Duke UniversitySanford School of Public Policy

January 15 & 29, 2014

Creating a Strong Profile Getting those CVs, Letters of

Interest, and LinkedIn Profiles Geneva Ready!!!

Agenda

Match-making Cover letter CV/Resumes Online reputation Thank you notes Q&A

Match-making: Roles & Responsibilities

It is your responsibility to research organizations, their mission, and their internship procedures I will provide additional support, suggestions, and advertise internship opportunities that come directly

to me for the larger applicant pool.

It is your responsibility to strengthen your resume and write tailored letters of interest I will support you with tips and suggestions.

It is your responsibility to identify your skills, interests, and learning goals I will provide tools to support this process and advice and mentor you if needed.

It is your responsibility to identify organizations and internship opportunities that are a good skills-match with your experience and interests I will help to identify additional organizations where I think there is a strong match. I will present your materials to hiring directors in addition to your application via traditional HR

portals.

It is your responsibility to follow appropriate professional protocol (submit you materials in a timely fashion, send thank you notes, follow up on the status of your application, close out process with all offers, and keep me updated on the status of your final decisions) I will remain “high-touch” during this placement process and support you if there are any

communication break-down with the hiring manager. I will work with you to trouble-shoot placements and help you obtain a rewarding internship placement. I will be your ears and eyes in Geneva. Your cheerleader, advocate, and liaison!!!

The Purpose of a Cover Letter

Argue that your strengths and skills will make you an asset to the organization.

Your cover letter is not a restatement of your resume in sentence form.

End result of your cover letter

Your reader will be able to summarize your letter by reading the first sentence of every paragraph.

For example:I am very interested in this position. My experiences outside the classroom show that I am a good match to be your intern. In addition , my academic preparation gives me the skills to contribute to your mission. Thank you for considering my application.

End result you don’t want

I am a student at Duke/Other University. I have taken a lot of courses in Public Policy and Economics. My extracurricular activities include student government and ski team. Thank you for your time.

Why?

You want your letter to be: A. concise B. relevant to the organization C. as interesting as a cover letter can be D. about how your skills and experience relate to the

organization

General Rules

You should create a unique cover letter for each application. (It is okay to have a template cover letter off which to build).

Use the job description and qualifications to tailor your letter to each job for which you are applying.

Keep a record of your cover letter so that when you go for an interview you can review what you have already told them about yourself.

Proofread your letters!

Let the employer know how you will be a valuable asset to them – not the other way around.

General Rules (cont)

If sending cover letters via email directly to organizations, be sure to put it in PDF format (so formatting does not get messed up in Word). When sending to me, please send in Word.

Email text should include: Brief explanation of the fact that you’re applying for _____

internship. That you are a participate in the Duke Global Policy and

Governance program. That you’re really excited for the position and thank them for

considering your application That you have attached your resume and cover letter and

whatever else you have attached.

General Format - Opening

Your NamePhone #

E-mail address

Name of Person & TitleCompany/OrganizationStreet AddressCity, State, Zip Code

Date

Dear Mr./Ms. (Last name only):

If possible, find out the name of the person reviewing your application.

If you do not know the name of the person that will be reviewing your application, you can address the cover letter to: Internship Coordinator, Sir or Madame.

Add your cell phone number and email address to the cover letter and resume header – this will save room in your letter. It is not necessary to use your street address.

The important thing is to use the header and for the header to match the one on your resume.

General Format - Introduction

Example:

As a third generation cowhand, I am very interested in applying for the rodeo coordinator position with XYZ policy organization. Your mission to reform the cattle situation across our country resonates with my personal experiences on our family’s ranch in Idaho.

Introduction:

Name the specific position, or type of work for which you are applying.Use a hook to tie them in but not too cheesy.Show you know about the organization.

General Format - Body

EXAMPLE:

My XYZ skills and this other experience show I can be a strong candidate for your organization. Now write two sentences about the XYZ skills with specific examples from your resume. Then another sentence about the other experience.Or divide this into two paragraphs with strong topic sentences about how the skill/experiences demonstrate that you can contribute to the organization which you can mention by name in at least one paragraph.

Body: Sell yourself! Fully explain your qualifications such as academic background, work experience, and personal skills. Point out achievements that relate to the field and why you enjoy that work.

The body can be two paragraphs – take as much room as you can to market yourself to the employer.

General Format - Closing

EXAMPLE:

My passion for a progressive agenda and social change coupled with my skills show that I am ready and motivated to work at CAP this summer. I am confident that I will be able to contribute to the internship program at The Center for American Progress. Thank you for considering my application.

Sincerely,Only leave space if you are signingKatie Smith

Closing: Refer the reader to the enclosed resume, application, and/or writing sample. Also, thank them for considering your application.

Don't say, “Look forward to hearing from you.”

Don’t say, “Thank you for your consideration.”

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Letters longer than 1 page. Body is too long. Repetition. Duplicate letters – forgetting to change the name/address of

the organization, the date, or even the addressee. Noting experiences and skills that do not match the goals or

needs of the position. Indicating what the employer can do for you rather than what

you can do for them. (Example: “I would like to work at NPR so that I learn about current events”).

Starting all sentences and paragraphs with “I.” Vary your sentence structure.

Important Reminders

DO NOT SAY OR USE Quality “Here at Duke” Impacting In case you need to reach me,

this is my contact information

A Split Infinitive, e.g. to adverb verb

Excessive adverbs Furthermore Gained skills/experience

DO SAY OR USE High-quality “at Duke” Causing This is my contact information

(which is your contact information whether or not someone needs to reach you)

To verb adverb Minimize adverbs Further Developed skills/experience

CV/Resume Check-list

General Information The purpose of your resume is to get an interview. The purpose of your resume is NOT to document everything you’ve ever done. Your resume must persuade the reader to call you. Your resume cannot simply describe your accomplishments. Your resume must relate to a specific job description.

Formatting your Resume You must use a Sanford template format. One page max for undergrads/More experienced

program participants may be two pages, BUT please be concise. Margins must be at least 0.75. Use Times New Roman or similar at least 11 point type.

The Header Use only one address, either Durham or that most relevant to the position. Your name should be a point or two larger than the body of the resume. If you use a nick-name, make sure to put it in quotes, for example: Li “Lisa” Chen Make sure email address and voice mail are professional. You may want to include your Linked In profile address. Do not include personal information (marital status, sex, age).

CV/Resume Check-list (cont)

Summary of Skills or qualifications Use 3-5 bullets to highlight your best skills or most relevant experience. Start by making a long list of all the qualities, experiences and skills you are proud of, in

bullet form. Keep this list as a starting point. Narrow the list to 3-5 bullets most relevant to the position you are seeking. Use persuasive, powerful language. It’s an advertisement for you. Make every word count. Each phrase should consider the employer. What’s the employer looking for?

Education Section Limit the information about your undergraduate experience. Do not list GPA unless

required. List coursework and school projects if they are relevant to the position. Can put TA/RA positions here or as work experience if you need them. Include Spring Consulting Project and Masters Project topics and clients here. Include other training in this section if it led to a certification or title.

CV/Resume Check-list (cont)

Experience Section For each experience, make a laundry list of accomplishments, duties, skills and strengths.

Save this list for future resumes. Look at the job description and relate each of your prior experiences with the job

description Start each bullet with a very descriptive action verb. “Worked” is not an action verb. Have 3-4 bullets for each position. You don’t have to include every job you’ve ever had or every task you performed. If you

don’t want to do a task again, don’t include it. Re-write your descriptions using persuasive, not descriptive, writing. Convince the reader. For each bullet, ask if the employer would learn something valuable about you from

reading it. Read other job descriptions in your interest area and look at the language and verbs used. Use past tense unless you are currently working. DO NOT EMBELLISH. Be able to back up whatever you say. Wherever possible, use quantifiable data to describe your work and support your verbs. Don’t use months, either use years (2009-10) or seasons (Fall 2010).

Leadership and Skills Section Leadership is optional but if you have limited work experience, it is useful to include

professional memberships, activities, awards, non-work achievements. Skills should include foreign language, computer, and other technical skills. If you are a U.S. citizen with an unusual name, or have spent most of your

education/professional experience abroad, put your citizenship here. Otherwise leave it off.

CV/Resume Check-list (cont)

Final Review Have a friend/peer read it as well. Make sure format is consistent, and bullets and indentations are the same

throughout.

Electronic or Scanned Resumes If you know the resume will be scanned, make sure you include important keywords

from the job description. You can even include a “Keywords” line with a list of keywords. Many scanners only scan the top half of the page, so make sure the keywords are visible at the top.

On-going Revisions Look at the LinkedIn profiles of new hires working at organizations you are interested in.

What language are they using to describe their skills and experience? Revise your resume for each job application.

Supervisors told me they were looking for the following traits:

Maturity and sensitivity to important deadlines and issues Can learn and produce quickly Humble and modest personality Professional Excellent English language drafting and research skills French and Spanish very helpful (Chinese and Arabic for some Orgs) Enthusiastic, positive, and flexible attitude Culturally competent (able to function and produce as part of a

multi-cultural team) Culturally curious and interested in global issues Thematic interest and knowledge is important, but character and

some of personality traits listed above can be even more important – can be what helps a candidate stand out! (heard this again and again when chatting with past supervisors)

LinkedIn and Online ReputationA necessary part of any job or internship search is to create and maintain a positive online reputation

CREATE A LINKEDIN PROFILE If you don’t have one, do it now!

Increase Your Awareness. Be sure you know what information is or

could be available about yourself online, where it is, and what impression it may create.

Search your name (and different versions of your name) on major search engines, or different social networks, and sites where you comment. A few not SO obvious sites to check are: Tumblr, Netflix, Flickr, Match, Amazon, Yelp.

Know the privacy agreement and settings for the various online communities of which you are a member.

Request feedback from peers and professionals on impressions based on your online presence alone.

Familiarize yourself with sites where your potential colleagues or supervisors gather and participate on-line.

Protect Your Image. Ensure potential employers only see information

that conveys a positive image. You do not want them to question your professionalism, judgment, or ability to represent their organization.

Adjust your privacy settings for all online accounts.

Remove content and tags that could negatively influence a potential employer’s first impression.

Hide or delete old accounts that do not best represent you.

Request that information about you posted by others be removed if you are opposed to it.

Build your Professional Presence. Present your name, accomplishments, and

aspirations in ways that can be accessible to others.

Use social networks to create and maintain a public profile that represents your accomplishments and a sense of the professional you are becoming and you are comfortable with the public seeing.

Promote your profiles and/or websites (add link to your email signature)

Contribute to conversations relevant to your fields of interest through media like blogs, LinkedIn group, and/or Twitter.

Finally – The Thank You Note

Send immediately after your interview. Do not wait until you hear back from the employer to send a note.

Okay to send thank you notes via email, but people always like handwritten notes (so do both.)

Also, be sure to send a thank you to people who have referred you to employers and written recommendations for you.

Thank You Note Example

Dear Ms. Interviewer,

Thank you for talking with me about the internship position in XYZ department. I enjoyed our conversation and want to follow up on a couple of points. (If you don’t want to follow up skip that line.) After our conversation, I am even more excited about working with name of organization and I am certain that my analytical skills and ability to stand on my head will help me contribute to the say something that shows you were listening to the description of the project you’d be working on over the summer.

If there is any other information I can provide, please do not hesitate to contact me. Again, thank you very much.

Sincerely,

Sign your name

Vocabulary

Terms of Reference (TofR) = Job descriptionLetter of Interest = Cover letter When I say “bundle,” I mean, when I pull

together resumes and/or cover letters of numerous program participants and send directly to hiring supervisor as one pdf.

Questions

Take advantage of the suggestions in this power point

Check out the tools at: http://dukepolicyingenevaprogram.wordpress.com/professional-tips/ Allocating time to really examine the prompts and suggestions will aid you in strengthening your

CV, Cover-letter, and interviewing skills.

Set up a meeting with the Career Center at your Institution NOW to supplement the resources provided by Duke Global Policy and Governance.

When I send additional resources – PLEASE review

If needed, we can arrange a Skype call - globalpolicygeneva

Questions, concerns, general sharing of excitement and enthusiasm for Geneva 2014!?!

Thank you