city year resume workshop

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City Year Resume Workshop


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2090307 City Year resume & cover letter presentation

Agenda

• Why do I need a resume now?

• What makes a resume ‘good’?

• How do I create a great resume?

• What is a cover letter?


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College

An effective resume is necessary whether you are applying to college or for a job next year

Job

• Colleges / scholarships may ask you to submit your resume

• Brainstorming tool that can help in completion of applications

- Organizes your activities and achievements

• At college, you may end up applying for a job

• Serves as your introduction to a potential employer

• Showcases your accomplishments and skills

• Does not guarantee you a interview, but a poorly constructed resume can guarantee that you don’t get a job

• Resumes often serve as a guide for interview

Start building your resume now, regardless of your plans for next year


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To stand out against other resumes, yours must be organized and written for maximum impact

• Spend less than 60 seconds on average, so you need to make a good impression quickly

- Some estimates claim time spent is as low 10 - 30 seconds!

• Look for mistakes as frequently as they look for great achievements

• Give less attention to, or stop reading, resumes when information is not well-organized

When reading resumes, employers often:

Source: http://www.fotosearch.com


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Agenda






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What makes a resume ‘good’?What makes a resume great can be subjective, but below are some common

characteristics associated with the ‘great’ resumes:

• Honest• Organized

- Not a one-page block of text • Concise and appropriate language

- Sufficient detail to convey experiences- Eliminate ‘fluff’ language or unnecessary words, and replace with

more powerful action words- Example: “The team’s project was centered around increasing the revenue of

Business unit A” “Collaborated with team to increase revenue of business unit by 20%”

• Experiences are well-communicated and convey that you have the skills for the job

- Explicitly explains what you did and what the results were- Calls out instances of leadership, initiative, teamwork, etc.

• There are no holes• Interests

A+


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More detailed tips to ensuring your resume is fabulous!

Contact information

• Include all relevant contact info at top of resume (email, phone number, address)

• Work-appropriate email address

• Potential employer needs to be able to contact you

• Employer may judge you by a weird address

Formatting • Use one normal font throughout resume

• Use a font between 10 and 12• Organize resume into sections to

provide structure and flow• Stick to one page (reduce margins if

necessary)

• They have a lot of resumes to read – don’t make it even more difficult on their eyes!

• If resume is difficult to read or follow, employers won’t bother

• Some people will not read beyond first page

Honors • Include honors and awards you have received, but make sure that they are significant and timely enough to include

• Although they are not work experiences, they do speak to your achievements and abilities

Proofreading • Proofread, proofread, PROOFREAD!• Look for spelling and grammar errors,

ensure vocabulary is at appropriate level

• Resume mistakes can immediately decrease your credibility and give the wrong first impression of your abilities

Key point Rationale


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Agenda






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So what are the steps to developing this great resume?

• Gather information

• Brainstorm

• Determine format and organize information

• Revise

• Obtain feedback from others

• Revise (and repeat previous step)

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Start off easy, gathering some of your education info first

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• GPA from various educational experiences- If you had a concentration or major, and your grades were higher in those

courses, include that GPA as well• List of relevant courses

- May provide additional credibility and show you have experience in subject matter

- Example: If applying for a business position, you may want to call out that you have taken courses in Economics, Math, Communications or Marketing

- Ensure these courses are actually relevant to position, and keep this section updated for the various types of jobs you apply for

Example:


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• Awards, honors, extra-curricular activities, clubs / organizations, volunteer work, your own business, major academic projects, student govt, certifications, publications

• Within these activities and organizations, brainstorm projects you have been involved in, or positions you have held, that demonstrate your capabilities

•What was your role / what did you do? E.g. led team, performed analysis

•What capabilities did you exhibit?E.g. leadership, initiative, analytic abilities

•What was accomplished / the outcome? E.g. raised $X for charity

Brainstorm around, and write down, your experiences and activities…

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High level:

Detailed:


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• Leadership opportunities / initiatives• E.g. CYFK, Recruitment A team, participating in roundtables, Love and Joy

Crew, etc.• Community projects

o What activities have you participated in, planned or lead? • Curriculum at local schools

o Have you planned and / or led student exercises and activities?o How many students do you mentor or teach each week?

• After school programs at the schoolso Have you planned and / or led after school activities?o How many students do you mentor / tutor each week?

• Consider City Year training you have received and / or led• Awards or honors received at City Year

“What if I don’t have experience?” You have GREAT experience – City Year!

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As before, consider what your role was in these activities, what capabilities you exhibited and what was accomplished


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• Heading- Name, address, phone, work-appropriate

email- Multiple addresses: pick one or put one on

each side of the page- Include area code on phone number and

ensure voicemail is appropriate• Objective

- Brief, detailed statement of your career goal as related to position you are applying for

- Often a source of mistakes on resume and I do NOT recommend using it

- E.g. “To obtain a position as X where I can contribute my X and Y skills”

• Education- School, location, major, expected or actual

graduation date- List all schools attended, including high

school, even if you did not earn a degree • Skills and abilities

- Organization of this category will vary, but is the ‘meat’ of the resume

- Overviews your leadership and teamwork experiences, and highlights your communication, computer, language and other relevant skills

General structure of resume is comprised of 3 (to 4) parts

3a

AB

C

A

B

C

Eh


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Based on your experiences, determine which resume format type is best for you

3b

Chronological CombinationFunctional

• Organize achievements by date

- Include company name, your position, location, date

- Below, describe duties & responsibilities, skills gained, and elaborate on experience in concise way

•Organized into 2 sections: “Summary of Experience”

- Lists 3 – 6 skills relevant to job sought (e.g. leader-ship, communication skills)

•“Work History”- Lists employer information, positions held and dates

• Mix of chronological and functional elements

- E.g. Work experience section organized chrono-logically, and a leadership section highlighting leadership roles not captured under work experience

Overview:

Good for: • Emphasizes employment, extra-curricular activities and academic-related experiences

• More emphasis on skills acquired than where or when experience was gained

• Emphasizing experience and key skills acquired

Source: http://jobsearch.about.com/od/sampleresumes


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After you organize your activities and skills into a first draft, revise it again!

4/5

Does resume contain the key pieces of information?- Name and contact information- Education (including any honors/awards received)- Experiences / skills- Interests (optional)

Is it free of spelling and grammatical errors? Is it formatted so that resume structure is easily understood (i.e.

reader can easily differentiate employment versus education sections, or employer name versus position held)

Is word choice powerful, with each line beginning with an action verb? Are phrases concise and to the point?

Once you have checked off these items, seek input of teacher, advisor, mentor

or parent for a new perspective


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Review of successful resume characteristics: What helps a resume stand out! (1 of 2)

Word Choice

Sufficient Detail

• Short, powerful sentences beginning with action verb• Variety of word choice (don’t start with the same word more than twice)• Avoid personal pronouns (I, me, my) – write in third person• Use appropriate tense (if something happened in past, use the past tense)• Avoid acronyms, contractions (e.g. don’t, can’t), abbreviations or slang

• Sell yourself because applicants you are competing against are doing the same!

• Explain what you have done clearly enough, so that someone who has no idea what your job entailed can understand it

- Having others read your resume is a good test • Quantify and note results wherever possible

- Can significantly increases your credibility - Example: “Increased membership and led fundraiser”

“Increased membership by 30% and led 10 peers in bake sale fundraiser to raise $4,000 for our organization” (then elaborate a bit more on what you did to achieve this

• If organization is not well-known, it can be helpful to describe in a few words what your employer did to acquaint reader with industry / market


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Review of successful resume characteristics: What helps a resume stand out! (2 of 2)Prioritization

Formatting

• Focus on your achievements and do not be shy to call out what you have accomplished or recognition you have received

• List most important experiences / skills first (even if doing a chronological resume, there are times you may want to deviate from structure)

- E.g. If you are applying for a position at a bank and you interned at a loan office in the summer of 2005 and served as waitress in 2006, list the loan office experience first

• Poor formatting will almost guarantee your resume does not get the attention it deserves!

• Use bolding, italics, underlining and spacing appropriately to provide structure and organization – but do not go overboard

• Look at other resumes for examples and ideas

Example:


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Participating in one-on-one review is another step toward making your resume stand out!

Description: • Discuss importance and key characteristics of resume, and how to make it stand out

• Provide step-by-step process for resume creation, with examples

• Draft of resume is due to Program Manager if you would like to participate in one-on-one workshop

• One-on-one resume reviews with a Bainie

• Potential for follow-up meetings and assistance

Timing: • Today • Friday, March 20th • Friday, March 27st

• Stress “dos and don’ts” of resumes

• Initiate brainstorming of your activities and achievements

• Get you started!

• Encourage you to draft and refine your resume!

• Resume is a graduation requirement

• Detailed, personalized feedback discussion

• Opportunity to ask questions and get an objective set of eyes on your resume

Resume Workshop Resume draft deadline

One-on-one resume review


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Agenda






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What is the purpose of a cover letter?

We won’t be reviewing cover letters in the one-on-one workshop, but here is a quick primer to get you started

A cover letter is your sales pitch to the employer• Gives you the opportunity to highlight the skills and

experiences from your resume

• Tailors your application to a specific position and/or company

• Establishes a personal connection with the reader

• Tells the company why they should hire YOU!


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What makes a cover letter ‘good’?

• Tailor each cover letter to the specific company-Address the letter to specific company and individual- Show that you know something about the company and the industry-Explain why you are qualified for this position

• Highlight your most relevant accomplishments- Pick out the most relevant qualifications listed in your resume and discuss them in detail

-Do not just list everything from your resume!

• Reflects your personality -Write it in your own words

• No spelling or typing errors. Not even one.


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What do I write about in my cover letter?

Introduction

Body

Conclusion

• States job you are applying for and how you learned about it

• Mentions any personal contacts you have with the company

• Briefly explains your general qualifications for the job

• Expands upon your qualifications and interest in the position

• Highlights your most relevant accomplishments • Demonstrates how your background and experience

qualifies you for the job

• Requests an interview• States how, when, and where you can be reached• Thanks reader for his/her time


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Q&A


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Resume Basics & Examples: Contact infoKey advice: Ensure email address and voicemail message are work-appropriate, and be

sure to include all pieces of contact info (address, phone number, etc)

One address:1

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Two addresses:3

4


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Resume Basics & Examples: EducationKey advice: Be sure to include any honors / achievements, GPA, concentration / major, and

relevant coursework (optional)

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3


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Resume Basics & Examples: Experience / ActivitiesKey advice: Use actions words to concisely summarize your experience. Quantify results

whenever possible to increase credibility.

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1

3


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Resume Basics & Examples: Other infoKey advice: Include other capabilities, such as computer or language skills. Listing a few of your

interests (nothing too crazy or inappropriate) can be helpful in rounding out your resume and providing an ice breaker during interview.

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Cover Letter Basics & Examples: Introduction

Trinity Consultants5100 1st AvenueLong Beach, CA 00000May 5, 2006

Dear Ms. J ones:

I am writing to express my interest in your entry-level environmental compliance consultant position in Long Beach, CA. I discovered the opportunity at careerbuilder.com and would greatly value the opportunity to work and grow in your company. The majority of my undergraduate study and work experience has been geared towards a career in the environmental sector, and I believe environmental consulting is an ideal field for me.

Nonprofit Federation of Metropolitan Chicago1 S. FranklinChicago, IL 60606

Dear Mr. Williams:

I am writing to express my interest in the Domestic Affairs Program Director position. I am a senior at ABC University graduating in May with a degree in public policy, a certificate in health policy, and a minor in political science. I believe that my experiences over the past four years, as well as my demonstrated professionalism uniquely qualify me for the large responsibilities held by the Domestic Affairs Program Director.

Key advice: Address cover letter to specific company and individual. State who you are, what job you are applying for, and how you learned about the position.


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Cover Letter Basics & Examples: BodyKey advice: Expand on your qualifications and interest in the positions. Highlight your most

relevant accomplishments

Serving as a research assistant to a climate change lab at Duke, I received a broad introduction to environmental testing, data collection, and trend analysis, with more specificapplications to soil testing. My knowledge of environmental testing grew through studying marine invertebrate collection and analysis at the Marine Lab.

I am proud of the fact that I have financed my entire education through scholarships and summer jobs related to my field of study. This work experience has enhanced my appreciation for the education I am pursuing.

In addition to my academic coursework, my work experiences have given me the leadership skills necessary to be a project leader ABC company. For example, as a team leader for the We Are Leaders organization, I organized and led a community service day for 500 participants.

Explain how you are qualified:

Show that you are interested:

Tell the reader who you are:


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Cover Letter Basics & Examples: ConclusionKey advice: Ask for an interview and thank reader for his/her time.

I would very much appreciate the opportunity to discuss with you my other experiences and how they uniquely qualify me for this position. Attached is my resume for your further review. Thank you for considering my application and I look forward to hearing from you.

I will be home for Winter Break and will call you next week to arrange a convenient time in early J anuary when we can meet to talk about summer opportunities for me at ABCD.

I have attached my resume, which demonstrates my strong academicbackground. I would be delighted to speak with you about how the Legal Assistant position would work for an enthusiastic, capable, and hardworking college graduate. I look forward to interviewing with ABC firm.


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Helpful action words to incorporate into your resume

• accomplished

• achieved

• analyzed

• assessed

• attained

• completed

• concluded

• conducted

• coordinated

• designed

• determined

• developed

• devised

• directed

• eliminated

• established

• evaluated

• forecasted

• formulated

• founded

• headed

• identified

• implemented

• improved

• initiated

• launched

• managed

• mediated

• operated

• organized

• presented

• proposed

• recommended

• solved

• strengthened

• supervised


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Some web resources as you get started on your resumes!

• http://www.rockportinstitute.com/resumes.html- More detail and tips on completing your resume

• http://www.quintcareers.com/action_verbs.html- Lists of useful action words to increase impact of your resume

• http://www.resume-resource.com/samples.html - Variety of sample resume formats that can be helpful if you

are looking for different ways to present your information. Be aware that not all of these formats are spectacular and use your judgment!

• http://hotjobs.resumeedge.com/students/index.php- Look at some of the ‘After’ resumes for ideas on how to

organize and convey your experiences• http://www.resumania.com

- Some humorous examples of what NOT to do

http://www.rockportinstitute.com/resumes.html

http://www.quintcareers.com/action_verbs.html

http://www.resume-resource.com/samples.html

http://hotjobs.resumeedge.com/students/index.php

http://www.resumania.com/

city year resume workshop

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