Mr. Gragert
English IV
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What Goes into a Resume
Resume Templates
Resume Dos & Don’ts
Cover Letters: Don’t Send Your Resume
Without One
Cover Letter Templates
Cover Letter Dos & Don’ts
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Phone or Fax your resume and cover letter
Deliver a hard copy of your resume and
cover letter in person
Email your resume and cover letter
Post your resume and cover letter online
Create an employment blog about yourself
and direct prospective employers to it
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Contact Information
Objective (optional)
Career Highlights / Qualifications
(optional)
Experience
Education
Honors or Citations, Publications (if any)
Membership in Professional Organizations
Military Service
References Upon Request
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Contact Information:
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Legal name – The name on your driver’s license
Legal street address, city, state and zip code
Phone # with area code, home and cell
Email address
Objective (optional)
◦ The purpose of the objective is to describe
specifically the position you want by job title,
function, and/or industry
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Career Highlights / Qualifications (optional)
◦ It highlights your key achievements, skills, traits,
and experience relevant to the position
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Experience
◦ The experience section of your resume includes
your work history. List the companies you worked
for, dates of employment, the positions you held
and a bulleted list of responsibilities and
achievements
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Education
◦ In the education section, list in reverse
chronological order colleges, technical schools or
high School(s) you attended, the degrees you
attained, and any special awards and honors you
earned.
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Membership in Professional Organizations
◦ If you belong to a professional organization,
include it. It shows dedication to learning and
keeping current in your career.
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Military Service
◦ If this is your only work experience, put it under
that section.
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References upon request
◦ You do not need to include your work/personal
reference when you submit your resume.
◦ The employer will ask for your references.
◦ References should be on a separate sheet of paper.
Do not make it a part of your resume.
See Handouts:
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Chronological
High school student with part time work history
Entry level with work history and no college
College graduate with some work experience
Professional with advanced degrees and education
Returning to work with past work experience
Job Specific Resumes
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DO:
◦ Do choose a font style appropriate for the job –
Conservative – Times New Roman or Arial, Artistic –
be careful that your font is legible.
◦ Do use 1 inch margins on all sides, indented bullet
points will show hierarchy.
◦ Do use bold and italics to emphasize important
information, do not over use.
◦ Do print your resume on white or off white paper
printed in black ink.
◦ Do use action verbs when writing about job
responsibilities. (see handout)
◦ Do proof read your resume.
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Don’t:
◦ Don’t squeeze too much on one page, font size
shouldn’t be smaller than 11pt. Try to keep your
resume one to two pages long and no longer.
◦ Don’t use personal pronouns (I, me, my).
◦ Don’t include your salary history or reasons for
leaving previous jobs.
◦ Don’t include a picture of yourself.
◦ Don’t lie on your resume. They will eventually find
out.
What is the purpose of a Cover Letter:
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It serves as an introduction.
Your cover letter is your chance to let
potential employers know who you are and
what you can do for the company.
A cover letter does not contain the same
information that is on your resume, it is
used to support your resume.
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State why you are writing.
Establish a point of contact (advertisement in a
specific place for a specific position; a particular
person's suggestion that you write): give some
brief idea of who you are (a Senior engineering
student at UW; a recent Ph.D. in History).
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Highlight a few of the most salient points from your enclosed
resume.
Arouse your reader's curiosity by mentioning points that are
likely to be important for the position you are seeking.
Show how your education and experience suit the
requirements of the position, and, by elaborating on a few
points from your resume, explain what you could contribute
to the organization.
(Your letter should complement, not restate, your resume.)
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Stress action. Politely request an interview at the
employer's convenience.
Indicate what supplementary material is being sent
under separate cover and offer to provide
additional information (a portfolio, a writing
sample, a sample publication, a dossier, an
audition tape), and explain how it can be obtained.
Thank the reader for his/her consideration and
indicate that you are looking forward to hearing
from him/her.
Do:
 Do include your full address and the address
of the company.
 Do use a colon not a comma after the
greeting.
 Do use the person’s name or title; ex. Dear
Mr. Smith or Dear Human Resource Manager.
 Do check your spelling!
Don’t:
 Don’t use “To Whom it May Concern,” find out
the name of the person who is receiving the
application.
 Don’t hand write the cover letter. Type it.
 Don’t tell them your life story. Keep each
paragraph brief and to the point. Use action
verbs to describe yourself.
 Don’t miss the opportunity to stand out by not
including a cover letter. It can make or break
you chance at an interview.