How good do you look on paper?

1. How good do you look on paper? Your cover letter and résumé will say it all.

2. Cover Letter • Can sometimes be more important than the résumé • will actually “sell” the reader on the idea of reading your résumé • should always accompany a résumé • should always be individualized to the employer you are applying • should complement, not duplicate your résumé

3. Why do you need a cover letter? • To persuade the employer to read your résumé • It interprets the data-oriented and factual résumé • Adds a personal touch • It’s your critical first impression

4. What’s in the letter? • The return address (this is yours) • Mailing address (recipient) • Salutation, greeting • Address to a specific person, avoiding using “Dear Sir” or “To Whom It May Concern” If unsure to whom is it addressed use “Dear Hiring Manager, Dear Manager, Dear Human Resource Manager or Dear Recruiter.” • 1st paragraph, introduction (body) • Introduce yourself • Explain why you are writing • If you are responding to an ad, mention where you saw the ad and the date it appeared • If you are not responding to an ad, explain the type of work you are looking for • Express interest in the company

5. What’s in the letter? Continue • 2nd paragraph, middle (body) • Describe your qualifications • Emphasize relevant experience or school work • Show how your abilities match the job description • Emphasize how you can benefit the company • 3rd paragraph, Final (body) • Indicate what action you plan to take • State that you will stop by on a certain date or that you will call to arrange an interview • Include information on how and where you can be reached • End with a “thank you” • Complimentary Closure (Respectfully Yours) • Handwritten Signature (Black or Blue ink) • Your name typed • Enclosure

6. Résumé • Your résumé is one of the most important marketing tools in your job search • Creating a résumé involves you documenting your accomplishments and skills to showcase what you have to offer an employer

7. Chorological Is the most common and best accepted format. Your most recent work or education experiences appear first, showing your qualifications for the job. Skills use to focus on skills if you have no work experience (entry level work) Functional Focuses on transferable skills What you can do rather than when or where you learned to do it. Groups similar accomplishments under skill headings and ignores chronological order It is a good format for career changers and those with limited work history Résumé Formats

8. Electronic Résumé • Will be read and scanned by a computer and placed in a database • Must contain key words • Use nouns that state your job title, duties, and accomplishments • Use language known in that particular industry, profession or occupation • If it doesn’t contain the keywords the employer is requesting the computer to search for, the hiring professional will not see your résumé

9. What’s on a Résumé? • Heading (your contact information) • Career objective • Work experience • Education • Skills and accomplishments

10. 1. CAREER OBJECTIVE • Tailor your objective, to a specific job by including keywords and phrases from the job description of interest • Identify level of position for which you are applying, for no experience • Example: Obtain an entry-level position… • Identify type of business, industry or career area sought, keep it generic, such as manufacturing, health, humans services or sales, etc. • Example: Obtain an entry-level position in business… • Identify major strengths you have to offer this employer; be sure there are examples of these strengths in the résumé • Example: Obtain an entry-level position in business or industry using my strengths in clerical procedures and customer contacts.

11. “A résumé without a objective is like a book without a title,” states Jay L. Sthal, managing director of Right Associates in Raleigh, NC

12. 2. WORK EXERIENCE • List in reverse chronological order • Company name, city, state, job title, dates, and duties • Full time, part time, especially those that relate to your chosen career field • Start each work experience with an action verb such as; guided, monitored, coached, expanded, administered, and created • Activity 6.01 (26)

13. 3. SKILLS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Written in short, clear phrases • Functional skills • Schedule, train, troubleshoot, summarize • Technical Skills • Microsoft office, Windows movie maker, Adobe • Personal traits • Positive, reliable, resourceful, tactful, loyal • Accomplishments from paid and volunteer

14. 4. EDUCATION • Schools are listed in chorological order, most current first • Include special courses and skills that show related qualifications and preparation • If a recent graduate, list your education before work experiences, otherwise, education appears after work experiences • All relevant honors, awards, training, special skills

15. REFERENCES • Get permission to from your references • Previous employers are the best to use • Use people that can say good things about you • Prepare a list with name, address and contact number

16. THE FINAL PRODUCT • Proofread and revise • Keep revising until it is the best it can possibly be • Use parchment paper • Keep it to one page • Keep it neat

17. Do Be concise, accurate, and positive List your most recent job first Stress skills and accomplishments Research and use keywords related to the job Make it attractive to read Have someone proofread it Have references on a separate sheet Don’t Lie or exaggerate Include salary history Use pronouns or abbreviations Overdo use of bold and italics Use small type or overcrowd margins Include references Résumé Do’s and Don’ts

18. What’s wrong with this résumé? • There are 7 mistakes • Objective statement not detailed enough • you’re in objective section is misspelled • More information is needed in the education and work experience section, she should list her grade point average, any awards, or honors she’s received, specifics about her past work duties • phase “I took summer enrichment class” should not be in first person and it’s grammatically incorrect • “Regist” in work experience section is spelled wrong • Items in work experience are in the wrong chorological order • Not enough information about duties and leadership position is provided in the activities section

19. What’s inside? • How to write a cover letter with samples • Resume development with samples • My first resume outline • What employers are looking for in an interview • 18 tips for job interviews (ESC) • Follow up/thank you letter sample • Resignation letter

20. For more tips on preparing your résumé visit CareerOneStop.org Good Luck!