Resumes, Cover Letters and
Personal Statements
Mrs. Burkel
Why are these important?
• A resume, a cover letter, and a personal
statement are your first impression on a
company or school…this is why it needs to be
PERFECT
• There is a lot of competition, so yours needs
to be great
Work History or Skills Based?
• If you have a job and/or know what you want
to do as a career, you will do a Work History
resume
• If you are unsure still, do a Skills Based resume
that deals with building your character
Step One:
• On a piece of paper, write down five
words that describe you
• Then, think of specific times in your life
that you have lived up to what these
words mean
• For example, maybe you’re caring b/c
you volunteer at shelters.
Step Two:
• Objective Statement :
• What do you want to do? It should be a
sentence or two about your employment
goals. A customized objective that
describes why you are the perfect
candidate for the job can help your
resume stand out from the competition.
Choose one and reword…
• Seeking a ________ position with a company
which will require me to utilize my skills, abilities
and experience in the _______ field to ensure the
company's success
• To obtain a position in the ______ field where I
can utilize my work experience and education to
improve company's operation
• To obtain a position as a _________ in a
________ company while continuing my
education
Step Three:
• Education:
– Grayslake North High School Grayslake, IL
• Graduate May 2013
Step Four:
• Employment history: begin with the
most recent
• Skills based: begin with the most recent
activities as well
Example of Work History…
• Summer 2012: Chili’s Bar and Grill Vernon
Hills, IL
– Hostess
• Communicated with staff regarding expectations of
restaurant, including hospitality, cleanliness and
effectiveness. <-PERIOD
Example of Skills Based
• You will address your positive qualities
and discuss how these come forth in
your life. Also, think of clubs, sports,
and any other extracurricular activities
Step Five:
• Skills/Awards/Achievements:
– List any significant accomplishments from
high school: sports, volunteer services,
clubs, activities, babysitting, etc.
– What do these skills say about you? If
you’re on a team, maybe it helped you show
leadership or maybe babysitting made you
responsible and mature.
– Consider NHS, Honor Roll, etc. as well
Step Six:
• Technology Skills:
– What are you proficient in? Microsoft
Word, Power Point, etc.
– Languages spoken: fluent in Spanish and
English.
SECTION TWO: Personal Statements
or Cover Letter
• You will choose to do one of the
following…
– A personal statement/college essay
OR a cover letter. A cover letter introduces
yourself to a company and works as an intro
to your resume.
Personal Statement/College
Essay
• You will need to pick a prompt for a college
you are considering.
• If you cannot find one or one of your colleges
doesn’t have one, you will then do a personal
statement.
Common Prompts:
• Option #1. Evaluate a significant
experience, achievement, risk you have
taken, or ethical dilemma you have
faced and its impact on you.
• Option #2: Discuss some issue of
personal, local, national, or international
concern and its importance to you.
Prompts continued…
• Option #3. Indicate a person who has had
a significant influence on you, and describe
that influence.
• Keep in mind the most common responses
and try to not duplicate that. You want to
stand out. So, you probably don’t want to
say how awesome your mom is…they
probably read this a lot. But, you could tell
a unique story about your mom.
Personal Statements:
• A personal statement is your “opportunity
to tell us about yourself — your hopes,
ambitions, life experiences, inspirations.
We encourage you to take your time on
this assignment. Be open. Be reflective.
Find your individual voice and express it
honestly” (University of CA).
• It should also reflect what your major or
ambitions will be in college and what your
accomplishments have been thus far
Personal Statement Example #1The Creative Approach:
• “As a little girl, I spent my summers at the muumuu
(Hawaiian dress) factory. The rusted metal fan
mesmerized me as it blew hot air around the factory,
stirring up the scraps of bright fabric and bits of thread
that littered each sewing machine station. The constant
whirring of a dozen machines spitting out ruffles and
dresses often lulled me to sleep, and I dozed off
instead of keeping to my task of sewing tiny fabric
triangles to form a quilt. My mother rarely looked up at
me from her machine, though every once in a while
she would undo a portion of my stitches and admonish
me to be neater” (www.top-law-schools.com)
Example #2: The Straight Forward
Approach
• “My interest in science dates back to my years
in high school, where I excelled in physics,
chemistry, and math. When I was a senior, I
took a first-year calculus course at a local
college (such an advanced-level class was not
available in high school) and earned an A. It
seemed only logical that I pursue a career in
electrical engineering” (www.purdue.com)
OR, you can choose to do a cover
letter…
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Top left:
Your Contact Information
Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip Code
Your Phone Number
Your Email Address
• Date
Under that…
• Hit return a few times and then provide the
company’s contact information.
• This will obviously change with every job that you
apply for
• Employer Contact Information
• Name
• Title
• Company
• Address
Salutation
• Dear Mr./Ms. _________________ or To
Whom It May Concern,
First…
• The body of your cover letter lets the
employer know what position you are
applying for, why the employer should select
you for an interview, and how you will followup.
Then…
• First Paragraph:
• The first paragraph of your letter should
include information on why you are writing.
Mention the position you are applying for.
Include the name of a mutual contact, if you
have one. Be clear and concise regarding your
request. Convince the reader that they should
grant the interview or appointment you
requested in the first paragraph.
Next…
• The next section of your cover letter should
describe what you have to offer the employer.
Make strong connections between your abilities
and their needs. Mention specifically how your
skills and experience match the job you are
applying for. Remember, you are interpreting
your resume, not repeating it. Try to support each
statement you make with a piece of evidence.
Use several shorter paragraphs or bullets rather
than one large block of text.
Last paragraph…
• Final Paragraph:
• Conclude your cover letter by thanking the
employer for considering you for the position.
Include information on how you will follow-up
(if you are planning to do so).
Closing…
Respectfully yours OR Sincerely,
Handwritten Signature
Typed Signature
It should visually look like this…