curriculum vitae, résumé and cover letter.pptx

8/14/2019 Curriculum Vitae, Rsum and Cover Letter.pptx

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Curriculum Vitae, Rsumand Cover Letter

Your CV/resume and cover letter is your first

chance to convince an employer that you arethe right person for the job.


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Rsum

A resume is a written record of youreducation, skills and experience. It offers asummary of your work history.

A rsum [rez-oo-mey] according to theWebster Dictionary is defined as a briefwritten account of personal, educational, andprofessional qualifications and experience, asthat prepared by an applicant for a job.


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Cover Letter

A cover letter accompanies your application. Itshould be short and specific, highlighting yourselling points in relation to the job you areapplying for.


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Writing the Rsum Before you begin writing your rsum, think about your work

history and note your achievements and skills.

The layout of your resume should be neat, simple and easy to read.Aim for 3 5 pages, depending on how long you have been in theworkforce. Use headings and dot points.

Employers will be looking for:> contact details> career strengths> employment history> education and training levels> referees.


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Parts of the Rsum 1- Header

The header is the most critical part of the resume, becauseit holds your personal information.

Include this information in the following order: Full name,location (city /state), cell phone number, email address andportfolio URL (when required). This is not a place to putyour personal mantra, three different numbers or your twoemail addresses. If you are looking for a job in a new city,here are a few other things to consider when creating yourresume and searching for jobs.


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What order should I put the information in? You should place information that is most

important to the employer at the beginning ofthe resume: contact details, your objectives and asummary of your experience.

Organize the rest of the sections in order of

importance to the employer and thecircumstances. For example: If the position requires special qualifications, list

how and where you obtained these at thebeginning.

If technical skills are the most importantconsideration for this job, list yours at thebeginning.


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If youre changing career direction, put your

transferable skills first. If youve just left school you may not have much work

experience. Include skills, abilities and personalqualities you have been able to demonstrate in otherareas of your life, such as school activities, hobbies orcommunity involvement.

Referees go last in the resume. Use headings that match the content of your resume

and that suit the job advertisement. For each section described below, youll find a list of

alternative section headings; choose one that bestsuits your resume.


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Contact information To start off your resume, quickly and effectively communicate who

you are and how you can be contacted. When deciding which details to include, think about what would be

most convenient way for the employer to contact you. Every resume must include: Your name Write your first and last name. If you have a preferred name, put it

in brackets after your first name (e.g. Kathleen (Kathy) Porter), orsimply use it without the full name (Kathy Porter).

Place your name in a larger font size or in bold type you want it tobe remembered.

Your address If you are about to move house, include both your old and your

new addresses, identifying the date from which you will be able toreceive mail at the new address.


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Telephone number Most employers prefer to contact you by phone. Give them

a number where you are certain they can reach you orleave a message.

Check that youve typed all phone numbers correctly.Making a mistake with your phone number can cost you aninterview.

Include your home number, and your mobile number if youhave one. Include your present work number if it wont beawkward for you to be contacted there.

E-mail/fax (optional) Only include your e-mail address or fax number if you

check your inbox and fax regularly. You might want to add a simple graphic element such as a

horizontal line between your contact information and therest of the resume.


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2- Overview/ Objective Statement Recruiters do appreciate a 2-3 sentence overview of what youbring to the job; however, it should be short and simple. Typesof companies, industries, education, and skills should beincluded, but never start by saying how many years ofexperience you have. A recruiter is about to read the resume,they will figure it out.

While there are no absolute rules for resumes, adding an"objective," which usually focuses on the job seeker's needs,will make you seem out-of-step with today's market. Instead,

use headlines to highlight what you offer that is in line withwhat the employer wants in a candidate. For example, take alook at the "before" and "after" highlights for a candidatelooking for a medical administrative assistant job:


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Objectives Alternative headings include:

Professional objectives Professional goalsCareer goals Job objectivesPosition desired.

This section tells an employer what position you are seeking, andthe next step you want to take in your career path. It is an optionalpart of the resume. It can be useful if your current job goal doesntexactly match your past experience, or if it would otherwise not beclear from your resume what kind of work you are seeking.

If you do include objectives, dont use any that will lock you into aspecific job role if you want to be considered for other openings.

Dont go the other way and be vague. An objective like to utilize myskills in a challenging role in a company that offers professionaldevelopment and advancement is too general. Almost every jobseeker wants that. Employers prefer a carefully worded, specific job

objective that conveys useful information about you.


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Before Objective: Innovative, highly motivated, dynamic team player with

extensive experience, stellar writing skills and the ability to

effectively manage concurrent projects seeks opportunityto contribute in hospital setting.

After headline: Medical Administrative Assistant / Unit Secretary / Clerical

Expert Maintain Confidentiality -- Coordinate Effectively With All

Stake Holders Strong Oral and Written Communication Skills - Organized

Reliable Quick Thinking

Notice how the "after" example includes job titles andspecifics directly from the job description to describerelevant skills.


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3- Professional Experience First, only include the last 10-12 years of your workhistory. Anything over 12 years is out of date andirrelevant to what youre doing today. It is also criticalthat you explain exactly what it is you do on a dailybasis, as well as the accomplishments youve had atthat company over the years. Not just one or the other.

There should be about 8-10 bullets for your currentposition (a little less for previous roles) and it should be50/50 on responsibilities and accomplishments. Dontleave the person guessing what you do explain eachresponsibility. For example, dont just say, VendorManagement: explain who the vendor was, how theyimpacted the job and how you actually managed them.


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Summary of experienceAlternative headings include:

Summary

ProfileCareer summary.

This is a big-picture or general statement that describeswhat work you do, and what strengths and abilities you canoffer.

It should be a brief description of your experience, skillsand personal attributes that shows the employer how they

all fit together.

Summarize your experience in one short paragraph or inbullet format. Make one to three points for a one-pageresume, two to five points for a longer one.


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For example: Self-motivated food and beverage attendant with

eight years experience in fine dining and resortrestaurants. Extensive wine and cocktailknowledge, with an energetic and cheerfulapproach to customer service.

Experienced vineyard maintenance manager witha focus on providing an effective, safe andproactive maintenance service. More than 12years experience in project, employee and

contractor management, waste watermanagement, repairs and maintenance. Strongleadership qualities and communication skills.


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Remember !

You might find it easier to write the summary afteryouve written the rest of your resume, when youreclearer about everything youve included in it.

Think about your whole career, and about your life ingeneral (paid and unpaid work, life experience,learning, interests etc.). Try to stand back and get thebig picture.

Keep in mind the needs of the employer and the keyskills necessary to meet them and be successful in therole search through your career history and pull outthose relevant strengths, those selling points.

Dont get too detailed in the summary. The rest of yourresume will show who youve worked for and thespecifics of your experience.


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Work history Alternative headings include:

Employment history Employment

Employment background Work backgroundProfessional experience Positions heldWork experience ExperienceRelated experience Volunteer work.

The heading Employment implies paid work. If you want to include

unpaid work such as work experience and volunteer work in the samelist, use a heading like Work history. If you are a school leaver andhave not worked before, use the heading Work experience.

The best predictor of your future performance is your pastperformance, so you should emphasize the positive in your workhistory.

Past work achievements will indicate to your prospective employerwhat you might achieve in your next job. Include any part-time, casual,contract, temporary, volunteer or student jobs, as well as any periodsof self-employment.


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Where should you put the work history?In a chronological resume, work history usually comes first

after the objective.In a functional resume, work history comes after the Skills

section and is presented as a list.In a combination resume, work history is usually listed after

the Skills section.

How should you set out your work history? You may need sub-headings. For example, you might want to

separate your Field placements or your Voluntary work from yourwork history, or your Technical experience from your Supervisoryexperience. You might want sub -categories for Sales, Counselling and Management experience.

List your work history in reverse chronological order your mostrecent position listed first, followed by the previous job, and so on. Each separate job listing will include the following components.


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Job title Use a more common title if the company title of your job is

unusual or is likely to be unfamiliar to your prospective

employer. Add explanatory notes in brackets if you need to. If your job title doesnt reflect the level and extent of

responsibility you actually held (or hold), emphasise this inyour description of your work in the role.

In some industries, job titles change over time. Use thecurrent job title when listing previous jobs. For example thebartender of ten years ago, is now referred to as a barattendant, or a beverage attendant in the hospitalityindustry.

Company name and location Refer to previous employers by their complete business

name. If you have worked interstate, overseas or in adifferent region, include the city and state in which thebusiness was located.


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Dates of employment or involvement Use years and months (days are not necessary). If you have

consistently worked for periods of years for each employer, youdont even need to include months.

Dates are usually listed on the left side of the resume, where anemployer can glance down the list and note any gaps inemployment. If you want to de-emphasize dates, put them on theright. For example:

Journalist, The Magazine , May 2000 Jan 2001

Editor, Counter Calendar , Jan 1999 Mar 2000 Responsibilities and duties Use one or two sentences to describe generally what you did in

each job. Include any information that will help an employerunderstand the extent of your responsibilities at work. Be specific.For example:

if you supervised others, indicate how many people you wereresponsible for.

if you looked after a budget, include the approximate size.if you were responsible for certain projects, indicate which

ones, and give some sense of their scope and importance.


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Achievements Describe any achievements, accomplishments, results and

awards that demonstrate how well you did your job. Think about the measurable results you achieved, such as:

dollars saved or earnedtime savedcustomer satisfaction increased

production increased. Also, think about which achievements relate best to the job

you are applying for. List the various key achievements in bullet points. Dont be

concerned about writing complete sentences; use brief

phrases that begin with verbs (action words) to indicatethat you were active in the achievement. Ask yourself Who? What? Why? Where? When? How? to

expand your descriptions to include enough detail.


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For example, you might have operated a switchboard in a previous job.You might ask yourself:

What kind of switchboard was it?How many lines was I responsible for?For whom did I operate it which department, which level of

executives? Your expanded description might look more like this: Operated 4-line

Commander Telephone System for 80 employees. Use the same tense and sentence structure in all your descriptions, so that

readers can pick up information more quickly.

Should you put the job title or the employers name first? The job title usually comes first, but you can put the employer name first if

you think highlighting the employers name will help sell you.

How far back should you go? List the jobs you have held over the last ten years. Employers are most

interested in current and recent experience because of its relevance totodays workplace.

For jobs you held more than ten years ago, mention them only briefly,emphasizing what you learned, or listing them without further

description.


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What if there are gaps in your work history? Many people have gaps in their work history. If you have a reason for a noticeable

gap, such as:travel study

retraining having a childcaring for a sick parent voluntary or community work, include this in the work history list, with dates, in place of a job title and

description. You dont have to explain everything. Brief gaps, such as being out of work for

several months, can be covered by excluding any mention of months and referringonly to the years you were employed: '1998-2001.

What if you worked long-term for only one employer? List each different position you held there, to clearly show how you progressed

through the company and gained a variety of work experience.

What if you worked a lot of short-term jobs? Avoid giving the impression of a job-hopper by putting several similar jobs into one

group. For example: 1998 2000, Kitchen hand Vista Hotel, Maylands Nursing Home, Clayton Caf 1997 1998, Cleaner Finlay Cleaning, Westwood Inn, Somewhere TAFE 1995 1996, Trainer Worktrain, Institute of Management Studies, Overthere TAFE You can leave out some of the less important, shorter-term jobs.


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Should you include unpaid employment? Most employers are more concerned about

how much responsibility you had and whatyou did than about what you were paid.Include all substantial unpaid workexperience.

Should you include military experience? Include your military experience, especially if

it supports your job goal. It is really important

to put your military experience in civilianterms, so that employers can easilyunderstand how your skills match their needs.


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4- Education Only degrees that have been completed, or will

be completed soon should be included. If youstarted a degree, and have 20 credits, but youdont intend to finish it dont include it! In thissection, all that should be stated is the schoolname, location, major/minor and GPA, if over 3.5.Its not necessary include course work, or schoolactivities.

Also, dont include the graduation date if yougraduated before 1985. The hard truth?Companies have a mental block for people whohave graduated before 1985, and you dont wantto date yourself out of the job.


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Education and qualifications Alternative headings include:

Education Tertiary qualificationsEducational achievements Academic successEducational background Short coursesEducational history Courses completedEducational and vocational skills In-service trainingEducation and training Qualifications

Training Trade qualificationsTraining and development Licenses/CertificatesProfessional development AccreditationTertiary study

This section shows an employer that you have thenecessary educational requirements and certification to dothe job. It can also show that you are committed to ongoinglearning and staying up to date in your field.


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If you are changing careers, this section isimportant, as it shows that you have completedthe necessary training.

You can include:formal degreescertificates

short training coursesworkshops, seminars, conferencesother professional traininglicensesforms of accreditation.

Dont list every training course youve everattended. Include only the most relevant.


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Depending on your goals and the employers needs,you might include or leave out information. Forexample, if your degree is self- explanatory, dont list all

the subjects you completed. But list them if youcompleted a specialized degree that employers mightbe unfamiliar with, or if your study focus is not obviousfrom the degrees name.

To decide what to include, ask yourself, What will thisemployer know about this degree, coursework ortraining? What might I need to clarify?

If you have considerable skills in one particular area,you might want to group them in their own section. For

example, if you have done training in several relevantcomputer packages, present them separately as'Computer competencies' rather than listing them withmore general qualifications education.


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Remember Avoid jargon and abbreviations that an employer might not be

familiar with. In what order should you list the training? The most common order is reverse chronological order, putting the

most recent training first. You might also consider putting your mostrelevant educational experiences first.

How should you list each item of your training? For each item, list the qualification or program, then the school or

institute, then the dates you undertook or completed the course, orthe date a degree was conferred. You can vary this order if, forexample, one or more of the institutions/training providers has anexcellent reputation in the field highlight the institutions byputting them first.

Whichever you decide to list first, do so consistently for eacheducational achievement in this section.

Should you include high school details? If you have completed tertiary studies, or have some work history

behind you, you dont need to include information about your highschool education and results.


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5- Skills This is a critical part of the resume, and surprisingly, half ofall people leave it off. In todays technical age, you mustinclude your computer abilities. Companies want to knowevery piece of software that you know how to use,including the basics like Microsoft office. Dont assume itsimplied.

Functional resumes focus on the job seeker's skills withoutemphasizing when and where he or she used those skills.Sounds great for someone who wants to de-emphasize ageand years of experience, right? The problem is, hiringmanagers like to know when and where you used the skillsyou say you have. Many will assume someone using thisformat is trying to hide something. Since you don't want toarouse suspicion, stick to a "reverse chronological" format,where you describe your most recent experience first andinclude dates.


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6-CompetenciesAlternative headings include:

Key skills Skills summaryCapabilities Work skillsSkills.

Many peoples work history does not necessarily showthat they can do the job. You can overcome this byhaving a skills section, describing your overall ability asit relates to the job or industry youre applying for.

Think about how best to present your skills andstrengths. List all the marketable ones you have, not just those youve used in a paid work setting; peoplegain many important skills in other areas of their lives.


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7-Activities and interestsAlternative headings include:

Community activities Community involvement

Voluntary work Interests and hobbiesSpecial interests Recreational activitiesLeisure activities Other information.

This is an optional section. Interests and hobbies help an employerform a picture of you. For example, playing sport suggests thatyoure physically fit, repairing cars suggests that you have a goodhead for problem solving. Sometimes employers can use yourinterests, particularly unusual ones, as a conversation starter atinterviews.

Mention any hobbies or community activities that demonstrateyour initiative, creativity, communication skills or organisationalability, financial or other responsibilities or skills, particularly ifthese are relevant to the jobs for which you are applying.


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Activities are structured pursuits, such as participating inclubs, professional associations and voluntary organizations(e.g. Amnesty International member, Meals on Wheels

volunteer, Zonta member, Fundraising Committee memberfor a sporting club, Army reservist).When listing activities, list the organization, your role(member, volunteer, secretary etc.) and your years ofparticipation for example, Volunteer counselor, Lifeline,

1994 1999. Interests are unstructured, individual pursuits. Examples

would be football, netball, sewing, fishing, golf, jewellerymaking, playing guitar, home computers, restoring cars andgardening.

When listing interests, clarify your role if necessary(collecting model cars differs from making model cars). Youdont have to say how long youve had an interest, and youdont have to include interests that dont project the imageyou want to.


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As you write this section, keep asking yourself: What am I trying to convey to an employer? What does my involvement in activities/hobbies

reveal about me and my values? Be aware which interests or activities employers

might react strongly to, either for or againstthem. A religious or political affiliation might beone of these. If you want to list such aspects of

yourself, write about them in a neutral way, tocounteract any possible employer bias.


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8-Referees A referee is a former supervisor or colleague who is willing to be

contacted by potential employers to talk about your workexperience and to comment on your personal qualities.

In Australia you are commonly expected to include at least tworeferees in your resume three if the job involves a lot ofresponsibility. One of your referees should be your last employer, ifthis is possible.

For each referee, include:

the referees nametheir titlethe company they work fortheir work phone number and/or mobiletheir e-mail addressa brief statement explaining how the referee knows you.

If you want to leave the names off your resume, you might includethe words Contact details for referees are available on request inthis section, and provide a list at the interview if it is requested.


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Remember Referees should know your work habits from

having worked with you or supervised you. Ithelps if you give your referee a copy of the jobdescription or advertisement youre answering,so that they know what to emphasise when theemployer contacts them. A copy of your resumewill help them remember your achievements this is particularly useful if you are using a contactfrom a few jobs/years in the past.

9-Associations Only include this section if you are activelyinvolved in the association. If its something youdid 10 years ago, its not relevant


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What not to include In a resume, you should never: make statements you cannot prove. Be truthful. include anything, other than contact details, that relates to

your personal life. Do not mention your age, height, weight,marital status, number of children, condition of health, orreligious, cultural or political affiliation (unless you areapplying for a job where your religion, cultural backgroundor political affinity is critical to the organization).

include a picture of yourself, unless your occupational fieldrequires it.

mention the salary or pay you want. Dont be the first tobring up the subject of money.

include negative reasons for leaving previous jobs (e.g. ifyou were fired, if you left because of a personality clashwith someone, if you were sick of travelling).


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Spell and Grammar Check

Most MS Word programs do this for you, sopay attention to the green and red squigglylines!

Margins Make sure your margins are set properly.

Sometimes people, in an attempt atformatting, create huge margins on the sides,top and bottom. You really only need aboutone-half of an inch on all sides.


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Font Format and Size Your resume doesn't need to be in Arial or Times NewRoman all the time. To create a more modern look,consider expanding your font choices to include:Georgia, Calibri, Tahoma, or Geneva. These are themost common fonts, and all Human Resources trackingsystems recognize them. Also, fonts should be size 10or 12 only. No smaller, no larger.

PDF or .doc? Always save your resume in .doc format when using itto apply online. The HR applicant tracking systemsaccept word .doc formatted files the best. When usinga PDF or word perfect file, the systems often jumblethe resumes and make them unreadable.


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How to write a successful coverletter?

Why do you need a covering letter? The covering letter is vital to your CV. This is why it is the

first page and not an addition. "Please find enclosed myCV" won't get you very far.

Your covering letter demonstrates your writing style betterthan your CV (which is usually more brief and factual). The covering letter puts flesh on the bare bones of the CV.

It points out to the employer the information showing thatyou have the qualities the job calls for, and makes a

statement about yourself and your suitability for the job. Itshould give the personal touch that your CV will intrinsicallylack.


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A survey in the US of employers found that 42.9% wantedcandidates to submit a cover letter for each position.

29.8% felt that they were not important ("I don't have the

time to read them anyway") 27.4% had no preference

How long should your covering letter be? In the same survey above 19% of employers preferred a full

page 46% preferred half a page 11% had no preference 24% felt the shorter the better! The key point here is that it should never be longer thanone page long.


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Plain white photocopier paper is fine . It's OK to printyour letter on expensive cream or pale blue paper, butcontent and layout are far more important! Use the

same colour for your CV. Don't use lined paper orpaper with punched holes! If emailed put your covering letter in the body of the

email. If you attach it with nothing in the email body itmay be misidentified as spam.

Don't make the employer work to read your letter! Keep it clear, concise and to the point.

Try not to go over one side of A4 : if it does, you arewriting an essay instead!

Use your own words not formal long-winded clichs. Action verbs can help to make it sound better.


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Spell-check and then double-check your spelling andgrammar. Spell checkers won't pick up form instead of from or sex instead of six!

Answer the question "Why should I see you?" Make the person who reads it feel special : that it is

addressed to them personally and not one of fifty identicalletters you are sending out without thought or care,

You might include your understanding of thework/knowledge of the company , and how you fit thecriteria required. "I have a real interest in working as a ...."will not do: you must say why you decided to pursue thiscareer, what first brought it to your attention, why you as aHistory student should be interested in a career in finance.

Relate your skills to the job. Show the employer that youhave obtained the communicating, team working, problemsolving and leadership or other skills that are appropriatefor the job.


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Who should you address your letter to? Try to find the name of the person to write to.

Research by Forum3 found that those whoincluded a letter with their CV were 10% morelikely to receive a reply and those who addressedthe covering letter and envelope to the correctnamed person were 15% more likely to receive aletter of acknowledgement and 5% more likely togain an interview. They also found that 60% of

CVs are mailed to the wrong person, with themanaging director being the main beneficiary ofthe unsolicited mail.


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A recent survey by Saddleback College in theUSA found that the preferred salutations of HR

managers were: Dear Hiring Manager, 38.1% (I'm not so sure

that this is right for the UK!) Dear Sir/Madam, 17.9% Dear Human Resource Director, 9.5% To whom it may concern, 26.2% Leave it blank if you don't know the name.

8.3%


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"We would recommend to students that theythink carefully about how to re-write at least theircovering letter, and possibly also their CVspecifically for the post they are applying for. Thebest applications were succinct and clear, withunfussy covering letters and CVs.

It is also always worth checking over a covering

letter before sending it, as there were silly errorssuch as spelling mistakes or the covering letterwritten for a different placement. A good ideathat we saw surprisingly little of is to list thecompetencies that the job advert says are beinglooked for, and outline how and why you fulfilthose competencies. Civil Service


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What do employers look for in covering letters? One survey of employers found the following

(From the brilliant 2010 Orange County Resume Survey

by Eric Hilden)33% Tailored skills from the job description 26% Clarity (well-written, formatted, specifying job

applied to) 20% Details from your CV (additional accomplishments,

explanation of any gaps, etc.) 19% Your value, not the basics, why we should hire you 18% Spelling & grammar 17% Personal vision & uniqueness 12% Brevity 10% I never read them!
http://www.saddleback.edu/jobs/documents/2010OrangeCountyResumeSurveyfullpresentation.pdfhttp://www.saddleback.edu/jobs/documents/2010OrangeCountyResumeSurveyfullpresentation.pdfhttp://www.saddleback.edu/jobs/documents/2010OrangeCountyResumeSurveyfullpresentation.pdfhttp://www.saddleback.edu/jobs/documents/2010OrangeCountyResumeSurveyfullpresentation.pdfhttp://www.saddleback.edu/jobs/documents/2010OrangeCountyResumeSurveyfullpresentation.pdfhttp://www.saddleback.edu/jobs/documents/2010OrangeCountyResumeSurveyfullpresentation.pdf


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Suggested structure for your covering letter:

First Paragraph State the job youre applying for. Where you found out about it (advert in The Guardian newspaper etc. - organisations like to know

which of their advertising sources are being successful) When you're available to start work (and end if it's a placement )

Second Paragraph Why you're interested in that type of work Why the company attracts you (if it's a small company say you prefer to work for a small friendly

organisation!)

Third Paragraph Summarise your strengths and how they might be an advantage to the organisation. Relate your skills to the competencies required in the job.

Last Paragraph Mention any dates that you won't be available for interview Thank the employer and say you look forward to hearing from them soon.

If you start with a name (e.g. "Dear Mr Bloggs") you should end with "Yours sincerely " . If you startwith "Dear Sir or Madam" you should end with "Yours faithfully ".
http://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/placements.htmhttp://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/compet/skillquest.htmhttp://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/compet/skillquest.htmhttp://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/compet/skillquest.htmhttp://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/compet/skillquest.htmhttp://www.kent.ac.uk/careers/placements.htm


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curriculum vitae, résumé and cover letter.pptx

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