Career Development

The resume is your marketing tool for getting the interview. This is the employer's first impression of you, so it needs to be excellent! Being a summary of your employment qualifications, a resume should highlight your education, experience, skills, and other relevant information.

Below are some tips and examples to consider when crafting your resume.

• Use action words in your bullet points
• Be original and honest
• Keep font between 10 - 12 point
• Resumes should be appealing to the eye and allow the employer to quickly retrieve information
• Use bullets to effectively present your information - do not write in paragraph format
• Do not include photographs or personal information such as age, height, marital status, children, etc. unless it is required for the specific position (acting, modeling, etc.)
• Do not include references on bottom of resume - put references on separate page
• Proofread; proofread; proofread!
• Have at least one other person also edit your resume and/or have a professional staff member review your resume (this is a free service in our office)
• Submit your resume as a PDF to avoid formatting issues

Example Resumes

Like your resume, your cover letter is an important self-marketing tool, and is the first impression you will make on a potential employer. The functions of a cover letter are to demonstrate a fit between you, the company, and the position; to show that you can contribute to the organization as a whole; and to convince the employer to offer you an interview. Here are some tips for making sure that your cover letter is up to the job:

• Focus on what you can contribute to the employer - not what they can do for you
• Don't exaggerate - be honest and positive
• Proofread! Have at least three different people proofread your letter
• Keep a copy of every letter you send
• Customize each letter for the specific company/position
• Make an Appointment with Career Services to review your letter

A good cover letter demonstrates knowledge about the specific company and position. Show that you are familiar with company history, and recent events, or, at the very least, that you know what the company does. Keeping up on current events, reading trade journals, and browsing the company website will provide all kinds of information you can use in your cover letter and later in an interview.

Example Cover Letters

Selecting References

• Good references are people who are professional and in positions of responsibility such as Professors, Advisors, Employers, Coaches, and Community or Business Leaders
• Have 3 to 5 references
• Select people who know your abilities
• Ask permission of each reference before you use them as a reference
• Assist your references by giving them a copy of your resume-this way they have easy access to your strengths, experience, skills, activities, etc.
• Tell your reference the type of job you are looking for, so they are able to relate your positive attributes to the potential employer
• If a letter of recommendation is needed give your reference a stamped envelope addressed correctly (do not send these unless they are specifically requested by the employer)

Reference Page Guidelines

• Print references on a separate page
• Use the same heading on this page as you have for your resume and cover letter
• Indicate the reference list with a sub-heading like "References" or "Professional References" at the top
• When providing references, include the same information that would be found on the person's
  business card:
  • name, title, organization, mailing address, email address, and telephone number