Resume & Cover Letter Writing

Terri Alderfer terri@cmu.edu

Agenda

Resume as a Marketing Tool Dos & Donts Resume Sections References Cover Letter Next Steps

Your Resume A Marketing Tool What is it marketing?

You and your skills Who is the audience?

Potential employers Potential coworkers People seeking your expertise Everyone.thanks to social networking

How does it market? Communicates your strengths and abilities Grabs the readers attention and motivates them to take action

*Remember: Your resume is yours. We provide guidance and suggestions, but ultimately it is left to your discretion.

Research Yourself

Skills, abilities and values Where are these?

Classroom, previous work including internships, team projects, clubs and organizations, volunteer work

Audience Skills, abilities and values Where are these?

Websites, TartanTRAK, CareerNavigator, Vault, Glassdoor.com, alumni and friends, Google search

Research

Do your homework many companies tell you exactly what they want! Google: http://www.google.com/about/careers/students/howtoapply.html Deloitte: http://mycareer.deloitte.com/us/en/students/recruitmentprocess

Employers Rank Top 5 Candidate

Skills/Qualities

Work Ethic

Problem Solving

Communication

Teamwork

Leadership

Source: Job Outlook 2015, National Association of Colleges and Employers

Dos Everything on your resume is relevant to the industry and

role you seek Focus is on the employers needs Show results, when you can Quantify Be visually appealing Font size no smaller than 9. Use larger font size to highlight

headings Limit the use of bold and italic Use action words and powerful language One 8.5 x 11 page, front only Fonts: Arial, Times New Roman ZERO ERRORS. Have others read your resume

Donts Lie List high school information Miss critical information, i.e. phone number, email, gpa Include a photograph Include birthday, marital status, height, weight Include salary information List references on the resume List exact dates. Months and years are sufficient Misspelling, poor grammar, wordiness or incorrect

punctuation

Contact Information

Sample Name

1 Sample St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213 555.555.3936, sample@andrew.cmu.edu

Objective An objective is not necessary. However, you may choose to

include an objective in some situations. These 2 questions should be answered

What kind of position? What kind of company or industry?

Thenhow the company will benefit from hiring you Short, no more than 1-2 lines. BUT: be specific. Example Objective: To utilize data analysis skills in a

position of leadership that will contribute to a rapidly-growing technology company.

Education List of your undergraduate and graduate programs

Key information Name of institution, city, state (country) Date of graduation or expected date Degree GPA or distinction Relevant coursework Education Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA Dec. 2010 Master of Information Systems Management GPA 3.65 Relevant Coursework:

Experience List of jobs and internships including dates and details

Key pieces Company name, city, state (country) Job title Employment dates (month/year format) Your responsibilities and accomplishments using action words

Format Reverse chronological order Bulleted list of responsibilities Begin each bullet point with an action word Quantify and show results when possible

Academic Projects Exhibits new skills and accomplishments in the classroom

Key pieces Project or class title Date Role, if there is one 2-3 bulleted points about the project and your

contribution Mostly from your current program; however, you can

include from other programs if relevant to what you want to do

Skills - List of skills and certifications which are relevant and proficient

Technical Skills Typically listed by topic, i.e. software, languages,

tools

Language Skills List any foreign languages that you speak

Certifications List the certification and date if available

Additional Sections Leadership

Clubs, organizations and volunteer work at which you held a leadership position

Additional training on leadership Activities

List relevant clubs and organizations for which you are/were active. Dont forget Heinz College

Professional Associations

References List of people familiar with your work

List of 3-5 people familiar with your work Supervisors Coworkers Faculty

Ask them first to be sure they are willing Provide them with a copy of your resume Ask for their contact information, phone, fax, email,

address Separate document, not part of your resume

Cover Letter

Purpose: To elaborate on why you are the best fit for the position you are applying for. Highlight key skills and qualifications Match key words from the job description Even if a cover letter is not required, you

should send one Cover letters must be specific, not generic

Cover Letter Sections Paragraph 1 (Introduction) Tell the reader why you are writing be direct Paragraph 2 (Interest) Explain why you are interested in the position Explain why you want to work for this company Paragraph 3 (Work Experience) Detail relevant experience use keywords Paragraph 4 (Closing) Thank the reader & demonstrate a follow up plan

Next Steps

Review Sample Resumes & Cover Letter Template Work on your resume & schedule a resume

review when you are ready Next workshop: June 24 Job Search Resources

Questions?

Resume & Cover Letter WritingTerri Alderferterri@cmu.eduAgendaYour Resume A Marketing ToolResearchResearchEmployers Rank Top 5 Candidate Skills/QualitiesDosDontsContact InformationObjectiveEducation List of your undergraduate and graduate programsExperience List of jobs and internships including dates and detailsAcademic Projects Exhibits new skills and accomplishments in the classroomSkills - List of skills and certifications which are relevant and proficientAdditional SectionsReferences List of people familiar with your workCover LetterCover Letter SectionsNext Steps