CV and Cover Letter Writing

What is a CV / Resume?
Your marketing tool
A way to sell yourself
A way to highlight your experience and
accomplishment
A way to get you an interview
QUIZ 1. SUMMARIZE & SUGGEST SUITABLE TITLE
We all know what we mean by a "good" man. The ideally good man
does not drink or smoke, avoids bad language, converses in the presence
of men only exactly as he would if there were ladies present, attends
church regularly and holds the correct opinion on all subjects. He has a
wholesome horror of wrong-doing and realizes that it is our painful duty
to castigate sin. He has a still greater horror of wrong thinking, and
considers it the business of the authorities to safeguard the young against
those who question the wisdom of the views generally accepted by
middle-aged successful citizens. Apart from his professional duties, at
which he is assiduous, he spends much time in good works: he may
encourage patriotism and military training; he may promote industry,
sobriety and virtue among wage earners and their children by seeing to it
that failures in these respects receive due punishment; he may be a trustee
of a university and prevent an ill-judged respect for learning from
allowing the employment of professors with subversive ideas. Above all,
of course, his "morals" in the narrow sense must be irreproachable. (189
words)
What should be on a resume?
Heading- name, address, contact info, etc.
Objective statement (optional)
Education
Work experience
Skills (computer, language)
Honors/Awards/Affiliations
What should not be on a resume?
Personal information such as age,
ethnicity, marital status, political
affiliation, sexual orientation, children,
etc.
Personal pronouns such as “I”, “me,”
“My,” etc. Use sentence fragments only
Reference information
How do I get started?
What are you applying for?
What experience/classes have you had that
relate to what you are applying for?
Talk about yourself in glowing terms
Use action oriented words
Reverse chronological order
Example
CHRISTOPHER A. SMITH
4444 Antigua Blvd, San Diego, CA 92124
[email protected]
619-555-2328

SUMMARY
* Thorough understanding of Project Management, in theory and practice
* Experienced leader of multiple levels across diverse cultures and circumstances
* Well organized, detail-oriented; yet, highly focused on mission goals and strategy
* Energetic and creative self-starter with a reputation for process improvement

EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS

US Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI)
Adjudicated by the Department of the Navy – Valid until September 23, 2008
Master of Science, Global Leadership
School of Business Administration, University of San Diego, CA – Mar 2008
Graduate Certificate in Project Management
University of San Diego, CA – Mar 2008
Bachelor of Arts, International Relations
University of San Diego, CA – 2001
Example
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

LEADERSHIP SKILLS
* Supervised multiple production teams in generating accurate portrayals of complex geo-political climates
around the world for timely dissemination to operators
* Trained over 700 aircrewmen in evasion procedures during combat
* Processed extensive escape protocols for over 2,000 combat missions during the 2005 Iraqi invasion that
resulted in the safe recovery of all downed aircrew
* Set the vision and direction for enriching the scholastic experience of more than 4,800 students by chairing
multiple student board meetings, overseeing a $500,000+ budget

COMMUNICATION SKILLS
* Adapted communication style to accommodate varying personalities and ranks
* Appraised and counseled staff on performance, work ethic, and values
* Disseminated varying degrees of sensitive material to appropriate personnel
* Effectively mediated staff conflicts and implemented realistic solutions

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
Apr 2007 - Present Project Manager Accredited Home Lenders
Jan 2007 - Present Management Trainee Accredited Home Lenders
2006-2006 Senior Intelligence Watch Officer US Intelligence Cell
2004-2006 North Africa Analyst Joint Analysis Center
2002-2004 Security Manager Naval Air Station
2001-2002 Intelligence Officer in Training Naval Air Station
Sample Internship Resume
Jane Smith
300 4th Avenue apt. 1 San Diego, CA 92103
mobile:(619) [email protected]

EDUCATION:
Bachelor of Arts, International Business Administration 2008
Alliant International University, San Diego, CA
Associate of Arts, Psychology, 2005
San Diego Mesa College, San Diego, CA

COURSES TAKEN:
International Trade and Economics
International Marketing
International Business
Business Law
Finance
Strategic Management
Marketing, Communications and Buyer Behavior
Work Motivation and Productivity
Sample Internship Resume Cont’d
STRENGTHS
Editing
Writing
Teaching
Presenting
International orientation
Microsoft Office Suite
Interpersonal communication

WORK HISTORY
Business English Teacher May 2005 – March 2006
XYZ Language Academy, Taipei, Taiwan
 Private teacher for business professionals
 Catered each class to fit students’ industries, position, and
occupational responsibilities
 Prepared and edited presentations for XYZ’s human resources
department for overseas
conferences
 Edited staff handbook (mission statements, visions/goals, team-
building, moral-building, etc)
Intern Fall 2004
Acme Cross Cultural Community Center, Garden Grove, California
What is a cover letter?
A way to introduce yourself and your
resume
Your opportunity to say why you are the
right person for the job
A chance to talk about skills that relate to
the job that are not on your resume
Cover Letter Outline
First paragraph: why are you writing?
Reference the job you are applying for
and where you saw it
Second paragraph: link your education,
skills and experience with the job
description
Third paragraph: ask for an interview and
thank them for their review of your
resume
 Cover Letter Example
Date

Name
Title
Company
Street Address
City, State, Zip
Re: Job Title

Dear Hiring Manager:

I am applying for the Sales Associate position that we discussed
during the Career Fair at The George Washington University
in Washington, D.C. on (date).
My varied sales experience and my bachelor's degree in
Business Administration are my strongest qualifications for
this position.
As you can see from the enclosed resume, I have sold a variety
of products through my extracurricular activities and have
worked in many banking environments through my
cooperative education and internship positions. My
marketing, computer research, and customer relations
experiences, as well as my oral and written communication
skills, should prove valuable in increasing (name of
company's) sales volume. I am enthusiastic about pursuing a
career in sales with (name of company) because of its
diverse product line and international scope.

I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and can be

reached at (phone number) from noon to five daily. I will be
in New York next week and will call you on (date) to discuss
the possibility of an interview.

Sincerely,
(Handwritten sig.)
Your name, typed
Contd.
Interviewing- Get to Know
Yourself
Why should the interviewer hire you
rather than someone else ?
 Know your strengths, job-related skills, work-
related interests, goals, and your basic values and
attitudes towards work
Be Prepared
 Review your work history and education
 Make several copies of your resume
 Make a list of your qualifications and experience
Get to Know Yourself, cont.
Practice Interviewing
 See the list of Commonly Asked Interview
Questions and answers
 Use the STAR interview answer technique to
answer each question. This is done by the
following:
 S/T—Describe the Situation or Task
 A—Describe the Action you took to improve the Situation
or complete the Task
 R—Describe the Results which occurred because of your
Action
Research the Employer
Research the Company Background
 Research the companies history, mission, values
products or services, business methods, standing in
the industry and organizational structure
 Research the position that you are applying for
Research the Company Location
 Plan your route/transportation to the interview,
locate parking, be prepared to show up 15 minutes
early for the interview
Dress for Success
◦ Dark two-piece suit, white dress shirt or
blouse, conservative shoes (closed toe, low
heel for women)
◦ Showered, clean shaven, little
cologne/perfume, well-groomed hairstyle,
carry breath mints
◦ Little jewelry, no visible tattoos, not too much
makeup and conservative nail colors for
women
Verbal and Non-Verbal
Communication
Interviewing “Do’s”
 Wear the appropriate clothing and be well groomed
 Be polite and courteous to all persons in the building
and office
 Be 15 minutes early
 Greet the interviewer with a firm handshake
 Make plenty of eye contact with the interviewer
 Smile and have good posture
 Be a good listener
Verbal and Non-Verbal
Communication
Interviewing “Don’t’s”
 Don’t chew gum or smoke
 Don’t wear too much jewelry, perfume or makeup
 Don’t interrupt the interviewer
 Don’t look at your watch during the interview
 Don’t volunteer negative information about yourself
and don’t criticize former employers or coworkers
Types of Interviews
One-on One
 One person will be interviewing you only
Group
 Several candidates are interviewed at once
Panel
 You alone are being interviewed by a panel of
several employees
Multiple
 Several interviews set up with different members of
the same company
Typical Steps in the Interview
Process
Establishing Rapport
◦ Arrive 15 minutes early, Greet the interviewer
with a firm handshake, and make small talk
Questions About You
◦ Make your responses positive, organized and
informative, Use the STAR technique
Typical Steps in the Interview
Process, cont
Questions for the Interviewer
 You should have two or three questions prepared to
ask the interviewer
 This expresses your interest in the company
Concluding the Interview
 Thank the interviewer by name
 Express interest in the position
 Arrange a reason and time to call back
Interview Follow-Up
Send a Thank You Letter within 24
hours of your interview
 76% of those employers polled indicate that it is
helpful for a job candidate to send a thank-you note
after the job interview
 This is an excellent opportunity for you to let the
employer know how interested you are in the
position while thanking them for their time and the
opportunity to interview
Questions or Comments ???