ResumeLetterWriting_UC Berkeley

Job & Internship Guide • 08-09 22 Resume & Letter Writing Job & Internship Guide • 08-09 “Keep your resume up to date! You need them at career fairs and for unexpected opportunities. At career fairs I usually bring 40-50 resumes and just talk to companies. I fi nd out what I want to do into in terms of careers and positions.” Dora W., Senior, Applied Math “To keep my resume from being redundant, I use the verb list in the Job and Internship Guide. It’s a helpful tool that helps make my resume unique. You don’t want your resume to be like everyone else’s.” Karen C., Senior, Mass Communications/Psychology to do9 • Keep an inventory of your achievements. Save any positive written feedback you receive and other documents that illustrate your success. These come in handy when creating a resume and cover letter. • Get an early start. Carve out time to prepare and edit your resumes and cover letters before submitting them. • Explore formats. Beyond this Job & Internship Guide, there are many resume and cover letter resources in our Infolab. Determine which one will market you best. • Use your own words. Do not borrow content from others’ resumes. Your unique voice should come across loud and clear! • Make a Mini-Appointment. Ask a career counselor to review and critique drafts of your resume and cover letter. • Recruit an English major or other word whiz to perform a fi nal grammar and content review. Have two other people read your resume for good measure. • Follow up with employers you’ve submitted your resume and cover letter to within two weeks. • Sign up for Callisto to access CalJobs and CareerMail and explore other job listing websites to identify job and internship opportunities. A to the position of new employee. Strong resumes do more than merely summarize your educational background and work history; they emphasize the results of your efforts, and draw clear parallels between your skills and experience and an employer’s needs. THE 5 STEPS OF RESUME DEVELOPMENT Step 1: Analyze the Job Description Read job descriptions thoroughly and then highlight all of the keywords which indicate required and preferred skills, abilities, attributes, and qualifi cations. If an employer is looking for somebody who is innovative, punctual, and attentive to detail, use these same words in your resume. Step 2: Generate a List of Accomplishments Create an inventory of your accomplishments. These should include tasks that you enjoyed doing, did well, and of which you were proud. Include education/ training, volunteer experience, jobs, projects, school assignments, travel, and group/team activities. Focus on the outcome of your efforts. Quantify your results if possible. Don’t be humble! Resumes are promotional tools. well crafted resume can elevate you from a state of anonymity Chapter Action Items more info: career.berkeley.edu 23 career.berkeley.edu Preparing for Your Search Your Job or Internship Search Internships Successful Interview ing Resum e & Letter W riting Search Preparing for Your Internship & Job O ffers Step 3: Identify Relevant Skill Areas What skills are necessary for the job? Frame your experience so that the focus is on skills and achievements that are desirable for that particular position. Expand on relevant skills and experiences and commit less space to describing other experiences. Step 4: Write Descriptive Phrases Using action verbs—see p. 27, write short phrases to describe experiences that demonstrate your relevant skills. Remember, always place them in order of relevance. The most relevant information should always be on top. Step 5: Choose a Format While resume templates may be tempting, employers are often familiar with them and will not appreciate your lack of ingenuity. Also, templates tend to be infl exible. Here’s a chart to help you select a format. Selecting a Resume Format Chronological • Lists your experience in reverse chronological order—from most recent to least recent. • Works best when your work, volunteer, and academic experience relate directly to the type of job to which you’re applying. • Illustrates consistency in your work history. If there are wide gaps in your experience, this may not be the best format for you. • Most popular resume style. The majority of on-campus recruiters and business employers prefer this style. • See an example, p. 30 Skills • Lists your experience based on skill headings, which are not necessarily in chronological order. • Actual work history is summarized in a brief section at the bottom of the page. • Focus is shifted away from where and when you developed particular skills. The skills themselves are the main attraction. • Works best when you are trying to break into a fi eld where you have little or no experience. A good choice for career changers. • See an example, p. 31 Hybrid • Combines the above formats so that experience is listed chronologically and with skill headings. • Can be organized in different ways, but usually displays experiences with descriptions in reverse chronological order grouped under skill headings. • Works best when there are some consistent themes to your experience (teaching, leadership, marketing, etc.) • Some employers prefer this format, as it provides them with easily identifi able skill areas and a sense of your history. • See an example, p. 32 RESUME TIPS FOR FIRST YEAR STUDENTS • You may include work, leadership, and academic achievements from high school. By your third year, college experiences should replace those from high school. • Don’t worry about having limited work experience. You may highlight other accomplishments, such as those listed under “Resume Components,” p. 26. Include some of the components marked “optional.” • First resumes require extra time to assemble. Expect to spend a few hours creating a rough draft, and make an appointment with a career counselor to review your resume. • Be patient with the process! Resumes are always a work in progress. Job & Internship Guide • 08-09 24 RESUME DOs AND DON’Ts Do Focus on the specifi c results of your work, signifi cant achievements, and recognition received Use action verbs such as “created” or “coordinated” to describe your experience Get feedback from several people, including a career counselor Have somebody you trust proofread your resume for spelling and grammatical errors Remember to describe both your paid and unpaid positions or volunteer experiences Exercise restraint rather than cramming too much information onto a resume Tailor your resume to each specifi c position Omit experiences that you would not want to repeat in future positions unless they are necessary for the job Use high quality paper in a neutral color Use readable and common fonts Don’t Use phrases such as “Responsibilities included” Use resume templates included in word processing software Manipulate margins or font size to accommodate information in place of proper editing Include routine job duties such as “making copies” Use long sentences or paragraphs Submit the same resume to every employer, regardless of the position Write long objectives such as, “To fi nd a sales position at a medium sized corporation where I can grow and develop my management skills” MAKING A CAREER SHIFT Let’s say you worked as a restaurant host for the past two years; now you want to fi nd an internship in human resources. How can you make the switch? By using your transferable skills! Transferable skills are skills that you’ve developed that would appeal to nearly any employer. Here are some examples: • Customer service & confl ict resolution • Analytical ability & problem solving • Teamwork & leadership • Written and verbal communication • Organizational skills and attention to detail • Research & presentation Your list will be unique. Prior to writing your resume, consider what skills you’ve developed that may translate from one work environment to another. As you search for jobs or internships, scrutinize job postings with these skills. Then write down (in detail) the ways in which you’ve developed each one. The case below illustrates how a restaurant host could demonstrate some of the transferable skills that an employer is seeking. Use it as a model for developing your own list of transferable skills. The Job Posting: Join the Human Resources Team of Cable Company X in the East Bay as a Recruiting Intern. Must: • be effective at written and verbal communication • be profi cient in Word and Excel • be able to quickly learn computer programs • have ability to travel locally when needed • have punctual and consistent attendance • be willing to perform administrative duties Skills Developed as a Restaurant Host Written and Verbal Communication • Two years of assisting customers in a fast-paced, hectic restaurant environment • Mediated confl icts using a “customers fi rst” approach to ensure resolution and satisfaction • Developed a customer service handbook for hosts and waitstaff. Initiative resulted in being awarded Employee of the Year. Quick Learner/Computers • Mastered proprietary table service management system in less than one week, increasing food service accuracy Punctual/Good Attendance • Maintained perfect attendance record as a host and as a residence hall peer counselor for over a 3 year period 25 career.berkeley.edu Preparing for Your Search Your Job or Internship Search Internships Successful Interview ing Resum e & Letter W riting Search Preparing for Your Internship & Job O ffers EMAILING RESUMES Before emailing your resume, try to fi nd out the employer’s format preference. Some accept attachments; others prefer your resume in the text of the email message. If you can’t fi nd out the employer’s preference, send it both ways in one message. Unless you are told otherwise, include a cover letter. Send the resume and cover letter in one email message. See p. 37 for an example email format. When submitting a resume via an organization’s website, use the formatting and display style recommended by the website. To send your resume as an attachment: • Give the document a name the recruiter will associate with you, such as “MillerJennifer.doc.” Don’t give it a generic name like “Resume.doc” • Be sure your document is virus free • Email it to yourself to make sure it’s easy to open and the formatting remains in tact To send your resume in the text of the email message: • The cover letter should appear fi rst • Do not use bold, underlining, bullets, distinctive fonts, colored text, or html codes. Use asterisks, plus signs (+), dashes, all capital letters, and combinations of these to highlight text • Email it to yourself and a friend with a different email provider to see how it will look • Text resumes look plain and ordinary, but employers are used to this. They are more concerned with whether the content meets their expectations To make your resume scannable: Some employers utilize resume database tracking systems. They scan incoming resumes into a database (sometimes letters, too) and when they have openings, they retrieve resumes using relevant keywords. Some companies will indicate on their website if they scan resumes and often provide formatting tips. • Include industry or job-specifi c keywords, especially relevant skills, universal abbreviations, major, specifi c fi elds of study, and experience (e.g., marketing research, java, html, sales, gel electrophoresis). • Use 10 to 12 point font size. Do not use italics, underlining, fancy fonts, bullets, and multiple columns. Use all bold or capitals for emphasis. • When submitting a hard copy by mail, print it on white paper with a laser printer and do not fold it. RESUME CHECKLIST STOP! Don’t submit your resume until you have checked off this list! • Have you set up a Mini-Appointment at the Career Center to get your resume critiqued? • Is the resume pleasing to the eye: easy-to-read font, good layout? Can an employer learn the basics about you with a 10 second glance at your resume? • Are your name, address, city, state, zip code, phone number and email address at the top of the page? • Did you use bullets, bold, all capitals, and underlining to highlight key strengths? • If you know your resume will be scanned, did you omit columns, underlining, and bullets? • Is information listed in order of importance and relevance to the skills listed in the job description? • Does the resume avoid generalities and focus on specifi c information about experience, context, and results? • Did you check the spelling of every word and make sure the grammar and punctuation are correct? • Do most phrases begin with action verbs such as “developed,” “initiated,” etc.? • Have you been accurate and truthful about your accomplishments rather than being too modest or over zealous? • Did you tailor your resume for the position by including key skills and experiences the employer wants? • If you were the employer, would you call you for an interview? to do9 Job & Internship Guide • 08-09 26 RESUME COMPONENTS COMPONENT BASICS COMMENTS Identifying Data Put name, street address, email address and phone or message number at the top of the page (include area codes and zip codes). Can include personal web page if you want employers to see it. Voicemail message, email address, and website content should be appropriate for a potential employer. Don’t answer the phone during a job search unless you are in an appropriate environment. Education Name of school, major, degree received, graduation date, projected graduation date, or dates of attendance if degree was not completed. Include any course titles relevant to the targeted position. Honors and grade-point average are optional; include if among your strong points. If you attended more than one school, list the most recent fi rst. You don’t have to list all the schools you have attended nor high school. Additional education and training may either go here or under a separate heading. Experience/Work History Paid and unpaid work qualify as experience. Emphasize tasks, skills, abilities, and accomplishments related to the targeted position. Give the job title, employing organization, and dates of employment. Present achievements, contributions, and results (e.g., streamlined a procedure or made a cost-saving suggestion). Experience does not have to be paid. The components listed below are optional–use if appropriate for your background and the employers you’re targeting Job Objective A one-line description of the type of position you want. Follows your name, address and phone number at the top of your resume. Should be specifi c rather than a general statement of your interests. Skills & Abilities or Summary of Qualifi cations Foreign languages, computer skills, offi ce skills, lab techniques, or transferable skills not mentioned elsewhere in the resume. Can be combined under this heading or listed separately. Languages Mention if you are profi cient or fl uent in a foreign language. If you understand a language but are not fl uent, still mention it. For example: fl uent in Russian, conversational Spanish, or basic French. Activities & Interests In order of importance or reverse chronological order, list student activities/organizations, professional associations, and committees in which you have participated. List any offi ces that you held with the skills you used. Include activities and interests that show leadership or initiative or that pertain to your career interest. Community Involvement/Volunteer Activities List offi ces held, organizations, projects, and accomplishments. If the setting is political or religious, you may want to use generic descriptions (e.g., Youth Leader for church, Speech Writer for City Council candidate). If substantial, these may be listed under “Experience.” Honors Recent graduates and continuing students can include academic honors such as Dean’s List, honor societies, and scholarships. Can be listed separately or as a bullet point under Education. Research & Publications Briefl y describe relevant research projects. List published articles, papers or books. Class Projects List relevant projects completed in college classes. List any research, lab skills, or software/ programming languages used. This shows that you have hands-on experience and is a good strategy for younger students with limited experience. Travel Include if your career interest involves travel or knowledge of other cultures. You can use this as a way of distinguishing yourself if you have signifi cant travel experience. References/Portfolio It is not necessary to end your resume with the phrase, “References Available on Request,” but this is the best place to state that you have “Portfolio and/or writing samples available on request.” Create a separate page for references, see p 38. List names, titles and contact information. Always ask permission before using anyone’s name as a reference. Include people who know about your work related abilities, such as former employers, volunteer project supervisors, and faculty. Do not use relatives or friends. 27 career.berkeley.edu Preparing for Your Search Your Job or Internship Search Internships Successful Interview ing Resum e & Letter W riting Search Preparing for Your Internship & Job O ffers Management administered analyzed assigned attained chaired consolidated contracted coordinated delegated developed directed evaluated executed improved increased organized oversaw planned prioritized produced recommended reviewed scheduled strengthened supervised Communication addressed arbitrated arranged authored collaborated convinced corresponded developed directed drafted edited enlisted formulated infl uenced interpreted lectured mediated moderated negotiated persuaded promoted publicized reconciled recruited spoke translated wrote Research clarifi ed collected critiqued diagnosed evaluated examined extracted identifi ed inspected interpreted interviewed investigated organized reviewed summarized surveyed systematized Technical assembled built calculated computed designed devised engineered fabricated maintained operated overhauled programmed remodeled repaired solved upgraded Teaching adapted advised clarifi ed coached communicated coordinated demystifi ed developed enabled encouraged evaluated explained facilitated guided informed instructed persuaded set goals stimulated trained Financial administered allocated analyzed appraised audited balanced budgeted calculated computed developed forecasted managed marketed planned projected researched Creative acted conceptualized created customized designed developed directed established fashioned founded illustrated initiated instituted integrated introduced invented originated performed planned revitalized shaped Helping assessed assisted clarifi ed coached counseled demonstrated diagnosed educated expedited facilitated familiarized guided motivated referred rehabilitated represented Clerical or Detail Oriented approved arranged catalogued classifi ed collected compiled dispatched executed generated implemented inspected m