Twardowski
Career Development Center

West Chester University

225 Lawrence Center
West Chester, PA 19383
General: cdc@wcupa.edu
Employers: recruit@wcupa.edu
Phone: 610.436.2501
Disclaimer

Find us on

Career Calendar

Resume and Cover Letter Writing

To assist you with preparing a resume or cover letter, we have pulled together several resources and a number of samples. Included in the resources are action word lists (helpful to describe you, your skills and accomplishments), resume format suggestions, information from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) about how employers view common resume mistakes, and sample resumes from real WCU students and alumni who were successful in their job searches!

Resume Basics

Word Lists: Action and Skill Words to Use on the Resume

Resume Format and Components

Employer Feedback about Resumes

Do's and Don'ts

Electronic Submissions

Cover Letter Basics

Sample Resumes

Get Resume Feedback & Assistance

Click HERE for a downloadable PDF version of this website

Resume Basics

The typical ultimate goal of writing a resume is to get an interview. Expanding on this further, a resume is designed to accomplish three major objectives:

1) To introduce yourself to the employer: Be sure you have accurate contact information that you check regularly, which includes mailing address, phone number and email. Highlight your name to make it prominent (use bold type and in a slightly larger font than the rest of the page).

2) To identify and demonstrate your qualifications: A range of educational, work, student involvement, volunteer and other activities will demonstrate your qualifications. Tell your “story” as completely and concisely as you can, but be certain to emphasize key skills and accomplishments rather than general descriptions of duties.

3) To entice the recruiter to invite you to an interview: The recipient of the resume should not only be informed after reading the document but should also want to have more conversation with you. A resume that not only answers questions but raises curiosity or has something that encourages the employer to want to find out more can lead to the interview.

Word Lists

Your resume should use action-oriented language that conveys your skills, personal qualities and accomplishments. These lists represent only a few options but should help you get started. Have friends, coworkers and professors help you brainstorm, “How would you describe my skills?” Don’t try to use “buzz” words just to use them, and if you don't know what the word means, don't use it! In an interview you will have to expand and elaborate, so use language that is clear and simple, but descriptive, positive and action-oriented.

Use results-oriented terminology which includes verbs such as:

achieve	design	implement	maximize	plan
administer	develop	innovate	motivate	revise
coordinate	direct	interpret	negotiate	solve
create	establish	manage	organize	supervise

Some key words for resume and cover letter preparation:

actively	delegate	generate	motivate	proficient	significant
accelerate	develop	increase	organize	recommend	simplicity
adapt	demonstrate	influence	originate	reduced	set up
administer	direct	implement	participate	reinforce	solve
analyze	effect	interpret	perform	reorganize	strategy
approve	eliminate	improve	plan	renovate	structure
coordinate	establish	launch	pinpoint	responsible	streamline
conduct	evaluate	lead	program	revamp	successful
complete	expand	learn	propose	revise	supervise
control	expedite	maintain	proven	review	support
create	found	manage	provide	schedule	teach

Self descriptive words:

active	consistent	efficient	logical	positive	sense of humor
adaptable	constructive	energetic	loyal	practical	sincere
aggressive	creative	enterprising	mature	productive	sophisticated
ambitious	dependable	enthusiastic	methodical	realistic	systematic
analytical	determined	extroverted	objective	reliable	tactful
assertive	diplomatic	fair	optimistic	resourceful	talented
attentive	disciplined	forceful	perceptive	respectful	will travel
broadminded	discrete	imaginative	personable	self-reliant	will relocate
	economical	independent	pleasant	self-starter

Resume Components

Contact Information

First and Last name

Street Address

City, State Zip

Phone (Cell, Home)

Email address

Contact information can be formatted in many ways, but the address should be below your name, and your name should stand out (enlarged and/or bold). If you have multiple addresses, two can be given, but the main purpose is for efficient contact between you and the employer, so avoid confusion by listing where you can be most reliably contacted.

OBJECTIVE (optional)

An objective is optional but if you use one it should indicate your employment goals, strengths, and/or areas of interest. It should state more than “I want a job” or the fact that you want a "challenging and rewarding position"; if your objective is vague, it will hurt you rather than help you.

Examples of good objectives:

- Seeking an internship in public relations utilizing my exceptional communication and relationship management skills.

- To obtain a staff accountant position with PricewaterhouseCoopers.

- A management trainee position within the hospitality and tourism industry.

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS / PROFILE (optional)

This is a section to summarize accomplishments, skill sets, or other qualities that you have to offer to the employer and which have been developed throughout all of your collective experiences. Qualities mentioned in this section should be reinforced through experiences in your resume. This is more commonly used by individuals with several years of experience. This is different from an objective because it provides more details about your key accomplishments and strengths rather than being a concise goal statement.

EDUCATION

List the colleges you attended, degrees and the dates; start with the highest degree first and work backwards. Unless there is something significant about your high school experience, you do not need to include it in your education section if it is more than two years in the past. If you graduated or received a degree, listing the final year is all that is needed, but if you attended and transferred, you can show that by a range of dates. You can also list items such as GPA (not necessary if below a 3.0), honors or awards (these may also be listed in other sections, as well).

West Chester University of Pennsylvania, West Chester, PA

Bachelor of Arts in History, May 2010

Delaware County Community College, Media, PA

General Education courses, 2006-2007

EXPERIENCE

This section can include work history, internships, student teaching, volunteer positions and other experiences in which you developed skills. By labeling it Experience rather than Work History, you can include both paid and unpaid experiences. You can also organize your resume to group positions that directly relate to the field or position sought. For example, Related Experience and Additional Experience. You can also label the section according to direct experience in a field, Teaching Experience or Writing Experience. Below are basic templates for how to format experience:

Company name, City, State

Job Title, Dates

Responsibilities / Achievements list or descriptions...

Accounting Intern June 2009 - August 2009

KPMG, Philadelphia, PA

- Prepared reports on....(specific topic/duty)

- Worked with a team of auditors to...

- Developed new report using Excel to track...

ACTIVITIES, INVOLVEMENT, COMMUNITY SERVICE, AWARDS and LEADERSHIP

Sections such as these can allow you to highlight other key leadership, teamwork, and interpersonal skills that are valued by employers. If you held a leadership position in a group, list that title in the description. If it is not clear what the organization is (some organizations use Greek letters) provide some detail by spelling out the full name. Here are two different types of examples, again giving you options with formatting and the amount of content to provide:

ACTIVITIES

Black Student Union, 2008-present
Peer Mentor, Office of Multicultural Affairs, 2009-2010
Career Ambassador, career fair volunteer, Fall 2009

LEADERSHIP

LEAD Consultant, Office of Student Leadership and Involvement (Fall 2010 - current)

Organize and facilitate leadership development programs on campus. Work with an executive committee to plan the annual Leadership Conference in February.

Treasurer, Finance and Economics Society (Fall 2009 - Spring 2010)

Manage and allocate organization budget, submit funding requests to SGA, and review financial status monthly with faculty advisor.

SKILLS

A skills section is usually a brief list, to make it clear that you have comfort with computer applications, speak other languages, or are certified in areas related to your field (e.g., C.P.R.). If an employer does a keyword search on your resume and cannot find certain skill words, it won’t help you. Use this section if you have not already mentioned these skills within the resume.

Skills: Proficient with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Conversational Spanish.

References Available Upon Request (optional)

You will see this on many resumes, usually as a simple way to conclude the document. However, it is definitely an optional statement and can be left off if you need the space for more important content. If your resume appears short, this can be an acceptable line to use to add length. It can also be adapted to show you have other information in addition to the resume to share:

References and Co-Curricular Portfolio Available

Create a separate page for listing references. It should have 3-5 references listing the name, title, address, phone and email of each. If the relationship to you is not clear by the title, consider indicating their professional relation to you. The listing should also have your name and contact information at the top. Before listing someone as a reference be sure to check with the person; in addition, be sure to provide a copy of your resume.

SOME NOTES ABOUT FORMATTING

Should the resume be one or two pages? The general rule is that new college graduates should able to best present themselves in one page. Employers review hundreds of resumes per application, so being concise, relevant and clear is to your advantage. You will find there are times when two-page resumes are appropriate (if you have a second page, be sure your name is on page 2).

For candidates who have significant experience, or in sectors like government, education, and nonprofit, there is more latitude to use two pages. However, you must then be certain that the content is relevant and tailored to the position. The main question is whether you can fit everything on one page without sacrificing crucial information.

Be sure to use other good formatting practices. Use some highlighting strategies such as ALL CAPS or Bold or Italics to highlight key information, such as your university name or your job titles. At the same time, avoid using too many different strategies. In addition, keep your section headings aligned, and likewise if you indent text be sure to have good left-alignment to make it easy for the reader to skim down the page. Too much indenting and underlining can make a resume difficult to read.

Margins can usually be one inch around the top, bottom, left, and right. To fit a bit more content on the page, you can go as small as ¾-inch. Font size can be in the 10-12 point range, and it is usually best to avoid unusual fonts but rather stick to commonly used and easy to read styles such as Arial, Times New Roman, Garamond, or Calibri.

Employer reactions to common resume and cover letter situations.

The following is taken from a survey done by the Society of Human Resource Management where hiring managers were asked “Of the mistakes you indicated you have seen, which have caused you NOT to look at a particular candidate?” They are ranked from 1 to 10 with the percentage answering “yes” following.

Resume/cover letter with grammatical errors or typos	86.5%
Cover letter without a resume	70.3%
Gaps in employment history	61%
Missing detailed job histories	57.8%
Missing specific employment dates	48.5%
Resume in narrative format	44.9%
Salary information not included (If asked for in ad)	38%
Resume more than two (2) pages long	19.5%
Resume without a cover letter	14%
Presented in chronological (most recent last) order	7.7%

Resume Do's and Don'ts

Here are some Do's and Don'ts provided by the University of Vermont Career Services Office:

Reflect you, the individual, as much as possible.
Use clear and articulate writing.
Condense to the most job-related qualifications.
Think through including political or religious affiliations.
Begin with action verbs.
Devote more space to your strong areas, whether they are education, professional development, work history, or college activities.
Use laser printing on "resume quality" paper stock. Use the same color for your cover letters and envelopes.
Profreed, Proofreed, Proofread!

DON'T

Include personal data (i.e. marital status, age, etc.) unless the information directly relates to job responsibilities. It is illegal for employers to otherwise require such information.
Use "I" statements.
Go over one page (exceptions: nursing, education, more experienced people).
List an experience more than once.
Have any grammatical or spelling errors or use punctuation inconsistently.
Include everything you have ever done.
Expect your first draft to be your final resume

University of Vermont, used with permission

Electronic Submissions

Chances are good that the majority of your applications will be submitted electronically as opposed to the traditional hard copy via U.S. Mail. Applying to jobs and internships electronically usually means sending the resume, application, and cover letter via email or uploading it to an application or website.

Make certain that your materials transmit well, without scrambling, changing format or becoming unreadable. Be sure to read the submission instructions carefully, noting if there are specific requirements such as a size limit to the file or a particular type of file that is preferred (e.g. Rich Text Format or .rtf, Word 2007 or .docx, .pdf).

Avoid excessive formatting. The more tables, headers, footers or italics that are used, the more difficulty you may have in the transmitting of your information. Send it to a trusted resource (such as the career center) or yourself first to be sure it transmits the way you expected it to. Graphics do not always transmit well and are not recommended in most fields.

If your materials are going to be scanned, you may want to review key words that are used in the field in which you are seeking employment. Spelling still matters. Electronic documents (including emails) should have the same attention to spelling and grammar that formal letters and documents receive.

Don’t use texting language or you are almost certain to NOT get a reply.

Contact information should be at the top of the page with the name always on the top line. Font should be large enough to be readable by scanning devices; size 11 or 12 font is recommended. The type style should also be a standard such as Arial or Times New Roman.

Cover Letter Basics

Whether by email, electronic uploads or traditional paper copies, cover letters are an important part of your job search materials. They are “functional writing”; introducing you, your qualifications, and your motivation to the prospective employer. They provide the opportunity for you to highlight qualities that target the needs of a specific company, agency or position.

Like resumes, cover letters should use accomplishment-focused and concise language. One page is the standard, usually with three to four brief paragraphs. If you prepare a cover letter to be printed in hard copy, use standard business letter formatting. If your cover letter will be in the form of an email, then you can begin with the salutation. When concluding the letter, avoid overly familiar statements such as, “Truly Yours,” and “Gratefully,” but instead sign off with a straightforward, “Sincerely” and then sign your name. Via email, your signature is often inserted text using italics or a cursive font to simulate a real signature; you do not need to scan and insert an image of your actual signature.

Below are suggestions for what to include in your communication:

Opening Paragraph: State the reason for your letter with attention-getting self confidence.Be creative within the bounds of reason, respect and good taste. Include the type of job or the specific position you are seeking. If possible, mention how you became aware of the position and organization. Tell the person “why you are writing.”

Middle Paragraph(s): Refer to your key experiences, strengths and facts that you want the employer to notice. It is here that you should identify what skills, background, education or other tools you have that they need. Your resume should present facts to support this, but this section should not be a mere restatement of the information in the resume. Add detail to the facts in your resume. Be certain to also explain your motivation to work for this particular organization or in this particular role; leaving this out is one of the most common mistakes in cover letters. Tell the person “why they need YOU and why you are interested in THEM.”

Closing paragraph: This is where you request the interview. Ask that you be contacted to discuss the possibility of an interview or to set a mutually convenient time. Avoid presuming you will get an interview (e.g., “I will call you to arrange my interview time.”) but don’t be afraid to ask for an interview (e.g., “I welcome the opportunity to interview and will follow up next week to discuss the possibilities.”). You may suggest that you will contact them soon to arrange an appointment. You may state that you will contact them to insure that they have received all the materials they require to consider you as a candidate for the position. Above all, be positive in your attitude; use confidence statements that convey you expect an appointment (e.g., “I am confident I can make a strong contribution to your team and look forward to hearing from you.”).

More Cover letter and job search correspondence samples are available on the Job Web online supplement to the Job Choices magazine:

http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nace/JobChoices2012DiversitySpecial/#/26

Samples

A variety of sample resumes are provided below which incorporate some specific details relative to fields in each of the five Colleges. While there are many accepted good practices of resume writing, you have choices with regard to how you structure your information. Frequently resumes in the sciences and technical fields share more in common with each other than with arts or humanities resumes, for example; but take a look at many samples to determine which format is best for you and your experiences.

Arts and Sciences

Business and Public Affairs

CBPAsample1

CBPAsample2

CBPAsample3

Visual and Performing Arts

Education

Health

Cover Letter

Samples

General

Sample Critiqued Resume

View more resume samples in the digital edition of the Job Choices magazine: http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/nace/JobChoices2012DiversitySpecial/index.php?startid=30

How to Get Help with Your Resume

The career center staff performs resume critiques on a daily basis. Here are the ways you can get feedback on your resume (we aim for 24-48 hour turnaround time) in order to strengthen the presentation of your skills and accomplishments:

1. Upload your resume to College Central Network (CCN)

CCN is the official resume and job posting service for career-related jobs and internships. Students and alumni may create free accounts to access a range of features, including a resume critique service.

Log in to your existing account or create a new one (only takes 2 minutes!).
From the main menu, scroll down to the section Manage My Resume.
When you upload a resume, it will have “Pending” status and a staff member will review the resume usually within 48 hours. You will receive email feedback about your resume with suggestions for improvement, or it will be “Approved” if your resume is deemed ready to use!
Note: Because CCN only has resume upload capability, cover letters or other job search correspondence must be reviewed using our other services (see below).

2. Drop-Off Service

You may bring a printed copy of your resume, cover letter, or thank-you note to the career center in 225 Lawrence and leave it with a staff member at the main welcome desk. You may pick up your documents with written feedback after two business days.

3. Email Service

You may choose to email your resume, cover letter, or other job search correspondence to cdc@wcupa.edu for feedback. Because this is also an electronic service, we recommend you utilize CCN for resume assistance and the drop-off or email service for cover letters and other materials.

4. One-on-One Appointments and Drop-in Hours

If you want in-person assistance, you may utilize our regular drop-in hours during the academic year (Monday & Wednesday 2:00 to 3:00 pm and Tuesday & Thursday 2:00 to 3:30 pm) or call the office to schedule a 30-minute appointment. We strongly prefer that you bring a draft of a resume with you to in-person meetings so we can provide you with the most useful feedback. It doesn’t have to be good – that is why we are here to help you – but you will benefit more from the appointment if you have a rough draft already started. Please review this resume writing guide to help you begin!