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THE MOST COMMON RÉSUMÉ MISHAPS IDENTIFIED BY THE CENTER FOR PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION

1) Not investing the necessary effort

The amount of effort you put into this document is a direct indication of how much you think you are worth. It takes several hours to create a good résumé. If you create yours in 20 minutes, you are selling yourself short.

2) Using a font that looks unprofessional

Stick to a simple serif font like Courier New or Times New Roman or a sans serif font such as Calibri or Arial.

3) Having a wordy objective statement

Be concise and focused when writing this statement and be sure to update it appropriately for different jobs

4) Having bullet statements that are vague and weak

Use this guide to find ways to showcase your experience and skills

5) Education information is inaccurate

Be sure to spell Neeley correctly Spell out degree - Bachelor of Business Administration, not Bachelors or BBA GPA should only be at most two decimal places - 3.25 not 3.256

6) Letting your family, friends, and relatives all look at your résumé

Narrow it down to those individuals you trust have the knowledge to make appropriate suggestions. There is more than one way to build a résumé, and there are several wrong ways. Use this guide as a start to building one that is right.

7) Relying on spellchecker

A résumé is a relatively short document, there is no reason you should have a misspelling. Spellchecker does not catch homophones. You will be automatically removed from consideration with a misspelling; that is not an overstatement, HR professionals tell us this each and every semester.

8) Not investing the necessary effort

Yes, you’ve already seen this one. It takes time and effort; the payoff can be amazing.

“Your résumé is the first thing you’ll ever say to a potential employer.”

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STATUS

RÉSUMÉbook Personal Profile Log In Search Find Job

YOUR NAME HERE…is identifying what to include on a resume

Step 1: General NAME ADDRESS PHONE NUMBER EMAIL ADDRESS Use the header function to insert your contact information to maximize space.

Newsfeed Step 2: About Me

Today Objective------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Make your objective relevant to the purpose of your interview. Education----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Work Experience--------------------------------------------------------------------------

…was included in a note From Most Recent to Last List your work experience from most recent to furthest past. Job titles and company names should be left-justified. Dates you worked should be aligned to the right. Include a job title under the company name and italicize it. Include at least 2 bullet points below the line that lists the title of the job. 3 comments “Make sure each bullet point begins with an action verb.” “Bullet points should point to specific responsibilities, actions, accomplishments, or results.” “The verb tense should agree with your dates of employment.”

Step 3: Other Skills FOREIGN LANGUAGES

TECHNICAL SKILLS

SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS

RELEVANT TRAINING

Comment Horned Frog wrote List your educational background from most recent to furthest past, excluding High School. If you attended a junior college either indicate the degree you received or the hours attained. School names should be left-justified. Dates attended should be right-justified. Include your GPA if it is above 3.0. If your GPA is not above 3.0, start working to move it up!

Notes Keep it concise – 1 page. PROOFREAD AND EDIT carefully.

Avoid triggering negative reactions, i.e. memberships in extreme social or political organizations. Target your résumé to the job description.

It’s an Honor… List your honors and awards, putting those most impressive to the potential employer first. Get Involved! List campus organizations you are a member of and any leadership positions you hold. Give Back… List any volunteer experiences. If you haven’t done any volunteering, now is the time to start. Be a Pro! List professional organizations to which you belong. You should belong to the student affiliate of the national organization for your field.

Groups

NAME ADDRESS 1 PHONE ADDRESS 2 EMAIL

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OBJECTIVE Seeking an internship as a Logistics intern working in a large scale retail environment EDUCATION Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX Neeley School of Business Bachelor of Business Administration, May 20xx Major: Minor: GPA: above 3.0 only (unless specifically required) HONORS Dean’s List RELEVANT COURSEWORK Foundation™ Business Simulation Model: BUSI 20173-Foundations in Business

• Worked on a team of five students making decisions in key operational business areas to successfully manage a simulated company with revenues exceeding $140M

• Oversaw Research and Development investments and made recommendations to the team that led to the development of two new products that grew company revenue by 180%

Business Information Systems Web Design Project: INSC 20263-Info Systems in eEnterprise

• Developed and presented web-based solutions, specifically for a company webpage for a ski resort business venture based on an analysis of competition and industry best practices

• Designed a flash-enabled slide show on the homepage to make the website more engaging WORK EXPERIENCE Horned Frog Apparel, Fort Worth, TX June 2010- Present Sales Associate

• Oversaw merchandise inventory threshold levels and submitted reorders when needed • Assisted customers with product questions and provided recommendations for purchases • Provided quality customer service to promote a pleasant shopping environment

Pecan Valley Golf Course, Fort Worth, TX May 2009 - June 2010 Cart Staff/Customer Service

• Assisted customers with equipment and preparations for rounds • Maintained the golf carts and stocked them for the following day • Organized day-to-day activities to be most efficient in course maintenance

CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Pi Beta Phi Sorority TCU Collegiate Entrepreneur’s Organization (CEO) TECHNICAL/RELEVANT SKILLS Microsoft® Certified Application Specialist – Word, Excel, PowerPoint Intermediate skills in Dreamweaver, Flash

This is a reverse chronological résumé with an added section at the beginning to showcase additional skills and knowledge.

NAME ADDRESS 1 PHONE ADDRESS 2 EMAIL

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SUMMARY Senior marketing major with experience designing marketing campaigns and creating effective marketing materials for sales teams is seeking a full-time opportunity as a marketing analyst at a local boutique marketing firm to contribute to customer success. EDUCATION Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX Neeley School of Business Bachelor of Business Administration, May 20xx Major: Marketing GPA: 3.38 WORK EXPERIENCE ABC Marketing Group, Fort Worth, TX January – August 2010 Marketing Intern • Created a customer tracking system in Microsoft Access to document new inquiries for

marketing services and to support client retention • Participated on a marketing campaign team representing Bank of America and contributed ideas

regarding the18-25 year-old demographic • Handled over 30 calls daily from customers answering questions or referring them to

appropriate personnel as needed KW Industries, Fort Worth, TX Summer 2009 Marketing Assistant • Collected survey data from client customers and prepared and presented results directly to the

manager at the client organization • Increased tradeshow appearances by 25% from previous year by effectively communicating the

unique positioning of the company within the industry to tradeshow coordinators • Designed and created new marketing materials highlighting company services which are

currently being used by the sales team HONORS AND AWARDS Dean’s List CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT TCU Collegiate Entrepreneur’s Organization (CEO) Chancellor’s Leadership Program Boys and Girls Club Delta Sigma Pi PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS American Marketing Association TECHNICAL/RELEVANT SKILLS Microsoft® Certified Application Specialist – Word, Excel, PowerPoint Microsoft Access – Ability to create basic database tables

This is a standard reverse-chronological résumé of an experienced individual.

NAME ADDRESS 1 PHONE ADDRESS 2 EMAIL

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OBJECTIVE To secure an internship in the field of xxxx EDUCATION Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX Neeley School of Business Bachelor of Business Administration, May 20xx Major: Minor: GPA: above 3.0 only (unless specifically required) RELEVANT COURSEWORK Foundation™ Business Simulation Model: BUSI 20173-Foundations in Business

• Worked on a team of five students making decisions in key operational business areas to successfully manage a simulated $40 million company

• Oversaw Research and Development and made recommendations that led to developing two new products that grew the company by 180%

Business Information Systems Web Design Project: INSC 20263-Info Systems in eEnterprise

• Developed and presented web-based solutions, specifically for a company webpage for a ski resort business venture based on an analysis of competition and industry best practices

• Designed a flash-enabled slide show on the homepage to make the website more engaging

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS ORGANIZATION AND PLANNING SKILLS

• Assisted planning Up ‘Til Dawn, a fundraiser for St Jude’s Children’s Hospital, raising a total of $21,000

• Coordinated tutoring sessions for 35 members of Alpha Phi Sigma Fraternity • Served as a committee member for campus-wide Hispanic Heritage Month activities • Maintained academic priorities while managing campus and community commitments

LEADERSHIP SKILLS

• Delegated tasks to committee members for dorm-wide community service project • Consistently met deadlines for company decisions during class simulation project • Encouraged group members to communicate ideas during class project before final

decisions were made by asking targeted questions to get their opinions TECHNICAL SKILLS Microsoft® Certified Application Specialist – Word, Excel, PowerPoint Dreamweaver

This is a functional résumé and is best suited for individuals with no true work experience, but they have been involved in activities or short-term projects.

NAME ADDRESS 1 PHONE ADDRESS 2 EMAIL

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OBJECTIVE To secure an internship in the field of xxxx EDUCATION Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX Neeley School of Business Bachelor of Business Administration, May 20xx Major: Minor: GPA: above 3.0 only (excluding admissions résumé) HONORS AND AWARDS TCU Scholar PROFESSIONAL SKILLS INFORMATION MANAGEMENT • Processed ticket transactions and managed payments through company computer system • Monitored and tracked inventory and placed orders for supplies as needed • Prepared billing statements and recorded payments for sorority members • Communicated the specifics of a merit system policy to be implemented within the sorority • Created swim lesson schedules for three instructors

INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION • Monitored lines and diffused rowdy behavior through communicating behavioral expectations • Resolved customer complaints through listening and asking questions to clarify concerns • Directed customers to theaters and exits • Provided swim lessons to groups of 8 children between the ages of 10-12

WORK EXPERIENCE Gamma Phi Beta Sorority, Assistant Financial Vice President, 01/11-present, Fort Worth, TX Studio Movie Grill, Box Office, Summers 2009-2010, Plano, TX AMC Theaters, Crew Member, Summers 2008-2009, Frisco, TX CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Chancellor’s Leadership Program Boys and Girls Club Habitat for Humanity PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS Financial Management Association Society for Human Resource Management TECHNICAL/RELEVANT SKILLS Microsoft® Certified Application Specialist – Word, Excel, PowerPoint

This is a combination résumé which is part functional and part reverse chronological and is best suited for individuals who have had several jobs and want to showcase the skills and not the job titles.

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This is what a text resume format will look like. You can use this type of format to copy and paste information into an online system. You may also find if you upload your resume to an online website that you lose formatting, so you can usually safely upload a text document and still have some way to make it easier for a potential employer to read. SUMMARY Senior marketing major with experience designing marketing campaigns and creating effective marketing materials for sales teams is seeking a full-time opportunity as a marketing analyst at a local boutique marketing firm to contribute to customer success. EDUCATION Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX Neeley School of Business Bachelor of Business Administration, May 20xx Major: Minor: GPA: above 3.0 only (excluding admissions résumé) WORK EXPERIENCE ABC MARKETING GROUP, Fort Worth, TX Marketing Intern, Summer 2010 * Created tracking system to document new inquiries for marketing services and client retention resulting in a 15% increase in customer retention * Participated on a marketing campaign team representing Bank of America and contributed ideas regarding the18-25 demographic * Handled over 30 calls daily from customers answering questions or referring them to appropriate personnel as needed KW INDUSTRIES, Fort Worth, TX Marketing Assistant, Summer 2009 * Collected survey data from client customers and presented results directly to the manager at the client organization * Increased tradeshow appearances by 25% from previous year by effectively communicating the unique positioning of the company within the industry * Designed and created new marketing materials highlighting company services which are currently being used by the sales team HONORS AND AWARDS Dean’s List CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT TCU Collegiate Entrepreneur’s Organization (CEO) Chancellor’s Leadership Program Boys and Girls Club Delta Sigma Pi PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS American Marketing Association Society for Human Resource Management TECHNICAL/RELEVANT SKILLS Microsoft® Certified Application Specialist – Word, Excel, PowerPoint Dreamweaver

This is a text version of a reverse chronological résumé. The purpose of having this is to make your résumé easy to upload to external databases.

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GUIDED RÉSUMÉ WORKSHEET Use the next couple of pages to answer some key questions about your work history. By doing this, you will be able to identify the skills and accomplishments you have from previous experiences.

See sample on page 11

Title: Company Name:

1. What were your daily tasks? Be quick; write down everything you can think of.

Review what you identified and place asterisks by the most important or meaningful tasks

2. What other tasks did you perform on a less regular basis – weekly/monthly?

Review what you identified and place asterisks by the most important or meaningful tasks

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3. Thinking about that job, what are one or two contributions you made or accomplishments you achieved that you are most proud of or feel good about?

4. If you worked within a team, write down how you perceived your role within the team (leader, manager, task contributor, etc.) and what do you believe you contributed to the team?

5. What was the most challenging aspect of the job (the hours, the work, the people, the customers, etc.)?

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6. What did you do to overcome that challenge?

7. Convert your identified experiences into bullet statements using the action words on the following page. Refer to the tasks which have asterisks on page 8 along with your major accomplishments and the challenges you overcame.

GUIDED RÉSUMÉ WORKSHEET SAMPLE

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Title: Resident Assistant Company name:

1. What were your daily tasks?

Texas Christian University

Came up with ideas for programs for the residents on my floor Made sure all of the residents knew the rules and regulations Made sure everything stayed neat and clean Was on-call from time to time and had to perform clerical duties

2. What other tasks did you perform on a less regular basis – weekly/monthly?

Tried different approaches to get students interested in attending programs and kept track of attendance at programs Attended staff, committee and individual meetings with hall director Helped students with school-related and personal issues Attended training sessions before the start of each semester and in-between semesters

3. Thinking about that job, what is one contribution you made or accomplishment you achieved that you are

most proud of or feel good about? Developed close relationships with some of my residents

4. If you worked within a team, write down how you perceived your role within the team (leader, manager, task contributor, etc.). Leader and task contributor

5. What was the most challenging aspect of the job (the hours, the work, the people, the customers, etc)?

Dealing with the students’ personal issues The time commitment

6. What did you do to overcome that challenge?

Learned more about the on-campus resources in order to make referrals Began to use a scheduler to prioritize my work and time

7. Convert your identified experiences into no more than three bullets using the action words

on page 12. Refer to the critical tasks indicated above.

8. Describe your achievements using simple, powerful action statements. Place action words at the beginning of your bullet statement.

• Developed

a marketing plan to create interest and value in campus-wide student programming, resulting in a 40 percent increase in participation

• Designed and implemented

programming for up to 45 students focused on personal development

• Provided

peer counseling for residents with minor academic and personal concerns, and referred them to appropriate campus and community resources

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ACTION WORDS FOR ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENTS

Accomplished

Accelerated

Achieved

Acted

Activated

Adapted

Addressed

Administered

Adopted

Advertised

Advised

Aided

Analyzed

Anticipated

Applied

Approved

Assessed

Assigned

Assisted

Awarded

Budgeted

Built

Calculated

Chaired

Changed

Coached

Collected

Communicated

Compiled

Completed

Composed

Conceived

Conducted

Consolidated

Controlled

Converted

Counseled

Counted

Created

Critiqued

Delegated

Delivered

Demonstrated

Designed

Directed

Doubled

Earned

Edited

Eliminated

Employed

Established

Evaluated

Examined

Executed

Expanded

Explained

Facilitated

Gained

Generated

Grew

Guided

Handled

Headed

Helped

Identified

Increased

Implemented

Improved

Initiated

Innovated

Introduced

Installed

Instituted

Invented

Judged

Launched

Lectured

Led

Maintained

Managed

Marketed

Measured

Mentored

Motivated

Negotiated

Operated

Organized

Originated

Oversaw

Participated

Performed

Planned

Played

Prepared

Processed

Produced

Programmed

Proposed

Promoted

Provided

Purchased

Received

Recommended

Recruited

Redesigned

Reduced

Reorganized

Repaired

Researched

Resolved

Revised

Revitalized

Saved

Scheduled

Scored

Selected

Serviced

Simplified

Sparked

Set-up

Sold

Solved

Staffed

Started

Stocked

Structured

Streamlined

Strengthened

Stressed

Stretched

Studied

Succeeded

Summarized

Supervised

Surveyed

Taught

Terminated

Tested

Tracked

Traded

Trained

Transferred

Transformed

Tripled

Trimmed

Traced

Uncovered

Unified

Unraveled

Utilized

Vacated

Verified

Widened

Won

Withdrew

Worked

Wrote

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TRANSFERABLE SKILLS LIST This is a small sample of skills - research on your own to identify others that best match your experiences

Leadership Knowledge, Judgment, or Skill to:

• Exhibit self-motivation and a positive attitude • Motivate individuals and groups to perform • Encourage effective teamwork • Design and implement plans of action • Set goals and follow through • Assess and evaluate situations effectively • Manage time efficiently and effectively through

scheduling and prioritizing • Handle multiple demands for commitment of time,

energy, and resources • Identify critical issues quickly and accurately • Organize and plan projects or events • Use integrity in decision-making Information Management Knowledge, Judgment, or Skill to:

• Research, investigate, and compile information • Compile, sort, and interpret data • Identify and combine a variety of resource materials

into final copy • Formulate relevant questions and develop ways to

supply and clarify answers • Communicate facts and ideas clearly both orally or in

writing • Learn and use various computer programs and other

information technology • Access and apply specialized knowledge • Manage a budget and keep accurate financial records Interpersonal Communications Knowledge, Judgment, or Skill to:

• Exercise “give and take” to achieve group results • Understand and work within the group culture • Listen actively and attentively • Delegate tasks and responsibilities • Interpret behavior and emotional patterns in

individuals and groups • Teach, supervise, and train others using easy-to-

understand concepts and hands on experience • Display understanding of, and respect for, people

from diverse backgrounds • Conduct in-depth interviews • Express ideas and thoughts based on facts • Mediate conflict with tact and diplomacy

Program Administration Knowledge, Judgment, or Skill to:

• Interpret rules and regulations • Analyze data and information • Present ideas both orally and in writing • Create innovative solutions to complex problems • Ensure that tasks are completed on time • Prioritize daily workload Creativity Knowledge, Judgment, or Skill to:

• Solve problems creatively, logically, and practically • Create new processes or products using science, math,

and/or imagination • Write interesting and clear articles, reports, etc. • Design activities to interest participants • Market and display products to appeal to target audience • Create visually intriguing and skilled designs, displays, or

works of art • Demonstrate convincing public speaking or acting skills • Design web pages Personal Development Knowledge, Judgment, or Skill to:

• Analyze life experiences for growth or change • Identify, describe, and assess needs, values, interests,

strengths, and weaknesses of individuals • Instill self-confidence and self-esteem in others • Develop personal moral code • Demonstrate flexibility and commitment to change and

learning • Learn the value of hard work and persistence • Devise means of dealing with extra stress • Build from an historical perspective

Skills are developed through a variety of work experiences. Work is a broad term and can be anything from babysitting to mowing to being a cashier. Do not minimize the value of what your experience has been so far. It is important that you take time to think about valuable work experiences you have had and identify what skills you have gained from them. Be prepared to talk about these skills during your interview.

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SSTTAATTUUSS

Today Introduction------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Limit this to two or three strong sentences that can make a quick connection with your reader. Core of Your Letter--------------------------------------------------------------------------

…was included in a note from Two Intriguing Paragraphs Focus on your background and how your experiences align with the job description. Your letter should be different for each position you are applying for and should tie into the job requirements. 4 comments “Be specific, don’t simply indicate you have good people skills, instead highlight an example that shows you have people skills.” “Don’t try to impress by incorporating lexical diversity. Keep it simple.” “Use business professional language, phrases such as, ‘I feel a deep attraction to Neeley’ would not necessarily be appropriate.” “It is okay to use ‘I’ statements, however they should be used sparingly.” Action and Closing --------------------------------------------------------------------------

Close with a strong reminder of why you are a good match for the job position and the organization. Request an interview in some way.

Provide contact information and don’t forget to thank them. If you are mailing or bringing a copy of your letter to an interview, be sure to sign your letter where indicated in the example on page 15.

Notes

COVER LETTER Personal Profile Log In Search Find Job

YOUR NAME HERE…is identifying what to include on their cover letter

Step 1: Heading Left-justified is most common

YOUR NAME - Optional since your name and signature will be at the bottom of your letter YOUR ADDRESS - Applying locally or in your hometown? DATE - Full Month, Day, Year NAME/TITLE/ADDRESS - Who are you sending it to?

Newsfeed Step 2: What to Include

Step 3: Considerations

Spacing is an important aspect of any business letter. Pay attention to the spacing guidelines on the samples provided. All spacing in the example assumes Word is using single-spacing. Fonts should not stand out. Choose Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman or other conservative serif or sans serif fonts. No, these fonts are not very exciting or creative, but that’s exactly what you want in a business letter. You want the reader to focus on content. Font size should be between 10-12, no less and no more. Margins should be one inch on each side and on top and bottom. Closing should be either Sincerely or Regards

Comment Horned Frog wrote:

Use this paragraph to explain how you heard about the opportunity and why you are interested in the position.

Keep your letter concise

Proofread and edit carefully

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Roger Roddick 123 Wimbledon Drive Fort Worth, TX 76129 November 20, 20xx Kelly Williams Human Resource Manager Wimbledon Corporation 14456 Center Court Drive Fort Worth, TX 76123 Dear Mr. Williams: Recently the American Marketing Association designated Wimbledon Corporation as one of the top 10 marketing firms to work for in Dallas. The description of the marketing intern position is an appropriate fit with my education and experiences and it would be a valuable opportunity to build upon my existing marketing skills. Effective communication is a key requirement of this position. During my internship at ABC Marketing Group, I led a project to gather requirements from the sales manager for a customer tracking system. This project required effective listening skills in order to design a template meeting the sales manager’s needs. I communicated the needs of the design to the IT department who developed the tracking system which resulted in a 15% increase in customer retention. Last summer as an intern at KW Industries, it was necessary to take initiative and learn quickly in order to be successful. I made cold-calls to set up sales leads, increased tradeshow appearances through effective networking and rebranded the company marketing materials. It was an experience that allowed me to be on the frontlines of business, doing what needed to be done to grow the business. These past positions will prove valuable as an intern at Wimbledon. Thank you for your time in considering me for this opportunity and I look forward to visiting with you about this internship in greater detail. Should you need further information you may contact me at 555-512-5525 or by email at r.roddick@tcu.edu. Sincerely, (SIGN YOUR NAME HERE IN INK) Roger Roddick

Two spaces between name and date = three returns

Spacing between the date and addressee is flexible. Space as needed to align your letter vertically on the page

One space = two returns

One space = two returns

Three spaces = four returns

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COMMON CONSIDERATIONS RE: Email addresses Keep your email address professional; sexxyfrog2010@yahoo.com would not be appropriate. RE: Cover letter greetings Always verify to whom you should address your cover letter; never use ‘To Whom it May Concern.’ RE: Electronic signatures Leave the signature space blank when sending a cover letter electronically. RE: Electronic resumes and cover letters Convert your documents to a PDF file before sending them and send both the Word documents and the PDF versions. Save the resumes using your name and fill the Subject line with the job position title or job number. Never leave the email blank, be sure to let the person know what you are sending and why. You may choose to use the body of the email for your cover letter. Convert your document to a text (.txt) format for website uploads. RE: Bullets, bold and italics Use these effectively and it can make your resume easier to read. Most recruiting personnel do an initial 30 second review of your resume and make a decision on which pile to place you in. Make it easy for them to read and follow. RE: References upon request It is assumed you will provide references if needed, so do not place this on your resume. However, be sure to read the job posting carefully, some positions may ask you to send in references with your resume. If it does not say to do this, don’t. RE: Consistency Be sure your cover letter and resume have the same contact information, have the same font, and the paper quality is the same if they are printed. Font sizes should be no less than 10 or any larger than 12.

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NOTES

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THE MOST COMMON COVER LETTER MISHAPS IDENTIFIED BY THE CENTER FOR PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION

1) Not investing the necessary effort

The amount of effort you put into this document is a direct indication of how much you think you are worth. It takes several drafts to create a good cover letter. If you create yours in 20 minutes, you are selling yourself short.

2) Grammar and Spelling

By far the most frequent oversight. Employers will remove you from consideration if they see spelling and grammar mistakes.

3) Having a one letter fits all mentality

Each position requires a different cover letter. You should tailor your letter to the specifics of the job or internship you are applying for. If you do not, you are missing opportunities to better your chances of being selected.

4) Lots of buzzwords, but no content

You may be an energetic leader capable of motivating others, but if you do not isolate examples it’s all just hot air and counts for nothing.

5) Overusing “I”

Be sparing with “I” statements. This can lead to a perception of boasting or being unprofessional. It’s okay to use “I” statements, just be selective when you use “I”. Look for stronger ways to organize sentences where you can.

6) Simply repeating the resume

Use your cover letter as a way to provide greater insight about your experiences that make you qualified to work at the selected company.

7) Not investing the necessary effort

It’s worth repeating – it’s up to you.

“Don’t let your cover letter be the last thing you ever say to a potential employer.”

Tandy Hall 190 817-257-7539

Dan Rogers Hall 140 817-257-5572

About the Center for Professional Communication:

The Center for Professional Communication opened in 1989 with a $1.6 million endowment

from M.J. Neeley, dedicated to achieving business communication excellence for Neeley School

students. The Center for Professional Communication provides Neeley students with relevant

communication tools for today’s business environment, plus personal and professional training

and coaching to help them ask questions, offer opinions, recommend changes and make

presentations with self-assurance.

This publication is part of the NEELEY DEVELOPMENT SERIES – TOOLS FOR BUSINESS

Other titles include:

• Interviewing

• Neeley Teaming

• Writing for Business

• Developing Business Presentations

Kelly T. O’Brien Director

Tracy R. Williams Assistant Director

Jessica Cates Associate Director