Introduction to Resumes and Cover Letters Workshop

Which Resume Type is

Best for You?

Three Types of Resumes:

•Chronological•Functional •Combination

1. Chronological Resume

What is it?A chronological resume lists your experience from most recent to least. Job titles and employers

are emphasized in order to show a progressive job history. Your responsibilities, skills and accomplishments are described in detail. This type of resume very clearly displays your work

history and is the most commonly used resume type.

Who uses it?• People who have recently graduated with a bachelor degree. • Anyone with a consistent work history and no significant time gaps in his or her work history. • Those who have progressed in their career and can show their progress through a work

history. • People who are staying within the same career field.

Who should not use it?• Candidates that change employers frequently or have gaps in their employment. • People who are changing career paths.

What do employers think?This resume is the preferred type for employers because it is an easier format for them to follow

and find time gaps. Employers view this as fact-based and easy to skim. 

Chronological Resume Sample

Sample 1: Entry Level Resume Packet

2. Functional Resume 

What is it?A functional resume takes the skills and accomplishments you have learnedfrom previous employment and experiences (i.e., classroom and/or volunteer)and divides them into three or more categories according to a common, skill-

based theme. This format allows the writer to focus on relevant skills rather than recent

positions.

Who uses it?• People who are changing career paths. • Those who lack experience directly related to the job they are trying to get. • Anyone who only has seasonal or temporary employment experience. • Candidates who have significant gaps between employment experiences.

 Who should not use it?• Individuals who have little work or leadership experience. • People who are entering a traditional field (education, government, etc.)

where employment history is important. • Candidates who want to emphasize their career growth.

 

Functional Resume Cont.What do employers think?This type of resume is sometimes hard for employers to follow. It does not make it immediately evident what type or amount of work experience a candidate has and it also does not clearly demonstrate employment growth and development.

The benefit of using this type of resume is that it allows one to highlight skills sets, as they relate to a specific job, and to show an employer what you can bring to their organization (experience and capabilities).

Functional Resume Sample

Sample 5: Entry Level Resume Packet

3. Combination

What is it?A Combination resume is a mixture or “combination” of the Chronological and Functional

resume types. It has a section that highlights specific skill sets. The combination resume also has an experience section

that includes some information about your job function. This type of resume, like the Functional, draws attention to

skill sets while still showcasing your place of employment and role.

Who uses it?People who are looking to de-emphasize gaps in their work history. Candidates who have experience

that is widely varied or not clearly related to the job description. Those who have limited professional experience but

have a lot of leadership and other skills they would like to showcase.

Who should not use it?Individuals who have little work or leadership experience. People who are entering a traditional field

(education, government, etc.) where employment history is important. Candidates who want to emphasize their

career growth. What do employers think?Some employers may not favor this approach because it is not a traditional chronological format.

However, it is easier for them to follow than the functional format.  § Tip: If you would like to learn more about Resume Types please come to our Advanced

Resume Workshop. §

Combination Resume Sample

Sample 2: Entry Level Resume Packet

Creating a Resume• Think of your resume as a marketing tool that

promotes you as an ideal candidate to potential employers.

• The goal in writing a resume is to make yourself attractive to potential employer, securing you the opportunity to interview with the organization.

• While writing a resume can seem overwhelming, once you break it down into sections, it is not as difficult.

• The simplest way to think of a resume is to compare it to a traditional paper or essay.

• All of the essential ingredients to writing a paper are the same as writing a resume.

The Resume Ingredients

Resume Section Paper Section Purpose of Section

Heading Information at the top of paper (i.e. name)

Lets the employer know who you are and how to reach you

Objective Thesis or Summary What you can offer the employer

Education Introduction Educational experiences and degrees

Experience Supporting Details Include your responsibilities, skills, and accomplishments

Other Relevant Information

Conclusion Volunteer, Professional Membership

Placement and Style

• When organizing the content of your resume, put your most marketable information at the top of your resume.

• The rule on page length is this: if you are a recent graduate or have not had at least 3-5+ years of professional experience, then you should try to limit your resume to one page maximum.

• If you have had 3-5+ years of experience you may use 2-3 pages for your resume.

 

Dressing up your resume• The right way: make it look professional with no spelling

or grammatical errors, use italics or bold lettering to draw attention to significant points.

• The wrong way: using colors to attract attention or highlight certain areas, using too many fonts, making it too dense and/or using pictures.

• Make your resume look professional: After you are done putting your resume together, have it printed on resume paper. Resume paper is thicker, more expensive paper. Just like when you have to dress up for an interview, your resume needs to look dressed up to be the best representation of you.

 

The HeadingThings to include:

Name: first, middle initial (optional), and last name Your name is the largest font on the

resumeAddress: permanent and/or school with

street name, apartment #, city and stateContact Information: phone and e-mail

address Make sure you have a professional

sounding voice mail message and e-mail user name

The Heading Things NOT to include:• Personal information such as: a picture, your race,

gender, age, social security number, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation or identity, etc.

• None of this personal information is relevant to the hiring process.

• The only thing the employer should be interested in is your professional experience.

Sample Heading 1:Jenny Coppery

5615 Almond St. Apartment 23pChicago, IL 60614

Home Phone: 773-867-5309Email: Jennycop@hotmail.com

  

Objective• An objective is an optional component in your resume.• There is some controversy concerning objectives, some

believe it can help and others believe it can hurt. Benefits: It can help you to organize your thoughts and

determine what should be included on your resume. A well written objective provides the employer with a

framework of what kind of experience you are pursuing.

It helps you think more concretely of what kind of skills you have to offer to your prospective employer.

If done correctly an objective will help focus your resume.

 

Objective:Negatives

• If too general, it will be ignored and therefore become irrelevant.

• Depending on the employer, an objective may limit your chances of getting a job within the company.

• Human error: You may not remember to always update your Objective to reflect the position you are applying for.

• If too specific, will also have to go through the task of changing it every time you send out your resume.

• If you feel very strongly about the information you have in your objective but are unsure about your objective as a whole you can put the information in your cover letter.

   

A Summary of Summaries

Career Summary It is a comprehensive professional summary of

who you are as a professional. Someone who has worked 5+ years in his or her

chosen industry generally utilizes it because it allows for an employer to get a brief synopsis of work history. 

Summary of Qualifications List of your qualifications for the current position

you are trying to obtain (use bullet points for easy reading).

Education Things to include in education section:

Name of college, city and state Degree earned or earning spelled out completely

(Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science). Expected Graduation Date or if you have already

graduated the date you graduated (month and year) GPA if you have a 3.0 or above. Be sure to indicate the

schools grading scale (4.0 scale). It is also ok to use your major GPA if it is higher and your major relates to the field you hope to enter.

Study Abroad Program Related Coursework or Project Work Other Optional sections are: Honor’s, Certification,

and Special Training. Eliminate high school information-Your high school information

is no longer relevant because employers assume you have graduated high school due to the fact that you are either now earning your college degree or have already received it.

Experience

Work HistoryVolunteer ExperienceProfessional Memberships, Civic

Activities, Extracurricular ActivitiesLEADERSHIPSTUDENT ORGANIZATION EXPERIENCE

Work History

Generate a timeline of every professional position and select the most relevant work experience

It is important to include: Company/Organization Name City, State Dates Employed Job/Position Title Bullets highlighting your accomplishments and

demonstrated skills

Experience

Skills and Accomplishments• When disclosing your work experience, be as

pecific as possible to show exactly what you have done. Tip: Remember that positions you are currently in are

written in present tense while previous postions are written in past tense.

• When writing the experience section be sure to include the responsibilities you had, the skills you have acquired and accomplishments you’ve made.

• To effectively present your work experiences use this formula action verb + phrase

Other Relevant Information

Volunteer ExperienceCompany/Organization NameCity, StateDates EmployedJob/Position title

OPTIONAL: Bullets highlighting your accomplishments and responsibilities

Professional Membership/Civic Activities/Extracurricular Activities

Student Organization Experience• Organization Name• Dates participated in the program• Position title• OPTIONAL: Bullets highlighting your

accomplishments and responsibilities *Tip: In order to distinguish yourself from

other applicants highlight your activities or positions where you obtained a leadership role.

Example

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE:Student Government Association, XYZ

University Vice President/Academic Affairs 2003-2004 Chaired 60-member body representing each

academic department and student perspectives on curricular issues

Participated in college-wide policy decisions concerning commuter students

Met with President of the University, to advise administration concerning student issues

Example

• Marketing Club, Member 2006-Present

• Marketing Club, Events Coordinator 2005-2006

• DePaulia Campus Newspaper, Staff Writer 2004-2005

Additional Skills Section

Accomplishments/Awards/HonorsCourseworkProject workTechnical Summary (Word, Excel,

PowerPoint)Language SkillsCertification

Why write a cover letter?• A cover letter introduces you and your

resume to your employer. You should send one with every resume you submit.

• It gives you the opportunity to draw your readers’ attention to specific qualifications.

• It provides a sample of your written communication skills.

• It gives you the opportunity to network

Cover Letter Outline• Address the cover letter to a person not

“to whom it may concern” if possible3 Key Elements of a cover letter: IntroductionBody Conclusion

Introduction

• What job are you interested in and where did you hear about it?

• Introduce who you are, i.e. your major, current job, etc.

• Why are you qualified for this position?

Body• One to three paragraphs• Why are you interested in the position?• Explain how your academic background

makes you a qualified candidate for the position

• Point out specific, relevant achievements/ qualifications in your work experience

• Try not to repeat the same information the reader will find in the resume

• Refer the reader to the enclosed resume or application, which summarizes your qualifications, training, and experience

Conclusion• Indicate your desire for a personal

interview• Repeat your phone number in the letter

and offer any assistance to help in a speedy response

• Close your letter with a statement or question that will encourage a responseEx. Say that you will be in the city where the organization is located on a certain date and would like to set up an interview

Thank You Letter

Be sure to send a thank you letter after an interview

• Send via e-mail to ensure quick deliveryOR

• Send a professional-style letter to reiterate your professionalism

OR• Send a thank you card to make the sentiment personal

Contact the Career Centerhttp://www.careercenter.depaul.edu

• Peer Career Advisors: peercareeradvisor@depaul.edu

• Loop Office: DePaul Center Suite 95001 E. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60604Phone (312)362-8437

• Lincoln Park Office:Schmitt Academic Center Room 1922320 N. Kenmore Ave.Chicago, IL 60614Phone (773) 325-7431

Questions???