Resume and Cover Letter Guide PDF

Unveiling the Art of Cover Letters and Resume: Crafting Your Path to Opportunity RESUME What Is A Resume?  A resume is a formal document that a job applicant creates to outline his/her qualifications for a position. It is a short and quick way for a job seeker to introduce...

Unveiling the Art of Cover Letters and Resume: Crafting Your Path to Opportunity RESUME What Is A Resume?  A resume is a formal document that a job applicant creates to outline his/her qualifications for a position. It is a short and quick way for a job seeker to introduce his/herself to potential employer. A RESUME INCLUDES: Contact Information: Name, address, phone number, and email address Objective or Summary: A brief statement summarizing the applicant's career goals and what they hope to achieve in the position. Work Experience: A list of previous jobs, including job titles, company names, locations, and dates of employment, along with a summary of key responsibilities and achievements. A RESUME INCLUDES: Education: Information about the applicant's academic background, including degrees earned, institutions attended, and graduation dates. Skills: A section highlighting relevant skills, such as technical skills, languages spoken, and other competencies. Certifications and Licenses: Any relevant professional certifications or licenses.  A RESUME INCLUDES: Volunteer Work or Extracurricular Activities: Information about volunteer work or involvement in extracurricular activities that are relevant to the job. Awards and Honors: Recognition or awards received that are pertinent to the job application. Professional Affiliations: Membership in professional organizations or associations. Why Do I Need A Resume?  Establishing Professional Identity - A resume helps establish and communicate the candidate's professional identity, including their expertise, areas of specialization, and unique value proposition.  HighlightingQualifications - It allows candidates to highlight their relevant skills, experience, and accomplishments in a structured format.  Job Applications - Employers typically require a resume as part of the job application process to evaluate a candidate's qualifications, work history, and suitability for the position.  Preparationfor Interviews - A resume serves as a reference point during interviews, helping both the candidate and the interviewer focus on key experiences and skills How To Make A Resume?  Tointroduce yourself to hiring manager and be given a chance to be in an interview and be chosen to have a job. Forthose who do not have have direct connections to killer jobs, a resume is essential to getting foot in the door. Font Style:  Never use cartoon fonts.  Serif Fonts: for reliable, authoritive, and traditional - Times New Roman - Bell MT - Bodoni MT - Bookman Old Style - Cambria - Goudy Old Style - Calibri - Garamond - Georgia  San-Serif Fonts: for being clean, universal, modern, objective and stable - Helvetica - Century Gothic - Arial - Gill Sans MT - Verdana - Lucida Sans - Trebuchet MS - Tahoma Margins:  Keepyour margins to ½ to 1 inch on all side of the paper, especially if you are sending your resume to anyone you think might print it out. Font Size:  Withthe exception of your name which can be larger, you want to keep your font size between 10 to 12 point.  Rememberthat some fonts are larger and/or smaller than others.  Feelfree to tweak your font size a bit to make it fit, but keep it readable. Spacing:  Generally,single spacing works the best, with a blank line between each section of content. Paper:  Use off-white, ivory or bright paper and always stick to the standard 8 ½ x 11 paper in the highest quality you can afford. Example (Parts):  HEADER: - Name - Address, - Cellphone number - Email  OBJECTIVE  EDUCATION - Tertiary - Secondary - Primary PERSONAL INFORMATION - Birthday - Place of birth - Weight - Height - Status - Nationality - Religion  Affiliation  Workshops / Seminars  Skills and Values  Character References  Signature Tips In Making A Resume Your resume is yours. -Be honest. Use action verbs and power words to give your resume life, but don’t let anyone carried away and overstate your skills, positions, or abilities. Your resume is tailored. -Your goals are clear as are your skills, areas of expertise and or body of experience.  Yourresume is aesthetically pleasing. -It should be clean, concise and have a simple structure that allows reader to immediately know what they are looking for. - It is balanced and flows between sections smoothly. It is not crowded, the margins are clean, and the fonts are professional. It is devoid of any errors. No missing periods, no misspelled words, no grammar issues.  Your resume is complete. -Everything you need to include is indicated - your name, current phone number and accurate email address, a listing of all the jobs you have held (in reverse chronological order), educational degrees (including any certifications and the highest degree achieved in reverse chronological order) and any targeted information that will help a hiring manager realize you are the perfect candidate.  Your resume is accurate. -Jobs listed also include your title, the name of the company or organization you worked with, the city and state where you worked and the years you were employed.  Your resume is focused. -It is clear and concise. o Your resume is short. -One page to two pages max, depending on your field, level of experience and skill set. Learn the balance between not saying enough to saying just enough.  Your resume is relevant. -Never include anything on a resume that might turn off an employer including political or religious affiliations, anything controversial, or that could be taken in negative light.  Your resume is professional. -This includes font, layout, and paper as well as the content.  Your resume is current. -Make sure that that your dates are correct and that you include the most up to date information (this is especially important if you’ve changed your phone number or contact email). Cover letter What is a COVER LETTER? A cover letter, also known as an application letter, is a three- to four-paragraph memo to employers explaining your interest in the job and company and your fitness for the role. This letter should highlight your skills, experience, and achievements concerning the position you seek. What to Consider before Writing a Cover Letter? (When and Why to Write a Cover Letter - Plus, Top Tips for Formatting, 2024) 1. Think about your experiences and how you would like to relate these experiences to a hiring employer. What talents, skills or accomplishments would you like the company to know? 2. Think about how you learned about the job opportunity. If it's a personal contact, jot down the person's name and title. If it was an ad or job board, write down where and when you saw it and list any specific instructions noted in the job description. 3. Think about the company you're writing to and what drew you to it. Do you admire its culture or brand? Are its reviews positive or negative? Research the company to see if you agree with its mission statement and vision. 4. Think about who you are writing to. If it's a specific person, address them by name and title. If not, consider addressing the cover letter to "Dear Hiring Manager" or "Dear Human Resources."  Parts of a Cover Letter Heading Heading It is usually the first part of traditional or personal business letter. It contains three (3) lines. -First line is the number of the house/office, street, subdivision, etc. -Second line is for the municipality/ city, province and country. -The last line is intended for the date line  Inside Address Inside Address - The first line is intended for the complete name of the receiver including his/her title. However, if you don’t know the complete name of the receiver, you may just have the position with the article “THE” before it. - The next line is for the position and the department. The last line indicates the company’s address Salutation Salutation This indicates the word “DEAR” plus the title and the surname of the receiver. Body of the Letter  Body of the Letter It contains the writer’s message and what action he expects from the receiver. Complimentary Close  Complimentary Close A complimentary close, alternatively referred to as a complimentary closing, is that important phrase that appears before your signature in an email message or formal letter. This sign-off phrase shows your amount of respect and appreciation for the individual reviewing your letter or email.  Complimentary Close Examples: Very truly yours, (Formal use) Respectfully yours, (For respect or special consideration) Sincerely yours, (For friendly contacts) Cordially, (For personal acquaintance) Sincerely, ( in most cases or general situation) Signature Block Signature Block It indicates the name of the writer (usually in all capital letters) with signature above it.  Closing Prayer Heavenly Father, as we conclude this time of learning and growth, we lift up our hearts in gratitude. Thank you for guiding our thoughts and enlightening our minds throughout this class. May the knowledge we have gained today be a source of wisdom and understanding in our lives. Bless our efforts to apply what we've learned, and may it bear fruit in both our personal and collective journeys. Grant us the strength to continue seeking knowledge and the humility to recognize that there is always more to learn. May your grace accompany us as we step out of this classroom, and may we carry the lessons of today into all aspects of our lives. In your name, we pray. Amen. Writeshop: ❖Make your own simple resume and cover letter.  S T. M A R Y ’ S C O L L E G E O F TA G U M , I N C. TA G U M C I T Y, D AVA O D E L N O R T E Purposive Communication (GE 5) MR. RAYMOND W. DELA CUESTA, LPT. MAED GE 5- Instructor