Your Resume,
Cover Letter,
and How to Present Yourself
1
Resume Essentials
Before we start, take time
to do a self-assessment on
paper. Outline
-skills
-abilities
-work experience
-extracurricular
activities.
This will make it easier to
prepare a thorough resume.
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A Guide To Resume Writing
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The Content of Your Resume
The Header
Name, address, telephone, e-mail address, web
site address
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Use a permanent address. NOT a residence
hall.
Use a permanent telephone number and include
the area code. If you have an answering machine,
record a neutral greeting.
Add your e-mail address. Use your CU email- it is
professional and one you should check often!
Include your web site address (LinkedIn or other
site)only if the web page reflects your professional
ambitions
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Objective or Summary
An objective tells potential employers the sort of work
you're hoping to do.
 Be specific about the job you want. For example:
To obtain an entry-level position/internship within
an ______ engineering institution requiring strong
____ and ______ skills for Summer 2015.
 Include a brief description of yourself (year and
highlights)
 Tailor your objective to each employer you
target/every job you seek.
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Education
Where should education go?
Don’t have a lot of relevant work experience?
List their educational information first.
Otherwise, list it after work experience.
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Your most recent educational information is listed
first, most students do not list their high school.
Include your pursued degree (B.S., B.A., M.A…),
major, institution, minor/concentration and
anticipated graduation.
Add your grade point average (GPA) if it is higher
than 3.0.
Mention academic honors including Deans list,
merit scholarships/awards, honor programs, ect.
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Work Experience
Briefly give the employer an overview of work that
has taught you skills relevant to the job. Use
action words to describe your job duties. Put your
work experience in reverse chronological order—
that is, put your most recent job first and work
backwards to your first, relevant job. Include:
 Title of position
 Name of organization
 Location of work (town, state)
 Dates of employment
 Describe your work responsibilities with emphasis
on specific skills and achievements. Elaborate!
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Projects/Research-SEPARATE
Give the employer an idea of some of the projects you
have worked on and completed.
This can be a substitute for a lack of work
experience. Employers will look for the technical
skills you gained during the course of the project or
in research.
Base the structure on:
What was needed and how you solved it
USE ACTION WORDS!!!
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Action Words!
Analyzed
Clarified
Collected
Compared
Conducted
Critiqued
Detected
Determined
Diagnosed
Evaluated
Examined
Experimented
Explored
Extracted
Formulated
Gathered
Identified
Inspected
Interpreted
Interviewed
Invented
Investigated
Located
Measured
Organized
Researched
Reviewed
Searched
Solved
Summarized
Surveyed
Systematized
Tested
Adapted
Applied
Assembled
Built
Calculated
Computed
Conserved
Constructed
Converted
A Guide To Resume Writing
Debugged
Designed
Determined
Developed
Engineered
Fabricated
Fortified
Installed
Maintained
Operated
Overhauled
Printed
Programmed
Regulated
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Skills
A highlighted skills section is suggested. If you put
this section at the bottom, it will be the last thing
employers see, so it is a good way to wrap up why
you would be beneficial to their company.
Things to put on:
Computer Skills (any programming
language you are proficient
in, SolidWorks, CAD…)
Machine Shop Skills (specific
machines)
Laboratory Skills (specific practices)
Other technical skills
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Additional
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Leadership Experience
Volunteer Work
Certifications
Additional Experience: Other, nonrelated jobs
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AVOID
 DO
NOT make your resume over 1
page long: only very rare occurances
will recruiters even look at a second…
 DO NOT use “I” or “We” or “me” or
“Ours”. No pronouns!
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Summary - Resume Checkup
You've written your resume. It's time to have it
reviewed and critiqued by peers, parents,
AND a career counselor. AKA as many people
as possible:
Content:
 Run a spell check on your computer before
anyone sees your resume.
 Get a friend (an English major would do
nicely) to do a grammar review.
 Ask another friend to proofread. The more
people who see your resume, the more likely
that misspelled words and awkward phrases
will be seen (and corrected).
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Professional Actions
 Handshake!
Everyone practice!
 Say please and thank you’s - general
politeness
 Smile
 Know the company that you are talking
to!
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Thanks! Good Luck!
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Your Resume---The Road to Success How to
Prepare an Effective Resume by Elaine H. King
http://careerservices.colorado.edu/
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