Resumes & Cover Letters

 

       
    Business & Liberal Arts              Science, Engineering &                            Diversity
                                                                          Technology

Your resume is probably the most important document in your business career. Career Services would like you to realize it is not just a list of jobs and duties, but an ad designed with one message – promoting you. The cover letter is the one minute teaser often giving a different slant on the details; while the resume gives the full information. Together, the resume and cover letter cannot get you a job – but done right;  they can and will get you an interview.

Resumes

Ten Tips for a Winning Resume:

1. Don’t lie. Period. Sell yourself convincingly, but never lie.
2. Be brief. Use the least amount of words possible to clearly demonstrate your qualifications.
3. Make a resume error-free. Make sure someone else proofreads your resume looking for spelling and grammar errors.
4. Focus on what you offer employers, not what employers can offer you. A hiring manager is looking to hear how you can benefit their company.
5. Emphasize results and accomplishments. Don’t just tell them what your responsibilities have been at previous jobs. Tell them what you’ve accomplished in those responsibilities. Quantify the results whenever possible (example: “Increased sales in territory by 30% in one year”)
6. Use action verbs. Demonstrate what you’ve done by using actions verbs rather than passive descriptions. Sample words: directed, managed, created, established, produced.
7. Never use “I” or “Me.” It’s OK to use sentence fragments and leave off the “I” – such as “Trained new employees.”
8. Leave out salary information, even if they request it in the job announcement or help wanted ad. Don’t discuss it until your job interview.
9. Leave out personal information such as race, religion, marital status, political party affiliation, etc.
10. Be simple in your language. Don’t try to impress the reader with a lofty vocabulary. Use buzz words and industry jargon when necessary, but otherwise use a professional, conversational writing style.

Cover Letters

Your cover letter is the first thing employers see when they open your materials. Make your first impression a good and lasting one. The focus should be on how you meet an employer’s needs, and little use of the word “I” while still selling you as a strong candidate. Your cover letter should never be more than a single page, 3-4 paragraphs in length, and not repetitive of your resume. Before arriving at Career Services for help with your resume, the following exercise will provide a strong basis for the final product. 

Cover Letter Preparation Exercise:

1. List three skills a particular job vacancy will require. Then list – in sentence form – examples of things you have accomplished that demonstrate your ability to satisfy the skill requirements.
2. Write a paragraph outlining why this organization would want to hire you for the job.
3. Describe in complete sentences what you know about the organization; products, services, locations, growth areas, history, etc.
4. What is your greatest accomplishment that can be related directly to the needs of the position for which you are applying? Put the idea into a sentence you are sure would impress the employer.
5. Write a sample closing paragraph in which you leave with the employer the decision to contact you. Next, write a paragraph in which you take the initiative and say you will contact the employer at a particular time. Now evaluate the two. Which one do you think will be most effective? No matter which one you use ALWAYS follow-up after a predetermined period of time. 

Career Services at Kansas Wesleyan University is available to help you in the development of your resume and cover letter. Call, email, or just drop by to make an appointment:

Carla Larkin, Director of Career Services
Pioneer Hall Room 185
785-827-5541 ext 1162
carla@kwu.edu