Career Development Center

1
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop
Instructions The following is a Microsoft
PowerPoint presentation. It is not required that
you have this program installed on your
computer. To navigate from screen to screen,
click your mouse OR use the scroll bar of your
browser. If you need to reverse, right-click
your mouse and select the Reverse option OR use
the scroll bar of your browser.
2
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Workshop Outline
• Resume
• Heading
• Objective/Profile
• Education
• Experience
• Honors/Activities/Skills
• Formatting

• Cover Letter
• Your Return Address Employers Address
• Salutation
• Body
• Closing
• Formatting
• Final Comments

3
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Resume Heading
• Include your name,
• Address (local and/or permanent),
• Phone number (local, permanent, cell), and
• E-mail address (professional).

4

• Heading Examples

Ineed A. Job-Quick 1400 Washington Avenue Albany,
NY 12222 518/442-5515 IJQuick_at_aol.com
Ineed A. Job-Quick IJQuick_at_aol.com Current
Permanent 1400 Washington Avenue
13 Hire Me Drive Albany, NY 12222
Unemployed, NY 10000 518/442-5515
218/342-2395
___________________Ineed A. Job-Quick_____________
____ 1400 Washington Avenue Albany, NY 12222
518/442-5515 IJQuick_at_aol.com
5
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Objective
• This is a typical section, and also an optional
  one. Some students leave the objective off their
  resume if they are stating it in their
  corresponding cover letter.
• It is best if you keep it brief and specific.
• Examples
• To obtain an entry level analyst position in a
  major consulting firm.
• To become a counselor working with troubled
  youth in a human service organization.

6
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Profile
• Also optional, this can be used instead of an
  objective if you wish.
• Summarizes your value to an employer.
• Usually a few lines longer than an objective.
• Example
• Individual with well developed communication,
  teamwork and technical skills. Solid ability to
  complete projects under pressure. Willing to
  relocate and/or travel.

7
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Combined Objective Profile
• Lets you use the best of both.
• Examples
• Individual with well developed communication,
  teamwork, and technical skills seeking entry
  level marketing position.
• To obtain an editorial assistant position which
  will allow me to utilize my interpersonal,
  writing, and technical skills.

8
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Education
• Include college name, town, and state,
• Degree you will receive and when,
• Major/minor/concentration(s),
• Special coursework/study abroad/etc., and
• GPA (if over 3.0). You can list your overall
  GPA AND your GPA in your major if you wish.

9
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Education Examples

B.A., University at Albany, Albany, NY
Expected 5/01 Major Psychology Minors
Business and English GPA 3.67 Study Abroad
McGill University, Montreal, Canada, Fall 2000
B.S. in Biology, May 2001 University at Albany -
SUNY, Albany, NY Minor Math Major GPA
3.98 Overall GPA 3.54 A.S. in Biology, May
1999 Hudson Valley Community College, Troy, NY
10
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Education
• If you transferred from a college and did NOT
  receive a degree, you do not have to list it
  however, you may do so if you have significant
  honors or activities to tie to that college.
• Always list highest education first, even if
  not completed (i.e., indicate bachelors degree
  in progress with associates degree second).
• Do not list your high school (and diploma)
  unless it was a specialized, competitive, and/or
  prep school.

11
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Experience
• Can be listed in one section, or broken into
  several (i.e., Related Experience Volunteer
  Experience, Additional Experience).
• Always list a job title, company name, town,
  state, and dates of employment (month/year).
• Highlight your job duties, most important first,
  using bullets.

12
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Experience (continued)
• Use action verbs to begin each bulleted
  description (i.e., coordinated, scheduled,
  trained, assisted).
• Add numbers and descriptors to increase
  significance of what you did (i.e., Supervised 15
  mentally disabled adolescents ages 13 - 17).
• Consider classroom experience (i.e., team
  projects or significant individual projects) that
  may be worth highlighting.

13
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Experience Examples

Lifeguard/Swim Instructor Summers
2000-2002 Riverbank State Park, New York, NY
Help train and mentor new lifeguards/instructors.
Supervise swimmers to ensure safety. Teach
children ages five to 10 how to swim.
Marketing Assistant 5/03 -
present Marketing Intern Spring
2003 Delmar Thomson Learning, Clifton Park, NY
Support the editorial production and art/design
groups for the completion of print and
technical products. Create and conduct
marketing surveys tabulate responses in
Microsoft Access for statistical review.
Correspond with authors from book start to
finish. Work effectively as a member of a team
in a faced-paced environment.
14
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Honors/Activities/Skills
• Juniors Seniors List college info only. You
  can include scholarships for college that you
  received your senior year in High School.
• Freshmen Sophomores You can list all High
  School
  honors/activities.
• List computer skills and language skills.
• Have at least two things in each section,
  otherwise combine sections together.

15
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Examples

Honors/Activities Deans List, three
semesters Poetry Award Winner for College
Yearbook, 2002 Habitat for Humanity, helped
build four homes Intramural Basketball Skills
Intermediate Spanish Microsoft Word and
Excel Internet Research
Computer Skills Microsoft Word, Excel,
Access, PowerPoint, and Publisher WordPerfect,
Adobe PhotoShop, and Quark Internet research
16
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Formatting
• Margins one inch preferred, 1/2 inch minimum
• Font clear and legible (i.e., Times New Roman
  or Arial)
• Font size 12 preferred, 10 minimum
• White space helps resume look neat and
  uncluttered
• Bond paper conservative is safe (white,
  ivory, or light gray)

17
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Resume Samples
• See various samples on the CDC web page
  www.albany.edu/cdc/jobsearch/Resumes/res_samp.htm

18
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Cover Letter -- Your Return Address
• Include your street address, city, state, zip
  code, and the date.
• Phone number is optional, since you may include
  it in last paragraph of letter instead.

19
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Employers Address
• Include contact persons name, title,
  company/organization name, street address, city,
  state, and zip code.
• If you do not have a specific contact name, try
  to get one by calling the company.
• Direct letter to a specific department (i.e,
  Human Resources) if you cannot obtain a contact
  name.

20
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Salutation
• Typically, you will begin your letter with the
  words,
  Dear Mr. _(last name)_
  Dear Ms. _(last name)_
  Dear Dr. _(last name)_
• Do not include their first name.
• If you do not have a contact name, you can
  direct letter to a title, such as, Dear HR
  Director

21
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Body of Cover Letter
• Typically you will have three or four
  paragraphs.
• Try not to start more than one paragraph with,
  I.

22
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• First Paragraph
• Indicate the reason for writing -- indicate
  what position you are applying for.
• Tell how you learned of the opening.
• If referred by someone -- professor,
  relative, former employer, etc., it is a good
  idea to mention that persons name.

23
Computer Skills Microsoft Word, Excel,
Access, PowerPoint, and Publisher WordPerfect,
Adobe PhotoShop, and Quark Internet research
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Examples

Dear Mr. Smith I am applying for the human
resources internship at RSL Communications which
you posted in the University at Albany Career
Development Center. As a junior majoring in
Communications, I am well qualified for this
position.
Dear Ms. Jones Julia Rothchild, one of your
current employees who I recently met at an alumni
career panel at the University at Albany,
recommended that I contact you to apply for an
editing position at Delmar Thompson Learning. My
bachelors degree in English will be awarded in
May 2003.
24
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Second Paragraph
• Highlight your academic preparation and
  experiences as they relate to the position.
• Describe your specific qualifications and
  skills.
• Point out any achievements or unique attributes
  you possess that relate to the position.
• Mention additional information not stated in
  your resume, if applicable.

25
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Examples

As a student highly involved in campus leadership
activities, I am used to working individually and
as a member of a team. My resident assistant
experience has taught me how to interact with
difficult students while maintaining a high level
of professionalism. I am comfortable enforcing
rules and regulations, as well as being a
resource regarding on and off campus offices and
services. I have excellent interpersonal,
organizational, and problem-solving skills.
My student assistant position in the Career
Development Center at the University at Albany
has afforded me the opportunity to learn many
valuable skills. I regularly interact with
students and employers which has allowed me to
strengthen my communication skills. I assist
with data entry into an Access database and have
helped create reports. In addition, I help
trouble-shoot on-line computer problems regarding
on-campus recruiting.
26
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Third Paragraph (often combined with the second
  paragraph)
• State why you want to work for this company or
  organization -- show you have done some research
  and tell them what impresses you.
• Refer to the enclosed resume which summarizes
  your qualifications, training, and experience.

27
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Examples

The enclosed resume further details my education
and qualifications for this position. I am
attracted to Delmar Thompson Learning because of
its exciting growth and expansion over the past
few years. I would like to work for a company
that stays on the cutting edge of technology in
creating educational resources. Delmar is that
company.
My qualifications are further detailed in the
attached resume. You will see that my research
with Professor Hues is excellent preparation for
the DNA research which is a primary focus at
CellTech Labs.
28
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Final Paragraph
• Indicate your interest in a personal interview.
• If you want, assume responsibility for the next
  step (i.e., calling them to follow up).
• Thank reader for considering your application.

29
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Examples

Please contact me at a time convenient for you to
schedule an interview. I hope to hear from you
soon so that I may learn more about this
opportunity. Thank you for your consideration.
Please expect a call from me during the week of
April 12th to request an interview. I look
forward to learning more about this position.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
30
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Closing
• Typically use the word/s, Sincerely, or
  Sincerely Yours,
• Sign your name.
• Type Enclosure/s or Attachment/s depending
  on what you are enclosing or attaching to the
  cover letter.

31
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Formatting
• The block letter format is encouraged--
  everything lined up with the left-hand margin.
• Have the font type match the font type on your
  resume -- again, no smaller than size 10.
• Use the same bond paper for both your cover
  letter and your resume.

32
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Formatting
• Center the letter on the page, so top and
  bottom margins are fairly equal.
• Mail in an 8.5 x 11 envelope versus folding for
  a standard envelope, unless you are
  e-mailing it.

33
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Cover Letter Examples
• See various examples on the CDC
  website www.albany.edu/cdc/jobsearch/Cover/samp_c
  ov.htm

34
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Final Comments
• Visit Drop In Hours for critiques/quick
  questions
• MWF 10 AM - 12 Noon (NEW hours for Spring
  2004)
• TTh 1-3 PM
• One-on One Counseling Appointments (1/2 hour in
  length) are also available.
• The CDC Library contains additional resources
  with examples.

35
Career Development Center
Resume/Cover Letter Writing Workshop

• Visit the CDC Website for more examples and
  information www.albany.edu/cdc