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GettingEffective Documents

That Get You Hired

HEARD!

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Getting Heard!Treat your documents well, as they are the “silent partners” in your job search. In most cases, they are the first glimpse a potential employer will have of you.

Click on any one of the sections on the right to begin.

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The Business CardYou’ve just met a person who could get you the job of your dreams, and the only information you can give them is whatever will fit on a 3.5” x 2” card.

What should I include? What should I not include? How should it look like? How will I get one made?

These questions help make creating a business card more daunting than it seems. Let’s start with the first…

Here are the basic parts that you might include:

Your Name (duh)Your Phone and Email (duh, again)Your Address (physical and/or web)Your Desired Job TitleA Logo or Descriptive Tagline

A Representative Photo or Clip ArtA Listing of Your SkillsFavorite Snapple Flavor (optional)

Bear, J.H. (n.d.) 11 parts of a business card. About.com. Retrieved July 8, 2008 from http://desktoppub.about.com/od/businesscards/a/bcard_parts.htm

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Business Card DesignDo you have to put all those things on your little business card? Of course not. In fact, it would probably be detrimental to your job search.

On the right are examples of doing less with more. Keeping only the most essential items can cut down on the “info clutter” for your contacts.

These designs also display a bit of personality, which helps them stand out in a rolodex full of bland business cards.

For more examples, visit the gallery at creativebits.org

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Business Card PrintingUnless you’ve got money to burn, the card design shown on the left is probably well out of your price range.

You can, however, find a gaggle of printers willing to print your (non-etched, non-metal, non-diecut) card at a reasonable price just by doing a Google search for “business card.”

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The Cover LetterSure, you think you’re right for this job, but how do you convey this to the person you’re trying to reach? Furthermore, how do you make all the experiences on your resume relevant? Your cover letter offers you just such an opportunity.

Your cover letter should:

Be NarrativeProvide Contact InfoBe Job Specific

Demonstrate YourKnowledge of theCompany

Olson, A. (2008). Cover letters 1: quick tips. The Owl at Purdue. Retrieved July 8, 2008 fromhttp://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/549/01/

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Cover Letter DOs

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Cover Letter DON’Ts

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The ResumeAhh… the resume. The sum total of all that you have done in your career boiled down to one, neatly typed piece of paper. The one document that can determine the fate of your career; whether you suceed or fail; live in a mansion or a cardboard box…

Intimidated?

Fear not. A little organization, and your resume will be good to go. Click one of the sections above to begin.

Beadling, L., Brizee, A., & Scmaling, K. (2007). Resumes 2: resume sections. The Owl at Purdue. Retrieved July 8, 2008 from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/565/01/

Eddy, C. (2008, Feb 4). Tips for an effective resume. Colleen on Careers. Poynter Online. Retrieved July 8, 2008 from http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=84&aid=137099

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What to Include in da Resume

Contact InfoSummaryWork Experience

Education HistoryOrganizations You Belong ToAwards or Certifications

Unless you’re trying to get a job as a professor, it’s best to keep your resume to one or two pages, max. This will involve some serious consideration of what type of job you want and what in your experience you should include. These experiences are broken down into 6 key sections:

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Contact Info & SummaryThe contact info section is like a stripped down version of your business card. Be sure to include:

Your Name (duh)Your Phone and Email (duh, again)Your Address (physical and/or web)

The summary line is a single sentence that sums up your experience and abilities. Be sure to use action verbs and nouns that point to relevant areas within your experience.

Joe Schmo1828 Columbus Ln • Tampa, FL 33619813-999-8888 • joeschmo@gmail.com

Summary: An energetic, results-driven professional with over 10 years experience in the advertising industry and proven success in

managing and overseeing projects to completion.

EXAMPLE

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Work Experience & Education

These two sections comprise the heart of your resume.

It’s crucial to list names and dates correctly, but what will ultimately win you a job is whether or not the duties you performed and things that you learned match what your potential employer is looking for. Focus on this aspect, tailoring it to match each position you are seeking.

Work ExperienceJan 05-PresentCreative Director, ABC Media, Tampa, FL• Oversaw the creation and production of numerous award-winning July 98-Dec 04Account Executive, XYZ Ads, New York, NY• Successfully managed accounts for several high-profile national clients, providing significant return on client investment.

Education1998 B.A., Advertising University of South Florida, Tampa, FL

Magna Cum Laude Honors Specialization in Media Strategy

& Sales

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Organizations & AwardsThis section details all the relevant things that you might have been a part of outside of work. In other words, volunteer work, professional organizations, awards and certifications. Remember, make sure that you only put in things that a potential employer would be interested in.

OrganizationsVice President, Ad2 Tampa BayMember, AIGAMember, Beta Gamma Sigma

Awards2007, Silver Addy2004, Ad Executive of the Year1998, E.G. Hamilton Scholarship

CertificationsAdobe Certified Expert

InDesign & Photoshop

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How to Create a ResumeOnce you’ve got your resume written, it’s time to get it ready to present. This may seem like a simple step, but quality of your presentation will determine whether or not your resume is actually read.

Qualities of an effective resume include:

A Clean, Legible DesignVariation of Typestyles and SizesConsistent Organization

Uniqueness, PersonalityA File that Can be Opened

and Viewed Correctly

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DesignIn much the same way that it’s boring to listen to someone speak in monotone, it’s boring to read a resume that suffers from poor design. Hear are some general ideas to consider when designing your resume.

Rith, C. (2006, Oct 24). Give your resume a face lift. LifeClever. Retrieved July 8, 2008 fromhttp://www.lifeclever.com/give-your-resume-a-face-lift/

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Format

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When sending your resume electronically to someone else, you will eventually come across the question of what format to send it in. There are two possibilities: Word DOC or Adobe PDF. Which one you choose will depend on what kind of position you’re applying for and what your resume looks like.

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Web Resources

• Creative Bits Business Card Gallery• OWL at Purdue guides and examples for nearly any

kind of writing for business

• About.com: Job Searching articles and guides that encompass nearly every aspect of the job search

• LifeClever Blog design and career advice

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