Resumes and cover letters
- 1. Resumes & Cover Letters Ann Blasick Associate Director, Women in Engineering
- 2. Women in Engineering Coffee Talks - Thursdays from 2-3PM in Clough Lounge WIE Banquet & Scholarships Tuesday, April 2nd from 6-9PM at GT Hotel & Convention Center WIE Ambassador Program Training this Saturday from 9AM Noon in Clough 423 2
- 3. A Introductory Note This is a template you will grow in to over the next 4+ years Be sure to update your resume every semester 3
- 4. Resumes Single most important vehicle in job search Goal: To get an interview; not a job Filename: George Burdell Resume.doc Survive the scan. How much time will the average recruiter spend looking at your resume? 4
- 5. Appearance & Organization Looks professional A note on font size, font type and margins Separate sections and enough white space Bullets, bolding and lines used to guide readers' eyes Consistent formatting Items in reverse chronological order One page in length* 5
- 6. Language Free from grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors Uses correct tense verbs to begin phrases Has short action-oriented phrases instead of complete sentences Avoid using I, my or me Acronyms are spelled out 6
- 7. Sections Contact Info Objective Education Experience Paid or Unpaid Jobs, Research, Projects Skills Leadership, Activities, Awards 7
- 8. Contact Info Clearly presented at the top Use same format on cover letter and references for personal branding purposes Includes email, address, and telephone Voicemail is your own voice and is professional Email address is professional 8
- 9. Objective Specifies type of job (co-op, internship, or entry- level) you are seeking Specifies semester you are available Specifies if youre targeting specific industry or type of work 9
- 10. Education Starts with most recent school, city, state, degree, and dates A note on GPA List minor/certificate programs, honors program, scholarships List previous university if transfer student or 2nd degree student List study abroad experience A note about coursework 10
- 11. Experience Includes each paid, volunteer or leadership experience Includes organization, job title, city, state, dates and job bullets Job bullets stress responsibilities and accomplishments Include quantifiable results when possible Start job bullet with verbs A note on class projects and work unrelated to your major 11
- 12. Skills Think outside of the box Includes computer programs, operating systems, programming languages, hardware, lab equipment, technical writing, public speaking, sales, public speaking, technical concepts, foreign languages, certifications, web design, etc! Great section to include key words that employers look for! Translate your classes in to skills Civil Engineering Materials Basic knowledge of properties of fibers, polymers, metals and and timber 12
- 13. Leadership, Activities, Awards Includes clubs, professional organizations, volunteer work, athletics, musical instruments Include name of organization, office held and dates Bullets stress responsibilities and accomplishments Employers look for quality rather than quantity 13
- 14. Cover Letters Establishes a connection between you and the employer by detailing the qualifications you have for their particular job and company Describes your skills and experiences in greater detail Follows a business format of one page with 3 or 4 paragraphs When is a cover letter necessary? 14
- 15. Cover Letters Opening Paragraph: Why You Are Writing Identifies position youre applying for and how you heard about the position Identifies who you are Describe 3-4 qualities you will bring to the internship Middle Paragraph(s): What You Have To Offer Expands on 3 qualities you cited in opening paragraph as well as other qualifications that you meet Expresses your potential to contribute to the company Closing Paragraph: Thank-you & How You Will Follow Up 15
- 16. Questions? Ann Blasick Women in Engineering ann.blasick@coe.gatech.edu 16