Resumes & Cover Letters

Know your audience! Self- Assessment Occupational Research Employer Research Networking Developing inferences from job descriptions Tailoring resumes, cover letters, and e-mail correspondence to your target.

NECESSARYJOB SEARCH SKILLS:

Resumes: Connecting earlywith your audience

“Objectives”Purpose: To tell some poor soul what to do with

your resume.

Who should get it? What kind of job are you seeking?

Contents: Role(s) + Environment

Examples: “Position as reference librarian in a University or research institution library.”

“Competitive research role with a major pharmaceutical firm. Strong interest in evolving immunological products and DNA sequencing.”

“Professional Summaries”

Often used in lieu of—or directly after—an objective.

Summarize a “package” of qualifications.

Useful when there may be more than one positionfor which you may be qualified.

Example

Professional Summary: Candidate for MLS degree with four years’

progressively responsible experience in database administration and research.

Concentrated coursework in networks, web design, and assessment of library services.

Strong skills in business analysis, systems implementation, and project management.

Excellent knowledge of research methods, inferential statistics, and related applications (SPSS, SAS, FoxPro, Excel Macros).

Arrangement of Topics Select and arrange topics to present most relevant skills, knowledge, and experience earlier in the resume.

You cannot do this without knowing who your employer is and what qualifications will be most valued.

Possible topics might include:

Education Languages Selected Courses Technology Skills Key Projects Honors Work Experience Activities Leadership Experience Interests Marketing Experience References Entrepreneurial Experience Financial Experience Events Planning Experience

Describing Experience

• Use “Action Verbs”• “Planned”• “Coordinated”• “Evaluated”• “Assisted”• “Analyzed”• “Negotiated”

Describing Experience

• Describe:– What you did– With whom– With what tools– With what result

Example: “Developed relational database in ACCESS to track mean-time-between-failures by

product line. “

Examples of Experience Statements

for the Job of Resident Assistant

• Responsible for the safety, well-being and development of 88 undergraduate residents in a themed housing environment.

• Planned, organized and presented seminars and programs on a full range of issues relating to health, professional development, interpersonal communication and group leadership.

• Mediated disputes among residents and investigated infractions against the University Judicial Code. Worked closely with Public Safety in ensuring the security of residents and their guests.

• Prepared and facilitated weekly meetings of residents, identifying and resolving safety, maintenance, and living issues.

Carl Maria Von Weberfreischutz@schlockproduktion.com

Campus Address: Permanent Address:P.O. Box 1411 15 Salieri DriveUniversity of Hartford East Angst, CT 06410West Hartford, CT 06117 Tel: 203-555-6691Cell: 908-655-5514

Objective Position as music teacher or strings coach in an elementary school.

Education Bachelor of Music in Music Education May 2009The Hartt School, University of HartfordConnecticut certification anticipated July, 2009

Honors • Dean’s List, six semesters; President’s List, two semesters• GPA: 3.64• PDQ Bach Talent Scholarship

SelectedCoursework Elementary Vocal Methods Psychology of Exceptionalities

Ear Training I-IV (Kodaly) Educational PsychologyBasic Conducting I-II School Instrumental Program

Key Projects • Researched current literature on early music education and multiple intelligences. Presented current trends in U.S. public education to Educational Psychology seminar, using PowerPoint and selected websites.

• Interviewed six autistic children classified as savants with extraordinary musical talent. Identified distinctive traits/learning styles and presented similarities to Mozart’s early experience to student teaching seminar.

TeachingExperience Student Teacher, Carmina Burana Elementary School, Orff, CT

Fall 2008 • Responsible for planning and leading instrumental and choral ensemble practice in grades 2, 3, and 4. • Taught introductory music classes to third and fifth graders. Provided individual lessons in violin, cello, and piano to seven students, ages 8-11. • Assisted in behavior management for four students with special needs. • Attended parent-teacher conferences and worked closely with several parents. • Evaluated student progress, using grade and criterion-referenced methods.

Private Instructor Summers 2004-2008

• Developed and maintained private practice. Instructed students, ages 7-16 in violin and cello. Averaged 15 students per summer.

PerformanceExperience • Hartt Symphony Orchestra, 2005-present

• Monty Python Festival Orchestra, Yorkshire, England, Summer 2007• Bayreuth Festival Orchestra, Summer 2006• Götterdammerung String Quartet, Schadenfreude, Germany, Summer 2006• Principal violinist, P.D.Q. Bach Revival orchestra, Poofle, ND, Summer 2005• Connecticut All-State Orchestra, Summers 2000-2004

PrincipalInstructors Peter Schickele, violin

Mstislav Rostropovich, celloIsaac Stern, violinClara Schumann, piano

Work Experience Stand-up Comedian and Waiter, Ralph’s Oyster Bar, West Zeitgeist, VTActivities • Varsity Tennis, 2005-present

• Staff Writer, The Informer (student newspaper), University of Hartford, 2006-present

References Available upon request.

Employment (“Cover”) Letters

• Represent you when you cannot deliver the resume in person.

• Answer three questions:

– Why are you writing?– Why should we talk further?– What would you (the writer) like to happen next?

• ALWAYS INDIVIDUAL DOCUMENTS. NEVER MASS-MAIL AN EMPLOYMENT LETTER.

• ADDRESSED TO A SPECIFIC PERSON: NAME, TITLE, ORGANIZATION, ADDRESS.

• Refer to attached resume.

• Use standard “Business Letter” format unless email is the medium.

• MAY BE E-MAILED, FAXED, OR SNAIL-MAILED

Employment Letters(continued)

•Typically no longer than a single page in the U.S.

•If resume is emailed, the cover letter is the text. Attach resume

both as a word document and “in plaintext, below.” Cover letter

may also be attached as word document if the employment

process is likely to involve a number of people.

•When mailed, ensure that “Cover Letter” rests on top of resume—

no staples, no paper clips. Paper should be bond-quality, white

or off-white for scannability. May be tri-folded for standard

business envelope.

KEY STEPS…

DEFINE YOUR AUDIENCE AND PURPOSE

ENSURE THAT YOU KNOW WHO WILL BE READING THE LETTER AND WHAT YOU EXPECT FROM THAT PERSON.

CONSIDER WHETHER YOU ARE ASKING FOR:

A JOB INTERVIEW… AN INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW… A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION… ADVICE… REFERRAL TO SOMEONE WHO CAN HELP.

STATE YOUR PURPOSE IN THE FIRST SENTENCE!

Contents of a Cover Letter

• ONE MORE TIME…

– WHY ARE YOU WRITING?– WHY SHOULD WE TALK?– WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN NEXT?

• CONCISENESS IS A GOOD THING!

• DO NOT RE-HASH WHAT YOU HAVE ALREADY SAID IN THE RESUME: SIMPLY DRAW ATTENTION TO THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS.

• IF YOU HAVE PROVIDED THREE TO FIVE GOOD REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD BE INVITED TO AN INTERVIEW BY THIS EMPLOYER, YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED YOUR PURPOSE.

Sample Cover Letter in Response to Ad

University of HartfordBox 6911200 Bloomfield Ave.West Hartford, CT 06117

November 15, 2009

Human Resources, AB497Dewey, Cheatham & Howe, LLC414 Bowery StreetNew York, NY 10012-1601

Please accept my attached resume as an expression of interest in the position of Litigation Assistant, as advertised in the New York Times of Sunday, November 14, 2009.

My qualifications include a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the Barney School of Business, University of Hartford, with a strong academic focus on business and international law. In addition, I have been employed as a legal secretary and researcher at Pontifex Maximus, LLC, a local Hartford law firm, during the past two summers.

My interest in the position at Dewey, Cheatham, and Howe evolves from my strong interest in litigation and my current relocation to New York city.

Should you feel that my background and experience merit further consideration, I would be delighted to speak with you in person at your convenience. I can be reached at (212) 589-5555 or by email at Jenkins@hartford.edu.

Thank you for your kind consideration.

Sincerely,

Marla Jenkins

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Sample Cover Letter297 Curmudgeon PlaceMisanthrope, NJ 07759

May 4, 2010

Ms. Salvelinus FontinalisManager, Professional StaffingMail Order DivisionL. L. Orvis, Inc.East Quokkawookaganseport, Maine 04978

Dear Ms. Fontinalis:

Please accept my enclosed resumé as an expression of interest in a position in marketing or mail order merchandising at L. L. Orvis. This month, I will receive my Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, with a major in Marketing, from the Barney School of Business at the University of Hartford. My goal is to apply my skills and knowledge to a larger mail order company such as Orvis.

During the past two summers, I worked as a sales representative at Arctic Char Sporting Goods in Middlemoose, New Hampshire. The sales manager and I were able to design and implement an effective inventory control system, using Microsoft ACCESS and twelve networked workstations. Last summer, we introduced a small mail-order business to supplement our brick-and-mortar operations, and I am pleased to report that this new revenue source is doing well. Perhaps more than anything, the experience of developing a business plan and watching it actually “come to life” intensified my interest in the mail order field.

At the Barney School of Business, I chose to major in Marketing. In retrospect, my decision could not have been timed better, since my courses in market analysis and quantitative methods provided me with the tools to develop and sell the idea of an entry into the mail order field. Subsequently, I applied the knowledge that I gained from my E-business Marketing course to the development of a website and order-entry process for Arctic Char’s evolving mail order operation.

I would very much look forward to the opportunity to speak with you in person, even on a purely informational basis. My goal is to work in mail order marketing or merchandising, and I would value your perspective and advice, regardless of the availability of current opportunities at L. L. Orvis. Tentatively, I plan to be in the East Quokkawookaganseport area during the week of May 27th. Could we arrange a brief meeting at your convenience?

I will follow up with a telephone call to ascertain your interest. In the meantime, I can be reached at (860) 768-5555. I am looking forward to the opportunity to meet you and learn more about Orvis’ mail order operations.

Thank you for your kind consideration.

Sincerely,

Izaak A. Walton

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BEFORE YOU MAIL, FAX, OR CLICK “SEND:”

• PROOFREAD EVERY BIT OF CORRESPONDENCE!

• ENSURE THAT YOUR INITIAL COVER LETTERS ARE REVIEWED BY KEY PERSONS OTHER THAN YOURSELF.

• ASK THE FINAL QUESTION:

“ARE YOU COMMUNICATING THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT YOURSELF TO YOUR ADDRESSEE FOR THIS PARTICULAR PURPOSE?”