Hello everyone,
We are on Topic 7 this week, covering what hopefully is a
familiar topic. If you haven’t yet, you will be expected to create a resume for
your cornerstone class along with a cover letter. So let’s talk about what
makes up a good resume and just what is a cover letter exactly.
Your resume is a one stop shop for all of your greatest
hits. Now I know you all have accomplished so much, but it’s important to try
to keep your resume simple. I would suggest using bullet points and keeping
your resume at one page (even if you have to delete some things). Use your
resources and do some searching on the web for resume builders. When creating
my resume, I used a template on the Mac. You want your resume to stand out and
be easily remembered. One thing I did was use a template that allowed me to add
a picture at the top corner above my name. This way, the employer could
establish a peripheral connection with me before we ever met and when reviewing
my resume later the employer would easily be able to connect my resume with my
interview. So you want to think what makes your resume stand out?
Well, a cover letter could help you to stand out in a crowd.
It allows you to write a few paragraphs about things that just couldn’t fit on
your resume even before you get into an interview. Essentially, a cover letter
explains your interest in the company. You should include your experience here
and what would make you best for the job you are applying to. Don’t forget to
mention the job position. Remember, you want to sound knowledgeable about the
company, so do your research and remember to have a few people read over your
letter for errors.
If you’re having trouble building your resume or
establishing a cover letter, UCF has a department called Career Services. They
are around just for you so that you can bring your resume in and have it
reviewed by staff that has professional advice as to what makes up a good
resume. They also can help you make connections to graduate school or
internships. You can find more information here: http://www.career.ucf.edu/
So what are your tips
and tricks when it comes to writing a resume and/or cover letter?
Have you ever written
a cover letter before?
Do you have any
experience in hiring and can give pointers as to the dos and don’ts of this
process?
Are there any other
resources you can share with everyone?
Remember it’s an open response so you don’t have to answer
these questions as they are. They are simply to get you started.
-The Mentors
Hey everyone!!
ReplyDeleteHope you had a great weekend! I honestly never have had to write a resume other then last week and maybe one for a class in high school? The jobs i have now I have strictly been hired because of my reputation and the fact that I live in a small town and everyone knows what you have done and if your good at it. So i have not needed a resume in writing at least because of that, everyone in my field knows that I have great work ethic, im loyal and trustworthy and do a great job and understand what needs to get done and if I dont they can show me one time and its done that way everytime. So now that im going out into the professional world soon I am having to learn some new things like resume writting :). the one I just wrote I made things fit for that posistion I was trying to get, is that good to do or do i also need to have some other random stuff mixed into it as well? In my cover letter I really tried to sell my good qualities, the ones that help me get my other jobs, at least to try and stand out from the crowd that I would assume is applying for the same position and get me in the door for a interview at least? I hope these are good ways of doing things let me know please?
Justin Sikes
Justin,
DeleteI think that it's pretty great that you have never had to write a resume. Word of mouth is the best complement you can recieve. I think that you do need to taylor a resume to the specific job that you are trying to apply for. I would say you want to put all of your experience in the resume as well. If you have a few items that you want to put in but doesn't quite go with the resume the cover letter is a great place to put it. I haven't truly had to every use a formal resume as well. I think this is a great learning experience for us all.
Patricia Alise Priest
Justin,
DeleteI am in the same boat as you. I am also from kind of a small town and a lot of people just go by recommendations. So I really agree with Patricia that such a recommendation by word of mouth is one of the best compliments.
-Amanda Brashear
Justin,
DeleteIt's great that you have such recommendations from being in a close community. I would maybe ask some of them if they would be willing to be a reference for you or write a letter of recommendation should you need one for an internship or school. This way, if you are asked for any you are prepared to supply them with a few names and their contact info.
--Gabriella DiSpada
Hello Justin,
DeleteI do find it interesting that you haven't had to write a resume before. There are a variety of templates to help ranging from ones online to ones included in word processor programs. Also, I highly recommend visiting the Career Services walk-in hours to go over your resume. They can help you write one or just polish off one that you already have and I personally have found it helpful to get that second opinion.
Chanel Mosby
Justin,
DeleteI can relate to you with only recently having to write a resume. Most of the jobs I have obtained have been through strictly an interview, word of mouth, or filling out an application. It is good that you highlight your positive qualities in your cover level (nobody likes a Debbie downer :)) Other than that, just make sure to be professional and only list relevant items on your resume. You're experience, if written correctly, should speak for itself.
-Tanya Hunt
Good things to include in your resume are an objective that summarizes your career goals in one or two sentences. Also experience, education, activities and references are all important to include. Under each experience right briefly what you were required to do that shows what skills you have learned. For education, make sure you say any awards you won like honors, or bright futures. List your activities like extra curricular activities or volunteer events. List leadership positions and membership. Also for references include future employers or people you know who are in the field you are applying to. These things would make a good resume.
DeleteWhen it comes to writing a resume, I believe that it should truly reflect you and what you have accomplished. The resume should look very professional. As a rule of thumb I always go ahead and list my references and contacts. I think it makes it easier on the person doing the interviewing. As far as a cover letter goes I have not written too many. However I like to take the opportunity of the cover letter to add additional comments that may not fit or be appropriate for the resume. This is a great time to personalize the resume for the specific job you are turning in the resume to. I have not had any experience hiring people however I do hope that my strategies for writing a resume work.
ReplyDeletePatricia Alise Priest
Particia,
DeleteThat's a good idea to list your references contact information on your resume. It shows that you are confident that those people are going to say good things about you, and that you want your future employer to contact them. You are right, it would definitely make it easier on the interviewer to have your references right there in front of them. I had never written a cover letter until our last assignment, but that too is such a good way to give your employer even more information about you.
Bri Darby
I agree that a resume is a reflection of who you are. It is a way for the employers to get to know without physically meeting you. Listing references is also something that I do when composing an interview because in addition to ease it shows you are willing to have them exam your past work experiences. Again, the use of a cover letter is another way for you to personalize your profile even more. I would say you are on the right track of composing a great resume and cover letter.
DeleteAngela Boyd
hey everyone!
DeleteI dont know if any of you had read any of the little modules fro writting up a resume but one of them said you might as well give your refferences rigth off the bat, for one it does show that you are confident that these people will give you good recomendations and second if the interviewer likes what he/she sees them they will ask you for them anywyas instead of having to go and get your refferneces and meet with them again it just looks like you are more prepaired then someone else
Justin Sikes
I agree that a cover letter is great for adding in things that wont fit into your resume. So many times you find information that you want to add but have no room on your resume to do so. A cover letter is a great time to share that information before you even get an interview.
Delete-Gregory Eisenberg
Hello Patricia,
DeleteI agree with you that a cover letter is a wonderful place to personalize it to the job and to cover things that would take up too much space in the resume itself. As far as references, I have always been told to not put them at the bottom of your resume but I think it also depends on the job and the state of your resume as well. For example, I have a hard time making everything fit on one page. So for me, to try to squeeze in references as well would cause problems.
Chanel Mosby
I have never written a résumé or a cover letter specifically for a job interview. The only ones I've had to do were for high school and college classes; just mock/practice ones. When we wrote up our résumés and cover letters for this class I found all of the websites for writing them very helpful.
ReplyDelete-Amanda Brashear
Amanda,
DeleteThe websites are especially helpful, and I like to take small ideas from all of them and put them together into my own personal resume. I had never written a cover letter, so it was helpful to read through a few samples first.
Bri Darby
Even though you have not written resumes or cover letters for an actual job, the practice you have gotten from school will be beneficial when you have to write one for a real position. That’s good you have found the websites helpful, I would suggest looking at other posts to find other resources to use to help you improve upon your composition skills.
DeleteAngela Boyd
Hello Amanda,
DeleteEven if you have not had to write ones for jobs before, the practice ones for classes are still helpful and you can use those as a base to create one for a job.
Chanel Mosby
Hey Amanda,
DeleteI also found the websites to be especially helpful. It worked best for me to combine the information, and take bits and pieces from each. I also would suggest talking to UCF career services, as they have been of great help to me. Good luck with your resume!
-Tanya Hunt
Hi Everyone!
ReplyDeleteI have not had many jobs in my lifetime, and for my current job I was not required to bring a resume with me to my interview. I had made a resume last year when I came to college, but I had never written a cover letter (or really understood its purpose) until we had the Cornerstone assignment. I am sort of a shy person and I enjoy writing, so I realized that I could really use a cover letter to my advantage whenever I get the opportunity. The UCF resume and cover letter writing resources that the professor provided were very helpful, and I used them to alter my resume (especially with some formatting issues). As far as tips for a resume goes, I do not really have any since I have never used one for a real job. I was surprised at how much experience I actually had, so it was kind of fun to play around with it to make it even stronger. I think the key thing that I always notice are spelling and grammar mistakes, so definitely have a few people always read over your resume and cover letter before interviewing for a job or submitting a cover letter. Have a great week!
Bri Darby
Bri,
DeleteI am also very shy and I agree with your idea of the cover letter. Words come to me much easier when writing versus feeling like I'm being drilled. It is funny how even though we may think we don't have enough experience because we haven't had many actual paid jobs, we still have much more experience of a different kind to work with.
-Amanda Brashear
Bri-
DeleteI agree writing a cover letter his a great way for a person who tends to be shy or hates to freely give out there acomplishments can do so on a cover letter. A cover letter is a great way to break the ice. In some cases it the first time a future employer may be introduced to you. We all know that you can't take a first impression away. I also found the UCF site very helpful. Even if we are all great at writing resumes it never hurts to use a source just to make sure. Good luck with your future resume writing.
Patricia Alis Priest
I agree that a cover letter is great for people that specialize in writing. Despite how shy you may come off as in person, in writing you have all the time in world to word it properly and really make yourself stand out. It's smart to take advantage of every cover letter opportunity that you have because it may be a strong point for you.
Delete-Gregory Eisenberg
I have put together several different versions of my resume for jobs as well as for internships and when applying for pharmacy school, so I have become familiar with using techniques to help my resume stand out above the rest. I always try to remember that a resume is a first impression of sorts for the employer therefore; I list all of my major accomplishments in reverse chronological order along with all of my other job experience. It is important as well to include any references and their contact information to make it easier for the person hiring to check the references. I haven’t written as many cover letters because I normally go into drop my resume and applications off versus sending an email but I think the cover letters can be a good resource to help explain why you are there to be hired. Also, putting forth that extra effort of submitting a cover letter may give you the better chance of being hired over another applicant. The only resource I really have to offer is for anyone going in to a health profession or into law. For those that this applies, I would suggest making an appointment with the Office of Pre-Professional Advising (OPPA), on campus. They will work with you to put together your resume, cover letters, personal statements, and conduct practice interviews.
ReplyDeleteAngela Boyd
Angela,
DeleteGood advise on the Office of Pre-professionals I had forgoten about them and they do have great information and help for students! When I ived over near main campus I used them a lot in some of the courses I took on main campus so great resource
Justin Sikes
Hi everyone,
ReplyDeleteUntil this class I have never written a cover letter before. I had written a resume or two before but never critiqued it to the extent of this class. In the last two weeks I have seen an improvement in my resume fairly quickly.
So far I have learned to tailor my resume to the job I am applying for. Also, to not just list jobs I have held but to list what tasks/aspects of that job directly relate to the job I am applying for. I like the idea of using a photo in the cover letter. I may have to adopt this technique.
- Nicholas Spivey
As for tips and resources that I could share with everyone. I think that the best resource is someone who has achieved what you are applying for. In other words, whenever I get ready to prep for an interview, I practice mock interviews with friends I have that have been on many interviews. They have first hand experience on different types of interviews and the do's and dont's.
ReplyDelete- Nicholas Spivey
I think doing practice mock interviews is a great idea. The more practice the better and constructive criticism is always useful!
DeleteMelissa Castorino
Our mentors make a good point to think of the cover letter as a "first impression". I know personally I always wondered what the purpose of the cover letter was for. Thinking of it as a tool or introduction adds value to the cover letter. And when I think about it, it is an extra tool that can set you apart from other applicants. A poorly written letter can make a bad impression, while a good one can prep your resume for success. In the future I plan to use my cover letter as tool to give my employer a holistic view of my skills/work traits.
ReplyDelete- Nicholas Spivey
I think that's a great idea for you cover letter. The cover letter also lets you repeat some of the verbiage and keywords from the job posting. When woven into the cover letter showing how you skills fit the position, I have seen great results on jobs hunts. When you submit your cover letter and resume online, using some of the keywords can help the computer sort your resume into the look at me file.
Delete--Gabriella DiSpada
I have had to write several resumes for various positions I have held and I think you learn a little more each time you revamp. The resume I submitted was an older one and made me realize that I need to completely revamp again. I think because of my experience, etc I am going to switch to a functional resume instead of a chronological one. It can be a process, but there are a lot of resources out there that can help your resume stand out. I try to think of cover letters as how you would dress for your interview. You want potential employers to have a great first impression of you. Cover letters are the "clothes" for you resume. They are going to hire you for you abilities and skills, but how the package is wrapped matters too. In my experience with interviews, it isn't just the skills you already possess that impress employers, but your confidence in your ability to learn new skills that they are most impressed with. How we do our jobs is always changing and employers want to know that they are hiring someone who is open to learning new skills and has the flexibility to move forward with the company.
ReplyDelete--Gabriella DiSpada
I like the description of the cover letter as being the clothes of the resume. I think it gives a visual description of what the cover letter does for you. It is a vital piece that many people do not take the time to do or to personalize it correctly for the position that they are applying for.
DeleteMelissa Castorino
Hi there everyone...
ReplyDeleteI think the diversity in this class is just wonderful! While some of you may not have a lot of experience with writing resumes and cover letters, you all seem to be on the right track in your approaches. Gabriella, I really like how you referred to the cover letter as "clothes" for the resume. A cover letter as a first impression, like Nicholas mentioned, is what really sells your skills. This is of particular importance in this economic climate.
Additionally, I know some of you were discussing the issue of references. Usually, these are listed on a separate page from both your resume and cover letter. It has been my experience that it could be seen as a bit presumptive to attach them to the initial submission of a cover letter and resume, unless specifically requested. Usually, I provide my references to a potential employer at the time of my interview along with a paper copy of my cover letter and resume. An employer typically only contacts references when they intend to offer a job to the potential employee. Nevertheless, each situation is different, and this is just what I have experienced.
If I remember correctly, I'm sure you have or will have a presentation on cover letters and resumes from a representative for UCF Career Services. Be sure to take advantage of the services they provide as they are really helpful!
Have a good week, and thanks for great posts everyone!
Julia Elrod!:)
So what are your tips and tricks when it comes to writing a resume and/or cover letter?
ReplyDeleteI feel the most important trick is putting some personality into your cover letter. You want to show whomever is reading it that you are a person and not just resume #148. You want them to see the person behind the writing and spark their interest to seeing more of you.
Have you ever written a cover letter before?
No, but I believe the essays that we wrote to get into college could count somewhat as a cover letter. It covered the same basic aspects, so I feel that we all have some experience already in cover letter writing.
Do you have any experience in hiring and can give pointers as to the dos and don’ts of this process?
I do not have experience in hiring but I have interviewed for plenty of jobs, and a huge majority of those interviews I would count as successful. One pointer I would suggest would be to try and make the interviewer laugh atleast once. It shows personality and you will stick out in their head a bit more.
Are there any other resources you can share with everyone?
None that I can think of.
-Gregory Eisenberg
Hey guys!
ReplyDeleteSo I have a little bit of experience with writing a resume, and there are a few tips I would suggest. I think the main thing is just making sure it is concise. In reality, who really wants to read three pages of anything? I know I sure don't. Most employers, especially if they are busy, basically skim the first page, so that's what really matters. Another trick would be to leave as much white space as possible. Eyes are drawn to white space, and it will make a resume seem less cluttered, and more appealing. The assignment in this course was my first experience writing a cover letter, but I think it gives good insight, as you can elaborate on your resume and highlight what you want the employer to read about.
I do not have any experience in hiring people, but I do plan on working in human resources one day. I have also been hired several times, so I would just say a good pointer would be to have a good attitude. Acting outgoing and confident in an interview will sometimes get a person hired even if they do not have 100% of the qualifications. A good resource I have used in the past for resume writing and job interview information is career services at UCF. They will analyze your resume, and give you ways to make it better. They even provide you with good example resumes.
Have a good week everyone!!
Tanya Hunt