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Writing U.S. Resumes

& Cover Letters for International Students

Anne V. Scammon, Managing Director

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Today

• Introduction & Welcome • International Student Career Success Series • Services • Resumes • Cover Letters

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Learning Goals

• List 2 resume/2 cover letter tips • Understand basics of resumes/cover letters • Identify 2 resume/letter critique resources • Identify 3 Center services • Practice writing resume/cover letter

statements

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Program Evaluation

• Check email for a link to evaluation or go.gwu.edu/ccsprogrameval

• Should take approximately 2 minutes – Professional Development – Marketing – About You

• Comments & Ideas

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Career Services for International Students

• Visit career center • Intl Career Skills Series • Resume/Letter Critiques • GWork intern/job list • Drop In Coaching • 1:1 Career Coaching • International Student-

Alumni Network Night

• Career Fair, Wed. Sept 14, Smith Center

• Employer Info Sessions/ Site Visits

• GWork online job listings • Online Resources • GW-International

Student Assistance web – https://careerservices.gwu.edu/int

ernational-student-assistance-0

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International Student

Career Success Series Fall 2016

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Learning O s

• Students will be able to: – List 2 resume/2 cover letter tips – Understand 5 skills U.S. employer seek in new hires – Understand standard resume/cover letter formats – Practice writing experience/cover letter statements – Identify 2 resume/letter critique resources – Identify 5 services of the Center for Career Services

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Purpose of Resumes • Marketing/branding tool • Highlight skills and accomplishments • Present academic and other achievements • Demonstrate your value to employers • To obtain an interview, not the job!!

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U.S. Resumes: Dos and Don’ts

DOs DON’Ts

• Personal information: full name, phone, address, city, state

• Links: Website, Blog, LinkedIn • Education/GPA: Most recent #1 • Relevant coursework (opt) • All employment/internships • Relevant experiences (opt)

•Research experiences •Course/independent projects •Student leadership •Volunteer/community service •Skills (language, computer, etc.)

• Personal information: age, gender,

marital status, race/ethnicity, home country, visa status,

• Immigration status • Photographs • Religion • Language Skills: “English” • International permanent address • TOEFL or SAT scores • Language:

•Misspelled words •Typos or grammar errors

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Best Resumes . . . • State objective facts

– Degrees, coursework, skills , experiences – State experiences clearly. Note results of work quantitatively. – What did you accomplish? What improved as a result of you?

• Tailor resume to each employer or position – Research employer and identify position/position description – Analyze description for required skills/education/experience – Describe how your skills/education/experience match the

requirements of the position/employer

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Resume Standards • ONE PAGE! • Margins: 0.5 – 1.0 inches • Font size: 10-12 point (headers may be larger) • Font type: Times Roman, Calibri, other traditional • NO: Tables, charts, graphs, templates • NO: photos, social security #s, personal information • Standard English grammar

– International Student Career Ambassadors 1st Floor of School of Engineering Hall for 1st Review!

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Format Your Resume

• CONTACT INFORMATION • EDUCATION* • EXPERIENCE* • SKILLS

• FORMAT: State information in reverse chronological order, most recent first to last.

• OPTIONAL* – Objective (at top) – Skills/Technical Skills – Languages – Research – Relevant Coursework/

Projects – Leadership – Volunteer – Community Service – Awards

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Contact Information

Martha Washington 1607 Pennsylvania Avenue mwashington@gwu.edu Washington, D.C. 20037 202-334-1000

Barack Obama 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W.

Washington, DC 20037 202-334-1000

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Education

EDUCATION

M.S., Computer Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Science,

George Washington University, Washington, DC, May 2017

--Coursework: Computer Architecture and High-Performance Computing,

Microcomputer Systems Architecture, Computer Simulations Honors: Tau Beta

Pi Engineering Society

Oxford University, Oxford, UK, September - December 2011

--Coursework: UK History and British Culture; researched public policy

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Experience

May include internship, volunteer and paid work experience ! U.S. Department of State, Middle East Democracies Project Policy and Development Intern, Washington, DC, Jan. 2014 - Present • Research impact of social media on grassroots organizations and

authoritarian governments in Middle East • Coordinate four meetings attended by more than 350 mid- and senior-level

subject-matter experts during day-long seminars Institute for Security Studies, George Washington University, Washington, DC Student Assistant, May 2012 - May 2014 • Organized materials for 7 projects from 10 different researchers • Created new office manual for 8 incoming student assistants • Greeted visitors and fielded incoming phone/email daily

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Describe Your Experiences • Be Concise: Don’t say too much at once

Instead of: “Led groups of prospective students on tours of campus while answering questions and encouraging them to apply, resulting more informed, excited applicants.” Say: “Led three campus tours weekly for more then 50 prospective students and parents.

• Be Specific: Add descriptive words and numbers Instead of: “Showed leadership skills with group project” Say: “Led group of five students in team project by creating schedules and delegating tasks to supported team productivity and the completion of 25-page research paper.

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More Descriptions

• Vary Action Verbs and Vary Instead of: “Was responsible for answering the phones and did scheduling for students’ appointments” Say: “Answered phones and scheduled student appointments

• Full sentence not necessary Instead of: “My work included managing two other student workers” Say: “Managed two other student workers”

• Drop all personal pronouns (I, He, Me, They) Instead of: “Created complex spreadsheets based on my research” Say: “Created complex spreadsheets based on personal research”

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Optional SKILLS Computer: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SAS Statistical Software Languages: German (Intermediate Written Proficiency) and French (Professional Working Proficiency)

LEADERSHIP Secretary, Chinese Student and Scholar Association, GW University, January 2016 - Present Member, GW International Student Career Ambassador, Center for Career Services, September 2014 - Present Member, Resident Hall Association, GW Housing Office, Office, September 2013 – January 2015

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Draft a Resume

• Contact Information • Education • Experience • Skills • Others

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.

ACTION DRAFT

PRACTICE

What did you do? I spent time with students. I helped them look at what classes to take and did stuff for professor.

Describe one activity. . I worked with students.

Remove personal pronouns, drop period.

Worked with students

What did you do, specifically? Use action verb. Add additional work.

Advised students and administered assessments.

What type of activities? Qualify. Advised first year undergraduate students and administered XYZ, a nationally recognized career assessment.

How many/often? Quantify. Advised over 100 first year students with major decisions related to the arts and administered 75 XYZ career assessments.

What were the outcomes /results of your efforts?

Advised over 100 undeclared first year students with major decisions related to the arts and administered 75 XYZ career assessments to enhance students career decision making skills and development

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What is a Cover Letter? • Introduces resume to reader • Draws attention to you • Individualized to each position • Reflects your knowledge of the

employer • Improves chance of interview • Demonstrates interest in

company or vacancy

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Different than a Resume?

RESUME

COVER LETTER

Facts about your experiences.

Demonstrates how your “facts” meet requirements

of job posting.

INTERVIEW!

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Writing a Cover Letter

1. Research/

Analyze

2. Outline

3. Draft/Edit

4. Proofread

5. Create

template

1. Research/Analyze a. Identify job description b. Note keywords c. Research company & link to keywords d. Identify

2. Outline key elements 3. Draft/edit/proofread 4. Save as template

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Your Street Address City, State, Zip Code * Line Space Today’s Date * Mr./Ms. Name of Person, Title Name of Company/Organization Street Address of Company/Organization City, State, Zip Code * Dear Mr./Ms. ___________: (last name) * FIRSTPARAGRAPH/INTRODUCTION: * SECOND/THIRD PARAGRAPHS/BODY: * FINAL PARAGRAPH/CLOSING: * Sincerely, 2-4 lines spaces Your Name

Standard Format* • 1 page/3-4 paragraphs • Margins ~ .5 to 1 inch • Font: 10-12 pt. • Arial/Times Roman • Single space in paragraph • Double space between

paragraphs/closing • Left justify paragraphs

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Three Paragraphs* #1 Introduction Paragraph • Identify position and state your interest in applying for the position • State who referred you or how you learned of the position #2 Body of Paragraph • Describe your interest in the position • State your skills or experiences that match the position requirements • Use action verbs and quantifiers to demonstrate your “story” • Highlight your skills and accomplishments in relation to employer needs #3 Closing Paragraph • State your desire for an interview • Identify when you will follow up • Include: “Thank you for your time and consideration”

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“Requirements” to “Qualifications”

Job Qualification/Description Your Experiences /Accomplishments per Resume

Education Communications I graduated from GW with a B.A. in Communications and Art History with a 3.9 GPA

Interest Democracy and Human Rights I wrote a 15-page research paper about human trafficking for an Human Rights course which won the GW Undergraduate

Research Writing Award

Experience Social Media Strategically utilize and manage Twitter, Facebook, and blogs as outreach coordinator for student organization

Experience Microsoft Office Suite I am proficient in the Microsoft Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Experience Collaborate with Others Worked on a collaborative team of 5 to develop and implement communication outreach for GW students.

Experience Meet tight deadlines Manage multiple deadlines successfully, including full academic load, student leadership, & intramural sports.

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Career Services for GW International Students

Walk-In Career

Coaching

Intl Student TOP 10 Job Search Tips

Employer Information

Sessions & Site Visits

Intl Student Webpage

Career/Job Information

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International Student Career Ambassadors

GW's International Student Career Ambassador (ISCA) Program provides peer-to-peer career advising for all international students, including graduate/professional

students across all degree programs.

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Program Evaluation

• Check email for a link to evaluation or go.gwu.edu/ccsprogrameval

• Should take approximately 2 minutes – Professional Development – Marketing – About You

• Comments & Ideas

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• Find Your Career Center • https://careerservices.gwu.edu/university-career-services-centers

• Colonial Crossroads, Marvin Center 505 • Careerservices.gwu.edu • gwcareercenter@gwu.edu • 202.994.6495

Questions?

Connect & engage with your career center !

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Introductions

• Introduce yourself to others that – Handshake, eye contact, smile – First/last name, degree, country

• Discuss and report back – How do you find a job in your home country ? – How do you think you find a job in the U.S.? – What would you like to learn about?

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Top 10 Skills Sought by U.S. Employers*

1. Verbally communicate with others in/out of organization 2. Work in a team structure 3. Make decisions and solve problems 4. Plan, organize, and prioritize work 5. Obtain and process information 6. Analyze quantitative data 7. Technical knowledge related to the job 8. Proficiency with computer software programs 9. Create and/or edit written reports 10. Sell or influence others

** National Association of College and Employers, Annual Survey of Employers, December 2013

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Int’l Student Career Success Series • 7 Workshops and Events * (9/3 - • Student Participation (U.S. learning) Rules

– Ask questions when you have one – Respond to questions when I ask – Introduce yourself to others – Participate in the exercises – No such thing as a stupid question. Never!

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Agenda

• What would you like to learn? • Purpose of cover letter and link to

resume • Format and types of cover letters • Tips for writing cover letters • Draft your cover letter • Review and improve with partner • Questions