RESUME WRITING

&

COVER LETTER

Nexus Center for Applied Learning +Career Development

Farmingdale State College

Farmingdale, NY 11735

Greenley Hall

Student Success Center

631-420-2296

careercenter@farmingdale.edu

mailto:careercenter@farmingdale.edu

RESUME WRITING 101

What is a Resume?

• An advertisement of yourself... your education, background, experiences and skills.

• An opportunity to show employers your qualifications for the position for which you are applying, in the best way possible by "putting your best foot forward".

• A prospect for you to gain an interview, whether local or outside your geographic area. Remember, resumes don't get jobs... interviews get jobs. A good reswme can get you an interview... and an interview can get you the job.

Why is a Resume so Important?

• It is a summary of all the important information about you .. .it is not an autobiography. It allows the employer to easily access these significant facts.

• It is a commonly accepted way of selling yourself on paper and/or online and, hopefully, is a step towards getting an interview. A resume is expected from all types of job seekers - from clerk to Chief Executive Officer.

Types of Resumes

• Chronological This resume lists your experience in reverse chronological order in an orderly sequence of events. It clearly articulates education and work experience and is good for those searching for work in the same/similar field and those with strong work history. However, it c.an show gaps in work history. See page 10

• Functional (Skills) This type of resume highlights your best skills and downplays your work experience. It resolves · the issue of gaps in work history. It is best used by those who have had a lot of positions and/or have had little work experience. It presents information based on transferrable skills categori~s. See page 11

• Combination This type of resume combines the best of the chronological and functional resumes. It allows for great versatility, though it may take a bit longer to write. Choosing the right words carefully and organizing the layout and the format are the most important priorities in this resume type. See page 12

1

·soME RESUME DO'S.... AND DON'TS

DO DON'T

•Be explicit and specific

•-Use direct, simple English

•Keep it focused, relevant and pertinent to the position for which you're applying

•Use action verbs/words

• Describe/quantify your accomplishments clearly - explain how much, how many and how often

•Take credit for your role in any activity in

which you were involved

• Keep your prospective employer in mind when creating your statements

•Try to keep your resume to one page

•Pick the style and format that you think

"sells you" best

•Do it yourself; have someone review it

•Be honest- employers check/verify

everything on the resume

•Save the resume on your computer and on a "flash drive" ,,,your resume can be adapted from an original one to each job for which you apply

•When you mail a resume, print it on good quality white or off-white resume bond paper.

•Don't be modest; If you did something, include it.

•Don't be constrained by a job title. Describe everything you did even if it goes beyond what the title would infer

•Do not include hobbies and/or activities that

might be construed as physically dangerous

• Accentuate any work experience/responsibility that you didn't like and would not want to repeat in a new job

•Don't list references ...these go on a separate page · · ·

•Don't list salary requirements or past salaries

•Don't give reasons for leaving a previous , pos_ition ...don't "trash" your former employer

•Don't list personal information: age, se?(, SS#, weight, height, marital status, religion or number of children; don't attach a photo

•Don't exaggerate or lie. Even if you get the job, you can be fired once the lie is detected

•Don't use various font styles; stick to one font and size of font throughout the resume - usually between 10 pt. and 12 pt. is appropriate

•Don't make any typo or grammatical errors on your resume. Use spell-check. Have someone look over your resume for possible errors

•Do use some words from the job advertisement.• Don't speak poorly about, or trash, any of your This will link your resume to the listed opening ... former employers sometimes resumes are computer scanned and resumes with the most "key-words" will be those that the recruiter will eventually read

2.

RESUME DETAILS

A resume must be neat, accurate, easy to read and visually attractive. Pay special attention to the following details when preparing your final copy:

+Limit your resume to one page. Two page resumes are acceptable only after extensive work experience and education. Employers and interviewers prefer one-page resumes.

+Use·good quality 8-1/2 x 11 inch resume quality bond paper. Choose white or a very light buff, ivory or grey. Avoid using low quality printing or computer paper. Choose the same color paper for your cover letter and envelope.

+Margins should be approximately one inch at the sides, top and bottom of the page. Use single spacing but double spacing between sections.

+Use a heading at the beginning of each section. Underline, use all caps or bold face for these headings.

+The sub-sections under each heading will starid out if you indent or bold them. Be consistent.

+It is best to not use complete sentences, however, your phrases and/or clauses must be grammatically correct and be followed by a period.

+There must be NO spelling errors. Use spellcheck or read your resume backward to check for spelling errors or typos. Check for grammar and punctuation. Have someone r~view it before final printing.

RESUME CHECKLIST:

Here are important points to consider as you write and review drafts of your resume:

D Does your resume promote you as a candidate for positions you seek?

D Does your resume motivate a potential employer to speak with you.

D Does your resume represent the quality of work you might produce for an employer? No typing errors,

misspelled words or smudges.

D Does it outline the strongest points of your education and e_xperience?

D Does the style and layout make it easy for an employer to skim and extract the information you wish to

emphasize. Is the layout consistent?

D Are your descriptions effective? Is your information accurate? D Are you willing and able to discuss every item you have included in your resume?

D Have you considered all aspects of your background and experience for possible inclusion in your resume? D If a career objective is included, is it clearly stated and not vague? D Is the information concise, to the point, and not too wordy? D If the employer chooses to contact you by mail, phone, fax or Email is all pertinent information provided?

3.

RESUME RULES

• The purpose of the resume is to get an interview. It is NOT an autobiography. It should include highlights of what you have done ....not every detail.

• It is a good idea to begin the resume with an OBJECTIVE (what job you' re looking for and at what level). The objective should be a targeted statement, ie: Position as a Human Resources Generalist.

• Save your resume on a floppy disc, rewritable CD or flash drive. Do not use the Resume Wizard provided in MS Word but simply type in the information as though you were typing a letter. Then go back and edit, bold and. highlight.

• Use an 11 or 12 pt. font. Use 10 pt. only if it' s absolutely necessary to keep the resume on one page. The preferred fonts are Times New Roman, Arial, Arial Narrow, Calibri and Palatia. Keep the same font and size throughout the resume although your name could be 2 font sizes larger. Refrain from using italics.

• Set your margins at about .7 on top, 1" on the left, .8 on the right and .7 on the bottom. This will leave a good amount of white space around your text.

• Utilize a SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS in bullet format...no paragraphs or narratives. If you speak a second language include that in this summary.

• Include specific accomplishments gained from duties/responsibilities.

• List education and employment experience in reverse chronological order - most recent jobs and training first. Include dates of academic degrees that are recent.

• Use action verbs, for example: organized, initiated, planned, directed, trained, etc.etc.

• Do not use trade jargon or acronyms (spell out-'- recruiters may not know what you're referring to.

• Do not include age, marital status, number of children, health information, salary requirements, social security number or photograph.

• Eliminate all pronouns such as I, we, they, my, etc. Eliminate the words a, and, various, the, when necessary. The statements should be brief and targeted .

• Do not include reason for leaving previous job or date of resume preparation. Include hobbies/outside interests only if they relate to the job you're applying to.

• Include special skills such as computer skills.

• Do not indicate that you have worked as a consultant unless you actually can prove it.

• The resume should preferably be limited to one page or, at the most, two pages. If your resume is two pages long attach it with a paper clip -:- not a staple. When mailing a resume, print it on good quality "watermarked" resume paper in white (a good quality off-white, buff, ivory or very light grey is also acceptable.) This paper resume can also be used for job fairs .

•Whiteis most preferred, however, since it ma.kes the resume "reader friendly" and duplicates well. The. hiring manager who receives your resume will make copies and forward it to appropriate departments. It is found that colored paper does not make clear copies

4.

COMMON RESUME MYTHS

Unique or unusual resumes attract attention and are better to read. Nope...one Human Resources Manager noted that she once received a resume crumbled and stuffed into apillbox. The resume was so wrinkled that the Manager could not read it and gave up. For the job-seeker, this may have seemed like a clever way to send a resume and catch the employer's eye. But rather than being seen as creative or original employers often view unusual resumes as indictors of nonconformity an9 potentially undesirable behavior in the workplace.

Resume content is more important than style or format. Nothing is more discouraging to an employer than a really disorganized resume. Such resumes require lots of extra time to read. This suggests to an employer that the applicant is sloppy, undisciplined, inconsiderate, insensitive, uninformed, undisciplined... the list goes on. It is rare when an employer will take the time to read a poorly prepared resume·. Keep the employer in mind when preparing your resume - make it ''reader friendly".

Employers usually take a lot of time analyzing your resume. Not quite... the average time an employer takes to scan a resume and determine if you should be granted an interview is about 15 seconds. Yes, you may have spent thousands of hours and dollars on your education, training and ypur resume, but all you have is a few seconds to sell yourself. Make sure the resume is perfect in every way and projects that image you want to convey. Use spell check to pick up typos and grammatical errors and have someone look it over before you mail or email it to an employer.

Including a Job Objective is optional. _ The Job Objective is the first thing that should appear on the resume (after your name, address, phone number and email address of course.) By including the Objective, you tell the kind of job you want to fill and the level of responsibility you want and think you are able to assume. By not including the ObjeGtive, you appear to lack focus and perhaps confuse the resume reader as to what job you want froin them. The Job Objective is essential and if you are applying for a job that has been advertised target your objective to the job title listed in the ad.

Exaggerate accomplishments - no one ever checks.... You wish .... .beware of this practice!! Skillful interviewers will discover your exaggeration eventually and it will prove to be embarrassing and detrimental to your application. Even worse, if you are hired and then can't.perform the necessary job responsibilities it can be destructive to your career. The best advice is DON'T EXAGGERATE, [t's not worth the risk.

Listing references is important and conveys "solid" character. It is not appropriate to include references in the "body" of your resume. Remember, the purpose of your resume is to elicit enough interest in your credentials and encourage a prospective employer to grant you an interview. Listing references does very little to affect that outcome. Have names, titles, addresses, phone number and email addresses available upon request. Put them on a separate page and be sure to ask permission from the person you will be listing as one of your references.

Listing hobbies and/or activities is not important and does not help the resume look better. While listing and describing hobbies and activities does take up valuable space on the resume it is important to show that you can balance various things at once. Showing quantity and diversity of activities and interests is attractive to prospective employers and helps to stimulate conversation in any future interaction. However, do not list items as "watching tv" or activities that seem like awaste of time. Also it's better to not list any activity that might be considered physically dangerous.

The functional resume is the most effective format This format provides a succinct summary of skills and accomplishments as opposed to your various places of employment. While this is viewed as a good marketing strategy to attract employers, the "red flags" go up by allowing employers to question any long gaps of unemployment, limited work experience and past employers. The functional resume is not typically an appropriate choice for young college graduates.

5.

ACTION VERBS FOR RESUMES

Inspired by Yana Parker's 'The Damn Good Resume Guide', the following list of ACTION verbs can help you compose your resume. Don't be restricted by only one or two headings. Read through all the categories and check off the words ttiat are are relevant. The bold , words are good for pointing out accomplishments. Think of your own words too.

Management/ Management/ Communication/ Research Skills Leadership Sklills Leadership Skills (cont.) People Skills (cont.)

Administered Reorganized Interpreted Explored Analyzed Replaced Interviewed Extracted Appointed Restored Involved Formulated Approved Reviewed Joined Gathered Assigned Scheduled Judged Identified Attained Secured Lectured Inspected Authorized Selected Listened Interpreted Chaired Streamlined Marketed Interviewed Consiclered Strengthened Mediated Invented Consolidated Supervised Moderated Investigated Conracted Terminated Negotiated Located Controlled Observed Measured Converted Communication/ Outlined Organized Coordinated People Skills Participated Researched Decided Presented Reviewed Delegated Addressed Promoted Searched Developed Advertised Proposed Solved Directed Arbitrated Publicized · Summarized Eliminated Arranged Reconciled Surveyed Emphqsized Articulated Recruited Systemized Enforced Authored Referred Tested Enhanced Clarified Reinforced Established Collaborated Reported Technical Skills Executed Communicated Resolved Generated Composed· Responded Adapted Handled Condensed Solicited Applied Headed · Conferred Specified Assembled Hired Consulted Spoke Built Hosted Contacted Suggested Calculated

. Improved Conveyed Summarized Computed Incorporated Convinced Synthesized Conserved Increased Corresponded Translated Constructed Initiated Debated Wrote Converted Inspected Defined Debugged Instituted Described Research Skills Designed Led Directed Determined Managed Discussed Analyzed Developed Merged Drafted Clarified Engineered Motivated Edited Collected Fabricated .Organized Elicited Compared Fortified Originated Enlisted Conducted Installed Overhauled Explained Critiqued Maintained Oversaw Expressed Detected - Operated Planned Formulated Determined Overhauled Presided Furnished Diagnosed Printed Prioritized -Incorporated Evaluated Programmed Produced Influenced Examined Rectified Recommended Interacted Experimented Regulated

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Technical Skills (cont.)

Remodeled Repaired Restored Solved Standardized Studied Upgraded Utilized

Teaching/Training Skills

Adapted Advised Clarified Communicated Conducted Coordinated Critiqued Developed Enabled Evaluated Facilitated Focused Individualized Informed Instilled Instructed Motivated Persuaded Set Goals Simulated Stimulated Taught Tested Trained Transmitted Tutored

Financial/Data Skills

Administered Adjusted · Analyzed Appraised Audited Balanced Budgeted Computed

Financial/Data Skills (cont.) Conserved Corrected Developed Estimated Managed Marketed Measured Planned Prepared Programmed Projected Reconciled Reduced Researched

Creative Skills

Acted Adapted Began Composed Condensed Created Designed Developed Directed Displayed Drew Entertained Established Fashioned Formulated Founded Illustrated Initiated Instituted Integrated Introduced Invented Modeled Modified Originated Performed Planned Revised Shaped Solved

Helping Skills

Adapted Advocated Answered Arranged Assisted Cared For Clarified Coached Collaborated Contributed Cooperated Counseled Demonstrated Diagnosed Encouraged Ensured Expedited Facilitated Familiarized Furthered Helped Intervened Motivated Provided Referred Rehabilitated Represented Resolved Simplified Supplied Supported Volunteered

Organization/Detail Skills

Approved Arranged Catalogued Categorized Charted Classified Coded Compiled Corrected Distributed Executed Generated Implemented

Organization/Detail Skills (cont.)

· Incorporated Inspected Maintained Monitored Operated Ordered Organized Prepared Processed Provided Purchased Recorded Registered Reserved Reviewed Routed Scheduled Screened Set Up Standardized Supplied Updated Validated

Additional Verbs for Accomplishments

Achieved

Completed

Expanded

Exceeded

Improved

Pioneered

Reduced Losses

Resolved

Restored

Spearheaded

Succeeded

Surpassed

Transformed

Won

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YOUR RESUME AND KEY WORDS

What ate Keywords?

While ACTION VERBS are very important, KEYWORDS are critical nouns and noun phrases that also should be included in a resume. Think of keywords as the jargon and/or "buzzwords" used by insiders in a profession or industry. It is how insiders describe themselves and their profession.

Keywords are the nouns and noun phrases used by recruiters as they search through applicant databases and web job sites for resumes meeting the requirements on job descriptions. In case you have forgotten 8h grade English, nouns are the words that represent a person, place or thing. ("Assistant" and "Manager" are nouns. "Administrative Assistant" and "Marketing Manager" are noun phrases).

Keywords are a relatively new requirement on a resume and should be used along with Action Verbs. The requirement for keywords developed when employers and staffing agencies began storing resumes in computer applicant databases. When web·job sites started to appear in 1994 keywords became even more important as computers were able to search not only for action verbs that describe what you did and are capable of doing for an employer but also for nouns that lin_ked to the nouns in the job listing. So now you need more than action verbs in cyberspace, you need the right words, the nouns or key words used by someone searching a resume database for qualified candidates.

Think of the education and experience you have had and the job you want and brainstorm the nouns and noun phrases that would be used in the description of the requirements of that job, using the suggestions in the section below. When you look through job postings for the skills, experience, professional certifications or organizations, etc. you will notice the nouns/keywords that describe the position. If you can see a copy of the job de_scription for the job you want, pick out the noun and noun phrases used. If you have the appropriate skills, education, etc, then add _those words and phrases to your resume and cover letter when you apply for the job.

Developing your Keywords When developing your list of job-related keywords, be creative, but not inaccurate. Make a list of the following: (ask your friends, family, co-workers, professors and or/fellow students for help) ..

• Standard job titles that are used for your current and previous jobs, particularly if current, or former employers used non-standard titles.

• Names of job-specific, profession-specific and industry specific tools that you use or are qualified to use based on education and/or experience (e.g. MRI images, etc).

• Names of software/hardware that you use or have _been trained to use, particularly if it is unique to your job, industry or profession (e.g. MS Project, SAP, etc).

• Names of techn iques that you use or are qualified to use.

• Affil iations: industry and/or professional organizations that you belong to (include committee membership or association officer titles as appropriate).

• Trad_e shows and/or conferences that you have attended and/or where you have presented papers.

8

YOUR RESUME AND KEY WORDS continued

• Professional and/or technical acronyms - the more the merrier- as long as they are appropriate to your experience and education.

• Applicable education: degrees, majors, relevant coursework, post-graduate courses, certifications, etc.

• Other jargon (common "i11sider" words, terms, acronyms specific to the profession and/or industry that describe your work, typical products and/or services involved and the people who do your same type of job.

Adding Keywords to Your Resume

• Include both the acronyms and the phrases to explain them in the body of your resume. The acronym and the phrase explaining it do not .have to be in the same sentence or paragraph. Just use both versions since it will increase the probability that it will appear in the sear-ch results for keywords whether the recruiter searches for the acronym or the phrase that it represents.

• Be "inconsistent". If you were being judged on your writing skills this would, of course, be a disadvantage. But in this case it has an advantage. So, without destroying the meaning of the words in your resume be as creatively inconsistent as possible. For example: use "M.B.A.", "MBA", "Masters in Business Administration", "Master.sin Bus Admin", etc. so your resume will pop up in the results regardless of the exact term used by recruiters in their search.

•Adda section near the top of your resume named "Skills", "Highlights of Qualification" or "Summary of Qualifications" where you concentrate as many of your keywords as possible. Note this section at the top of the sample resumes provided in this packet.

Hot Tip:

• Include the word "resume" above your name in the resume. The word "resume" is a word frequently used by recruiters as they search on line for resumes.

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SAMPLE CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME

Name Address

City,State Zipcode

Phone

Email address

OBJECTIVE Entry level position in Management

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION 9/09-present

9/07-5/09

COMPUTER SKILLS

RELEVANT COURSES

• Good communication, interpersonal and customer service skills. •. Experience working in the capacity of a paralegal. • Detail oriented with solid organizational and planning skills. • Good analytical, problem solving and follow-through skills. • Fast learner; able to quickly master and apply new methods. • Able to work independently and as a cooperatfve team member.

B.S. Degree Program in Business Management Farmingdale State College, Farmingdale, NY GPA 3.4, Dean's List Anticipated graduation 5/12 A.S. Degree in Bu·siness Administration Nassau Community College, Garden City, NY 11530

MS Word, Excel, Power Point, Internet Explorer, AS400

• Business Law • Marketing • International Law • Management Theories & Practices • International Business • Micro & Macroeconomics

EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE 2/07-present

10/04- 6/06

AFFILIATIONS 10/09-(present)

6/04-8/04

Legal Assistant/Clerk Forster & Garbus Attorneys, Farmingdale, NY 11735 • Prepare judgment updates prior to court proceedings. • Make changes to client records in computer. • Prepare summons updates prior to serving to defendants.

· • Act as secretary/receptionist in absence of receptionist.

Receptionist Shelter Lane Associates, Bethpage, NY 11714 • Answered phones; made appointments for patients. • Made copies of patient charts to be sel'lt to other physicians. • Filed patient records.

Member, APICS Organization (Operations Management Club) Farmingdale State College, Farmingdale, NY Counselor, Girls Scouts of America, Wantagh, NY

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SAMPLE FUNCTIONAL RESUME

Name Address

City, State Zipcode

Phone

Email address

OBJECTIVE Position in Management and/or Customer Service

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS • Strong communication, interpersonal and customer service skills. • Able to work independently and as a cooperative team member. • Detail oriented with good organizational and follow-through skills. • Poised and self-confident in dealing with a wide variety of people. • Computer literate: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Explorer • Able to handle many tasks at once in a fast paced environment.

EDUCATION

9/08-present B.S. Degree program in Business Management Farmingdale State College, Farmingdale, NY GPA 3.9, Deans List, Presidents List, Anticipated Graduation 5/12

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE Customer Service

• Assisted with in-house and on-site catering sales. Monitored house accounts. • Assisted customers with selection of meals; resolved customer complaints. • Acted as hostess and bartender in restaurant and pub locations; rang up sales. • Closed and balanced registers at end of day; opened and closed restaurant. • Took reservations; phoned customers regarding catering needs.

Administrative Support • Maintained inventory control insuring that necessary supplies were on-hand. • Acted as liaison with vendors; ordered supplies. • Submitted credit card receipts for payment. • Phoned donors regarding appointment reminders. • Kept appointment calendar for President of company.

EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE 6/07-present • Catering Manager, Bartender, Waitress, Hostess, Normandie Inn, Bohemia, NY 9/05-6/07 • Blood Donor Coordinator, Long Island Blood Services, Melville, NY 1/05-9/05 • Office Assistant, CRW Corporation, Melville, NY

HONORS AND AWARDS

• Student Award for Academic Excellence Farmingdale State College, Farmingdale, NY

5/07

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SAMPLE COMBINATION RESUME

Name Address

City, State, Zipcode

· Phone

Email Address

OBJECTIVE A position in the Business Management field

SUMMARY • Motivated, personable business professional with multiple skills • Successful 12 year track record of profitable business management • Leadership/presentation skills; able to train others • Poised and competent with demonstrated ability to easily transcend cultural differences • Thrive in deadline-driven environment; excellent team building skills • Diplomatic and tactful with professionals and non-professionals at all levels • Fast learner; talent for quickly mastering and applying new methods

EDUCATION

5/11 B.S. Degree in Business Management Farmingdale State College, Farmingdale, NY

RELEVANT COURSES

SKILLS Project Management, Customer Service, Report Preparation, Insurance Billing, Accounting/Bookkeeping, Written Correspondence, Scheduling, Front and Back Office Operations, Marketing/Sales, Professional Presentations, General Office Skills

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Communication: Reports/Presentation/Tech no logy

• Prepared complex reports for dental organizations/insurance companies, ensuring full compliance with office requirements and deadlines

• Authored professional correspondence to customers and vendors • Conducted large and small training classes • Communicated dental concepts to patients using brochures/charts to facilitate awareness

Customer Service/Marketing/Problem Solving

• Oversaw front-office operations; provided customer servi.ce • Built a clie.ntele supported by 70% referral busihess • Developed/implemented strategic marketing plan for business • Launched private practice building revenue from $40K to more than $100K in first year

with minimal overhead • Created special promotions; wrote/display outdoor advertising; coordinated buying

EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE

2008-2010 Dental Office Manager, Dental Arts of Garden City, Garden City, NY 1998-2008 Dental Office Manager, Comprehensive Dental Services, Melville, NY

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http:servi.ce

Internet Resume & Cyber-Safe Internet Resume

Changing the Con.tent of Your Resume -Small but very important changes

•L Cyber-Safe Resume- protect your privacy, your identity, and your job. Don't skip this step. •L Keywords in your Resume- tips to increase the probability that your resume will be included in the

search results when employers search through resume databases, like those used in big company

appl!cant tracking systems and most web job sites.

Changing the Format and look of Your Resume-A couple of short cuts for emergencies plus:

• . Convert a Word Document to ASCII Text- this is compatible with the internet technologies and safely

transmits email systems.

•L The ASCII resume is cyber-safe, and you can jazz it up a little and polish it so that it looks moreL

interesting.L•L Personal Resume Web Page- add simple HTML tags to your ASCII resume and do some "search

engines optimization" so that your resume will be found.

oL Basic HTML tags will get you .started with personalizing your resume web page.

oL Some final touches will make your personal resume web page more employer friendly and

optimized for search engines.

oL Adding META tags should help with some of the search engines.

Using your ASCII Text Resume-Now that you have an Internet resume, use it!

•L Emailing a Resume- usually the fastest way to respond and generally preferred by recruiters and employers; but not as easy to do well as you might think.

•L Keeping your email out of the spam filters- a new complication to the resume email process •L Cutting and Pasting your Resume into Web Job Site- resume/profile forms make things move more

quickly and hopefully minimizes the extra spelling and grammatical errors that can happen when you

are typing text directly into a resume profile form.

You do still need your traditional printed resume:

• When you have developed a relationship with a specific employer or a trusted recruiter who has

requested your complete resume

•L When you respond to an employer's ad or an off-line opportunity through the "snail mail" system •L When you attend a Job Fair •L When you bring an extra copy with you to the job interview

It is a good idea to include a plain, scannable version of your resume along with your printed resume when you

are responding via regular mail. Then, if you are the "right" candidate for the job opportunity your resume may

be scanned, particularly by companies with more than 500 employees that may have an internal applicant

tracking system.

Reprinted from Susan P. Joyce at job-hunt.org

This website (http://www.job-hunter.org/internetresume.shtml) will walk you through the many necessary steps to ensure you that.

when you post your resume online you are protecting yourself. It is possible that if a resume is not converted to an ASCII file before

transmitting, the text of the resume will be distorted.

13 ..

https://www.job-hunt.org/http:job-hunt.org

COVER LETTERS

What is a Cover Letter and why is it so important?

• It is an introduction about you, explaining why you are forwarding your resume, how you found out about the job, why you want the job and what you can do for the employer.

• It is the employers firs.t glimpse of you. The impression you make with this letter creates and forms their present and any future judgments about you and your ability to do the job.

• It is a form of your communication style and is away to attract the reader's attention to your resume and any particular sections you want to emphasize.

• It presents information not included in your resume that may be pertinent to the position for which you are applying. It acts as a link between you and the employer. ·

When do I send a Cover Letter?

Whenever you mail, fax or email a resume to a prospective employer, ALWAYS accompany it with a cover letter. You will not need to bring a cover letter to a Job Fair.

Some important notes about Cover Letters:

• Cover letters should be written in a business letter format.

• Your cover letter should be as carefully planned and constructed as your resume. It must be flawless - this means NO spelling, grammatical, punctuation and/or formatting mistakes

• Have someone else proofread your cover letters before you send them out. If your cover letter is not impressive, you will not have a chance to impress the employer with your resume. You can only create a first impression one time!!

• Each letter should be specifically geared toward the employer and the position for which you are applying. Address the letter to a person - never "to whom it may concern", or "dear sir or madam". It usually just takes a quick call to the company to find out the name (and correct spelling) of the person to address it to.

• Your reader should get the impression that your letter was individually written and addressed to only him·or her. It should answer the questions: why do you want that particular job, what do you know about the company and what can you do for them.

• So that you don't have to "start from scratch" each time you should develop a sample letter for yourself and save it on your computer. Then you can modify it as necessary to tailor it to each specific job and employer.

• Never submit a handwritten cover letter - always type and save it on your computer. Keep it single-spaced with a conservative 10-12 pt. font (Times New Roman, Arial Narrow, or Palatia are good ones). Do not use boldface, italics or underlining in a cover letter unless absolutely necessary. Use plain, high-quality 8-1/2 x 11 white or off-white stationery. Remember, this is a business letter and you want to present a conservative, professional image. Rule of Thumb: Use the same kind of paper you used for your resume.

• Overall, the letter should be somewhat brief (4 paragraphs), concise and focused. It should be considered as a snapshot of your resume;.. not a movie. Few employers will read more than ½ page, so the few well-written paragraphs will suffice. Do not try to impress them with your SAT/thesaurus vocabulary and avoid provocative language and/or jargon.

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SAMPLE TEXT-BASED RESUME

JENNIFER BARDEL 1000Any Lane Anywhere, CO 99999 Home (555) 676-8989 Cell (555) 767-9898 Work(555)555-1234

OBJECTIVE: Sports Reporter

SKILLS: *Proficient on Macintosh with extensive knowledge of Quark Xpress, PageMaker and Photoshop.

*Able to use electronic databases on the Internet to check facts .

*Good communication and interviewing skills.

EDUCATION :

Currently a Senior with a major in Journalism and minor

in Kinesiology.

Overall GPA is 3.25 on a 4.0 scale

INTERNSHIPS:

*Sports Writer

Rocky Mountain News, Denver, Co 1/99-5/99

Covered University of Denver baseball season and weekly

high school track. Wrote an average of three stories per

week. Also wrote a weekly column, 20 hours per week.

. ' * Reporter

The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, Mass 5/98-8/98

Six weeks on Metro Desk and six weeks in Features.

Covered variety of news, including local politics, courts,

crime and education. Feature work included stories on local

summer theater arid special program for retired executives.

COLLEGE EXPERIENCE:

Colorado Daily, University of Chicago 9/97-12/98

*Sports Editor

Supervised staff of 15 writers. Assigned and edited

approximately 20 stories per week. Coordinated coverage

of all UC vars ity sports.

*Sports Writer

Covered men's football and women's lacrosse. Wrote game

stories and some features. Article on lacrosse player awarded

honorable mention in Colorado Press Association contest.

ACTIVITIES:

*Society for Collegiate Journalists, VP of UC Chapters.

* Program Coordinator, Chapel Hall, UC campus. *Special Olympics Volunteer since 1994.

REFERENCES: Available upon request . 15

TIPS FOR FORMATTING TEXT-BASED RESUMES

Submitting resumes via email or Web sites in text-based (also known as ASCII-text) format is becoming awidely accepted practice in today's job market. Compared to "snail mail" emailing your resume can really speed up the response time for you and your prospective employer and a resume posted on line has the potential to reach far more people than you would want to lick stamps and envelopes for.

The following tips are designed to help you send a professional-looking, effective, text-based resume anywhere, whether it is in an email or a Web site.

• First, put the text of your resume in a separate file from the print version before formatting it for Internet

transmission. It might help to save it in "plain text" or "ASCli text" format; on a DOS/Windows PC the resulting

filename will have the extension ".txt" after it.

• Keep the lines bf your resume to 60 characters or less. Some email programs add permanent line breaks to

incoming messages to keep them to a particular width, which could disrupt your careful formatting. But, lines of

60 characters or less won't be touched.

• Use a mono-spaced font like Courier while formatting your text based resume - that way you can use spaces in

place of tabs to align text elements a.nd it will be easy to see if you are going over your 60-character-per-line limit.

• You won't have bold, italic or multiple fonts or sizes at your disposal, but you can use a combination of dashed

lines, multiple ·returns and ALL CAPS to establish the same visual hierarchy that a print-based resume would have.

Either way, concentrate on consistency of the information ...consistency is the key .

. ~ Use asterisks (or another keyboard symbol) in place of bullets. Certain special characters transmit unpredictably ·

via email and the Web and the bullet, often used in resumes, is one of those characters.

• Put the most important information about yourself near the top of your resume. Employers are busy and they

will often print a screenshot or the first page of your email or Web page rather than scrolling to read the entire

document. They may only scan the first 10 lines of the resume so you want important information at the top.

• Emails are not Web pages, so do not email your resume using HTML encoding. (If you can see the font size,

styles and color options in the toolbar of your email message, you might be sending HTML mail.) If you send an

HTML-mail message to someone without HTML mail capability in their email program your message will be a ·

jumble of HTML code on their screen. Even if they can view it correctly, it might not look the same on their screen

as it does on yours. Sending the message in plain text format is the safest way to go.

• If you have'a Web-based email account from a site like Hotmail or Yahoo! Mail you can keep your text-based

resume as close as the nearest Net-connected computer, no matter where you are. Paste it into an email to

yourself at your own Hotmail or Yahoo! Address so you can forward it to a prospective employer or copy and

paste it into a Web site form at a moment's notrce.

• If you want to email a fancier version of your resume to an employer by attaching a Word document or Acrobat

PDF file, go right ahead. Just make sure that the file is of reasonable size (100K or less) and that you still include

the plain-text version in the body of your email just in case your recipient cannot open or print the attachment.

16

COVER LETTERS

General Outline for a Cover Letter

The cover letter should always be sent to a specific person and for a specific position. There is no such

thing as a "general cover letter". What you can do is assemble one that covers the basic content as

indicated below and alter it for each job to which you apply. Below is an outline for a good cover letter

telling employers three important pieces of information they want to know: Paragraph 1) what job are

you applying for and how did you find out about the job; Paragraph 2) Why are you applying for that

specific job and 3) What can you do for them to enhance their company's position.

Keep these ideas in mind when you create your cover letter

• The very first paragraph should include the title of the job for which you are applying and how you learned of the position. Don't make the recruiter guess why you are writing or they might not read further. If someone (a mutual acquaintance, etc) referred you, use his or her name and connection in the first paragraph. If you learned of the position on line mention that or if it was from a newspaper ad indicate the name of the paper and the date you saw the advertisement.

• The second paragraph should indicate why you are applying for the job, your interest in that particular job and some knowledge of the organization. Let them see that ·you have done your "homework" and that you know something about them. Make sure you actually do that homework or research on the company and know what they are all about. Company websites can provide a wealth of information that could be included in this paragraph. Then link your interest in the position with what the company does and express that you would welcome the opportunity to become a member of their staff . .

• The third paragraph should tell what you can do for the company. How your skills can benefit them. Refer back to your resume and mention some of the things you have done and strengths you have that would be beneficial to their organization. Make the connection to them by mentioning that you believe that based on your educational preparation, your employment experiences and your strong motivation to succeed in (the field that you're applying for) would prove to be an asset to their organ ization.

• The final paragraph should indicate that you are interested in a personal interview to discuss your application and may be reached at (phone number) or (email address) to arrange for an appointment.

NOTE: Another way of doing th is would be to indicate that you are interested in a personal interview and that you will phone them before (indicate a date) to arrange for an appointment. Or if they wish to contact you in the meantime they may reach you at (phone number) or (email address). If you select this option make sure you contact them by the date you mentioned.

• End the letter gracefully thanking the reader for their consideration followed by a professional closing such as:, "Sincerely" or "Sincerely Yours". Then type your name beneath the closing and write your signature above the typed name.

17

General Model for a Cover Letter

Street Address City, State Zipcode Date

Contact Person's Name (Ms. or Mr. First and Last Name) Title Company Name Street Address City, State Zipcode

Dear Mr. or Ms. and last name (never use their first name - it is too informal)

Immediately state the position for which you are applying and how you learned about the opening. Mention that you are enclosing (or attaching) your resume in application for the position. (Keep this paragraph to 2-3 lines).

Describe your interest in the position and in the organization. Emphasize your knowledge about this organization and your familiarity with the industry. (You should research some information about the organization that you can include in this paragraph). It is common courtesy to seem eager (although not desperate) to work for any company that you contact. Mention in your last sentence that you would welcome the·opportunity to become a member of their staff.

Detail what you could contribute to this organization. Refer back to the resume and mention some things about your educational preparation, your employment experiences and how your qualifications will benefit the firm. Gently indicate that you believe that the combination of your experiences would prove to be an asset to them.

In the closing paragraph you should specifically request an interview. Refer them to your phone number and email address and indicate that they can contact you directly for an appointment. Additionally (and highly suggested) mention that you will follow-up with a phone call to arrange for an interview at a mutually convenient time within the following week (then be sure to make that phone call.)

Thank the employer for their.consideration (not their time) .

Sincerely yours,

Your signature

Full Name typed

NOTE: You can place the closing salutation information either left justified or directly in line with the address and date at the top of the page

18

SAMPLE COVER LETTER

123 Any Street Anytown, NY 12345

· November 3, 2008

Mr. Nice Guy Manager, Human Resources Computer Associates 1000 5th Avenue New York, NY 10000

Dear Mr. Guy:

The enclosed resume is being sent to apply for the position of Computer Information Systems Specialist at Computer Associates Corp. I learned of this position from your advertisement in the New York Times, Sunday, July 3, 2011.

I am a recent graduate of Farmingdale State College where I earned the B.S. Degree in Computer Programming and Information Systems in May 2011. At this time I am eager to obtain a position with a software development company. I am aware of the fact that Computer Associates is an industry leader with a strong work ethic and solid customer service strategies. I have experience in customer service and believe that, especially in the computer field, customer service is a must. therefore, 1·would welcome the opportunity to become a member of your staff,

You will note in my resume that I have taken awide variety of computer courses: programming, software, database, systems design, maintenance and troubleshooting. In my current position at Comp USA I have worked with several computer technicians and have learned the importance of teamwork and customer service in the computer field. I believe that the combination of my educational preparation, my employment experiences and my sincere desire to succeed as a Computer Information Systems Specialist will prove to be an asset to your organization. I feel confident that in an environment such as yours I would positively contribute to the company.

I am interested in a personal interview to further discuss my qualifications and will phone your office within the next week to arrange for an appointme~t. If you wish to reach me beforehand you may contact me at 516-555-5555 or danielfellow@yahoo.com .

Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to meeting with you.

Sincerely yours,

Your signature

Daniel D. Fellow

19

mailto:danielfellow@yahoo.com

REGARDING REFERENCES

In a tight job market, a good resume and a promising interview may not be enough to land a position. More employers are checking references carefully before making job offers, but many job seekers are putting little thought into choosing the right people ·to help them.

Good references that provide thoughtful insight and a well-rounded view to a prospective employer can really seal the deal. Here are some suggestions for finding the best references;

1. MAKE A LIST: Besides former bosses and professors include colleagues and subordinates, along with clients, vendors and personal references, like members of the clergy or people with whom you've done volunteer or internship work.

2. RECEIVE PERMISSION: Before listing someone, make sure he or she would be comfortable serving as a reference. Then get complete information, including current business title, organization name and contact information.

3. RESPECT THEIR TIME: Share your list of references only with prospective employers with whom you ar~ sincerely interested in working.

4. KEEP IN TOUCH: After accepting a position, send your references thank you notes and new contact information. Offer to p~ovide them with a future reference of your own, if needed.

5. DO NOT include your list of references with your resume and cover letter unless the employer specifically asks for them. Typically. references are requested around the time of the interview.

Reprinted from The New York Times

20

Structure BookmarksRESUME WRITING .RESUME WRITING .& .

COVER LETTER .COVER LETTER .FigureNexus Center for Applied Learning +Career Development .Farmingdale State College .Farmingdale, NY 11735 .Greenley Hall .Student Success Center .631-420-2296 .careercenter@farmingdale.edu .careercenter@farmingdale.edu .careercenter@farmingdale.edu .

RESUME WRITING 101 RESUME WRITING 101 What is a Resume? What is a Resume? • .• .• .An advertisement of yourself... your education, background, experiences and skills.

• .• .An opportunity to show employers your qualifications for the position for which you are applying, in the best way possible by "putting your best foot forward".

• .• .A prospect for you to gain an interview, whether local or outside your geographic area. Remember. resumes don't get jobs ...interviews get jobs. A good reswme can get you an interview... and an interview can get you the job.

Why is a Resume so Important? • .• .• .It is a summary of all the important information about you ... it is not an autobiography. It allows the employer to easily access these significant facts.

• .• .It is a commonly accepted way of selling yourself on paper and/or online and, hopefully, is a step towards getting an interview. A resume is expected from all types of job seekers -from clerk to Chief Executive Officer.

Types of Resumes Types of Resumes • .• .• .Chronological This resume lists your experience in reverse chronological order in an orderly sequence of events. It clearly articulates education and work experience and is good for those searching for work iri the same/similar field and those with strong work history. However, it c.an show gaps in work history. See.page 10

• .• .Functional (Skills) This type of resume highlights your best skills and downplays your work experience. It resolves the issue of gaps in work history. It is best used by those who have had a lot of positions and/or have had little work experience. It presents information based on transferrable skills categori~s.

See page 11 See page 11 • .Combination This type of resume combines the best of the chronological and functional resumes. It allows for great versatility, though it may take a bit longer to write. Choosing the right words carefully and organizing the layout and the format are the most important priorities in this resume type.

See page 12 See page 12 SOME RESUME DO'S.... AND DON'TS DO DON'T DO DON'T •••Be explicit and specific

••.Use direct, simple English

••Keep it focused, relevant and pertinent to the position for which you're applying

••Use action verbs/words

• • Describe/quantify your accomplishments clearly-explain how much, how many and how often

••Take credit for your role in any activity in .which you were involved .

• • Keep your prospective employer in mind when creating your statements

••Try to keep your resume to one page

••Pick the style and format that you think ."sells you" best .

••Do it yourself; have someone review it

••Be honest-employers check/verify .everything on the resume .

••Save the resume on your computer and on a "flash drive" ,,,your resume can be adapted from an original one to each job for which you apply

••When you mail a resume, print it on good quality white or off-white resume bond paper.

• • • Don't be modest; If you did something, include it.

••Don't be constrained by a job title. Describe everything you did even if it goes beyond what the title would infer

••Do not include hobbies and/or activities that might be construed as physically dangerous

• • Accentuate any work experience/responsibility that you didn't like and would not want to repeat in a new job

••Don't list references ...these go on a separate page · ·

••Don't list salary requirements or past salaries

••Don't give reasons for leaving a previous , pos_ition...don't "trash" your former employer

••Don't list personal information: age, se?