Building Your Career:
Resumes and Cover Letters
Career Center
Student Services Center, Room 270
www.csuchico.edu/careers
530.898.5253
What is a resume?
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It’s not a list of all your past experiences.
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It is a marketing tool.
What to Include
What all Employers Want
Communication
Skills
Decision-making &
Problem-solving Ability
Helpful Hints and Guidelines
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Only tell the reader what she/he needs to know
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First impressions matter so brand yourself quickly
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Use “proper” format
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Don’t leave information up for interpretation
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Create value – only use “technical” or transferable skills
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Use objective info; validate and quantify if you can
Is your statement valuable
and objective?
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Is it easily measurable or do you have proof?
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Would/could every person applying for the job say it?
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Does it mirror the “technical” skills or values the employer wants?
A Resume Pet-Peeve
Key Qualifications
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Excellent communicator
Ability to analyze complex problems
Honest and ethical team-player
Ability to handle stress in an ever-changing workplace
Exceptional and friendly customer service provider
Multi-tasking abilities
Measurable & Objective
Key Qualifications
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Knowledge of medical terminology and standard medical office practices.
Experience working with physicians in a busy medical environment.
Proven sales professional; top-ranked sales person on a team of 11 for first
three quarters in 2012.
Gained cold-calling experience working as a fundraising intern for the
United Way.
Recognized for teamwork, earning “employee of the month” award six
times in a two-year period among 14 associates.
Quick-learner and easily trained; earned a 3.6 GPA in college.
Resume Examples
What is a cover letter?
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Demonstrates a match between the employer’s needs
and what you offer
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Aligns your values with those of the organization
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Demonstrates your written communication skills
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Communicates your passion for the job/organization
Focus on what the
employer wants…research!
 Job
announcement

Organization website

Former/current employees

Google

Wikipedia
Helpful Hints and Guidelines
•
Only tell the reader what she/he needs to know
•
First impressions matter so brand yourself quickly
•
Use “proper” format
•
Don’t leave information up for interpretation
•
Create value – only use “technical” or transferable skills
•
Use objective info; validate and quantify if you can
Validate!
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Weak: Please consider me for your sales position.
When I read the job announcement, I felt like it was
written for me.
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Strong: Please consider me for your sales position. I
have proven sales experience, demonstrated by my
two-year standing as the #1 sales rep for my current
employer, XYZ company.
Validate!
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Weak: I excel in customer service.
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Strong: I excel in customer service and was awarded
a perfect score on 90% of the “secret shopper” surveys
conducted on my performance at Ray’s Supermarket.
Validate!
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Weak: I have excellent communication skills.
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Strong: My major in organizational communication has
provided me with four years of public speaking
experience and an extensive background in business
writing.
Validate!
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Weak: I am a dedicated and loyal employee.
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Strong: I am a dedicated and loyal employee as
demonstrated by working for three years at Oakdale
Hospital where I was employee-of-the-quarter four
times.
Validate!
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Weak: I am a fiscally responsible project manager.
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Strong: I am fiscally responsible project manager,
staying on-time and on-budget for the six projects I
managed while at Daughtery Manufacturing.
Cover Letter Organization
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1st Paragraph: what job you are applying for and the
top 2-3 reasons why you are qualified.
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Middle Paragraphs: explain and support each of the
reasons mentioned in the first paragraph.
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Last Paragraphs: 1-2 paragraphs communicating why
you are specifically interested in the organization/job
and a thank you paragraph/statement.
Cover Letter Examples
Thank you!
Career Center
Student Services Center, Room 270
www.csuchico.edu/careers
530.898.5253