Resume and Cover Letter Writing 101 Presented by: University Career Center

1. Resume and Cover Letter Writing 101 Presented by: University Career Center University of Maryland, College Park 3100 Hornbake Library, South Wing 301-314-7225

2. Resume and Cover Letter Writing 101 Workshop Overview • Importance of a powerful resume and cover letter • Resumes • Importance of a resume • Do’s and don’ts of resume writing • Resume styles and writing techniques • Cover letters • Importance of a cover letter • Key points in creating a cover letter • Cover letter writing techniques • Key thoughts about resume and cover letter writing • Appendix with resume and cover letter samples

3. Resume and Cover Letter Writing 101 Resume and Cover Letter: the Dynamic Duo • Cover letters and resumes are meant to be used as a • team: the resume gives the employer a “snapshot” of your • qualifications, while the cover letter • fleshes out your most relevant and meaningful experiences • While information on your resume should be concise, the cover letter is • your opportunity to “show off” and highlight key examples that make • you a great candidate • Both resumes and cover letters are most effective when targeted for a • specific job, employers want to see that you have researched the • position and have prepared a package that best represents your • match in qualifications

4. Resume and Cover Letter Writing 101 Why do you need a resume? • Your resume is meant to get you past the initial screening so that you can • have the opportunity to be interviewed • Typically, only a handful of seconds is dedicated to each resume, you • want yours to make the “definite” pile • Developing more than one resume (reconfiguring and highlighting the • pertinent experiences for each job) can lead to greater interview potential • The more targeted a resume is, the greater the chance that it will make • it through the screening process • A resume cannot represent your qualifications, experiences and • contributions completely • Cover letters, interviews and follow-up are critical

5. Resume and Cover Letter Writing 101 Do’s of Resume Writing Do be professional • Maintain ½” to1” margins for an easier read • Choose simple fonts, white, ivory or light gray paper and black ink • Do not write your resume in the first person • Choose a layout for your information that is easy to read Do be careful • Proofread and ask others to proofread to avoid mistakes • Typos and misspellings decrease your chances of making the “definite” pile • Pay attention to font types, font sizes, and bullets to ensure consistency • Research the employer and the position description: customize • Focus on your job candidacy and provide information pertinent only to that • Target your resume for the specific job, incorporate aspects of the job description • Mention hobby/interests sparingly, unless linked to job in some way Do be relevant Do be specific • Use #s and %s to describe the amount of people you • supervised, the budget amount you worked with, etc. • Be careful with abbreviations of tasks or job titles, do not assume that all who • read your resume will figure it out for themselves Do be truthful • Keep values and ethics in check, think before “padding” your resume • Do not embellish or misrepresent credentials, tasks, results or titles, you may jeopardize • the interview or offer

6. Resume and Cover Letter Writing 101 Don’t’s of Resume Writing • Highlight experiences that relate to your career objective, • it is possible to transform a good experience into a substantive resume item • Example: “Made phone calls” = “Conducted targeted telephone research • which led to nationwide analysis of tire market” • Don’t lie, but don’t sell yourself short either Don’t underestimate yourself • Refrain from excessive use of superlatives such as “dynamite,” “ fantastic,” “incredible,” etc • Example: Instead of calling yourself a “dynamite salesperson,” write that you were “salesperson of the month for 6 months running” Don’t overkill • Use clear and concise wording to get your point across • Avoid using slang and trendy words, be wary of “jargony” buzzwords such as • “optimized,” “augmented,” and “capitalized” • These words sounds great, but they say very little Don’t overuse jargon • Leave white space on your resume, will allow the employer to • read your resume more easily, will pick up the words you want seen • Do not try to crunch every experience, activity, membership on your resume, • choose and customize your resume based on your objective for a specific • employer Don’t cram

7. Resume and Cover Letter Writing 101 Resume Writing Techniques: Organization Contact Information: (usually found in header) Includes name, address (permanent and current), phone number(s), e-mail Career Objective: Brief and specific. Type of position you are seeking? Using which skills in what area? Matches job for which you are applying Education: Begin with the most recent degree and major. May also include relevant courses, GPA and honors A resume may include the following content: Experience: List position, firm, location, dates. Using action verbs, describe activities and accomplishments. Include full/part time, internships, etc. Honors/Awards/Publications: List any awards received, especially pertaining to employment you are seeking or long term goals Skills: List computer (hardware and software), foreign language proficiency, etc. Professional organizations/Extracurricular activities: List memberships (offices and dates held), relevant activities not covered under experience Other pertinent information: Special licenses, certificates. Exclude information about hobbies, family and interests that is irrelevant References: Do not include references on your resume. Phrase “available upon request” is optional, employers know the information is available

8. Resume and Cover Letter Writing 101 Resume Writing Techniques: Language • Do not use the first person pronoun • Substitute the action verb for “I” • Ex: I managed….becomes Managed Use of First Person • Action verbs show a “can do” attitude – begin all job descriptors with action verbs (Managed, Created, Assisted, Initiated, etc) Action Verbs • Resumes call for crisp statements, is it often acceptable to omit articles such as the, a , an • Bullet your statements to add power Sentence Fragments • Readers are impressed with content more so than fancy language, go easy on adjectives and other modifiers • KISS (Keep it Simple, Sweetheart!) Simple Language • Clump related duties together and organize logically by title (Ex. Training and Recruiting Manager: training duties first then recruiting) Progression of Descriptors

9. Cover Letters

10. Resume and Cover Letter Writing 101 Why do cover letters matter? • Cover letters help establish a personal relationship with the reader • They create a mutual interest between reader and writer • They draw on job description to define qualifications and experiences that fit the professional needs of the employer • They may lead an employer to consider you for an interview even if your resume is not exactly on target • Cover letters must answer 2 main questions: • Why you are interested in the position? • How you do qualify for the position? • What can you contribute? • (Use specific resume points and expand to show examples of abilities) • When creating your cover letter, keep in mind that: • Research is critical: Demonstrated knowledge of the potential employer makes your total resume/cover letter package more effective • Customization is important. Like your resume, a targeted cover letter builds a better case for the applicant’s match with the open position

11. Resume and Cover Letter Writing 101 Structure of a Cover Letter Return Address/Your Address: The address should be aligned with the rest of the text (generally left) Date: Written out: ex. April 18, 2002 • Name and Address of the Recipient: The following should be included in this sequence: • Line 1: Person’s full name (always make an effort to know the name rather than just “Human Resource”) • Line 2: Person’s Title • Line 3: Department • Line 4: Company Name • Line 5: Street Address • Line 6: City, State, ZIP code Salutation: Dear Mr., Ms., Dr., etc Opening: 1 short paragraph thatannounces the purpose of the letter and gives the reader a reason to read on Body: 2-3 paragraphs telling the reader why you are interested and why you are qualified Closing: 2-3 sentences thanking the reader and defining next steps/follow-up

12. Resume and Cover Letter Writing 101 Cover Letter Opening, Body and Closing Ms. Jane Student 10 Terp Drive City, MD 20748 April 18, 2002 Mr. John Benefit Human Resources Manager Human Resources Division Shell Shock, Inc. 19 Saddle Street City, MD 20748 Dear Mr. Benefit: Opening/Introduction Body Closing Sincerely, Jane Student Jane Student Opening/Introduction: Reference previous conversation or correspondence, if there has been any. State how you found the job – were you recommended by a person the employer may know? Briefly state your current situation – why are you interested in the job? Mention company name, job title, etc. – customize. Body: Define your accomplishments and how they relate to the job. Elaborate on experiences on your resume that connect with the qualifications/experiences the employer seeks – be specific and customize. Show that you have researched the company, Ex. “Shell Shock, Inc. has a long standing tradition of great customer service, my experience as a . . . will contribute to …” You may also explain large gaps of unemployment. Closing: State the action you expect from the recipient and/or the action you will take. Offer specific time frames for the action, Ex. “I will follow-up with you in two weeks.” Thank the reader for his/her time and consideration.

13. Resume and Cover Letter Writing 101 Key thoughts about resume and cover letter writing  When writing resumes and cover letters, pay attention to grammar, spelling, typos, relevance, specificity, and flow. If scannable, pay special attention to scannable format  Cover letters and resumes are meant to be used as a team: always submit both  Do your research! Learn about the employer and his/her needs with regard to the job opening, understand the job description fully. Be sure to reflect your ability to meet those needs in your resume and cover letter  Both resumes and cover letters are most effective when targeted for a specific job; developing more than one resume canlead to greater interview potential  Do not underestimate your experiences and/or education; show how your qualifications do apply

14. Resume and Cover Letter Writing 101 Resources for Workshop • Workshop Content: • Terp Career and Job Search Guide: UMCP Career Center, 2006 • Job Hunting for Dummies: Messmer, Max, IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., 1995 • Career Planning Today (2nd edition): Powell, C. Randall, Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company,1990 • How to Write Successful Cover Letters: Martin, Eric R. and Langhorne, Karyn E, VGM Career Horizons, 1994