Job Searching 101: Writing
Your Resume and Cover Letter
January 5, 2008
Presenter: Donna Brice, Director
What We Will Cover in This Workshop
 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
Ways to Apply for a Job
 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
What Goes into a Resume
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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
Parts of the Resume
 Contact Information:
 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
Parts of the Resume
 Career Highlights / Qualifications (optional)
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It highlights your key achievements, skills,
traits, and experience relevant to the position
 Experience
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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
Parts of the Resume
 Education
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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.
 Membership in Professional Organizations
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If you belong to a professional organization,
include it. It shows dedication to learning and
keeping current in your career.
Parts of the Resume
 Military Service
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If this is your only work experience, put it
under that section.
 References upon request
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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.
Resume Templates
See Handouts:
 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
Resume Do’s & Don’ts
 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.
Resume Do’s & Don’ts
 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.
Cover Letters: Never Send a
Resume Without One
What is the purpose of a Cover Letter:
 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.
Cover Letter Templates
The format of a cover letter is basically the same as a
typical letter.
See Handouts:
 In response to an ad (3 examples)
 After a phone conversation
 Company that has not advertised a job
 New College Graduate (2 examples)
 Referred by a mutual friend
 With employee salary requirements
 Follow up to a cover letter
Cover Letter Do’s & Don’ts
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!
Cover Letter Do’s & Don’ts
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.