Fillable Printable Resumes and Cover Letters

Resumes and Cover Letters

RESUMES

COVER LETTERS

A guideline written by

Lyn Hood

Student Employment Coordinator

Cabrillo College

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page Number Topic

General Pointers, Your Employment History

2 Chronological, Functional & Combined

Format Styles Described

3 Other Formats, How To Put Your Background Into The Chronological Or

Functional Formats, Headings, Objective Statement

4 Academic Background, Other Skill Headings, References

5 Letters Of Recommendation, What Not To Include

6 Key Words

7 Sample Phrases

8 Description Of Cover Letter

9 Cover Letter Format

10 Sample Cover Letter Sections

11 Print And Internet Resources

12-14 Chronological Resumes Examples

15-18 Functional (Combined Format) Resumes Examples

20 Skills/Abilities Resume Example

21-24 Mixed Format Resume Examples

25 Scannable Resume Example

26 References Sample

27 What NOT To Do In A Resume (Sample)

28 Follow-Up Correspondence

29 Scannable Resumes (How To), Posting On-Line

30 Web Resumes, E-Mailing Resumes, Final Tips

10/03 word/handouts/resumebook-a/doc

RESUMES

A resume is one of the most important tools of job seeking. The resume and the cover letter are what get

you in the door to the employment interview. Resumes can also be used as an effective networking tool.

Provide copies to friends and colleagues and let them know what type of work you are seeking.

SOME GENERAL POINTERS:

1. The resume should be as short as possible, “the longer the resume, the less important the person.”

Like being set up on a blind date, it should make them want to meet you, but does not disappoint them

when you show up.

2. Tailor your resume to a particular field or industry. If you are interested in more than one area of work,

you will probably need more than one resume.

3. Use action words, not weak words:

action weak

planned, selected, was involved in, helped

supervised, designed assisted, worked under,

budgeted, edited, was given responsibility for,

established, directed directed to...

4. Give the results your work produced:

a. Numbers: increasing members, sales, circulation, etc.

b. Time saved: how quickly you solved the problem, how much faster the work can be performed.

c. Effects: the long and short-term positive effects of your work.

d. Durability: how long a suggestion, idea, solution of yours has been in use.

e. Expansion: your idea(s) was used in another department or become part of another

project.

f. Did you write any promotional or educational material, handbooks, pamphlets,

flyers, etc.?

g. Did you maintain contact with, or coordinate with other organizations? If so, which ones and

why?

5. If your past work history consists mostly of homemaker or volunteer activities, list the duties and

responsibilities of these positions as if they were paid positions.

YOUR EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Now is the time to brainstorm (a free flow of information without negative censorship). Write down

everything you did or had responsibility for on each job you have held. You may find it helpful to

select one job a day and concentrate on that. Discussing your past employment with friends or co-

workers may also be enlightening.

Once you have written down all the information you can remember, cross out those duties or

responsibilities that fit either of the following criteria:

1. It is something that you never want to do again, and/or

2. It is completely irrelevant to the type of work for which you are targeting in

this resume.

Circle those duties or responsibilities that you feel are the most important. Underline those

responsibilities which have a lesser importance but which you feel are still important to include.

To organize your thoughts, for each job you have ever held, write down all the pertinent information that

you can remember about the position. List the employer, address, dates of employment, supervisors

name, promotions you received, responsibilities of your position, things you created, losses you

prevented, what you liked most and least about the job. Did you ever cover for another position with

different responsibilities? Did you make or implement any procedural changes?

Do the same thing for any education or training you have received. Did you get academic honors

(usually a GPA of over 3.5) Win awards? Get training in a specific skill or technical area? These notes

will help you to provide content and determine the style of resume you will choose to produce.

THE CHRONOLOGICAL FORMAT

The chronological resume works best for those individuals who are looking for the same type of employment

that they have held in the past. If your work history has been a series of well-defined, clearly understood jobs

such as: teacher, accountant, firefighter, insurance agent, etc., then the chronological or conventional resume

format may be the best method to present your skills. This format is straight forward and lends itself to concise

writing. If done properly, it comes off as strong, believable, and persuasive.

This format lists your work history in a chronological order. Your most current position would be listed first,

with your past positions listed after, in descending order through time. Generally your work history on a

resume will not exceed ten years, unless you have spent an extended time in a particular position, or you have

pertinent work history that extends past that time period. If your dates of employment in a job are for less than

one year in one or more jobs, you may want to consider a format style that does not list the dates on the left

hand margin.

THE FUNCTIONAL / SKILLS FORMAT

The functional or skills format resume works best for individuals who are career changers and are either

combining skills from several past jobs into a new career, or who have undergone recent re-training or

education to give them new job skills.

The functional resume stresses strengths and accomplishments rather than presenting a chronological work

history. It is called functional as it is organized under the heading of skills or functions, rather than by time

block, job titles or companies. This format is a good one for people who have erratic work histories or who

have been employed in widely varied types of employment.

(Warning: resumes that do not include some reference to employment dates are generally not well received by

employers)

THE COMBINED FORMAT

This format includes both the functional/skills format, followed by a brief chronological employment history,

which includes previous job titles, employer names, and dates of employment. The combined format includes

the best of both worlds for many job seekers. It allows you to highlight your skills and still gives past

employers an idea of your past work history.

OTHER FORMATS

There is no one best way to write a resume. The format styles listed previously are the most common, but your

background and experience, combined with the type of position you are applying for will dictate the style most

appropriate for you to use. If you are seeking work in more that one type of employment, you will probably

need more than one type of resume, and may use a different style of format for each one. Most important is that

your resume should reflect you, and be an exemplary sample of the type of work that you can produce.

An on line resource that can help you decide what type of resume best fits your experience and the type of

employment you are seeking is the RESUME CALCULATOR. In 3 minutes or less this unique online

application will determine what kind of resume offers you the most powerful way to link your skills and experience

to future employers.

http://www.careervictory.com/resume_calculator/college/rescalc01.asp

IF YOU HAVE DECIDED TO USE A CHRONOLOGICAL FORMAT

Under each job title (most current first), list the skills and duties that you feel were the most important to that

position, or to the position you are now seeking. These duties would be followed by duties not as important, as

space permits. Try to save at least one strong accomplishment or responsibility with which to end each area.

IF YOU HAVE DECIDED TO USE A FUNCTIONAL FORMAT

Select three to five main headings or skill areas that are the most important to the type of work for which the

resume is targeted. For example, if you are looking for work in the field of Personnel your main areas might

include: Recruiting, Selection, Affirmative Action, Training, and Compliance.

Color code each of these main areas with a different colored highlighter pen, and then review your past work

history and color code your strong points throughout your previous employment in colors that relate to your

main skill areas. List these by area, in order of importance, saving something strong for an ending.

An excellent reference for functional format resumes is Yana Parker’s The Resume Catalog, 200 Damn Good

Examples. This reference offers examples of resumes geared toward a variety of types of employment, and

demonstrates a variety of applicable categories to use for skill headings.

NAME, ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER(S), EMAIL

Your name address and phone number should be listed at the top of your resume. You may use the name you

prefer to be called rather than your legal name if you wish. Use a local address where possible, or note that you

are willing to relocate. A home phone and a message phone should be listed if your home phone is not on an

answering machine, or if your message machine is used by a number of household members. During your job

search, be sure that the message on your phone answering machine sounds professional. The call you miss may

be a job offer. Your email address should also sound professional.

CAREER (JOB) OBJECTIVE

A career or job objective is the first heading on your resume after your name, address and phone number. An

objective should be brief, and indicate the type of employment or specific job title of the position you are

seeking. A generic objective statement may be worse than none at all. Employers want to know that you are

focused and are applying for the type of position they are offering. They generally do not have time to read

your resume and try to determine if they have a position that would work for you. An objective statement that

says you want a position that offers growth and advancement and the opportunity to expand on your education

and training tells an employer that you are looking for what they can do for you, not what you can do for them.

EDUCATION OR EXPERIENCE...What to put first

If your education is more pertinent to the work you are seeking than your employment history, list your

education first. If your education is very pertinent to the job, you may wish to list specific course titles that you

have completed that are directly related to the work you would be doing. If your employment history is more

pertinent, it should be listed first on your resume.

ACADEMIC BACKGROUND

Your academic background should be included in the resume with your most recently obtained degree or most

advanced degree listed first. The usual method is to list the school name, city and state, degree earned and date

of graduation. If you are currently enrolled in school, you can list your projected date of graduation.

If you have received “honors” at school, were elected class president, or supported yourself through college you

can add those achievements to your resume under a heading such as “Honors and Achievements.”

If you feel that some of your coursework will be valuable to you on the job, you may want a heading called

“Major Coursework” or “Pertinent Coursework” where you would list specific classes by name. If the name of

the course does not make it obvious what the content of the course was, you may want to add this information in

parentheses.

OTHER POSSIBLE TOPIC OR SKILL HEADINGS

Equipment Language Competency Licenses/Certificates

Computer Expertise Additional Training Professional Affiliations

Qualifications Highlights/Summary Strengths/Accomplishments/Achievements

REFERENCES

There are mixed opinions as to whether or not to have a references notation on your resume. If you are

squeezed for space, it is probably in your best interest to use the space to sell yourself to the employer. On the

other hand, if you are just starting out in the job market, there is no harm in noting that you do have references

available on your resume. You should have references available to hand to the employer immediately, and may

want to include them with your resume as part of your application packet.

References are usually the last heading on your resume, and are usually listed as “Available upon Request”,

“References Attached, Additional References Available Upon Request” or “References and Portfolio Available

Upon Request.” Be sure that you have them typed and ready to hand out. References should not be listed

individually on the resume itself, but rather on a separate sheet, with an indication as to your relationship to the

person you are listing as a reference. For work related references you might list company presidents, managers,

supervisors, co-workers, or clients. Personal references can include friends, faculty, landlords, etc. Providing a

list of references works as long as a reference is still available at your prior employer. A letter of

recommendation gives you a hedge against the day that your reference moves on and you can no longer refer

potential employers to them.

Be sure that you ask a person if they are willing to be a reference for you before you list them as a reference.

Check with your listed references regularly to be sure that they are still available.

LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

If possible, get a written letter of recommendation from as many people as possible before you leave a job or

soon afterwards. A written recommendation is a known quantity. You can never be sure what someone says

about you in a verbal recommendation. Written letters of recommendation may be attached to a resume, or

given to a potential employer separately with your references. A letter of recommendation can speak about you

in more glowing terms than you would feel comfortable describing yourself. Many employers want to speak to

a reference rather than read a letter of recommendation. They distrust letters of recommendation, knowing that

you would be unlikely to provide a less than glowing one, and want to talk to your reference directly, or even

circumvent your listed references and speak to other people who may have worked with you at the company.

Always check with your references before listing them on an application to be sure that they are still available

and willing to act as a reference for you. If you are uneasy about what your references may be saying about

you, you can hire a reference checking service, or have a friend act as a potential employer and call the

reference you are concerned about. If you choose to go this route, give them a script to work from. Many

companies have a reference policy and will only verify that you were an employee and the dates that you

worked for that company.

WHAT NOT TO PUT IN YOUR RESUME

Do not put your age, sex, marital status, number of children, religious affiliation, ethnic origin, height, weight or

health status. This information may be used to discriminate against you, and is illegal for employers to ask

prior to hiring you. It is also advisable not to list political or professional affiliations unless they are directly job

related.

Do not include past salaries or anticipated starting salary. This information may be requested by an employer,

however the consensus with employment professionals is that it is not in your best interest to include the

information in writing. You have to choose whether or not you feel you background is strong enough that they

will want to speak to you without this information. If you include a section of hobbies or extracurricular

activities, it is recommended that you leave out any activities that could be considered physically hazardous.

Employers want you on the job, not recovering from your recreational activities.

REMEMBER

Your resume should be free of spelling, grammatical and typographical errors. Have it proof read. Never

assume that a computer spell check will find all errors. Keep it simple. Do not use brightly colored paper or a

variety of graphics or fonts or font sizes.

Have your resume printed on good quality, rag bond paper. Have you references list and letters of

recommendation and cover letter printed on the same paper as your resume. If possible, avoid plain white

paper.

If your resume will be scanned (not a usual occurrence in Santa Cruz, but common in Silicon Valley), be sure to

provide a scanner friendly version.

If you are doing a web based resume, be sure any links to or from that web link are professional. Do not post

your picture on-line as part of your on-line resume.

Do not send out a resume that has cross outs or things handwritten in. Take the time to do it right.

KEY WORDS FOR RESUME PREPARATION

Ability

Accelerated

Accomplished

Accurate

Achieved

Active

Adapted

Adjusted

Administer

Advertised

Advised

Aggressive

Ambitions

Analyze

Analytical

Announced

Approve

Arbitrated

Arranged

Assembled

Assertive

Attained

Attentive

Audited

Balanced

Broad minded

Built

Calculated

Capable

Capacity

Cataloged

Chaired

Charted

Collaborated

Collect

Communicated

Compared

Competent

Compiled

Completed

Computed

Conceived

Conceptualized

Conduct

Confident

Conscientious

Conserved

Consistent

Consolidated

Construct

Consult

Contributions

Contracted

Control

Converted

Coordinate

Correlated

Correspond

Created

Dedicated

Defined

Delegate

Demonstrate

Dependable

Deposited

Designed

Detected

Determined

Developed

Devised

Diagnosed

Diplomatic

Direct

Disciplined

Discovered

Discrete

Dispensed

Distributed

Diversity

Economical

Edited

Educated

Effective

Eliminate

Encourage

Energetic

Enterprising

Entertained

Enthusiastic

Equipped

Established

Estimated

Evaluate

Evident

Examined

Executed

Exemplary

Expanded

Expedite

Experienced

Explained

Extroverted

Fabricated

Facilitated

Fair

Familiarized

Figured

Flexible

Forceful

Formulated

Founded

Generate

Guided

Handled

Hired

Honest

Humorous

Identified

Ignited

Illustrated

Imaginative

Implemented

Improve

Improvise

Increase

Independent

Influenced

Informed

Initiated

Innovated

Inspected

Installed

Instituted

Instruct

Integrated

Intelligent

Interpreted

Interviewed

Invented

Knowledgeable

Launched

Layout

Lead

Lecture

Liaison

Logical loyal

Made

Maintain

Major

Manage

Marketed

Mature

Methodical

Moderated

Modified

Monitored

Motivated

Negotiated

Objective

Obtained

Operated

Optimistic

Order

Organized

Originate

Oversee

Participated

Perform

Perspective

Personable

Persistent

Persuaded

Pertinent

Pinpointed

Pioneered

Plan

Pleasant

Positive

Potential

Prepared

Processed

Profitable

Programmed

Practical

Promoted

Proposed

Preference

Prepared

Proposed

Productive

Proficient

Proved

Provided

Publicized

Published

Qualified

Realistic

Recommend

Record

Recruited

Redesigned

Reduced

Preferred

Reinforced

Relate

Reliable

Reorganize

Repaired

Reported

Represented

Researched

Resourceful

Responsible

Respective

Revamped

Review

Revised

Schedule

Selected

Self-reliant

Self-starter

Sense-of-humor

Sensitive

Served

Set up

Shaped

Significant

Simplified

Sincere

Sold

Solved

Sparked

Specified

Stable

Staffed

Stimulated

Strategy

Streamlined

Strengthened

Stretched

Structured

Study

Substantial

Succeeded

Successfully

Summarized

Supervise

Support

Surveyed

Synthesized

Systematic

Tactful

Talented

Teach

Team player

Tested

Thorough

Tracked

Traded

Trained

Translated

Transformed

Transmitted

Uncovered

Unified

Unraveled

Upgraded

Used

Verified

Vigorous

Well educated

Will relocate

Will travel

Wrote

SAMPLE PHRASES USED IN RESUME PREPARATION

Supervise administration of _________________

Designed new __________________

Plan and design _____________and ______________

Coordinate with __________________

Solve problems by applying ________________ methods

Identify and classify ______________________

Develop improved methods for ________________

Improve qualities of ______________________

Arranged ______________ programs for

Construct and test methods of _______________

Analyze and evaluate data

Serve as liaison between ______________ and _____________

Order and evaluate _____________________

Plan and direct preparation and service of ______________

Make quantitative and qualitative ______________ analysis

Obtain data for ________________

Researched data for ______________

Prepare________________ drawings

Keep accurate records notes, sketches

Study ________ records to establish ______________

Interpret data concerning ________________

Construct graphs and charts regarding ______________

Keep records on __________________

Plan work flow with production schedule

Prevent emergencies by _______________

Set up sequence for _________________

Receive incoming ______________ and direct to ____________

Take physical inventory of __________ and maintain ____________

Initiated successful ___________________

Organized and chaired ________________________

Increased sales in ___________________ by ______________________

Initiated improvements in _________________ and ________________

Negotiated _____ between _________________ and _____________

Matched up _________________ and _____________

Researched and authored ____________________

Demonstrated experience with _______________________

Effective and knowledgeable in working with _______________

Utilized ___________ to increase / decrease __________

Maintained high standards which set high levels of__________________

Provided exemplary customer service which _______________

Able to problem solve and implement changes to_______________

Reduced losses by______________________

Team player with strong interpersonal skills and ability to__________________

Self-starter, able to initiate projects and follow through to completion

Instituted new ______________which resulted in ___________________

Demonstrated positive interactions with diverse populations and cultures

Skilled in diagnosing and troubleshooting ___________________

Reversed downward trend in___ by ________.

Raised expectations in________________ for ______________.

Revitalized stagnant ____________________by _______________.

THE COVER LETTER

•

The cover letter should stand on its own, independent of the resume.

•

Each letter should be carefully adapted for each employer, demonstrating that you understand the needs of that

particular company.

•

The cover letter should contain examples of results you have produced or problems you have solved, related to

the type of work for which you are applying.

•

Do some research. Show that you have taken the time to learn about the company and their needs or future

plans.

•

The cover letter should not be more than one page long.

•

The cover letter should be addressed to a particular person and title.

•

The cover letter should be written in a standard business letter format.

DO:

•

Be sincere and forthright.

•

Use plain English, avoid jargon and abbreviations.

•

Personalize your letter by mentioning something about your background or personality to give the employer

an insight into your personal side.

•

Use quality paper, similar to the paper used in your resume.

•

Avoid gimmicks such as cartoons and poetry, unless the job you seek

requires similar creative talents.

•

Keep copies for your records.

•

Format your resume so that it is easy to read, use short paragraphs, bullets and white space.

•

Proof read to be sure there are no typographical or grammatical errors.

DO NOT:

•

Send copies of generic cover letters.

•

Provoke the reader by being too directive or challenging them to hire you.

•

Be too flippant or casual.

•

Provide too much personal information.

•

Have a cover letter that is less than one-half page or more than 2 pages in length

One page is preferred.

COVER LETTER FORMAT INGREDIENTS

Your Name

Street Address

City, State, Zip Code

Date

Employer’s Name (Always to a specific individual)

Employer’s Title

Company Name

Company Address

Dear (Ms./Mrs./ Mr. / Dr., )__________________,

Section 1: Tell what position you are applying for and how you found out about the position (If you found out

about the job from a friend who works there or for a related firm, be sure they have a good reputation with the

company).

Section 2: Explain and expand briefly how you meet the company’s needs. State the educational, skill and

personality traits that prepare you to contribute to the company in a unique way. Give reference to the enclosed

documents but DO NOT put “see resume” for details. The cover letter should make them want to read the

resume for more information. If you are given an application to fill out, also fill that out completely, do not put

"see resume" on the application either.

Section 3: Give a time frame in which you will call to arrange an interview, or indicate that you hope to be

hearing from them soon, and indicate the best way and time to reach you.

Section 4: Thank them for their time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Your signature

Your name typed

Your phone number typed

your e-mail address

Attachments: Resume, letters of recommendation and application if required