Resume Writing Cover Letters

Resume Writing & Cover Letters Physical Therapy September 9, 2008 Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Services Virginia Commonwealth University VCU University Career Center Agenda  Resumes – Purpose – Formats – Content – Organization and Appearance  Cover Letters – Purpose – Format – Content Purpose of a Resume Goal: ? an interview  A resume is a strategic personal marketing tool to sell your relevant experience, education, skills, accomplishments and qualifications to potential employers  Resume Formats  Resume – Chronological Resumes – Functional Resumes – Combination Resumes  Curriculum Vitae *Use the categories that fit you Resume Content CORE CONTENT AREAS:       Name and Contact Information Objective or Professional Interest Statement Education Experience Scholarships/Honors/Awards       ADDITIONAL CATEGORIES:   Certification/Licensure Selected Coursework/ Projects/Presentations    Research Experience Publications & Presentations Professional Organizations Computer/Technical Skills Skills Summary Additional Experience Professional Development – training, professional organizations, workshops, conferences Student Organizations Community Service/Volunteer Foreign Languages Name and Contact Information Do not write “Resume” or “Curriculum Vitae” on your resume  On top of page:  – – – – Name – slightly larger font size (14 or 16) Contact information – legible font size (11 or 12) Address Phone number(s) (cell – screen calls, professional voicemail) – Email address (remove hyperlink, professional) Name & Contact Information ~Examples~ Jamie T. Student 907 Floyd Avenue ▪ Richmond, VA 23284 ▪ 804.123.4567 ▪ studentj@vcu.edu _______________________________________________________________ Jamie T. Student Current Address: 907 Floyd Avenue ▪ Richmond, VA 23284 Permanent Address: 123 Lovely Lane ▪ Fairfax, VA 32145 804.123.4567 ▪ studentjt@vcu.edu _______________________________________________________________ Jamie T. Student studentjt@vcu.edu 804.123.4567 Current Address: 907 Floyd Avenue Richmond, VA 23284 Permanent Address: 123 Lovely Lane Fairfax, VA 32145 Objective     Optional If you have one, be specific Avoid clichés or general statements Focus on how the employer would benefit, not on how they can help you  Consider targeting your objective for each resume you send out Objective ~Examples~ OBJECTIVE To obtain a position as a Pediatric Physical Therapist. OBJECTIVE Seeking an acute care Physical Therapy position through the assistantship program offered by VCU Health System. OBJECTIVE (PROFILE) Recent physical therapy graduate with interest in sports medicine and experience as a certified athletic trainer seeking orthopedic resident position. Education       List all degrees in reverse chronological order MCV/VCU Abbreviating degrees is appropriate; writing them is preferred GPA optional for graduate or professional school Indicate graduation with honors Do not include high school graduation Education ~Examples~ EDUCATION D.P.T., expected May 2008 Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), Richmond, VA (in the tradition of the Medical College of Virginia) B.S. in Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise, May 2005 Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech), Blacksburg, VA EDUCATION Virginia Commonwealth University Doctor of Physical Therapy Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University Bachelor of Science Major: Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise GPA: 4.0 Richmond, Virginia Expected: 05/2008 Blacksburg, Virginia 05/2005 Experience           Focus on relevant experience Include clinical experience and other relevant experience Focus on type of clinical experience and any specializing (e.g., spinal cord injuries) Demonstrate well rounded clinical experience Can include unpaid experience, internships or volunteer work Begin descriptions with strong action verbs Include complete but succinct descriptions Avoid the use of personal pronouns Focus on skills and accomplishments rather than including a comprehensive list of job duties Quantify accomplishments whenever possible Action Verbs  Use strong, descriptive action verbs to describe your experience  If it is a current experience, use the present tense  If it is a previous experience, use the past tense  Avoid gerunds (-ing)  Vary your action verbs (refer to action verb list in resume guide)  Avoid “duties include” or “responsible for”  Refrain from using “handled” or “dealt with” when referring to people Physical Therapy Skills/Action Verbs        Evaluate Consult Communicate Document Examine Teach Assess        Implement Refer Supervise Diagnose Manage Collaborate Plan Examples of PT Experience Descriptions        Developed patient education handouts that are used by all nine PTs in the clinic Initiated and headed up PT Month activities for the hospital that included a community health fair and local radio spots Completed a clinical research project that resulted in a 37% increase in patient satisfaction Developed a program for measuring continued competency Increased revenue by 25% through direct marketing efforts to physicians Taught inservice programs on documentation for staff PTs that resulted in fewer reimbursement denials Revamped the clinic’s documentation forms to be consistent with the Guide to Physical Therapist Practice -taken from The American Physical Therapy Association website Experience ~Example~ RELEVANT EXPERIENCE VCU Health System Richmond, VA Student Physical Therapist May-July 2006  Completed an acute care rotation.  Evaluated and treated patients in various intensive care units including neuroscience, surgical, and medical Honors       Honor Societies Scholarships awarded Other awards May separate into undergraduate and graduate if you have many items Alphabetical or reverse chronological order Include graduation with honors in Education section (cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude) Honors ~Example~ HONORS  MCV Alumni Association of VCU Scholarship, awarded 2006  Mary T. McGuire Scholarship, awarded 2005  Phi Beta Kappa, inducted 2005  Order of Omega Honor Society, inducted 2004  Golden Key International Honour Society, inducted 2003  Virginia Tech Dean’s List, all semesters Organizations  Focus on relevant organizations   Highlight leadership positions Include memberships in professional organizations and student organizations related to field Include years of membership Can be combined with Honors or another section    List in reverse chronological order or alphabetically Organizations ~Example~ ORGANIZATIONS  Student Conclave, Staunton VA (2006)  American Physical Therapy Association (member since 2005)  Virginia Physical Therapy Association (member since 2005)  Virginia Tech Student Government Association (2001-2005) Community Service/Volunteer Include relevant volunteer experience or community service  Consider elaborating on this experience; organize just like experience section  Community Service ~Example~ COMMUNITY SERVICE 1st Annual VCU Department of Physical Therapy Golf Tournament, Bottoms Bridge, VA Coordinator/Volunteer, April 2007  Planned and organized golf tournament to raise money for The Foundation of Physical Therapy Camp Bruce McCoy, Chesapeake, VA Volunteer, May-June 2006  Took an interdisciplinary team approach in working with campers with traumatic brain injury  Adapted activities for a variety of functional levels Habitat for Humanity, Newport News, VA Volunteer, July 2005  Collaborated on a team to build affordable homes for low-income families Resume Organization and Appearance   Consistent organization is critical to an effective resume The appearance and organization of the resume is just as important as the content Skim … in less than 10 seconds  Resume Organization            Avoid templates Consistent organization Use horizontal space Balanced page Fill the page White space in between sections and entries Use tabs, not space-bar to indent Use “print preview” Resumes should be one page in most cases A second page is justified if it includes relevant, significant information If you use more than one page, make sure you include “Name, Page #” & avoid stragglers on all subsequent pages          Use bold, CAPS, italics and underlining strategically and sparingly Be consistent with heading style and margins Use one font style and size (except for your name and/or headings) Font: Times New Roman or Arial Font Size: no smaller than 10 in Arial or 11 in Times Margins: at least 0.5 inches Avoid paragraphs Use bullets, not dashes Avoid numbering your secitons Resume Appearance - Proofread Use all periods or no periods at the end of sentences  Dashes used in dates – consistent size, consistent spacing  Check for spelling and grammatical errors  Spellcheck does not check words in all caps  Avoid personal pronouns and personal information  Resume Appearance - Final Copy Avoid graphics, pictures, color ink  Print on laser printer  Use high quality, 100% cotton paper in white or off-white  Don’t staple or fold  Don’t print on both sides of paper  If mailing, use large envelope  References        List 3-5 professional references on a separate document following the resume Copy and paste your contact information at the top of the page When listing references include name, title, organization/institution and department, business address, phone number, and email Don’t write “References available upon request” on your resume ALWAYS ask permission from person giving you the reference Offer your references a copy of your resume Inform your references of the positions you’re applying for so they are prepared References ~Example~ REFERENCES Judy Smith, PT, PhD Assistant Professor Virginia Commonwealth University School of Allied Health Professions Department of Physical Therapy P.O. Box 980224 Richmond, Virginia 23298-0224 Phone: (804) 828-0234 Fax: (804) 828-8111 jsmith@vcu.edu Cover Letters Why write one? Purpose:  Introduce yourself/your resume  Indicate the position you are seeking  May take the place of the objective  Highlight your qualifications  Tailor letter to the job Cover Letter Format Business letter format: (Left justify everything) Your address Today’s date  Employer’s name, title, organization, address  Greeting  Body  Closing (Sincerely, Yours truly)  Your signature  Your typed name  Enclosure(s): resume, application, references...   Cover Letter Format Simplified format:    Leave off greeting and closing Use this option when you are not writing to a specific person Allows you to avoid generic greetings (To whom it may concern; Dear Sir or Madam) E-mailing a Cover Letter Two options: 1. Your e-mail is the cover letter, attach your resume – – – – Leave off return address, date and employer’s address Follow basic cover letter writing guidelines for the body of your e-mail E-mail cover letters should be briefer than traditional cover letters Spell check and proof read your e-mail prior to sending 2. Write a brief e-mail, attach your cover letter and resume – Follow traditional cover letter writing guidelines – Spell check e-mail and cover letter prior to sending Content: First Paragraph     Introduce yourself and state why you are contacting the organization Indicate the specific position of interest and how you learned of the position Include degree you are seeking and when it will be awarded You may wish to quickly summarize your experience/qualifications in one sentence Content: Body Paragraphs     Explain why you are interested in this position and this organization – demonstrate that you have done your research Address each skill or qualification in the position description and explain how you meet the organization’s needs – be specific Provide examples that demonstrate your skills Do not just repeat your resume Content: Concluding Paragraph     Reiterate your interest Invite the employer to contact you and repeat your contact information (it should already be listed at the top) Indicate how and when you will follow up (if you have the contact information to do so) Thank the employer for their time and/or consideration of your application Cover Letters Other information to include:    Request information or interview Explain gaps in employment, why you are reentering the job market, or why you are changing the focus of your career If you were informed of the position by an employee of the company, include their name Tips For A Stellar Cover Letter Address letter to a specific individual, when possible  Be specific when discussing your career goal and qualifications  Give supporting evidence of your skills  Try not to start many sentences with “I”  Write no more than 3 or 4 paragraphs  Write simply and clearly  Cover letter should complement, not repeat your resume  Let your personality come through  Resources Resume Guide: http://www.students.vcu.edu/careers/document s/ResumeHandout.electronic.allpages.pdf  Cover Letter Guide:  http://www.students.vcu.edu/careers/doc uments/CoverLetterHandout.pdf OR  Go to www.students.vcu.edu/careers  Scroll down and click on “Resume Guide” and “Cover Letter Guide” on the left side of the page VCU University Career Center Jeanette Waterman ejwaterman@vcu.edu University Student Commons Monroe Park Campus www.students.vcu.edu/careers Hours: Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.