CV/RESUME AND COVER LETTER WRITING FOR EMPLOYMENT, GRADUATE
SCHOOL, AND FELLOWSHIPS
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Chapman UniversityArgyros Forum 303
714 997-6942
Presented by: Sharon Mathis-Curd; Career Counselor
Career Development Center
CV/Curriculum Vitae/Vita
Purpose to get you an interview Details all academic credentials and
professional accomplishments Used for seeking academic jobs, research
jobs in government labs, funding (grants or fellowships)
Lengthy Examples
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Resume?
Purpose to get an interview A ”snapshot” of your qualifications One or two pages An “advertisement” Creates a critical “first impression” Can Open doors – only part of the process!
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Take inventory of what YOU offer
Major skills and abilities? Research/lab skills Technical or field-specific skills? Important personal attributes? Working independently/team player Where you have successfully used these
skills, abilities and attributes?
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Take inventory of what YOU offer
Education, Experience, Personal Qualities, Internships
Transferable skills (i.e. communication, analyzing, organizing, problem-solving, planning, presentation)
Accomplishments (i.e. improved, created, built, managed, wrote)
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1st Step- 3 “Rs”
3 Must Knows:
1. What you are “selling” -- your
qualifications
2. For what purpose -- your job objective
3. To whom you are “selling” -- your
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Know Your Market
Research Employers & Jobs
Must be able to identify the industry and employers for whom you would like to work and type of job
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Formatting your ResumeDon’t use templates- not your friend! One chance to make a 1st impression! Scanned for 10-15 seconds – must be attractive Make info easy to find, easy to read Good white space, 1” margins, spacing Don’t crowd Don’t go CRAZY with fonts Be selective with bolding, underlining, avoid italics No erors !! Most important information at the top! Know why you are including information
ALWAYS EXCEPTIONS!!!!!!!!!!!
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Font Size and Type
Font size: between 10 and 12Your name should be LARGEST & at top
Resume Font Type Typically use a readable, bookprint font
Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri. Graphic design or advertising employers
might be open to alternative fonts or portfolio
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More on Font TypeWho knew there were so many fonts! Keep to one font type
2 categories:*Serif font and has a tail
Times New Roman, Georgia, Century, Bookman Old Style
*Sans serif fonts do not have tails look like blocks
Arial, Tahoma, Gothic, Lucida Sans
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What Should Be in a Resume
What will get you the job!
Convince them you are the
one!
Be short & sweet!
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Contact Data
MANDY MOORE1 Main Street-Orange, CA 92866 (714)555-1111
Professional Email/Phone MessageAddress versus no Address?
Local Address versus Permanent?Many different ways for heading
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Contact Info
JOHN L. SMITH One University Dr. #200 - Orange, CA 92866
(714) 222-2222 [email protected]
JOHN SMITH(714) 222-2222 [email protected]
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Contact Info
Matt Martinez123 Main Street (714) 555-9865Orange, CA 92866 [email protected]
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Matt Martinez123 Main Street-Orange, CA 92866 (714)555-9865 [email protected]
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EDUCATION
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Chapman University – Orange, CA May 2013B.S. in Economics, May 2006 3.9 GPA
Include: Degree/Major/Minor/Grad Date/Class StandingOptions:All Schools attended? High School? GPA/Honors, Study AbroadCourses/Projects, Thesis
Do they all go under Education? What order?
EDUCATION
Chapman University – Dodge College of Film and Media Arts May 2015BA in Public Relations and Advertising GPA 4.0----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------BS in Business Administration – Finance EmphasisChapman University Argyros School of Business and EconomicsMay 2015 (3.7 GPA)
Associates of Sciences Degree in Business Fullerton Junior College Graduated with Honors (May 2013)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------BS in Business Administration – Entrepreneurship Emphasis May 2014Chapman University – Argyros School of Business and EconomicsPresidential Scholarship, Chancellor’s List
Study Abroad: Spain
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Education
STUDY ABROAD/INTERNATIONAL STUDIESCollege International De Cannes – France Dates • Enrolled in intensive French language courses• Traveled throughout France University of Salamanca –Spain Dates
RELEVANT COURSES• History of Film International Marketing• Visual Storytelling, Global Business
Marketing• Film Aesthetics Journalism Theory and
Practice
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EXPERIENCE
Include Employer Name – city, state Dates employed Descriptive job title Can be paid/non paid Projects?
How many do you includeHow do you prioritize
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Describing Experiences(Not Easy!!)
Use phrases not sentences Condense without losing meaning Start with action verbs Use buzz words specific to industry Don’t underestimate what you did! Bullet or paragraph format Must match skill set of what you want
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Bullet Format Examples
Inventoried and stocked all medical supplies; created a more streamlined tracking system
Conducted short and long range investment analyses on NYSE stocks using Lotus
Built loyal clientele of regulars in addition to tourist trade
Managed a $5000 budget
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Finance Intern PAINE WEBBER INCORPORATED, Newport Beach, CA Summer 2012
Assisted financial consultants with prospecting new clients Researched equities and mutual funds Worked independently on statistical and program planning
projects Organized client files and developed client follow up procedures Recognized for being a dedicated and reliable employee
Work Experience Example
Lead Server Watson’s Restaurant-Orange, CA 2012 Present
• Provide exceptional service in fast-paced setting ensuring positive dining experience
• Motivate team to work quickly and efficiently• Plan and coordinate schedules• Train and supervise new staff
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Work Experience Example
No Experience?
Use projects: teams/solo Describe what you did Identify skill sets Consider activities/community service
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RESEARCH
Specific Project/Team/Independent What you did
Design experiments, collect and analyze data Construct stimuli
Lab Skills/Statistical packages: SPSS, SAS, R
Conference Presentations/Publications
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PROJECTS
List team/independent projects Identify relevant skills, use action verbs PR/Ad Campaign, Entertainment Marketing,
Research, Accounting , Production Experience Developed advertising campaign using social
media Created public service campaign Designed press kit
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Leadership/ActivitiesPresident – Sorority 2013 – present
Lead meetings of over 40 members
Increased membership by 15% in one year
Substantially increased number of service hours given by club members
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Awards and Honors
Chancellor’s List Presidential Scholar (highest award for
freshmen) Graduated with Honors Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society (top 25% class) Employee of Month Dean’s List, 4 semesters Basketball Team, Most Valuable Player
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MORE Research Projects Research Skills Lab Skills Publications Manuscripts Conference
Presentations Stat Packages
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More
Professional Affiliations Leadership/Offices held Technical/Computer Skills Languages Community Involvement STUDY ABROAD/international
studies
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What Next? Be sure to have someone proofread your resume for spelling, typos, and grammar Create a visually appealing resume
1” picture frame margin Effective utilization of white space Effective use of boldfacing, italics, caps Placement of headings
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Common Resume Problems Too much – too little!
Vague objective; resume is lacking focus
Typos, grammatical errors
Irrelevant or outdated information
Poor layout
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What Not to Include Date of birth
Marital status
Photograph
Personal data (gender, ethnicity, height, weight, political affiliation, etc.)
Letters of recommendation
Salary History (Unless requested)
“Date-Stamping”
References (Do NOT state: “References Available Upon Request”)
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COVER LETTERS
Individualized to each company What you are applying to and why Pull from resume what is most relevant to
position Put personality into it Wow them!
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Research What they do
Products, services Philosophy Company culture Review web page Search for recent news coverage Use vault.com or wetfeet.com to get insider
views Glasssdoor.com
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Review Job Description
Identify how you fit the job description
Skills, personality, experience, education
Ensure you sell yourself by identifying key points in cover letter
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Cover Letter Parts
Three main paragraphs:1) Why you are writing2) SELL IT: Why you are right for the position3) Summarize
How you learned about the positionReferral, Job Listing
Return Address Date (Inside Address)
Name, Title Company Name Street City, State zip
Dear Internship Coordinator: (Avoid To Whom It May Concern)
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Paragraph 2
Sell yourself – how you meet the qualifications
Use education, experience, personal qualities
Show personality!
Provide evidence of related experiences and accomplishments
Show genuine interest in position & company
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Conclusion: Last Paragraph
Express appreciation to the reader for their time and consideration
Strong conclusion about interest
Sincerely, Name email phone
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Important Tips
Do not include all of your experiences in your cover letter.
Highlight one or two significant and relevant jobs, leadership positions and/or other experiences that relate to the position.
Convince the reader you have exactly what they want by clearly showing how you match requirements.
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More Tips Use active, not passive voice Keep sentences short and succinct Reduce the use of modifiers such as “very” Be clear and direct Write naturally and avoid overly formal words
such as “shall” It may help to dictate your letter or read it
out loud
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