to contribute to the employers business. Many employment advertisements state specific skills and abilities. If you have these specific skills and abilities, they
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should be included in a prominent location on your resume or cover letter. You should consider all those skills you have used in previous employment such as keyboarding speed, computer software, machinery operated, etc. Skills you have not used professionally (model building skills, sewing skills, etc.) should also be considered when evaluating your skills and abilities. If they relate directly to the position you are seeking, use them. Here is an example: APPLICABLE SKILLS § § § § TurboCAD Ver 8.0 M.S. Word, Excel, Access MOUS Certified CAD-CAM programming ESO 9002 Certified § § § § § AR/AP/GL Cost Accounting Just–In–Time Scheduling Visual Basic C++
Employment History This section includes your most recent work experience and moves backwards to your first job. For each work experience include the job title, company name, location and dates of employment. List employment for the past ten years plus any other employment that is directly related to the position you are seeking. Use descriptive statements to illustrate what you did including special skills and training you acquired. It is also recommended that you state what you can do as a result of this experience. Connect your experience to the prospective position. An Example is: Chief Widget Maker June 1989 – Present ABC Widget Company Traverse City, MI Supervised 33 Journeyman and Apprentice Widget Makers responsible for the production of Category 1 Widgets. Finished all contracted prior to contracted deadline. Reduced employee absenteeism to less than 1 percent. Recognized by corporate headquarters for the reduction of scrap from fifteen to less than 3 percent in one year. Prepared and administered comprehensive on-the-job training program for apprentices and journeyman qualifying six new journeymen. Created and coordinated a comprehensive professional development program with local community college resulting is 60 percent of employees completing all educational requirements in less than 2 years and awarded Associate of Science Degrees in Business, Manufacturing, or other related areas. This experience and given me the experience to be a production supervisor or related management position with a small or large manufacturing organization. Education Educational achievements should include related formal schooling, professional training, on-the-job training, and self-study. When listing formal education include: (1) the name of school; (2) location of school; (3) courses, certificates, diplomas or degrees earned; (4) what you learned; (5) credits completed and/or your GPA if over 3.0 and (6) dates attended or your graduation year. Professional development/on-the-job training should include: (1) the name of the organization and/or person providing the training; (2) the name of the company who sponsored the training, (3) any certification
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received, (4) the dates attended, and (5) what you learned if the title does not specifically state it. Self-study should include: (1) name of subject, (2) who wrote the study material, (3) time period studied and, (4) what you learned. Examples of formal education, self study and professional development/OJT are shown below. Associate of Applied Science Degree, Drafting and Design Technology Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse City, MI GPA: 3.4/4.0 Graduated May 2003
Visual Basic 6.0, Self Study From text “Learn To Program with Visual Basic–6, John Smiley Completed June 2002 Learned how to write Visual Basic routines when working with ACCESS and other application software. Proper Operation of XYZ Widget Press, On-The-Job Training Production Supervisor, ABC Widget Company, Traverse City, MI Memberships, Organizations, Awards, Honors Your membership in various organizations, honors, and awards may be used if they pertain directly to the employment you are seeking. An example entry would be: Member, National Widget Maker Association June 1987 to Pres.. President, Hometown Elementary PTA, Traverse City, MI Sept 2000 – Sept 2001 Employee of the Year, ABC Widget Company, Traverse City, MI June 1999 Hobbies and Interests. These are not usually included unless they are directly associated with the position. Nov. 1999
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JOHN I. JONES
1111 Hometown Lane Podunk, CA. 78231 Telephone: (714) 555-0987
March 27, 19XX
Mr. Marvin Paterson Section Manager Hewlett-Packard Co. 16399 W. Bernardo Dr. San Diego, CA 92717
The opening
Dear Mr. Paterson: I am writing to apply for the Control Systems Engineer position at your San Diego facility posted on “ManyJobs.com.” I have enclosed my resume and included some background information about myself below you may find helpful. At XYZ Company, we use many of your products. As a laboratory engineer at XYZ Company, I have become very familiar with your products design, precision, and reliability. Your upcoming project of applying microcomputers in automatic control systems interests me a great deal and, as my resume states, fits well with my background. These two paragraphs make up the main body. An interview will show that I am an energetic performer who can handle multiple tasks simultaneously. Supervisors often comment on my innovative approach to projects and the ability to work well as a member of a team or independently as required. Coworkers elected me as “Engineer of the Year” based on my accomplishments while maintaining a friendly and cooperative personality. Please take the time to review my qualifications, and I will contact you within two weeks to talk about the possibility of arranging an interview. Please feel free to contact me should you need additional information or would like to schedule an interview earlier. I can be telephoned at (714) 555-0987. If I am not at home, please leave a message on my answering machine, and I will contact you as soon as possible. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, The proposal or closing
Jane Smith Enclosure
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THE COVER LETTER
"A resume without a cover letter is like an unannounced salesperson showing up at your door. If you are going to let in a perfect stranger, you at least want to see their credentials. This is exactly what a cover letter does. It introduces you, a total stranger, to the reader. It must be compelling, personable, and brief. It needs to specifically relate to the position in question. Remember, you only have eight seconds to convince the reader to invite you in." (Barbara B. Vinitsky and Janice Y. Benjamin from How to Become Happily Employed.) The cover letter serves as the introduction for your resume. No resume should ever be sent out without one. While your resume can remain the same for every company to which you apply, the cover letter should be created separately and individually for each position for which you express interest. Your career objective should be included in the cover letter, on the resume, or both. By including it in the cover letter (which has been written separately anyway), you can tailor the objective to the job you are applying for. Studies indicate that your cover letter has a life expectancy of eight seconds, so it must be brief, yet informative. The letter should have three recognizable parts: the opening, which explains why you are writing, ("I'm responding to your advertisement...."); the main body, which lists two or three of your major accomplishments and gives the reader good reasons to want to interview you; and the closing, which expresses a desire for future communication. Be sure your letter draws a connection between the needs of the current job opening and the skills you can bring to the job. Do not use a form letter. Each cover letter should be typed individually, addressed to the individual who is doing the hiring, and tailored to the position and needs of that company. It will usually be three to four paragraphs on one page. Refer to publications such as “Gregg Reference Manual” for proper letter layout and spacing. The Opening tells the reader why you are writing. One example is: “I am writing to apply for the position of Administrative Assistant in your sales department that was posted in the Sunday, Jan 16, 2003, Traverse City Record~Eagle. I have attached my resume and included some additional background information in this letter you may find helpful.” You could also state something like: “ I am writing in response to a conversation I had with Mark Smith, in your advertising department, who encouraged me to apply for the Administrative Assistant position that you are currently seeking candidates for. The Main Body tells the reader who you are and gives them reason to invite you to an interview. It can be considered the motivational part of the letter. It is intended to convince the reader that you are a viable candidate and should be interviewed. It does not include the information in your resume but can introduce it or refer to it. The kind of person you are and how you will fit into the organization is a very important part of the hiring process. Therefore this section is a good place to tell them some things about who you are and what you can do. Examples may include statements as to your ability to handle multiple tasks, your dependability, or your leadership ability.
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The Closing or Proposal section of the cover letter is the last section. This is where you thank the reader and make the proposal for further communication. One example is: “Thank you for reviewing my resume and I look forward to an opportunity to meet with you and discuss my qualifications and how I may become an asset to your company. I can be contacted at the telephone number and address provided on this letter. In the event you call and I am not at home, please leave a message on my answering machine and I will return your call my first opportunity. Thank you.“
THE REFERENCE PAGE
A reference page should always be prepared on a separate page but is only submitted when the prospective employer specifically requests it. The statement “References will be provided upon request” should not be included in your resume. If the prospective employer wants references they will ask for them. You may use that space to give them some additional information about yourself. An example of a replacement for the reference statement may be: Career-minded, honest, dependable and can be counted on to do quality work! Reference page information should include full names, titles, work addresses, and daytime telephone numbers. You can also include their relationship such as “Supervisor” or “Drafting and Design Instructor.” Professional references should include only those people who can speak directly to your ability to do a job. Personal references refer to those who can speak to your character. Usually personal references are not included unless specifically requested.
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REFERENCE PAGE
References for
Allison Z. Applegate
Name, Title Company Name Company Street Address Company City, State, Zip Code Work Telephone Number Mr. John Smith, Production Manager Acme Widget Company 1234 American Way Lakeview, ZP 55555 (543) 555-5555 Ms. Susan Noname, Purchasing Agent Black Building Supplies POB 123 Whataview, MI 33333 (341) 555-5555 Mrs. Jane Doe, Vice President The Creative Donothing POB 666 Wataplace, TI 77777 (564) 555-5555
Note: The person’s title can be on the first line with the name or on the second line depending on length. All references should be arranged the same way.
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The Do’s and Don’ts of Resumes
Do state your job/career objective, including what you want to do and what you can do regarding the type of position you are seeking now, not ten years from now. For example, to secure entry level sales position applying the knowledge and abilities developed through my business management degree. Do include at least personal address data, job/career objective, previous work experience, educational and/or academic background, how references may be obtained, and military service (if applicable). Optional inclusions are honors/awards, community involvement, hobbies, and highlights of qualifications. Do give only factors pertinent to the job or type of employment desired. Do list pertinent employment starting with most recent. Include position title, company name, location, dates of employment, and description of responsibilities. Do list achievements made while in past jobs. Do be positive and brief. Do avoid trite statements. Do strive for neatness and easy reading (remember sufficient margins). Do prepare several versions, possibly focused on different types of positions. Do customize highlights section for each position. Do write your own resume. Do proofread for correct spelling, grammar, and typing. Don't include your age, marital status, height, weight, health condition, or salary expectations. Don't use abbreviations or slang. Don't be negative or wordy. Don't list job title, if the job was very specific. Don't list hobbies, unless extremely relevant to type of employment desired. Don't list references names and addresses, except on a separate page. Don't send your resume without a cover letter
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