Due Date Reminder for Tomorrow

Remember: Your Resume, Cover Letter, and the Job Posting you are writing both towards are due tomorrow, 1/28,  (printed copies) by the beginning of class: 2:45pm.

Resume Strengthening

As it states on p. 372 of our textbook: 1) "The resume must provide clear, specific information, without generalization or self-congratulation" and 2) "The resume must be completely free of errors"

As was lectured in class, include specific tasks, actions, tools/programs (like Microsoft Excel/ C++/Quark/ tow motor/ etc.) in the appropriate categories, especially in the Skills section.

Here are two easy rhetorical exercises you can do alone, or with a considerate reader, to help you make your resume stronger:

1) Content: Read over the resume and look for standalone generalizations. Phrases like "intelligent leader", "strong communicator", "great secretarial skills" and "well-practiced in field" are not as effective as we'd think, and really don't provide much insight into the kind of talent and experience you can bring to job. These phrases can be effective when when part of a longer description that includes specifics, but when left on their own, leave a lot of questions.

-Look for a standalone generalizations

-Then, use ask the question, "What made me (you) write that I  am (you are)/ have . . . ______?"

-Record the answers to the above question for each standalone generalization. Use these answers to revise by addition!

Example: Jason found that in his Skills section he had three standalone generalizations  that left a lot of white space and didn't really example what he thought were his strengths. Jason had written "intelligent leader", "strong communicator" and "knowledge in field". When he sat down to revise, he thought about why he wrote each of these generalizations and realized they all came from his interest in designing websites in his free time. To Jason, who is looking into finding an entry-level position in a marketing firm, he didn't think his hobby should be put on his resume.  But after showing his resume to a friend, the first question they asked was "What do you mean when you say these are your skills? Where's anything about your web designs? You're an awesome designer, and you created and run the chat forum site that keeps our friends in touch from around the world."

A light click-on in Jason's head and he realized he could incorporate all three of those bland phrases into a clearer statement, exemplifying each skill. Here is what Jason came up with: 

- Developing and managing successful personal communication websites    (or)

- Designing and administrating a nationally-growing social networking website

2) Effective and Dynamic Language: Read over the the resume again, looking at your verbs and your adjectives. After doing the above content-revision, you want to go through and make sure the language sticks out -- in a good way -- from all of the other applications. Look at how Jason's revision including reconsidering the kinds of verbs used, and added a few adjectives to make his skill look even stronger. 

-In this exercise you want to do to two things: 

1) reconsider your verbs. Go through this list here (Columbia College's list of strong action verbs) and see if you can replace what is presently on your resume with  a word or phrase inspired by the list.

2) Try to add specifics and importance with "clarifying adjectives." Again, look to Jason's example above. It is not just websites he is designs, but "nationally-growing" and "social-networking" type websites. 

Another example: On page 371, under Employment, James Wislo writes that his duties include: "Serve food across counter," which is a very boring, plain description. This kind of directness is okay, but to go beyond just okay Wislo could include "Serve food in a fast-paced environment."

Such phrasing adds extra information to the type of job, and shows you as more considerate and skilled.

Tip: Play around with some new phrases (like is done above in the example of Jason's revision) that go beyond standard prose. But, remember to maintain clarity by using specifics! Don't go overkill; use these suggestions to strengthen your resume (and overall writing skills).

Resume and Cover Letter Requirements

Resume & Cover Letter
Due: Wednesday, January 28, 2009 (changed from syllabus)
Requirement:
- 1-page resume, for a particular job posting
- 1- page cover letter, for the same job posting

As we’ve been working on, you are to find a job posting on-line that you will use to write a mock application; writing both a mock resume and cover letter for a specific position.

It is suggested that you find a job posting in a field related to your own major studies here at East West, as this will provide you good practice for when it comes time to write your real resume and cover letter. Most of you should have done this part already.

A key point to the project is to understand that you are being graded on your ability to understand and create a resume and cover letter that includes the proper content and uses formatting techniques to highlight the document in the reader’s eye.

Some of the requirements might cause you to have to fictionalize work experience, education, etc., only for this project. In the real world, outside this classroom, when applying for a job – you cannot falsify and exaggerate on your qualifications, ethically. Such falsification could get you fired! But, for the purposes of having some fun, and to allow for your creativity, you may imagine credentials and experience in order to create a strong resume and cover letter.
However, the focus is still on your ability to apply some of the basic To Dos of both parts of the job application.

The Resume (1-page):
This is a brief outline of your qualifications for a job. The resume should provide relevant material to the job posting, such as educational background, work experience, skills used, learned, and any honors/credits that show success within the field in which you’re applying.

1. You must have at least 4 main categories, three (3) which you must include: Objectives, Education and Skills. The other 1-2 categories can be from categories such as, Related Work experience/ Volunteer Experience/ Awards / Publications / Relevant Courses, depending on what type of position you are applying for.

2. Considerations when grading:
- Required content: the successful resume develops points within each of the above main categories.
- Aesthetic quality: both in using consistent font and font size, spacing between categories; bullet points; other factors that include overall readability.
- Language and Organization: strong verbs, clear language that uses specifics appropriate to each category; ideas that are not redundant or repeated without development.

The Cover Letter (1-page):
This is a letter that allows you to introduce and develop some of who you are in the workplace, showing that you have knowledge and experience within the position, and describing what you will bring to the workplace.

1. Considerations when grading:
- Development of 2-3 key points: the successful cover letter shows that the potential employee has read the job posting. One does so by explaining how they can fulfill (or have in the past) the requirements asked by the job while proving an explanation of skills and background in job’s field.
- Aesthetic quality: use consistent spacing and font; use paragraphs to highlight points.
- Language and Organization: clear, concise, and engages in the position and its duties. Use specific examples rather than talk in generalities.

Guiding Template and Suggestions for Strengthening your Resume

Personal Information / Contact
- Name, address, phone number, e-mail
- Put name in a larger font to highlight and put in reader’s memory

Objective
- Where you explain position you are applying for
- Duties/ main goals as understood from job posting
- Focus is on “How I can fulfill their goals” for job à what they’re looking for
- Repeat specifics from job postingà job title, as stated
- Be brief as possible à 1-2 lines of explanation
o Strong verbs
- If you have lots of experience within the field (highly qualified), then you may write a “summary of qualifications” instead of a brief objective. This is just slightly more involved and is more centered on what you can bring to job!
o Good for those more advanced jobs – jobs asking for lots of experience or a lot of education and publication,
o Good for those jobs that ask for some unique quality such as “uses technology” that go beyond standards for the type of position

Education
- Stick to college experiences, and post-baccalaureate studies (past your bachelor’s)
- Major field of study
o Minor field of study, if applicable
- Highlight your g.p.a if it is strong
- Graduation or expected graduation
- Thesis, dissertation, honors that come with graduation
- If not in its own category, underneath the above relevant material, this is where you would put “related course work” and also other places of you may have done extra studying
o Study abroad
o Do special research
o Other institutional learning

Skills
- don’t worry about complete sentences
- start with strong, appropriate verbs
o Appropriateness gauge: 1. What is the position 2. What skills are they looking for?
- provide at least two (2) ; they’re looking for multi-dimensional workers!
- provide more than one area of skill level, and if possible elaborate with specific examples from past work (example: page 382)
- This is the category where you provide not specific examples that encapsulate the skill being used.
o Example: rather than simply writing “leadership skills” it is clearer and more effective to write down specific examples that show you have been a leader. “Design leader in “Always Coca-cola” marketing campaign”
o Again, the only reason to use something such as “leadership skills” would be to use this as a sub-heading for providing multiple examples of “leadership skills.”
- Remember: don’t leave reader to interpret skills, but provide where skills came from . . .

resumes

Putting together a resume is daunting if you've never done so before. I know, since I've had six years of practice, starting with graduate school!

What goes on the darn thing, how long should it be, what kind of paper should I use? What is the purpose of this thing? God, gods, goddesses, please make sure there are no grammatical errors that kill my chances!

Where should I go for examples, for advice, besides this class? Once I am outside these walls?

1. Microsoft Word 2008 has a great template, and I will show the class an example resume . . .

2. Academic Institution websites! If you're like me and are a bit independent and like to figure things out simply by looking at examples, or don't have time to make multiple visits to your school Career Services office, look at their website.

I suggest, though, consulting a few school websites, simply because each Institution has their own thought process and might give extra insights not seen on another. Also, you'll be able to get a sense of what things are most valuable by seeing repeated formats, etc. Click on these links, read and imitate!

Columiba College's Resume Helper

Northwestern University's Resume and Cover Letter Helper

Contrast these two school websites with East-West's:

East West Career Services page


For those worriers, here's a little story:

My first resume, when I was 21-years-old, was pretty boring-looking, and I didn't have a lot of relevant experience in my field, since I was applying to graduate school and finishing up my last semester of undergrad. I had no writing internships, no academic teaching experience, no jobs in a writing field (which is all one reason I wanted to go directly to grad school). And yet, they expected us to hand in an academic resume to go along with the rest of the application!

So, I had to think, what could I put on my resume that will show that I am a writer and deserve to be in this program? Luckily I had a few academic scholarships, and I had taken a butt-load of different literature courses and social science courses.

Since I lacked real-world experience, I had to show that I had a well-rounded and intentionally-broad learning palate!

Anyways, long story short, I highlighted my critical thinking skills and academic success since I lacked experience . . .