RESUME WRITING

Great Resumes and Cover Letters: your key to top jobs!

We are pleased to offer the following suggestions. Below you will find tips for cover letters, content advice for resumes, and some suggestions of 'action' words that will help to explain the dynamic nature of your work history.

Cover Letters: Do I need one? Absolutely!

In this age of Electronic job search - e-mail, faxes etc. a cover letter is an especially important way to introduce yourself.

Your cover letter should say all that you would say as an introduction. Include a description of the kind of position you are seeking, some of your major strengths, what makes you special, etc.

Also give information about your desire or willingness to relocate if there is a geographical area which you would consider. If you are applying for a position outside of the area of your career history, mention the skills you have which would make you a strong contender for the position listed.

Resumes:
Tips: it's best to let your resume speak for itself, rather than including graphics, or sending print copies on colored paper. While we can receive resumes by mail and fax, E-mailed resumes are most easily integrated into our system in a Word document format.

Sample Format:
First Name, Last Name
Address, City, Zip Code
Phone, Email

OVERVIEW:
The overview is a brief, (3 or 4 line) summary of your key strengths and the kind of position you are seeking.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
In chronological order, list your most recent experience first, with responsibilities clearly highlighted.

• Immediately under the company's name, summarize what industries
   they serve, what products they have and the company's size.
• Summarize principal duties and responsibilities in three or four lines.
• Highlights achievements using a bulleted format. 3 or 4 bullets for
   each position, each at 2 - 3 lines per bullet.
• Highlight special skills, such as Computer programs you have mastered.
   It's a good idea to gear your resume to highlight the experience and
   strengths relating to the specific position you seek.
• Do not spend extensive space on pre-education experience -- only a
   few lines summarizing relevant experience.

The most important element in your resume is to clearly show the positive impact and achievements in your current and previous positions.

SKILLS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
This section offers an appropriate place to list skills that are not necessarily tied to a specific position. Some possible content could include computer systems you work with, courses you have taken, awards you have received or your interests.

EDUCATION:
Include key education, as it relates to the position, such as Graduate School Education, Special Honors, Professional Designations. Leave out very short or unrelated courses.

YEAR NAME OF INSTITUTION City, State Degree / designation program and specialization

REFERENCES:
Simply writing "Available upon request" is fine.

Action Verbs:
Accepted, Accrued, Achieved, Acquired, Administered, Advised, Analyzed, Anticipated, Appointed, Arranged, Assessed, Audited, Avoided, Centralized, Certified, Collaborated, Combined, Composed, Conceived, Concluded, Conducted, Controlled, Converted, Corrected, Created, Decentralized, Decreased, Defined, Demonstrated, Designed, Determined, Developed, Devised, Directed, Effected, Eliminated, Employed, Enforced, Established, Evaluated, Executed, Expanded, Expedited, Extracted, Forecast, Formed, Formulated, Gave, Generated, Hired, Illustrated, Implemented, Improved, Improvised, Initiated, Inspired, Inspected, Instructed, Insured, Interpreted, Interviewed, Introduced, Investigated, Launched, Liquidated, Located, Maintained, Managed, Measured, Minimized, Modernized, Negotiated, Observed, Obtained, Offered, Operated, Organized, Originated, Passed, Planned, Prepared, Presented, Prevented, Processed, Procured, Produced, Provided, Published, Purchased, Recommended, Recruited, Reduced, Rejected, Related, Reorganized, Reported, Resolved, Restored, Reversed, Reviewed, Revised, Saved, Scheduled, Selected, Separated, Served, Settled, Simplified, Solved, Specified, Staffed, Stated, Stimulated, Streamlined, Supervised, Supported, Surveyed, Tabulated, Terminated, Tested, Tracked, Trained, Trimmed, Upgraded, Utilized, Varied, Verified, Wrote