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Resume & Cover Letter Workshop
RESUME : A MARKETING TOOL
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Resume Purpose
The goal of a resume is to provide prospective
employers with a concise summary of your
experiences and qualifications.
This is the first impression of YOU
that organizations and companies will see!
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Common Resume Pitfalls
 Grammatical Errors
 Objective [not needed]
 High School Information [not needed]
 Exaggerations and broad statements
 Formatting Inconsistencies
 January 2009 – 7/2009
 font styles and sizes
 Verb tense uniformity
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Resume Essentials
 Current Contact Information
 Education
 Experience
 Leadership & Activities
 Skills
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Template
Each activity/experience should be clearly identified in your resume
Company /Organization [Bolded], City, State
Year
Position [Italicized]
 Bullet
 Bullet
 Bullet
Month Year(sp)dash(sp)Month
Example
XYZ Corporation, Miami Lakes, FL
October 2008 - January 2009
Finance Intern, Cost Accounting Group
 Assisted in the consolidation of world-wide financial statements
 Collected and pre-verified documentation for Sarbanes Oxley testing
 Created an Excel-based index for all financial reports published monthly
 Assisted with CFO ad-hoc requests such as currency conversion impact on sales and
net income
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Bullets
 Begin with strong action verbs


Analyzed, Presented, Prepared, Organized, Performed, Supervised, Managed
No punctuation is needed
 Use descriptive bullets without being too wordy
 Quantify your experience if possible

i.e. How big was the budget that you managed? How many people did you
supervise?
 Answer at least two questions in each position/experience



What did I do?
How did I do it ?
What were my results?
 Examples



Tracked daily expenses for 40 ongoing projects and ensured compliance with
budgets and financial plans
Analyzed financial statements and reported on company owned assets using
CFROI and other company metrics
Created and analyzed monthly ‘Budget vs. Actual’ reports on plant spending and
communicated key drivers to company controller
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Current Contact Information
 Necessary Components
 Mobile number
 Email address
 College mailing address
 Permanent mailing address is optional
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Education
 Necessary Components
 Majors, minors
 Expected graduation date
 Study Abroad
 GPA
 Honors & Awards
 Relevant Coursework (optional*)
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Experience
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Leadership & Activities
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Skills
• Necessary Components
 Computer [MS Office Suite, Java, C++]
 Languages [ Fluent, Proficient]
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Resume Writing Tips
• A resume is a marketing tool, not an autobiography
• Formatting: one page, no typos, no high school
experience
• Concise, quantifiable, action-oriented summary of
experiences, education and skill sets
• Highlight leadership roles, clubs/organizations &
unique achievements/awards
• Tailor your resume for the job you want
• Keep your resume current and available
• Always carry a few copies to events where
networking opportunities exist
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COVER LETTER: A WRITTEN
INTRODUCTION
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1st Paragraph
• Answer the question as to why you are writing and
the position to which you are applying
• From your research, explain why you are interested
in this position or organization
• The goal is to make a connection - do this briefly and
specifically or leave it out; sweeping statements will
not work so make sure to tailor each cover letter for
each job you apply for
**http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/career/guides/cover_ltr.shtml
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2nd Paragraph
• The first sentence should be a hard-hitting opener- a
quick introduction, which is accomplishmentoriented and directed at the skills and qualifications
needed for the job/industry
• The body of the paragraph should provide evidence
to back up what you've just claimed
• Discuss why what you did is relevant to the
employer- relate the facts to the job. Strong
examples are important!
• The final sentence is a summary of what you've
discussed above
**http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/career/guides/cover_ltr.shtml
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Final Paragraph
• You should refer to the enclosed resume and request
an interview. It is vital that you thank the reader for
his/her time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Your Signature
Your Name
Enclosure(s)
**http://www.trincoll.edu/depts/career/guides/cover_ltr.shtml
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Tips to Make your letter
Professional
• Research the company and the specifics about
the position to tailor your letter to the position
• Avoid using too many sentences that in the
passive voice (ex. "This experience enabled me
to..." or "Through my internship, I was
responsible for..."); instead, make yourself the
subject of each sentence and use active
descriptions (ex., "In this internship, I
demonstrated sound judgment and problemsolving skills on a daily basis.").
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Tips (Cont.)
• Do not use contractions (I'd, didn't, it's).
• Spelling, grammar, or punctuation mistakes are
out of the question! Cover letters are a reflection
of your writing skills, so make each cover letter an
example of your best work
• Be sure to sign your letters (black ink is
suggested)
• Keep your letter short and simple
• If sending via mail, use good quality paper that
matches your resume paper and envelopes
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Summary
• Make sure there is uniformity and consistency
• Use a bulleted format that begins with strong
action verbs
• Make sure there are no spelling or grammatical
errors
• Use matching verb tenses
• Full sentences are not necessary
• Do not put anything in your resume that you
cannot explain clearly and precisely
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QUESTIONS?
[email protected]