Chapter Ten
Technical Resumes & Cover Letters
Types of Resumes
Resume - short one- or two-page document that describes your relevant education, experience, and skills for a particular job
Chronological Resume
provides a short history of your education and work experience.
lists your education and work history in reverse chronological order with the most recent educational achievement and job experience listed first
typically includes the following sections
contact information
objectives/goal
education
experience
professional memberships and affiliations
licenses and certifications
awards and honors
easiest type of resume to write
they make it easy for an employer to guess your age
more likely to face age discrimination
hard to illustrate your specific qualifications or unique abilities
Functional Resume
showcases your strengths and skills relevant to the job, including transferable skills
transferable skills - skills that were developed for one type of job
functional resumes include
contact information
profile, which is a short description of the individual focusing on relevant experience and skills
skills summary, which is usually a bulleted list of skills relevant to the position
professional experience categorized by skills rather than positions held
employment history, which is often a short listing of positions in reverse chronological order
education, which is usually in reverse chronological order
useful to stress one’s skills and accomplishments as well as camouflage a spotty employment history or lack of direct work experience in the position
does not clearly show an applicant’s career development over time
tend to be textually heavy - having to get through paragraphs may get your resume filed in the circular file
red flag to employers - they know that this style is used to hide gaps in employment or a lack of direct job-related experience
entry level resume
used when the employee does not have a detailed job history or much ‘real-world’ experience
tend to be much shorter and skills focused
experience and skills acquired through volunteering and membership organizations are often used to supplement a short employment history
expectations concerning work history and depth of experience is lower
online resume
some companies provide resume builders that guide an applicant through building a resume online
a typical resume builder will have fields related to contact information, education, work experience, and references
online resume - it was composed and stored online’
if composing the resume through the resume builder it will have all of the relevant information that an employer wants
may not allow applicants to include other relevant information that may set the applicant apart
scannable resume
scannable resume - one that can easily be ‘read’ or scanned by a computer program
keep two things in mind - keywords and simple formatting
the computer program will search for keywords that the employer believes will identify appropriate candidates
also need to include keywords in the resume that you think the employer wants the software to find
keywords need to be relevant to the applicant’s education and experience
employer’s job announcement and job description is a good place to mine for keywords
formatting is important and should be kept simple
using a consistent font that is common
size and font stay the same throughout
avoid fancy formatting like bullet points, tables, charts and other visuals
keep spacing consistent
Types of Letters of Employment
recommendation request
writing to a potential reference, such as a college professor, a co-worker, or supervisor, seeking a written recommendation that you can use in your job search
things to consider
you cannot and should not tell your potential reference what to put in your letter of reference; only include some details about your professional accomplishments and other facts to help your potential reference compose the letter
note any pertinent timelines if there is a deadline to meet
include contact information, including address, phone number and email address
don’t forget to thank your reference prospect for considering your request, but don’t assume in your letter that the recommendation will be forthcoming
letters of inquiry
letter of inquiry - an unsolicited letter to prospective employers presenting yourself as a potential candidate for the positions with the employer that match your interests and qualifications
usually demonstrates some knowledge and interest in the organization and the work it does
provide a brief snapshot of your relevant qualifications for the type of positions of which you have interests
resume is usually included with the letter of inquiry
follow-up letters
sent to prospective employer after an interview to demonstrate continued interest
no more than one page and the three-paragraph structure works best
first paragraph to remind the reader of the position you interviewed for and thank them for the opportunity of the interview
second paragraph briefly summarize your qualifications for the position
final paragraph should restate your interest in the position and your appreciation for the interview
refusal and rejection letters
rejection letter - sent by prospective employer informing you that you did not get the job
refusal letter - a letter you send if you decide to decline the job offer
compose a refusal letter for several reasons
determining the position is not a good fit
the compensation offered was too low
you received a better offer elsewhere
be short and do not burn bridges
avoid making negative comments about the employer
acceptance letters
letter should be short and sweet
indicate appreciation for the opportunity and acceptance of the other
a place to confirm the terms of the offer such as pay, benefits, start date, and other special terms of employment agreed upon in your acceptance to avoid misunderstandings later on
Parts of a Resume | Sections & Components
Resume - a brief summary of professional, educational, and personal accomplishments that is used to acquire a job
Professional experience
contains the dates of employment, job titles, job duties and accomplishments
selling points - specific responsibilities or relevant achievements in order to best match the position
need to be easily viewed because they inform the potential employer about how he could be a valuable asset to the company
Education
consists of the individual’s college information and also certificates, work seminars or academic awards
if college degree was not completed, it is appropriate to list specific, relevant classes with estimated graduation dates and degrees
excellent GPA should be mentioned in this section too
shows evidence of expertise and goals
Personal Accomplishments
the last part of your resume and consist of work-related organizations, memberships and volunteer activities along with an explanation of the positions and duties of those achievements
people who lack work experience find volunteering allows them to increase the evidence of their skills on their resume
Tailoring the Content of Your Resume for a Job
in order to get an interview, you need to tailor your resume specifically for the advertised position
it needs to be adapted and tweaked in order to apply for different positions
develop a basic resume that can be altered depending on the job requirements
How to Tailor Your Resume - ASSD
avoid using one resume
tailor each resume to the characteristics requested in the classified job listings
look for keywords or phrases that match the advertised job description
Scrutinize job ad
carefully examine the job advertisement for specific keywords
i.e.. customer service, analytical, payroll, graphic design software experience, etc.
ensure the keywords appear on your resume listing related job experience
Selling points
are the applicant’s achievements and accomplishments that can be used to inform the potential employer about how you could be a valuable asset to the company
Downsize
do not sent a resume to a potential employer that is longer than 2 pages
showcase relevant job experience that matches what the job ad demands
remove all work that is not related to the position you are applying for
Formatting Your Resume: Layout & Distribution Types
layout - the way the text and information is arranged and organized on the page
opt for bullet points to emphasize key selling points, achievements and accomplishments
limit font style and be consistent. italics and bolding should be used in small doses, and underlining should be avoided completely.
embrace white space - use 1-inch margins and spacing to draw the reader’s eye to segments of information
two-font limit. Use one font for your heading and one for the rest of the resume
distribution type - how the resume is requested to be sent to the human resource manager
if a resume is requested to be sent by Microsoft Word, save with a .doc extension; PDF has a .pdf extension
different distribution types
traditional word processing - consists of any word processing software, ie. Microsoft Work, Apple doc or Goggle doc
PDF - the safest distribution type; an open-format document created by Adobe Systems in 1993.
major advantage is you do not need special software to open
easily viewed across all platforms
ASCII or plain text - American Standard Code for Information Interchange; it allows a document to be read with any type of computer system
disadvantage is that it does not keep software specific formats. resumes can lose all formatting changes when copy and pasted into plain text format
Technical Writing Examples: Resumes
technical resume - emphasizes specialized skills the individual possesses to successfully be a talented worker in various engineering, mechanical, and scientific disciplines
Resume structure
at the top: name, hometown, email and telephone number
summary statement, or headline, that briefly gives your occupation, years of experience, major talents, and aspirations for employment
educational background
experience and work history
list of awards, certifications, computer skills
pertinent activities such as speeches or presentations related to the profession
can also add personal activities to show the applicant’s more human side such as hobbies, exercise preferences and musical interests
resume should also distinguish between
tangible technical skills:
audio communication
computer abilities
general knowledge
research talents
visual communication
intangible skills:
efficiency
insight
interpersonal
office communication
team player
Cover Letter | Definition, Format & Examples
cover letter - job applicant’s credentials and interest in the position. Informs the potential employer what you are enclosing in the email or letter, and also explains why you are contacting them. It also explains why they should consider hiring you for the position.
Cover letter heading should match you resume
name, full postal address, home phone/cell phone, email address
the next line is the date followed by a space
the contact information of the potential employer
limit your cover letter to 3 paragraphs. make it direct, short and well written
first paragraph
quickly explain why you are interested in the position
next two sentences should be you selling point - why you would be beneficial to the company
second paragraph
this is where you expand on your qualifications and experiences
the explanation should explain why you would be a perfect fit for the advertised position
it is critical to associate your strengths and accomplishments with what the company is looking for in their position
this paragraph should be no longer than 5 sentences to keep the reader’s interest
third paragraph
this is where you provide the reason why the employer should read your resume and contact you
cover letter close
the end of the letter should have a complementary close
i.e. respectfully, sincerely and regards
do not use “thank you” as a close
finally add your written signature with your name typed underneath
signature and name should match your resume exactly
Curriculum Vitae | CV Definition, Structure & Purpose
curriculum vitae - a detailed biographical overview of a person’s education, relevant experiences, and other information that demonstrates the person’s professional qualifications
longer and more detailed that a resume
CV’s are used for purposes other than job applications
research grant applications
submissions for publication
consulting work
demonstrating qualifications for professional presentations
leadership positions
structure and content of a CV
section giving general information including name, address, phone number, fax number, email and professional website
educational background including academic degrees, the institution where she received each degree, and the year each degree was obtained
dissertation abstract as well as past and current postdoctoral research with a short statement of research interest
awards and academic honors received during and after graduate school, including years each was obtained and the conferring institution
fellowships held and grants awarded with the relevant dates and institutions
all academic work published as well as a subsection of work in progress
presentations given at professional workshops and seminars
teaching experience as a graduate assistant as well as teaching interests
any language you have proficiency in
workshops and seminars attended, and all academic certificates received relevant to the field
memberships to relevant professional organizations under professional affiliations
community service activities and leadership roles held
three references
this is not the only way to compose a CV and they are usually personal in nature
formatting and style
CV uses one-inch margins, and can go up to one and a half inches without being unprofessional
Arial or Times New Roman, with 12-point size; larger that 12 may not look professional and going smaller than 11-point becomes difficult to read
italics and bold for emphasis on important information and for heading/subheadings
dates are placed to the right side of each entry
reverse chronological order - newest events or information first
footer or header for each page after the first page, which includes name and page number
white space to give the reader somewhere to rest their eye to avoid reader fatigue
formatting and style remain consistent from page one to the end