BS 150 info

1. Resumes Dos and Donts BS 150: Business Writing

2. DO Be Honest Include the specific months and years of your employment Just including the years raises a red flag with hiring managers Explain your gaps in employment note; denote them as “personal sabbatical” but indicate what you did during that time

3. DON’T Brag State the hard facts that illustrate your success but stay away from proclaiming yourself the hottest thing since sliced bread

4. DO Tailor EACH Resume to the Specific Position The resume is the snapshot of what you bring to the table; the cover letter sells you for the interview The resume tells the recruiter or hiring manager why they should read the cover letter No cookie cutter resumes Each resume should be tailored to the specific job you’re looking to acquire

5. DON’T Pad Your Resume with Meaningless Content Don’t put college/high school activities or activities that are older than 7 years old on your resume You want up-to-date, job-relevant experiences in your resume

6. Keep the Fonts Simple Use simple fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, or Georgia Don’t use fancy fonts that are hard to read Keep the margins between .5” and 1.0” all the way around

7. DON’T Underestimate the Importance of Details No typos in your resume Be sure to include your contact phone number, mailing address, and email address Always come to an interview prepared with a reference sheet

8. How to Amp Up Your Resume Ways to Amp up the Resume How to Amp up the Resume (cont’d) Include a profile rather than an objective Indicate what you’ve accomplished, not simply what you CAN do Put an emphasis on your continuous learning through seminars, workshops, etc. Do not include EVERYTHING; this is a snapshot, not a biography Take off “References available upon request” Send your resume to a SPECIFIC person via mail rather than email (which can be spammed out) Get out and network w/ people; don’t spend all your time on Monster (less than 5% of job seekers find employment through them)

9. How to Amp Up Your Cover Letter How to Amp Up Your Cover Letter How to Amp Up Your Cover Letter (cont’d) A cover letter tells the employer who you are and why you’re interested in working for them Find out what’s going on in the company and connect your qualifications to that Intertwine a personal story or two to illustrate your qualifications A resume and cover letter are two separate documents Don’t rehash one on the other Give the reader your track record and let them draw their own conclusions