This document provides guidance on creating effective resumes and cover letters. It discusses the purpose and common styles of resumes, how to tailor resume content to specific jobs, and tips for structuring different resume sections. Common mistakes to avoid are outlined. Cover letters are described as complementing the resume and introducing the applicant to the prospective employer. The recommended structure and content of cover letters is explained.

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Cherag Kalapesi
Career Development Officer
Career Service
Level 2 C8A
www.careers.mq.edu.au
Resumes & Cover letters

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Agenda
• Resumes
• Tailoring your resume
• Common Mistakes & Common Questions
• Cover Letters

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› Internships/ Work Experience
› Job applications (casual jobs and graduate jobs)
› Postgraduate study applications
› Scholarship application
› Networking, establishing contacts
Why use a resume?

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Different resume styles
• Traditional (reverse chronological)
• Skills-based
• Academic
• International variations
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/example_cvs.htm

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Resumes for internships and
job applications
Purpose of a resume
• To demonstrate your :
– Knowledge
– Qualifications
– Skills
– Experience
– Motivations
– Personal Qualities
• Show alignment with the stated selection criteria
• To get you an interview

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- What is my resume being used for?
Purpose
- Who will read my resume? Context
- What will they be looking for?
RelevanceGENERAL RESUME TAILORED RESUME
GENERAL RESUME v/s TAILORED RESUME

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TAILOR YOUR CONTENT

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How to tailor your application….
Step 1: Analyse job advertisements for selection criteria and tasks.
Step 2: Research the employer
Step 3: Link your own skills and experiences to the selection criteria
Step 4: Determine the style and format of the resume and cover letter
Fit of
needs &
wants
Employer:
Which candidate(s) will add
the most value in the job
Applicant:
Understand more about the
job and company. Decide
whether or not to apply
Two-way
decision

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At ANZ we are in an exciting period as we work towards becoming a super regional
bank. We are widening our presence in Asia and leveraging off our strong foundations in
Australia and New Zealand, to become the growth bank in the growth region. As an ANZ
intern you will have the opportunity to be a part of this journey as you add value from
your first day, delivering real work with real results.
Our internship program is designed to give students a real breadth of exposure across
the function they join. All of our interns are provided with exposure to a customer-facing
area, receive an in-depth induction and on-the-job training and experiences.
Who we look for
Whatever your degree discipline and career aspirations, we look for people who are:
- driven to perform and achieve excellence
- people who are innovative
- find creative solutions
- work collaboratively
- people who are accountable
- people who deliver for our customers.
You need to have completed/be completing your undergraduate or postgraduate
studies in 2010, 2011 or 2012 and have at least a credit (65%) average.
STEP 1: Analyzing the job advert

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STEP 2: Research Employer/ Role
The organisation:
– Customers, Products and Services
– Organisational culture & industry challenges
The role/program:
– Responsibilities & likely day-to-day tasks
– Interactions within teams and other teams
– Career progression
Research until you can answer the following:
– What does the employer really need/want?
– What skills & competencies do I possess that make me suitable?
– How can I add value, and how can I communicate my value?

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STEP 3: Linking skills/qualities to selection criteria
Skills/ Experience/Qualities Evidence
Deliver for customers
Work collaboratively
Finding creative solutions
Innovative
Driven to excel
Accountable
Developed customer service skills through a variety of
casual jobs.
Took part in the Deloitte Fast-tack program where our team
was responsible for creating an innovative business proposal.
Each team member was assigned a specific role and we
worked together to create, analyse and finally implement our
new initiative.
“An ability to smell fear is a quality I’ve never seen
listed on a resume before….”

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Transferable skills
• Transferable skills are skills that can be taken with you and applied
to new situations.
• Include things like
- customer service
- communication
- team work
- problem solving
• Making the links between the skills from your prior and current
experiences and your desired job will demonstrate your suitability

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STEP 4: Compile your tailored resume
Key categories of information to include are:
– Contact Details
– Career Objective
– Academic Qualifications/ Courses Attended/ Relevant Training
– Skills & Attributes
– Relevant/ Other Work Experience
– Leadership
– Voluntary Experience
– Professional Memberships
– Extra-Curricular Activities/Interests
– Referees

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CAREER OBJECTIVES
•Should:
– Be meaningful
– Link your goals to attributes sought
– Be concise (2-3 lines)
• Create after you complete your research and resume

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Career Objective example
I am an accounting student and am looking to gain some relevant experience in the
working world. I wish to work for an organisation that will offer me a challenging
position and support me in my future development.
I am a penultimate year accounting student seeking an internship within the
institutional arm of a leading corporate bank, where I am able to utilise my strong
communication and analytical skills and work in a multi-disciplinary environment.

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EDUCATION
Bachelor of Applied Finance
Macquarie University, Expected completion December 2012
GPA: 3.2 (out of 4.0)
Key subjects (list 3-5 that are relevant to job you are applying to)
ACST201 Financial Techniques, Instruments and Markets
AFIN328 Financial Risk Management
AFIN329 Security Pricing and Hedging
Major projects (optional)
Developed a greater understanding of derivative pricing methods through a group
project that required us to use empirical data to model a suitable price for a range of
exotic instruments.
Achievement:
Placed on the Dean’s Honours List in 2011 for strong academic performance
Was ranked third (in a class of 95 students) in AFIN 329: Financial Risk Management

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RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE
HR Administrator Apr 2010 - Mar 2011 (4 hours a week)
Jacob & Sons
J&S is a small privately owned business consultancy servicing the mining and
resources sector. My responsibilities included:
• Processing reference requests and employment history checks
• Assisting in the recruitment process
• Maintaining the HR database
• Providing administrative support in disciplinary and grievance processes
• Providing reception support
Achievement – negotiated advertising fees with seek.com and saved the company
20% on normal advertising cost.

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02/2010 – 09/2011 Target - Electronic Products Service Consultant
• Customer service
• Sales
Other Experience
Task-focussed
No insight into actual responsibilities
Not skills-focussed
No evidence of skill development
No evidence of achievement
Not relevant to jobs outside of retail
What is wrong with this description?

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Customer Service
Enhancing your content
• Developed strong verbal communication skills by
dealing with customers both over the phone and in
person on the shop floor.
• Ensured customer satisfaction by understanding
customer requirements, making appropriate
recommendations, and providing after-sales support.
• Educating myself about various products through
product literature and online product reviews
• Proactively promoting products to customers,
resulting in being awarded ‘Employee of the Month’
for April 2008.
Sales

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PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP
• List any professional associations you are a member of
• Include level of membership (student, associate, professional)
Tips Get involved by attending events, training, conferences
Keep knowledge current by reading journals & research

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EXRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES/ INTERESTS
• Include any extra-curricular activities
eg clubs and societies on campus
• Include your interests and hobbies
eg sport, social, community, volunteer involvement
Tips Detail can vary depending on your level of activity

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Enhancing content
“Hobbies: Swimming, tennis, hockey, socializing”Basic
Member of the M.U Hockey Club (2010 - present)
“I enjoy participating in hockey as it provides me with an opportunity to
expand my communication, teamwork and leadership skills. We recently
participated in Unigames defeating Sydney University 3-1.”
Advanced

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REFEREES
Prof John Davidson
Honours thesis supervisor
University of Sydney
Ph 02 9351 XXXX
j.davidson@sydney.edu.au
Ms Jane Burrows
Manager
XXX BioTech Labs, West Ryde
Ph 02 9123 4567
M 0414 333 333
jane.burrows@biotech.net.au
Tips 2-3 referees
Must be able to comment on your work & technical skills
Always ask their permission first, and keep them informed
‘Referees on request’ also permissible in certain circumstances

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WHAT DO YOU SEE….?
What do you see?

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FORMATTING TIPS
› Easy to read
› Concise
› Positive
› Specific
› Well structured
› Consistent style & format
› No spelling errors

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REMEMBER
• Generally 2-3 pages in length
• Put your education and work details in reverse chronological order
(start with your most recent)
• Within each section, put the most relevant/interesting information first
• Highlight your achievements
• Keep it honest
• Name and page in footer, use your name/company name to save the
document

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COMMON MISTAKES
• Spelling and grammatical errors
• Unclear abbreviations or acronyms
• Font too small (or too large)
• Too wordy, too brief, poor wording
• Not tailored for the vacancy or organisation
• Not clear, leaves reader with questions
• Fancy gimmicks
(borders, highlighting, many fonts and colours)
• ‘Fun’ email address, no voicemail
• Incorrect contact details
• Lack of detail about your studies
• Overstated claims, bluffing

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COVER LETTERS

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PURPOSE
Complements your resume
Introduces you to prospective employer
Way of showcasing relevant parts of
your education and experience
Chance for you to convince the
employer you want to work for them
Resume
Resume +
Cover Letter

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CONTENTS
Includes your:
– Career goals/motivations
– Relevant knowledge, skills & experience
– Personal Qualities
Should:
– Be succinct, relevant & interesting (max. 1 page)
– Show originality
– DEMONSTRATE YOUR FIT TO ORGANISATION AND ROLE

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STRUCTURE
Paragraph 1 – Introduction
Paragraph 2 – Why Me
Paragraph 3 – Why Them
Paragraph 4 – The Hoped-For Result of Your Letter

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RULES
Adopt professional business letter conventions
Tailor each letter to each job/company
There will be some overlap between cover letter and resume
Don’t assume cover letter and resume will both be read
Spelling and grammar are critical

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