RESUME

The first step in a job search is to prepare a resume. A resume is a step toward
getting an interview. It organizes your thinking and shows how your past experience
supports your objectives.

There are two types of resumes.

1. CHRONOLOGICAL - This style simply lists your employment history, beginning with
the most recent position and working backward. - This style will deal more with the
content of your work -- that which will be familiar to the potential employer. - You can
insert accomplishments in this style if they are geared to the specific title you held.
2. FUNCTIONAL- This style will allow you to stress skills that are transferable, and will
keep the reader from getting too involved in the content of your responsibilities with
previous employers.- You can play-up your accomplishments and play-down your
experience, or lack of it.

There are seven key elements to a resume:

1. HEADING. A heading should include your name, address and home and office
telephone number. Placement of the heading (left-hand side, centered or right-
hand side) is a personal preference.
2. OBJECTIVE. The objective should include what you expect to do, your strengths,
and the results you plan on producing.
3. EDUCATION. The highest level degree should be listed first, then indicate your
course of study/major, name of school and date degree was obtained. After this,
you can list any prior degrees that you obtained.
4. SKILLS AND ABILITIES. This area focuses on accomplishments. All
accomplishments should support the objective. When listing accomplishments,
you should identify the situation, use action verbs to define what you did, list what
resulted and state the significance in quantifiable terms.
5. WORK HISTORY. This section should include the title of the position you held,
the name company, location (city and state), years employed and a brief
description of the position. Give the broad aspects of your position, the details
can be discussed in an interview. Under no circumstances should you falsify
information.
6. PROFESSIONAL. This section may list professional organizations in which you
have been affiliated. It is recommended you leave out information related to
religious or political affiliation or conversational activities.
7. REFERENCES. References should not be listed on your resume. You can,
however, indicate that references are available upon request. You should have
references listed on a separate sheet. Prior to using someone as a reference,
you should get their permission. Be sure the pertinent information (address and
telephone number) is correct.

Cover Letter

The cover letter is your first, and sometimes your only opportunity to grab an
employer's attention and let them know why your resume is worth reading.

Format the heading elements correctly. Line spacing and address conventions mainly
apply for a paper cover letter. For an online version that is not likely to be printed out, the
date alone may be sufficient, or not even required.

• Include your address at the top (in the right hand corner - approximately 1 inch
down from the top of the page).
• Skip down 4 lines and enter the date.
• Skip down 4 more lines and enter the Contact Person, then the name and
address of the company. Write to a specific person, not "To whom it may
concern", or "Dear Sir/Madam", whenever possible.

 2
Write the body of your letter with three or four paragraphs.

• In the first paragraph, tell the employer why you're writing to them in two or three
sentences. State the position you are applying for. Avoid the standard openings
 like "I wish to apply for the position of ___ advertised in ___". Design your
opening to get the reader to sit up and pay attention to what you can do. It's
unnecessary to specify how you became aware of the position unless it's through
a mutual contact or recruiting program. If you're writing a letter of interest (also
known as a prospecting or inquiry letter), in which you're asking about positions
that might be available, specify why you are interested in working for the
employer.
• In the next one or two paragraphs, outline your qualifications and match them to
the requirements of the position. Show enthusiasm and a desire to help the
company reach its goals. Show the employer what you can contribute to their
bottom line, not what you want to get out of the deal. Use what you've
researched about the employer's background and history. Try to make two or
three solid points, backed up by specific examples. Relate some relevant details
about the company so the employer knows you did some research ahead of
time.
• In the final paragraph, include a positive statement or question that will cause the
employer to want to take action. Make this closing paragraph between 2-4
sentences. Direct the employer to the enclosed resume, make your availability
known for an interview, and if you want to be assertive, state when you will
contact them to set up a meeting time to discuss the opportunity in further detail.
Provide your own contact information (phone number, e-mail address) and
welcome them to get in touch. It's very important to finish off by thanking the
employer for their time and consideration.

 3
Conclude with "Yours sincerely," (if you have addressed the letter to a named person),
"Yours faithfully," (if you have used a "Dear Sir" approach) or "Regards," and leave four
blank lines to sign your name in blue ink. If you use black ink, they may think it is a copy.
If this is online, leave only one or two blank lines.
 4

• Be sure you have spelled everything correctly.

• Own what you've accomplished, grammatically speaking (e.g. avoid "this
experience gave me the opportunity to..." or worse, "these goals were met by
me."). You don't want to sound like everything happened to you or was done by
some other entity. Make yourself the active subject of every sentence (e.g. In this
experience, I developed/reinforced/learned/etc."). But that doesn't mean every
single sentence should start with "I..." so vary your syntax accordingly.
• Break down any contractions (e.g. "I've" to "I have").
• Avoid colloquial (informal) writing. You want to sound professional, objective, and
educated.
• Check the punctuation use carefully.
• Keep the letter to one page -- the purpose of the cover letter is to get the hiring
manager to read your resume! If the letter is spilling onto a second page, it's time
to tighten your points and edit the fluff.
• Your tone should be upbeat, professional and informative. The employer wants
to know what you can do for them, so sell yourself and your skills in a positive
way. Keep that in mind as you write and proofread each paragraph.
• A good cover letter should not sound like a re-hash of your resume. It should pull
highlights from your resume and tie it gracefully with the job description. Consider
it a bridge between your resume and the position you're seeking.
• Make your cover letter visually appealing and coordinated with your resume. Use
the same personal information block in the heading of your cover letter and your
resume. A cohesive resume package is a very attractive selling point. If using
paper (i.e., not online), use the same high quality paper for the cover letter as for
your resume.
• At the same time, do not overdo the style elements. One type font is never wrong
(especially if you are in the arts and applying for a job that requires a resume).
Choose a font that is simple but elegant. Avoid common decorative fonts (e.g.
Comic Sans, Papyrus) unless you wish to send the message "I think I'm original,
just like everyone else." Avoid uncommon decorative fonts unless you are
applying for a job where being quirky is of greater value than being businesslike
AND the people who are doing the hiring are on board with this philosophy.
• Be concise. Never use two words when one will do (avoid verbosity). Always
strike the word "very" and eliminate as many "that"s as you can.
• The more unconventional the employer, the more leeway for creativity you have
in writing a cover letter.
• You don't have to explain everything. You may leave the employer wishing to
learn more about you.