Resume, Cover Letters, Networking Best Practices

For MS Students in Computer Science

UChicagoGRAD– grad.uchicago.edu

I am the brainchild of Bill Watterson, reclusive cartoonist and – in the minds of many – one of the greatest geniuses in the history of comics. I am looking for work squishing bugs and playing Calvinball professionally. Please contact me at Calvin@hobesisreal.com for more information about my career trajectory. I am always happy to network!!

Associate Director, Bug Squishing!Calvin’s Family!!

The “Death” of the Résumé

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Associate Director of Bug Squishing at!Watterson Family Household!

Watterson Family Home!Ms. Wormwood’s Class!Kindergarten!

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“Advice” is Everywhere

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How will your job docs get noticed?

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Agenda: I)  Resume Genre II)  Resume Format III)  Resume Content IV)  Cover Letters V)  Networking

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Agenda: I)  Resume Genre II)  Resume Format III)  Resume Content IV)  Cover Letters V)  Networking

grad.uchicago.edu

Mastering the Genre

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Mastering the Genre §  What can a strong resume

ACTUALLY DO?

-  Give you a chance to do the easy stuff

-  Make an argument about your skills

-  Frame your personal narrative

-  Show you’ve done your homework

-  Get an interview

-  Project confidence

§  What CAN’T a resume do? (Almost no matter what).

-  Get you a job

-  Obscure a lack of attention to detail

-  Bend the truth

-  Tell the whole story of your experience from your birth through the present (including future achievements)

-  Go onto a second page

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Most Common CS Mistakes a)  Reverse chronological/third person b) Not tailored to each individual opportunity c)  Not enough specific detail about outcomes d) Mismatch of skills

-  What’s emphasized -  How it’s ordered

e)  Project experience is still experience f)  Better integration with other docs/sites g) Sections not appropriately titled h) Overly technical jargon i)  Spellcheck!

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Agenda: I)  Resume Genre II)  Resume Format III)  Resume Content IV)  Cover Letters V)  Networking

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Format: (Not so) Easy Stuff

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Don’t let LeTeX run your life.

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Format: Fonts of Un-wisdom

Arial

Times New Roman Calibri  Cambria  

Yeah Yeah, You Got it…Comic Sans The Calvin and Hobbes font…also not great

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Use a Better Font!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Serifs: Garamond

Georgia Palatino  Linotype

Gotham Light/Bold Helvetica Neue Light Century Gothic Trebuchet MS

Size: 11 - 12

Sans Serif:  

Format: Margins of Error

.7’ – 1” all around for all docs

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Less is more. Way more.

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Format that Aids Content 2-line contacts

Education §  Thesis?

§  GPA?

§  Study Abroad

Headings

Bullets

Spacing

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Format that Aids Content Vertical §  Reverse order

§  Most relevant on top

§  In each section, broadest to most specific

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Format that Aids Content Horizontal §  Most important

information on the left

§  Compound bullets get lost

§  Strong action verbs should run down the left-hand side

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Agenda: I)  Resume Genre II)  Resume Format III) Resume Content IV)  Cover Letters V)  Networking

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Read BEFORE you write.

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Resumes Reward Creativity

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Resumes Reward Creativity

a)  Specific Sections b)  Strong Summaries c)  Strong Verbs d)  Skills e)  “I have No Experience!” f)  What Kind of Numbers? g)  Read Before You Write

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Stronger Sections Common §  Education §  Skills §  Work §  Projects §  Additional

Strong(er) §  Technical Skills/Languages §  Software Development

Experience §  Research and Analytics §  Programming Work

Experience and Projects §  Leadership and Service §  App Development §  iOS Development

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Stronger Summaries Why summarize? Especially when cover letters are not required, a summary can help highlight what you think is the best experience, given the description. They are not always appropriate and they are not traditional resume “objectives.”

Weak: Master’s student seeking a summer internship in software engineering at Google.

Stronger: MS Student in Computer Science at The University of Chicago with skills in Python, R, SAS, and others (see below) and extensive project experience in nonacademic and industry settings.

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Stronger Skills Technical Skills at the top? Depending on the level, applicability, and diversity of your skills, consider putting them after your Education section

What Matters Most? What are the areas that matter in the job description?

What to Call the Individual Entries? Software, Languages, Technical, Certifications

Identify how you Might Improve: If you are deficient in a particular skillset area, you might mention here that you are completing trainings, online coursework, etc. to show that you are improving

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The skills section isn’t the only place you should mention skills.

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What is a Strong Verb?

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Verbs: Superhero Costumes Weak(er) §  Assisted with; Worked on; Looked at;

Helped to; Cooperated with

Srong(er) §  Managed, Led, Oversaw §  Taught, Tutored, Advised §  Wrote, Edited, Revised, Critiqued §  Communicated, Presented §  Analyzed, Synthesized, Examined §  Collaborated, Facilitated §  Implemented, Launched §  Created, Produced, Developed §  Drove, Gained, Delivered

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What kind of Numbers? Weak(er) §  Analyzed data §  Wrote code §  Managed interns

Strong(er) §  Analyzed daily; produced

weekly presentations §  Wrote code to produce [x

thing] under strict deadlines §  Managed 4 full-time and 3

volunteer staff

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“I have No Experience”

feel like this?

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“Misc.” Languages §  Fluency is best. Don’t fake it

GPA/GRE’s/SAT’s §  Some may require quantitative

scores. Are they useful? Awards §  Phi Beta Kappa, Named Awards §  Explain if possible

“Interests” §  1-2 and ONLY if they’re unique

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Last Rule: Read First

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Agenda: I)  Resume Genre II)  Resume Format III)  Resume Content IV)  Cover Letters V)  Networking

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The most important word in the genre is FIT.

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Mastering the Genre What can a strong cover letter ACTUALLY DO?

- Show that you can write

- Answer “why us?”

- Highlight references

- Connect resume’s dots

- Shape the interview

- Clarify why your experience and skills are useful

- Convince someone to “turn the page”

What CAN’T a cover letter do (Almost no matter what).

- Get you a job

- Mask your ambivalence

- List everything you’ve done

- Force a person to care about your dissertation or thesis research or coursework.

- Go onto a second page

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8 Common CS Mistakes a)  Dearest Robot Selector 4000. b)  Hello my name is… c)  Me, me, me, I, I, I, my, my, my d)  Then I did this, then I did this…. e)  What a terrific opportunity for me f)  I will never ever say the name of this place. g)  Sincrely [sic], h)  Written by a Nameless Drone

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Good cover letters make Arguments.

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They have a strong Main Claim… (P1)

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…strong Sub-Claims… (P2/3)

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…which are supported by Strong Evidence.

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…and they point to Next Steps.

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Agenda: I)  Resume Genre II)  Resume Format III)  Resume Content IV)  Cover Letters V)  Networking

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Cultivate a Community

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Cultivate a Community a)  The CS program

b)  UChicagoGRAD programs -  Technical Interviews -  Informational Interviews -  April 8: GRADUCon

c)  Using UChicagoAlumni.org with LinkedIn

d)  Don’t forget undergrad!

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Strong Outreach Dear Calvin –

I’m a current MS student in Computer Science at The University of Chicago, where I focus primarily on [X THING]. I’ll finish this summer.

I’m writing because I saw your profile on LinkedIn and was interested to read a bit about your research in [Y THING] at [Z COMPANY]. I also took a look at your GitHub and was really interested in your work on [P Problem]. It would be great to get your advice about making a transition into [QQ Field] after finishing up with the program here.

It would be great to chat for 30 minutes about your work, sometime in the next few weeks. I’d be grateful for advice you might have about getting a start in [QQ Field]. I’m happy to reach out toward the end of the month if that’s easier. Looking forward to talking soon, A-J

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Use Your Resources

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Get to Work §  By February 1

-  Schedule a meeting at UChicagoGRAD -  Bring a draft of a resume -  Identify alumni to reach out to

§  By Spring Break -  Conduct informational interviews -  Apply, apply, apply

§  Early Spring Break -  Conduct mock-interviews at UChicagoGRAD

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UChicagoGRAD Provides §  Programming and Events §  One-on-One Advising:

- Careers - Oral Communications - Fellowships - Academic Writing

GRAD.UCHICAGO.EDU for DETAILS aj@uchicago.edu for QUESTIONS

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Questions? aj@uchicago.edu