Resume + Cover Letter Guide

For First Graduate College Students

Updated: Jan 2015

1

Table of Contents

A Letter to You…………………………………………………………………3 Anatomy of a Resume……………………………………………………4 - 7 Describing Your Experiences………………………………………………8 Anatomy of a Cover Letter…………………………………………… 9 - 11 Appendix…………………………………………………………………12 - 18

Action Verbs……………………………………………………………………………13- 14 Resume Checklist…………………………………………………………………………...15 Sample Resume……………………………………………………………………………16 Sample Cover Letter………………………………………………………………………17

Notes………………………………………………………………………...…18

2

A LETTER TO YOU

Dear First Graduate College Students,

So, you want to apply to internships and jobs… Wonderful, you’re now a Job Seeker! Now, what’s the first step in the job search process? Prepare your marketing tools. (In other words, it’s time to write a cover letter and update your resume!) A resume is your personal marketing tool and used to provide potential employers/recruiters with an overview of your experience and skills. It is your first introduction to your prospective employer, so make it a GREAT one. A cover letter is a business letter that introduces you, the purpose for writing, highlights your experiences and connects it to the job posting. It serves as your “voice” and showcases your communication skills to your prospective employer. Recruiters want to know:

● Will this candidate be an asset to the organization? ● Does the candidate’s skill set meet our needs and requirements? ● Should this candidate move beyond the initial screening and get invited for an

interview?

What will you choose to say and how would you convey it most effectively? Keep calm, read on… and find out how!

Your FG advocate,

Cassy Huang Career Success Manager chuang@firstgraduate.org 415-779-4354

3

ANATOMY OF A RESUME

Resumes are unique - just like you. Not all resumes look 100% the same. However, there are basic components and good practices that employers look for when they scan your resume. Also, remember to TAILOR THE RESUME FOR EACH JOB POSTING. Follow this template as a starting point for your resume.

Section A: Heading

The heading should begin with your full name (for it to stand out, make it BIG and bold) followed by your current address, telephone number, and e-mail address. Since you’re a college student, the ideal preference is to use your college e-mail. Using your college e-mail is subtle way to show off your college, which may impress and catch the employer’s attention. If you are not using your school e-mail address, make sure the address you use is professional (i.e. name@gmail.com or firstandlastname@yahoo.com). Use phone numbers and e-mail addresses that you check most frequently so you’re sure to see/hear a message and respond promptly. Also, be sure that the voicemail message attached to the number you provide is clear and professional.

4

Section B: Education

For current college students and recent graduates, put your education section near the top. When you have been in the workforce for a while (5+ years), the education section moves to the bottom of your resume. This category should include:

● Name of college you are currently attending, the city and state the college is

located in, the degree you will graduate with (i.e., Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts), major/minor/special concentration and expected date of graduation.

● Listing your cumulative G.P.A. is optional (unless a job description explicitly asks that you include it). A good rule of thumb is that you should only consider including your cumulative GPA if it is over a 3.0.

● Include your high school only if you are a first year college student or if you attended a specialized school such as an international, performing arts, science and math school, etc…

Section C: Honors

List all awards in the Honors section along with the date of the award. Honors include scholarships, academic or community awards or recognitions, and participation in competitive programs. This section should include First Graduate. Section D: Supporting Experience

This is the most complicated section of a resume—it is sometimes hard to know what to include or how to best write about it. Your campus career center, First Graduate Resume Coach or the First Graduate staff can help you brainstorm what should be included in this section and how to best present it.

This section should be the largest section of your 1-page resume. Because it can include a variety of experience, possible section titles include: “Experience”, “Work Experience”, “Relevant Experience”, “Community Outreach Experience”, etc… This section can include paid full-time, part-time, and summer jobs; unpaid jobs; paid and unpaid internships and can sometimes include volunteer experiences or leadership positions in campus organizations.

NOTE: If you don’t have as much work experience, volunteer experiences and/ leadership positions can be a valuable resource for transferable skills and including them in the experience section of your resume can help illustrate your abilities and highlight your level of commitment and responsibility.

5

The content of this category should be listed in reverse chronological order, starting with most recent experience. Include employer name, city and state of employer, dates worked (month and year) and your job title.

Each position should have two to three bullet points (no more than 5 bullet points) highlighting your responsibilities, experiences and accomplishments. It is important to write about the impact as well as duties and to quantify outcomes whenever possible. For example: Redesigned volunteer recruiting process, resulting in a 15% increase in program volunteers.

Always begin each bullet point using an action verb. If you are describing a current position, the verb should be in present tense. If you a describing a previous job, it should be in past tense. (See list of action verbs at the end of this section.)

When you think of your various duties and responsibilities think of how the skills acquired would be transferable to the position you are applying for.

For example: ● Answering telephones and speaking to customers- developed your skills in

customer service and interpersonal communication. ● A position at the GAP as a sales associate – this position requires working in

a sales team (builds team skills) and being motivated to achieve monthly sales targets.

● Cashier at a retail store – requires high level of responsibility and good numerical skills.

Section E: Additional categories

This section can be 1 section or multiple mini sections. Essentially, this section provides additional information such as important skills you bring and information that rounds you off as a unique individual. Possible section titles include: “Extracurricular Activities”, “Relevant Skills”, etc… When including an extracurricular activities section, list any participation in campus clubs and organizations, sports teams, and off-campus organizations and the capacity in which you participated (e.g. President, Founder, Member, etc.).

NOTE: If any activity includes a leadership position or significant responsibility (such as president or treasurer of an organization, or organizing a large scale event), you may want to include it in the Experience section. Consult with your First Graduate Resume Coach and/or staff.

6

When including a skills section, be sure to include all hard or measurable skills such as language or technical skills.

NOTE: It does not include soft skills such as communication skills or ability to work well in a team (you can mention soft skills in the cover letter or the interview).

● When listing foreign languages that you speak, remember to state the fluency

level. For example, Conversant in Spanish, Fluent in French or Basic knowledge of Cantonese.

● When listing technical skills, be specific. Mention the name of the computer application and state your level of proficiency. For example, Basic knowledge of Microsoft Word, Proficient in Microsoft EXCEL, Advanced skills in Microsoft PowerPoint.

How to title your resume document? Do not title your resume document as “resume.doc” or “MyResume.docx”. Because employers will be reviewing several resumes, you want the employer to know it belongs to you. Instead, title you resume as: “FirstNameLastName_NameofOrganization_Position_resume”. For example:

● “CassyHuang_FirstGraduate_CareerSuccessManager_resume” “CassyHuang_BankofAmerica_Analyst_resume”

● “CassyHuang_BoA_Analyst_resume” (it’s okay to abbreviate names to make it shorter)

7

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCES: Creating effective bullet points

Strong resumes illustrate your experience effectively and captures the employer’s attention IMMEDIATELY. If you feel stumped on the bullet points, try brainstorming by writing down everything you did on a daily basis in the job along with your accomplishments and all of the skills that you acquired.

Review the editing process below and see how multiple revisions can help your resume develop into a stellar final product:

1. First Resume Draft: EXPERIENCE

Sutton Middle School, Richmond, CA Intern

● Drafted and presented proposal ● Create lesson plan ● Attended intern workshops

2. After One Round of Editing: EXPERIENCE

Sutton Middle School, Richmond, CA Teaching Intern

● Drafted & presented proposal for reading initiative ● Created lesson plans for introductory Spanish class ● Participate in intern workshops

3. After Final Editing: EXPERIENCE

Sutton Middle School, Richmond, CA January 2014 - June 2014 Teaching Intern

● Presented proposal for school-wide literacy initiative, which was approved by

100 % of school staff ● Created lesson plans for introductory Spanish class attended by over thirty

students ● Actively participated in workshops for fellow interns by facilitating discussions on

cross-cultural communication

8

ANATOMY OF A COVER LETTER Cover letters are unique and NEED TO BE TAILORED TO EACH JOB POSTING. However, there is a basic format that employers look for. Follow this template as a starting point for your cover letter.

Section A: Heading Your address City, State ZIP Today’s date

Mr./Ms. Employer’s Name (if known) Department (if known) Company’s Name Address Dear Mr./Ms. Employer’s Name*:

9

Section B: Introduction This is the “why I'm writing to you” paragraph which immediately tells the employer the position you want to be considered for. This is short - usually 2-3 sentences. Points to cover:

❏ Why you are writing and which position you are applying for. ❏ Include how you heard about the position, especially include the name of the

mutual contact or recruiting program. ❏  Show from your research why you are interested in this position or organization.

The goal is to make a connection - do this briefly and specifically or leave it out; sweeping statements will not work and appear generic.

Section C: Critical Content  This is the “why I'm qualified” paragraph. This is usually the longest paragraph of the letter. You may break this paragraph into two if it looks too lengthy or if your points work best in separate paragraphs. Highlight some of your most relevant experiences and qualities as they relate to the position for which you are applying.

Choose 2 - 3 points you want to make about specific experiences/accomplishments or about general qualities you have exhibited, and provide specific examples to support those points.

Points to ponder: ❏ The first sentence should be a hard-hitting opener. It is a quick introduction, which

is accomplishment-oriented and directed at the skills and qualifications needed for the job/industry.

❏ The body of the paragraph should provide evidence to back up what you've just claimed. Cite specific jobs/internships/activities/projects and accomplishments associated with those experiences. Use your resume to come up with some specifics, but never reiterate passages from your resume word for word. Discuss why what you did is relevant to the employer- relate the facts to the job. Strong examples are important!

❏ The final sentence is a summary of what you've discussed above. It's a good idea to mention the position title and company name to bring the reader back to the specific job in question.

10

Section D: Closing This is the “next action steps” paragraph. You should refer to the enclosed resume and request an interview. It is vital that you thank the reader for his/her time and consideration. Section E: Signature

Make it official and conclude this letter with your name. If you are handing in a cover letter by hand, you can include your signature above your name.

How to title your cover letter document? Do not title your cover letter document as “Cover Letter.doc” or “MyCoverLetter.docx”. Because employers will be reviewing several cover letters, you want the employer to know it belongs to you. Instead, title you cover letter as “FirstNameLastName_NameofOrganization_dPosition_coverletter”. For example:

● “CassyHuang_FirstGraduate_CareerSuccessManager_coverletter” ● “CassyHuang_TeachforAmerica_CorpsMember_coverletter” ● “CassyHuang_TFA_CorpsMember_coverletter”

(it’s okay to abbreviate names to make it shorter)

11

APPENDIX

Action Verbs Resume Checklist Sample Resume Sample Cover Letter

12

ACTION VERBS, PART I A list of action verbs to help spice up your resume. Words that are bolded are especially good for pointing out accomplishments.

LEADERSHIP/ MANAGEMENT

COMMUNICATION CLERICAL OR DETAIL-ORIENTED

administered analyzed assigned attained chaired

consolidated contracted

coordinated delegated developed

directed evaluated executed improved increased organized oversaw planned

prioritized produced

recommended reviewed

scheduled strengthened

supervised

addressed arranged authored

collaborated convinced

corresponded developed

directed drafted edited

enlisted formulated influenced interpreted

lectured mediated

moderated negotiated persuaded promoted publicized reconciled recruited

summarized translated

approved arranged

catalogued classified collected compiled

dispatched executed generated

implemented inspected monitored operated organized prepared

processed purchased recorded retrieved screened specified

systematized tabulated validated

VERBS FOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS

achieved expanded improved pioneered

reduced (losses) resolved (problems)

restored spearheaded transformed

13

ACTION VERBS, PART II

FINANCIAL TEACHING/TRAINING/ COACHING

CREATIVE

administered allocated analyzed appraised audited

balanced budgeted calculated computed developed forecasted managed marketed planned

projected researched

adapted advised clarified coached

communicated coordinated demystified developed

encouraged evaluated explained facilitated

guided informed instructed mentored

persuaded trained

updated

acted conceptualized

created customized designed

developed directed

established fashioned founded illustrated initiated instituted

integrated introduced

invented originated performed

planned revitalized

shaped

TECHNICAL RESEARCH

assembled built

calculated computed designed devised

engineered fabricated

maintained operated

overhauled programmed

remodeled repaired solved

upgraded

clarified collected critiqued

diagnosed evaluated examined identified inspected

interpreted interviewed investigated

organized reviewed

summarized surveyed

systematized

* Adapted from UC Berkeley Career Center and Chapman University Career Development Center

14

RESUME CHECKLIST*

Before you submit your resume, check for the following:

❏ Is the resume pleasing to the eye with an easy-to read font with just the right amount of whitespace to black text ratio?

❏ Is it 1-page long with 1 inch margins*, font size is no smaller than 10 and in a legible font such as Times New Roman or Arial?

❏ Can an employer learn the basics about you with a 10 second glance at it? ❏ Did you use bullets, bold, all capitals, and underlining to highlight the parts

you want to emphasize (e.g., job titles)? ❏ Did you tailor your resume for the position by including key skills and

experiences the employer wants? ❏ Is information listed in order of importance and relevance to the requirements

listed in the job description? ❏ Does the resume avoid generalities and provide specific information about

context, actions taken, and results? ❏ Do phrases begin with action verbs such as “promoted,” “developed,” etc.? ❏ Have you been accurate and truthful about your accomplishments rather

than being too modest or exaggerating? ❏ Did you check the spelling of every word and make sure the grammar and

punctuation are correct? ❏ Have you had a First Graduate Resume Coach or staff proofread/critique it?

Most importantly….

❏ If you were the employer, would you call you for an interview? *Generally, the standard margin is 1 inch all around, but you can make the margins smaller if you need more space. * Adapted from UC Berkeley Career Center  

15

Natalia Delgado 796 Font Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94132 

415­475­8913 | ndelgado@sfsu.edu  EDUCATION San Francisco State University                   Bachelor of Science, Computer Engineering Expected Graduation: June 2015    Cumulative GPA: 3.5  WORK EXPERIENCE  Kaiser Permanente | Oakland, CA      June 2014 ­ September 2014 Automation Engineering Intern 

● Created a program that dynamically took multiple inputs from an excel spreadsheet to produce a readable XML property file 

● Piloted the use and integration of IBM’s automation tool into Kaiser Permanente’s infrastructure 

● Created a Selenium script to test the process of creating an account on Facebook  Science and Health Education Partnership at UCSF | San Francisco, CA          June 2013 ­ August 2013 Stem Cell Research Intern  

● Developed and conducted a research project in the field of stem cell research under the guidance of a mentor 

● Trained to utilize research technology, including immunofluorescence staining machine and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction machine 

 VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE Aspire California College Prep Academy | Berkeley, CA      September 2013 ­ May 2014 Robotics Teacher  

● Designed and taught lessons for a class of 15 high school students to observe and investigate robotics 

● Instructed students, individually and in groups, using various teaching techniques, such as the Socratic method, to foster discussion and to perform demonstrations 

● Helped students construct Lego Mindstorm kit robots and code a program, so that robots could move along different paths 

 EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority                        September 2012 ­ Present  Community Service Chair   SKILLS 

● Fluent in Spanish (spoken and written) ● Programming Languages: JavaScript, Java, PHP, Python, Perl, Visual Basic ● Web: HTML, Dreamweaver, Flash, Photoshop 

16

2325 Golden Gate Avenue, Room #228 San Francisco, CA 94118   January 28, 2015   Patricia Scott  Director, Human Resources  Yahoo!  896 Mission College Blvd. Santa Clara, CA 95003    Dear Ms. Scott:   I am excited to submit my application for the Training Specialist position, which was referred to me by Kenneth Paik, a Yahoo! recruiter that I met at University of San Francisco’s annual career fair. I am confident that my qualifications for this position merit your consideration.   As you can see from my resume, I will complete my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from University of San Francisco in May 2015. While this degree has provided me with a strong academic background in many aspects of business, it has also given me the opportunity to demonstrate my abilities through practical work experience. As a Training Department Intern with UCSF, I was responsible for a new computer software education program. This project allowed me to develop and refine my training and organizational skills while designing a program to teach basic software applications to users with limited experience working with computers. The success of this program has been so overwhelming that the department has integrated it into their new staff training course.   Enclosed is my resume which outlines my education and additional work experience. I would appreciate the opportunity to demonstrate in an interview my knowledge of employee training and development, initiative, and interpersonal skills. I am available via phone at 415­983­8754 or e­mail at rchan@usf.edu. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you for your time and consideration.    

Sincerely,  

 Robert Chan 

   

 *Adapted from UC Berkeley Career Center 

17

NOTES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you have any questions about this guide, please contact

Cassy Huang, Career Success Manager, chuang@firstgraduate.org, (cell) 415-779-4354.

18