resumes and cover letters...job doc overview 2. drafting resumes 3. drafting cover letters 4. resume...

Resumes and Cover Letters

MAPH Spring Workshop

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gradcareers.uchicago.edu

graducon.uchicago.edu

Why Attend GRADUCon?

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• LEARN HOW TO LAUNCH A CAREER IN VARIOUS FIELDS

• Careers in Museums panel

• Careers in Nonprofits panel

• Where Else Can You Teach? panel

• CONNECT WITH MAPH ALUMNI

• Kamran Swanson, Asst. Professor, Harold Washington College

• Katie Rahn, Director of Marketing, Art Institute of Chicago

• Anna Piepmeyer, Manager, Chicago Public Education Fund

• BUILD NEW SKILLS

• Negotiation workshop

• LinkedIn workshop

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AGENDA

1. Job Doc Overview

2. Drafting Resumes

3. Drafting Cover Letters

4. Resume Workshop

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AGENDA

1. Job Doc Overview

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• Resumes and cover letters are

arguments

• They use claims and evidence to

convince employers that you are a

great fit

• They must be tailored to every job

description

• They are not a replacement for

networking

Overview

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How do they fit together?

Resume LetterLife

Sources Article Abstract

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AGENDA

2. Drafting Resumes

Formatting: 11-12 Pt. Font

AVOID

Arial

Times New Roman

CalibriCambria

Comic Sans

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USE

Garamond

GeorgiaPalatino LinotypeHelvetica Neue Light

Century GothicTrebuchet MS

Formatting: Margins

.6” – 1” for all docs

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Formatting: StructureContact Info

Education

Thesis?

Awards?

Study Abroad?

Headings

Bullets

Spacing

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Formatting: Structure

Vertical

Reverse

chronological

order in each

section

Under each

heading, most

relevant bullets

on top

More bullets for

most recent,

relevant

experiences,

fewer for past

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Formatting: Structure

Horizontal

Most

important

information

on the left

Compound

bullets can

get lost

Strong action

verbs should

run down the

left-hand side

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Content: Education

• Top of page

• Lead with name of university

• Degree-based programs only (incl. study abroad)

• Prominent awards/honors

• Relevant course work (optional)

• Thesis title (optional)

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Content: Experience• Begin with a master resume containing

all experiences, then tailor to each job

• Consider organizing experiences by

job function

• “Research Experience”

• “Administrative Experience”

• “Customer Service Experience”

• “Teaching Experience”

• Include academic and volunteer

experiences

• Proportions of information included do

not need to reflect actual work

responsibilities

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Reality

Resume

Content: ExperienceBrilliant Bullet Points

• Begin with strong action verbs: led, analyzed, organized,

optimized, developed, etc.

• Try not to repeat the same verbs or competencies

• Implied first person sentence fragments (no pronouns

or periods)

• Present tense for ongoing roles; past tense for past roles

• 1 or 2 lines, never 3

Demonstrate Your PPI

• Project: What did you do?

• Purpose: Why did you do this?

• Impact: What impact did your actions have?

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Content: Skills

Skills and Languages Section: Recommended

• Technical skills: Highlight most impressive,

less common competencies

• Language skills: Fluent, conversational,

basic

Interests Section: Optional

• Chance to “humanize” yourself

• Make these specific and unique

• Use only when space allows

• One line maximum

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AGENDA

3. Drafting Cover Letters

• Expands on a few items in your resume

• Discusses your motivation for seeking

employment in this field

• Explains why you are a good fit for the

specific organization and/or team

• Shows how you will make an impact

• Provides proof of legitimate interest in

and knowledge of the organization

• Demonstrates writing skills

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A Good Cover Letter . . .

Generic Cover Letter

• Introduction

• Reason(s) for interest in organization

• Mention conversations with employees

• Thesis: 2 distinct competencies, A & B

• Claim and evidence of competency A

• Relate example back to the company

• Claim and evidence of competency B

• Relate example back to the company

• Wrap up and thank you sentence

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¶ 1

¶ 2

¶ 3

¶ 4

Cover Letter Formatting

Their full

address

Date

Address a

real person

Physical

signature

Your contact info

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AGENDA

4. Resume Workshop

Resume Workshop

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• Form small groups

• Share your resume

• Receive feedback from your peers

• What story is this document telling?

• Is it organized and easy to read?

• Do the bullet points show impact?

• What changes would you suggest?

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Questions?cwiersema@uchicago.edu

Appointments?gradgargoyle.uchicago.edu