Jennifer Greenwood

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Resumes, Cover Letters, and Interviewing

• Jennifer Greenwood
• Career Specialist

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Lesson objectives

• Helping students gain a better understanding of
  how to compose an effective, professional resume
  and cover letter
• Provide an introduction to the process of a
  professional interview.
• At the conclusion of the lesson, students should
  know how to
• construct a resume for effective display of
  information and ease of reading
• compose a cover letter that is concise and
  informative
• know what to wear to an interview, how to behave,
  and what types of questions to expect from the
  interviewer/s

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Resumes

• Tips and Tricks

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ResumesGeneral Practices

• Keep a folder of everything!
• Use bulleted lists
• Use action words
• Never use abbreviations or acronyms
• Keep resume in the correct tense
• Highlight your strengths
• Use keywords from the job posting
• White space is good try not to cram too much
  information onto a page. A resume should be an
  overview, not a detailed essay
• Stick to the basics
• Be specific
• Spell check!!

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ResumesThings to include

• Your contact information
• How professional is your e-mail address?
• A summary
• Current school information
• Related work experience
• Extracurricular activities
• Honors, Awards, Recognitions
• Skills, Abilities
• References
• Professional, not just personal

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Example Resume

• Tell me what you notice.
• What do you like?
• What do you not like?

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Example resume

• Tell me what you notice.
• What do you like?
• What do you not like?

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Resume example

• Tell me what you notice.
• What do you like?
• What do you not like?

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Cover letters

• What should you include?

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Cover letters

• Include your contact information
• Consider using a similar header for your cover
  letter and resume
• Employer Contact information
• Greeting
• Dear Mr./Mrs./Ms. Last Name
• Dear Hiring Manager
• Try to avoid To Whom It May Concern Why?
• First Paragraph
• Include information on why you are writing.
  Mention the position you are applying for and
  where you found the job listing. Include the name
  of a mutual contact, if you have one.
• Yes, tactful name dropping is okay!
• Middle Paragraph(s)
• Describe what you have to offer the employer.
  Mention specifically how your qualifications
  match the job you are applying for.
• This should not be your resume in paragraph form.
  Just hit the high points.

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Cover letters

• Final Paragraph
• Thank them for considering you for the position
• Let them know youre looking forward to hearing
  back from them, or that you welcome an
  opportunity to further discuss your
  qualifications/interest in the position.
• Let them know how you will follow up.
• Are you calling next week? Are you planning to
  wait it out, letting them make contact first?
  Will you send a follow up email?
• Closing
• Sincerely,
• Thank you,
• Respectfully yours,
• Signature
• Handwritten, if possible.
• Type your name below where you plan to sign

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Cover Letter

• Tell me what you notice.
• What do you like?
• What do you not like?

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Interviewing

• Dos and
• Donts

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InterviewingEvery interview will be different
than the next. That can make it difficult to
plan ahead, or to know what to expect!

• What to Wear
• Casual
• Business Casual
• Business Attire
• What to Bring with you
• Anything they requested
• An additional copy/copies of your resume and
  cover letter
• Questions you have for your potential future
  employer
• Paper to jot down things you want to remember
• How to Act
• Be professional
• NO cell phones, chewing gum, or profanity.
• Use formal rather than informal register when
  speaking
• Be yourself
• Yes, you want to make a good impression. Yes,
  you will be nervous. HOWEVER, you also want them
  to know who you are.

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InterviewingQuestions you can expect

• Tell us about yourself.
• Be ready to give a 2-5 minute speech about
  yourself. Include anything youre comfortable
  with, including
• General information about your family or your
  hometown
• Where you go to school, any activities/organizatio
  ns in which you are involved
• Why are you the best candidate for the position?
• How do you handle conflict (or another
  job-specific example)?
• Tell me about a time that you failed and what you
  learned from it.
• What experience have you had?
• What is your work ethic like?
• How do you handle criticism?

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Interviewingquestions you can expect

• What do you know about our company?
• What are you looking for in a supervisor?
  Co-workers?
• What did you like/dislike about your previous
  job?
• What are your greatest strengths/weaknesses?
• What motivates you?
• Questions about teamwork and working alone
• What can you contribute to this team?
• Where do you hope to be in 5 years?
• What can this job teach you?
• Do you have any questions about our company or
  this position specifically?

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Things to consider

• How many of you have facebook? Twitter? Tumbler?
  Four Square? Instagram? (Myspace or Xanga?)
• I know that you feel like you are lectured ALL
  the time about this, but it matters- Not just in
  a social context, but in a professional one.
• Social networking can influence your career, not
  just your safety.
• Are you posting vulgar images or using profanity?
  Are your friends posting those things on your
  wall, or tagging you in them? Are you drinking or
  smoking, taking inappropriate pictures, or even
  complaining about your teachers, parents or
  current boss?
• What are your privacy settings? Public? Friends
  of friends? Only your networks? Only friends? Is
  your twitter account locked or public?
• If a potential boss wants to find information on
  you, they will. Maybe your friend who already
  works there shows him your page, thinking theyre
  helping you
• There are endless examples. Just think about it.

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Lesson objectives

• Helping students gain a better understanding of
  how to compose an effective, professional resume
  and cover letter
• Provide an introduction to the process of a
  professional interview.
• At the conclusion of the lesson, students should
  know how to
• construct a resume for effective display of
  information and ease of reading
• compose a cover letter that is concise and
  informative
• know what to wear to an interview, how to behave,
  and what types of questions to expect from the
  interviewer/s

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Thank you for your time!Please complete an exit
slipI will collect them as you leave class.

• Want to discuss further? Come see me!
• Jennifer Greenwood
• Career Specialist
• Room N101
• Monday Tuesday