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Career and Personal Development Center
Resume Tools
Seven Tips for Effective
Resume Writing
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Pay attention to
detail - Don't cut corners, for instance, not proofreading the cover
letter, failing to include the information the hiring manager asked for,
or beginning a cover letter "Dear Sir or Madam" when the hiring
manager's name is on the website. Take the time to make sure the
correspondence and information sent is correct and error-free.
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Do the basics - Proofread
for spelling, grammar, and tone, and make sure you have followed the
instructions of the employer. Firing off an e-mail is a convenient
method of communication. However, don't let the sloppy nature and the
informality of e-mail correspondence seep into your communications -
whether it's e-mailed or written - with potential employers.
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Construct an
effective resume - Organize your information in a logical fashion and
keep descriptions clear and to the point. Include as much work experience
as possible, even if it obviously doesn't relate to the job you are
seeking. Also, use a simple easy to read font.
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Customize their
response - Address the hiring manager directly, and include the
name of the company and the position for which it is hiring in your cover
letter/e-mail correspondence.
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Make it easy for
the hiring manager - Use you name and the word "resume" in
your e-mail headers so it's easy to identify. If the
employer asks for information - such as references or writing samples -
provide it.
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Focus on what you
bring to the employer, not what you want from the job - This is the
opportunity for you to market yourself and
stand out form the other candidates. What can you do to make the hiring
manager's life easier? What can you do to help the company?
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Be professional -
You won't be taken seriously if you don't have e-mail or
voicemail/answering machine. If you don't have e-mail, set
up a free account through Yahoo! and Hotmail. Provide the recruiter with a
cell phone number if your voicemail/answering machine doesn't pick up when
you are online. Also, it is a good idea to ditch the cute e-mail address
or voicemail/answering machine messages in favor of something that sounds professional.
It is also important to be aware of how you portray yourself on-line.
More and more employers are checking MySpace and Facebook to see how their
future employees portray themselves outside of work.
Information obtained through www.jobweb.com
Resume Checklist
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One page only, unless you have significant
previous experience.
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Word processor generated, with full spell
check (automatic and manual) and proofing.
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Times New Roman or other Serif Font (Arial),
10 point to 12 point size (12 point is best, if possible)
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No more than two fonts
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Margins no lees than 1" and no more
than 1.5"
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Quality bond paper, 8 1/2" X 11"
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Contact information clearly stated; campus
and permanent addresses both listed, if appropriate
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Clear, focused objective
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Summary of your top three or four accomplishments,
skills or competencies listed as bullets points
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Degree listed first, college/university
second
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GPA listed if over 3.5
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Graduation date listed, even if you have
not yet graduated
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Experience section listing notable
accomplishments
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Descriptive (not actual) job titles
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Industry buzzwords and keywords included
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Activities section listing your most
notable extracurricular activities
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No personal data or potentially
discriminatory data
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Spell-check and grammar check you resume -
twice; then have two other people do it for you again
Cover Letter Checklist
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One page only and limited to three targeted
paragraphs
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Written to someone specific, with the name
and title spelled correctly
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Company name and address are correct and
complete
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Full spell check and proofing
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Three focused paragraphs (focused on the
reader's needs, not yours)
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Closes with "Sincerely," -
anything else can sound too chummy
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Final step: do not forget to follow up, or
all the other steps will be in vain!
Resume-Writing Action Verbs
Consider
using these action verbs/phrases as you describe you work tasks and
accomplishments:
Accomplished
Administered
Advised
Analyzed
Appraised
Arranged
Assessed
Assisted
Bought
Briefed
Budgeted
Chaired
Changed
Communicated Completed
Conducted
Constructed
Coordinated
Counseled
Critiqued
Defined
Delivered
Demonstrated
Designed
Determined
Developed
Directed
Edited
Ensured
Established
Evaluated
Expanded
Facilitated
Gathered
Graded
Guided
Handled
Held
Implemented
Improved
Informed
Initiated
Instructed
Introduced
Investigated
Listened
Maintained
Managed
Mastered
Monitored
Motivated
Negotiated
Observed
Organized
Originated
Outlined
Oversaw
Participated
Planned
Preformed
Prepared
Presented
Produced
Programmed
Promoted
Recommended Recorded
Reorganized
Researched
Reviewed
Revised
Scheduled
Selected
Served as
Supported
Taught
Trained
Translated
Updated
Used
Utilized
Worked
Wrote
Cover
Letter Template
Resume
Template
Other
Resume formats can be found at:
http://www.collegegrad.com/resumes/quickstart/template.shtml
then go to the bottom of the page and click Accept, to so the formats.
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