3. COVER LETTERS AND RÉSUMÉS
FATAL FLAW #1
Not Knowing the Purpose
of Résumés and Cover
Letters
4. • To present one’s backgrounds and skills.
• To summarize relevant job experiences and
education.
• To screen applicants.
THE PURPOSE OF RÉSUMÉS:
FATAL FLAW #1:
NOT KNOWING THE PURPOSE OF RÉSUMÉS & COVER LETTERS
5. Résumé:
Often one of the first items, along with a cover letter,
which a potential employer sees regarding the job seeker.
A marketing document:
• A way for one to BRAND and sell qualifications, experience and skills
• Representation of your professional self – your skills, your successes,
your strengths
A streamlined document that provides the reader with the
most essential information:
• NOT a work history “legal” document any longer
• It should be focused on the position / industry you are applying to
FATAL FLAW #1:
NOT KNOWING THE PURPOSE OF RÉSUMÉS & COVER LETTERS
6. THE PURPOSE OF COVER LETTERS:
FATAL FLAW #1:
NOT KNOWING THE PURPOSE OF RÉSUMÉS & COVER LETTERS
• To introduce yourself and your resume to an
employer.
• To explain why you are applying for a job.
• To detail why you are a good match for the
organization and the position.
8. KNOW…
• Your PURPOSE: Internship, Summer job, Full
time position, Free Lance Experience, Graduate
School, Job before Graduation?
• Your INDUSTRY: Design vs. Business,
Sciences/Research vs. Sales/Marketing
• YOURSELF: Assess personal skills, strengths,
weaknesses, accomplishments, special projects
(How have these things helped guide you to the
internship or job you want?)
FATAL FLAW #2:
NOT KNOWING YOUR GOAL
9. BECAUSE…
• Your PURPOSE: Will help you explain why you
are applying to this particular job and create your
objective.
• Your INDUSTRY: Will help you shape how you
create your resume.
• YOURSELF: Will guide how you develop your
cover letter and why they should hire you.
FATAL FLAW #2:
NOT KNOWING YOUR GOAL
10. COVER LETTERS AND RÉSUMÉS:
FATAL FLAW #3
Not Researching
the Company
11. • Major-Specific Resources
• Job and Internship Sites
• ExperienceLink – online job posting site
• Log-on using your DelVal username and DelVal
password
• ReferenceUSA – site to search for field-
related companies and businesses
FATAL FLAW #3:
NOT RESEARCHING THE COMPANY
14. COVER LETTERS AND RÉSUMÉS:
FATAL FLAW #4
NOT Listing Every Single
Experience You Ever Had
…on your sloppy copy!
15. Focus on the experiences you do have:
• School work – projects, presentations, specific
assignments
• Coursework – developed skills, learned processes
• Student Groups – on campus
• Professional Organizations – events, meetings,
benefits
FATAL FLAW #4:
NOT LISTING YOUR RELEVANT EXPERIENCES
16. STEP 1: BRAINSTORM
• General Experiences
• College Experience
• Volunteer work
• Skills
• High School Experiences
• Awards and Things You are Proud of
Questions to ask yourself:
Where do I spend most of my time?
What do I enjoy doing?
FATAL FLAW #4:
NOT LISTING YOUR RELEVANT EXPERIENCES
18. STEP 2: ORGANIZE AND STRUCTURE:
• Summary/Objective
• Education
• Experience
• Skills
• Activities
• Awards
• Professional Development
FATAL FLAW #4:
NOT LISTING YOUR RELEVANT EXPERIENCES
19.
20. STEP 2: ORGANIZE AND STRUCTURE:
• Print on high-quality, 8.5-inch-by-11-inch paper.
• Experiment with fonts and layout styles to see
what looks attractive. Adjust font sizes as is
beneficial, but start with:
• Your Name: 14-point type
• Headings: 12-point type
• Body: 11-point type
FATAL FLAW #4:
NOT LISTING YOUR RELEVANT EXPERIENCES
21. COVER LETTERS AND RÉSUMÉS:
FATAL FLAW #5
Not Tailoring Your Resume
and Cover Letter for Every
Job
22. Types of Resumes:
• Chronological
• Skills/Functional
• Hybrid of Functional and Chronological
• Scannable
• Web/online resume
• Video Resume
• Infographic Resume
FATAL FLAW #5:
NOT TAILORING YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER
23. Chronological:
• Summarizes what you did in reverse order.
• Is the traditional résumé format.
• Is used to show a logical preparation for the
job or a steady progression leading to the
present.
FATAL FLAW #5:
NOT TAILORING YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER
24. FATAL FLAW #5:
NOT TAILORING YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER
Chronological:
For each job, list:
• The position title
• The organization
• The city and state
• The dates of employment
• Details such as full- or part-time status, job duties,
special responsibilities, or promotions
25. FATAL FLAW #5:
NOT TAILORING YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER
Chronological:
For each bullet:
• Use detail and strong verbs
(Recruit, Manage, Design, Create, Collaborate)
• Use parallel verb structure
(Past tense vs. present tense)
26. • Avoid abbreviations
• Quantify accomplishments wherever possible
• Place all dates on the right side of the resume
• Maintain consistent font style, spacing, indentation, capitalization
and bullet style
• Equal amounts of white space and text
• Use phrases that start with action verbs
• Maintain consistency in verb tense with phrases in the experience
section
FATAL FLAW #5:
NOT TAILORING YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER
28. Example – Retail Sales Experience
Wet Seal Inc., King of Prussia, PA September 2003 - February 2005
Sales Associate
• Totaled the cash register and credit card receipts.
• Remodeled the store at night for a new look everyday.
• Set good customer service reputations and increased sales.
FATAL FLAW #5:
NOT TAILORING YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER
29. Example #1 – Retail Sales Experience
Wet Seal Inc., King of Prussia, PA September 2003 - February 2005
Sales Associate
• Total the cash register and credit card receipts.
• Remodeled the store at night for a new look everyday.
• Set good customer service reputations and increase sales.
TO….
• Conducted apparel sales and merchandising activities for a large
contemporary retailer.
• Assisted with visual merchandising, floor sets, and product pricing of floor-
ready merchandise.
• Developed effective sales presentations increasing individual customer sales
by 15%.
FATAL FLAW #5:
NOT TAILORING YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER
30. Example #2 – Work Study (On-Campus) Experience
Delaware Valley College , Doylestown, PA September 2013 – Present
Joseph Krauskopf Memorial Library Student Worker
• Manage the Interlibrary Loan department. Fulfill requests for research
material resulting in a strong knowledge of available resources and
research skills.
• Monitor the computer records and keep the records up-to-date. Inform
members of the student body of the status of their requests.
TO….
• Managed research material requests and offered resource knowledge to over
1000 students, faculty and staff.
• Monitored nearly 1300 inventory records regarding resources utilizing
Microsoft Excel and Interlibrary Loan database.
• Communicated with members of the student body about status requests.
FATAL FLAW #5:
NOT TAILORING YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER
33. FATAL FLAW #5:
NOT TAILORING YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER
Scannable:
• Use keywords section under your name
Include language that describes your personality, as well as abilities:
dependable, skill in time management, leadership, artistic skills
• Use one common font
• A standard typeface (Courier, Times Roman)
• 12- to 14-point type
• No italics, underlining, boldface, lines, borders, bullets
• A single column and no indented or centered text.
• Phone numbers on separate lines.
• Plenty of white space.
34. FATAL FLAW #5:
NOT TAILORING YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER
Types of Cover Letters:
• Solicited
• Unsolicited
Format of Cover Letters:
• Square letter
• “T” letter
35. SOLICITED:
• State that you are applying for the job.
Phrase the job title as the source phrased it.
• Develop major qualifications in detail.
• Develop other qualifications, even if the
source didn’t ask for them.
• Ask for an interview.
FATAL FLAW #5:
NOT TAILORING YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER
36. UNSOLICITED:
• Create a bridge between the attention-getter
and your qualifications.
Focus on what you know and can do.
• Develop your strong points in detail.
• Ask for an interview.
• Weigh the risks of sending.
FATAL FLAW #5:
NOT TAILORING YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER
37. FINAL THOUGHTS
• To pdf or not to pdf?
• Objective vs. Summary
• Important to know your company
• Network
• LinkedIn – DelVal’s Student and Alumni
Networking Group
38. Center for Student Professional
Development
• One-on-one appointments available
• Mock interviews, resume reviews, job
searching, career guidance
• Segal Hall, 1st floor
• Stacy.Swearengen@delval.edu
QUESTIONS?
