Job-Search Preparation
We are here to help you develop all the tools you will need when seeking employment. If you are just getting started, we can help you develop your resume and cover letter, prepare a portfolio and write a CV. The qualified and trained employees in the CDC can give you insightful feedback to ensure that you are presented in the most professional way possible.
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Designing a Resumé
A resumé’s purpose is to get you an interview. It is a personal, written communication that indicates your skills and abilities. Employers often scan resumés very quickly, giving only 6 to 15 seconds to each. Therefore, you want the content and organization to be dynamic enough so that the employer will give your resumé a longer look.
There is no one right way to construct your resumé. Every person who looks at your resumé will probably have some suggestions for changes. It is important for you to use these guidelines, but to tailor them to suit your needs and objective. Remember that your resumé is always a work in progress. As you gain new skills and experiences, you will want to add them to your resumé.
Length and Style
- One-page resumés are best, but a two-page resumé may be desirable if you have extensive experience.
- When writing your resumé:
- Use phrases instead of complete sentences, beginning with action verbs rather than pronouns, e.g. assisted, facilitated, designed (a list of action verbs is available on our website or in the Career Development Center)
- Describe situations, actions and results in concrete terms
- Leave subjective information for your cover letter (e.g., “wonderful people person”)
- Be consistent with capitalization, punctuation, tense usage, and abbreviations
- Make sure you carefully proofread your resumé – a misspelled word can take you out of the running
Formats
- The chronological resumé is the most common style. It is used by job seekers who have consistent employment, and/or a progressive history within a particular field. Chronological resumés list past jobs in reverse chronological order.
- The functional resumé is a skill-based resumé and is primarily used for job seekers who have great transferable skills but little direct experience in the area in which they are targeting their search. Functional resumés are great for career-changers, those with gaps in their work experience, or who lack direct experience in a particular field. With this resume, all forms of transferable experience are listed.
- The combination resumé maximizes the benefits of both the functional and the chronological resumé. A combined resumé contains a heading for skills and accomplishments, followed by a reverse chronology of work experience. It is important for the candidate to choose the resumé format that best suits his or her needs.
- Scanned resumés are preferred when employers put resumé in a computer database and search for candidates based on key words. If you sure the resumé will be scanned, any of the above three formats may be used. However, all italics, boldface or lines should be deleted.
- Keywords can be added to any resumé that will be electronically scanned. Keywords are labels that can be used to describe you. They can encompass technical skills, degrees you hold, job titles, personal traits and other buzzwords. One technique that can be used is to place at the bottom of your resumé a box filled with applicable keywords that might not appear in the body.
- An example for a human resources professional:
- Talents: team leader, people and communication skills, hardware needs evaluation, database management, client orientation, word-processing, arbitration, union negotiation, downsizing.
Education
- This section includes degrees, majors, minors, graduation dates, name of school, city and state of school, certificates, awards and academic honors. University and college experience should be listed in reverse chronological order (don’t include high school education on your resumé). Relevant course work may be added following each university or college. Resumé for accounting majors should include your GPA. For all other resumés, include your GPA if it is high and you are proud of it.
Experience
- For each position, briefly state job title, dates, organization name and location. Skills and responsibilities should be described using action verbs in the past tense. Whenever possible, use concrete results and data to maximize your accomplishments. List each position in reverse chronological order. Functional resumés can include all transferable experience gained through volunteer and school experience.
Additional Headings
- You may want to add specific headings such as “honors,” “professional affiliations,” “certifications,” “extracurricular activities,” etc. Never include remarks about your physical appearance, hobbies or other personal data. Only list items that are pertinent to your objective.
Cover Letters
When submitting a resumé, it is important to include an explanation for doing so. The traditional way to do this is to provide a cover letter along with the resumé. The cover letter explains to the reader your situation and what action you are requesting. It is designed as an introduction to your resumé.
Writing Your Cover Letter
While the same resumé may be sent to many different companies, the cover letter must be targeted to each job opening. Studies show that your cover letter will get eight seconds of the reader’s time, so it must be brief, yet informative.
Length and Style
- Cover letters should be limited to one page of three to four paragraphs in length. Block style is popular for business letters — all information is typed flush to the left margin. It should be printed on the same high-quality bond paper as your resumé.
Salary Inquiries
- When an employment posting asks applicants to include salary requirements or salary history, you may address this in the cover letter with a comment such as, “An acceptable salary range for me would be $25,000 to $30,000 and I would be willing to discuss my salary requirements with you further upon learning more about the specific responsibilities for this position.” If posting doesn’t ask for salary history, don’t mention salary until an offer is on the table.
Opening Paragraph
- The opening paragraph should state why you are writing and why you are interested in the organization. If you are writing about a job opening, you should name the specific position for which you are applying and explain how you learned about the position. In addition, tell the employer how you became aware of the vacancy.
- If you were referred to the employer, this is the best place to mention the referrer’s name and to point out that he or she suggested you write. A letter of inquiry should provide evidence of your career direction by mentioning desired job functions if you are not sure of a specific job title.
Middle Paragraph
- Explain why you are interested in working for this employer and the specific motivation for desiring this type of work. If you have relevant work experience or related education, be sure to point this out. Emphasize skills or abilities you have that relate to the job for which you are applying. If you have qualifications that are not on your resumé, this is your opportunity to discuss them.
Closing Paragraph
- The closing paragraph states what you will do next (such as calling to arrange an interview at the employer’s convenience) or what you would like the recipient of the letter to do next. An appropriate closing can pave the way for an interview.
Writing Your Curriculum Vitae (CV)
The curriculum vitae (also referred to as CV or vita), is a comprehensive review of your academic work. A CV may include:- Research and creative activities
- Articles published in scholarly journals
- Teaching experience
CVs are often submitted by graduate students and faculty when applying for teaching and research positions. It is important to note that nuances of the CV vary from field to field. When writing your CV, utilize your faculty and department chair as resources for feedback.
Typically, the CV includes the following sections:
- Name and contact information
- Education
- Dissertation or thesis
- Awards, honors, fellowships, scholarships
- Experience
- Publications, creative work
- Academic presentations
- Academic service
- Professional affiliations
- Special training
- Languages
- References
Portfolios
A portfolio is a collection of work that displays your skills and abilities. While portfolios have traditionally been associated with work in the arts, many positions now require the submission of a portfolio. A portfolio can help you display the quality of your work and market your abilities.
A portfolio typically includes:
- Your resumé, CV and other application materials
- Licenses or certifications
- Letters of reference
- Evidence of specific skills
- Work samples
Each field requires specific material to be included in a portfolio. Contact us to meet with a career counselor for more assistance.
Education Portfolios
Before you apply for teaching positions, should carefully prepare a portfolio representing:
- The work completed during student teaching
- Scholastic achievements
- Testimonials of quality and integrity
Your portfolio should be designed and organized with future employment in mind. The emphasis should be on quality rather than quantity.
The following list represents common items included in a portfolio. However, which you choose to include are completely at your discretion. Also keep in mind that this list is not all-inclusive.
- Table of contents
- Brief statement of philosophy
- Resumé
- Cover Letter (for that specific position)
- Letters of reference
- Student teacher evaluations
- Unofficial copy of transcripts
- Sample unit plans developed during student teaching
- Sample lesson plans developed during student teaching
- Sample materials developed during student teaching
- Samples of students’ work
- Sample tests or evaluation instruments
- Photographs of activities
- Additional information as needed or desired