Today’s Topics
Handshake Cover LettersResumes
Handshake is an online recruiting platform
that provides UA Little Rock students
access to employment opportunities
locally, regionally, and nationally.
• Students customize their
profiles by adding
resume, career interests,
work experience, etc.
• Students can apply to
jobs posted by employers
with the click of a button.
All students have a profile on
Handshake connected to their University
1. You should have an email link from the Career
Center. If you don’t, visit ualr.joinhandshake.com
2. Once you’re on your school’s page, click the Sign
up for an Account link in the lower left hand corner
to get started
Some student information will already be in
a Handshake profile.
• Name
• School Level (Freshman, Senior, etc.)
• Major
• College
• Degree seeking (Bachelor’s, Master’s,
etc.)
Students decide whether or not to make their profile public
or private.
• Public Profile = Most information in profile can be
seen by any employer on Handshake and by Career
Center.
• Note: Some profile components such as GPA, have
their own privacy settings.
• Private Profile = Profile only seen by student and
Career Center.
• Students can switch privacy status at any time.
Handshake takes
information from your
profile and that a
student has entered to
recommend jobs.
Students can select
favorites and follow
employers to see them
more frequently.
Resume
Introduction
The first step to getting a job, any job, is creating a
resume
What does a Resume do?
● Serves as an advertisement for yourself as a
potential employee
● Outlines your experience, education, and skills
● Is part of a potential employer’s first impression of
you
How has technology impacted the resume process?
• Digital resume submissions make it easier for an employer to cast a wide net
for finding the perfect job candidates.
• Nearly 40% of employers use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to help
sort through resumes quickly through digital scanning, word searches, and
comparing the information to what’s desired for the job. The ATS then gives
the submitted resumes and applications a score.
• Nearly 75% of applications processed by an ATS are never seen by a real
person.
How to make you resume ATS friendly
● Optimize your resume!
○ Utilize keywords from the job description
○ Clearly label your resume sections
○ Avoid custom fonts
○ Submit your resume in the requested file type (pdf, doc, docx)
Name and Contact Information
Professional Summary/Objective*
Education
Relevant Coursework*
Employment History
Volunteering*
EX
AM
PL
E R
ES
UM
E
*These sections are not
required but may be
beneficial on an individual
basis
Additional Resume Section Options
• Summary of Qualifications
• Language Proficiency
• Presentations
• In-house Seminars
• Achievements
• Internships
• Military Experience
• Qualifications
• Career Profile
• Community Service
• Relevant Coursework
• Continuing Education
• Advanced Career Training
• Specialization
• Special Projects
• Career-related skills
• Familiar Computer Applications
• Technical Training
• Licenses and Certification
• Accomplishments
• Skills Summary
• Volunteer Work
• Memberships
NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION
Name: at the top, stands out, larger than anything else
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY/OBJECTIVE*
● Professional summaries are not required, but they are a good space for utilizing
keywords and can help explain your focus within your career and/or education.
● A Cover Letter does this as well, but with more space.
WORK HISTORY
Section Heading
Company Name- City, State
Position
Title and
Description
of duties
Accomplishments are highlighted and begin with a strong action verb
EDUCATION
Section Heading
Relevant Coursework
VOLUNTEERING/EXTRACURRICULAR
Section Heading
Locations of volunteering. Can
include total hours volunteered.
Formatting
• Format must be pleasing to the eye
• Continuity, use consistent formula (fonts, headings, etc.)
• Focus on strengths and accomplishments
• A good resume has balance – Professional and easy-to-read
– Visual hierarchy
• If your Resume is two pages, label the second page with your
name/contact information
• Clear sections with visual hierarchy
• Bullet points
• Readable font size
• Plenty of white space
• Whole page utilized
• Italics and bold not used excessively
• No big blocks of text- easy to read
Tips
Good Resume
Consistent formatting
Compelling verbiage
Easy to read
Tweaked for each job application
to target qualifications
No spelling errors!
Bad Resume
Sections misaligned, too many
fonts, etc.
Exaggerations or lies
Difficult to quickly find essential
information
Not utilizing key words from the
job description
Cover Letter
A Cover Letter Is…
• An introduction of yourself to an organization
• A demonstration of your interest in the company, or a specific
vacancy
• Something that motivates the reader to interview you
• Only one page
Exam
ple
Co
ver
Lett
er
Name and Contact Information
Address of recipient
Greeting to recipient
State the position that you’re applying for
Why you’re a good potential hire for the
position and what you can contribute to
the company
Restate contact information and include an
expression of thanks for the consideration or
their time
A farewell
Utilizing Keywords from the Job Description• #2425557 Human Resources Analyst
• Facilitates and operates the hiring and recruitment system to recruit, select, and retain the best
employees and ensure compliance with fair hiring practices.
• Assists in the facilitation of new employee orientations
• Processes requests from and provides correspondence to employees.
Qualifications
• General knowledge of human resources programs; ability to research, collect and organize data;
• Skilled in the use of standard office equipment including a personal computer and knowledge of
applicable software packages;
• ability to work as a functional, efficient and effective team member.
Education and Experience
• Bachelor's degree with coursework in human resources, business, public administration, or related
field
• Must obtain Professional in Human Resources (PHR) or Society of Human Resources Management
Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) certification within two years of hire.• Valid Driver's License
• #2425557 Human Resources Analyst
• Facilitates and operates the hiring and recruitment system to recruit, select, and retain the best
employees and ensure compliance with fair hiring practices.
• Assists in the facilitation of new employee orientations
• Processes requests from and provides correspondence to employees.
Qualifications
• General knowledge of human resources programs; ability to research, collect and organize data;
• Skilled in the use of standard office equipment including a personal computer and knowledge of
applicable software packages;
• ability to work as a functional, efficient and effective team member.
Education and Experience
• Bachelor's degree with coursework in human resources, business, public administration, or
related field
• Must obtain Professional in Human Resources (PHR) or Society of Human Resources
Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) certification within two years of hire.• Valid Driver's License
Utilizing Keywords from the Job Description
Exam
ple
Co
ver
Lett
ere
r
ualr.edu/careers | (501) 569-3584