Resumes &
Cover Letters
Career Center
for Vocation & Development
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Resume Writing
Your resume, along with a cover letter, is an introduction to a potential employer. The purpose of
the resume is to create interest in you and, hopefully, result in an invitation to an interview. A
well-crafted resume will highlight your skills and accomplishments, and demonstrate why you
are the best candidate. To compose your resume, follow the recommended steps below:
STEP 1
Before writing your resume, answer the following questions:
• Who will be reading my resume?
• What skill set is the employer looking for in my resume?
• How can I demonstrate my skills and experiences to a potential employer?
The content and design of your resume should reflect your responses to these questions. You
may have several resumes containing the same basic information but presented or “packaged” in
a way that targets specific positions or opportunities.
STEP 2
Research the area of work you are interested in and read job descriptions. If you were to pursue
a specific position, what skills and experience would the employer or recruiter expect?
To find out what skills are needed for a particular occupation, check out the following resources:
• My Plan (http://messiah.myplan.com) – After creating a free account, search through
the “Careers” tab for descriptions of various occupations.
• VAULT Career Research Library - (go to Career Center website,
www.messiah.edu/offices/career/, and click on “Vault Online Career Library” listed on
the left sidebar)
• O*Net (http://online.oNetCenter.org)
STEP 3
An employer is interested in the transferable skills you have developed that match the job
description. Transferable skills are qualities or abilities sought by a majority of employers which
are useful in multiple areas. Take the time to list all of your work experiences (both paid and
unpaid), involvements with clubs, organizations, and service projects. Develop a list of your
accomplishments, skills, and personality characteristics. This will help you match your skills and
abilities to the position requirements. From your experiences, identify the skills that will benefit
the employer. Transferable skills demonstrate to the employer your extensive range of abilities
including:
Î Communication (verbal and written)
Î Teamwork
Î Critical thinking
Î Multicultural understanding
Î Problem-solving
Î Motivation
Î Leadership
Î Integrity
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STEP 4
You are now ready to write your resume. Time to invest in quality resume paper! Remember to place
the most important and relevant information near the top and to the left. Arrange your information
according to importance to the reader. Many resumes begin with an objective that describes the type of
position you are seeking.
Since many new graduates have not accumulated a significant amount of work experience, the most
important information to the employer is the education of the applicant. List the degree received, name
and address of college, and date of graduation. Include in this section certifications, awards, honors, study
abroad experiences, and GPA (if higher than 3.0).
In the “Experience” section, include brief descriptions of your responsibilities and accomplishments. Use
sentence fragments that begin with action verbs. Once you complete your resume, submit it to the Career
Center to be critiqued. If needed, talk about improvements with a Career Counselor. Resumes should be
printed on good quality paper in white or a light neutral color.
*Sample Action Words
(from How to Say it in Your Job Search, Kaplan 2002)
achieved
administered
analyzed
appointed
approved
assigned
attained
awarded
built
collaborated
communicated
composed
conceptualized
conducted
consulted
controlled
coordinated
crafted
created
introduced
launched
maximized
minimized
mentored
negotiated
operated
originated
overhauled
participated
piloted
presented
produced
progressed
promoted
ranked
rated
recruited
redesigned
cultivated
customized
delivered
designed
documented
enforced
evaluated
expanded
expedited
facilitated
formulated
fostered
founded
generated
granted
improved
initiated
integrated
investigated
reduced
reengineered
reorganized
represented
researched
resolved
restored
restructured
revamped
revitalized
secured
selected
spearheaded
streamlined
trained
utilized
validated
wrote
Templates
Some word processing programs offer resume templates that provide preset formats. While
convenient, templates can be difficult to modify (for example, changing margins, spacing, or
placement of information). As you gain more experience and want to add information to your
resume, it may be difficult to work within the parameters of the template. Therefore, it is often
easier to create your resume from “scratch” so that you are free to change it as you wish.
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Common Resume Mistakes
1. Focusing only on job duties
One of the most common mistakes is to turn your resume into a boring list of job duties. Instead, use
your job descriptions as an opportunity to show how you benefited the organization. Provide examples of
how you made a difference in each position. Use “results oriented” statements. Did you receive an award
or special recognition? What challenges did you face? How did you overcome them?
2. Objective statement is too general or flowery
Be specific. Identify clearly the position for which you are applying. Be careful not to turn the objective
into a rambling paragraph that takes up too much space on your resume. Short and succinct will be more
effective.
3. Resume is too short or too long
For most college students, a one-page resume is sufficient. The Career Center may be able to assist with
formatting your resume if you are having trouble getting everything on one page. However, you may have
enough experience to warrant a longer resume. If this is the case, do not try to condense the information
to make it fit on one page. Doing this may cause you to eliminate important information. The most
important guideline is that every word should sell the candidate to the employer.
4. Use of personal pronouns (I and me)
Use action verbs to begin your job descriptions. Descriptive action words like: managed, supervised,
responsible for, coordinated, etc., are more powerful when they come at the beginning of a description.
5. Use personal information
Personal information cannot be used as criteria in the hiring process; therefore, do not include it. There
are several exceptions to this rule. Some entertainment positions and jobs outside of the United States
may ask for this type of information. Contact your Career Center if you have questions.
6. No key words (see next page for hints on creating a resume for scanning)
Many medium and large sized companies use technology to scan and store resumes. The only hope you
have that a human being will view your resume is if you use relevant industry buzzwords on your resume.
These do not have to be in a separate section; rather, they can be sprinkled throughout the resume. Read
job descriptions for positions that interest you to find key words that you can use in your resume.
7. References available...
Employers know that you already have references. You do not need to add the line, "References available
upon request."
8. Typos!
One typo can torpedo your chances to get a job with an organization. Proofread your resume several
times. Do not rely on spell check to catch everything. Ask a friend to proofread your resume. Have a
Career Center professional read your resume. It needs to be absolutely perfect.
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Creating Scannable Resumes
1. Remove all graphics; they confuse scanners. This includes italics, underlines, shadows,
horizontal/vertical lines. Bullets can also confuse scanners. Replace bullets with asterisks.
2. Place your name on the first line and do not include any other text on that line.
3. Move all text to the left margin and remove tabs. Use the space bar to indent.
4. Use common and easily recognizable fonts, preferably sans-serif fonts (without the little
"feet" on characters) such as Arial or Helvetica. A common serif font such as Times or
Times New Roman can be used as well.
5. Keep all font sizes between 10 - 14 points.
6. Use standard line spacing.
7. Keep "To" and "From" dates on one line. Use only a single date on college degrees.
8. Remove parentheses around area codes in telephone numbers and replace them with
a hyphen.
9. Use white or light colored 8 ½ x 11 paper, printed on one side only.
10. Do not fold or staple.
Content that Maximizes "Hits"
1. Use enough key words to define your skills, experience, education, professional affiliations,
and other significant information.
2. Include concrete words rather than vague descriptions.
3. Expand to more than one page if necessary. Computers can handle more than one page and it
uses all the information it extracts from your resume to determine if your skills match
available positions. Make sure your name appears on every page.
4. Use jargon and acronyms specific to your industry. List all computer competencies.
5. If you have extra space, describe your interpersonal traits with key words like time
management, dependable, high energy, leadership, sense of responsibility, and other
synonyms from the Action Word List on page 3.
Information compiled from Resumix, Inc. and www.careerperfect.com
Submit Your Resume to Messiah’s E-Recruiting Site
The Career Center will be posting all job information that we receive on our E-Recruiting site.
You do not need to post a resume to view jobs or sign up for Career Center Workshops. To apply
for jobs you will have to upload a resume into the E-Recruiting system.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Go to http://messiah.erecruiting.com
Register (required on first visit only) / Login
Upload your resume into the system. It must be created in MS Word to upload properly.
Once you upload your resume, you can:
* Apply to jobs that are posted on the site
* Sign up for on-campus interviews
* Submit it to major-specific resume books for employers to review
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Your Name Here
Length should be one page unless
you have extensive experience
College Address: Messiah College, PO Box 0000, Grantham, PA 17027 (Phone number)
Permanent Address: 123 Street Address, City, State, Zip (Phone number)
Email address (use discretion – what image does your address convey?)
OBJECTIVE
Use concise language to describe the position you are seeking
EDUCATION
List degree here
Graduation Date
Name and address of college
List GPA (3.3/4.0) and academic honors/scholarships if desired
here
RELATED
Title of position, Name of organization
Dates
EXPERIENCE City and State
• Start in reverse chronological order, most recent experience first
• Begin sentence fragments with action verbs to describe responsibilities
Keep font size
and accomplishments
between .10 and .12
Avoid decorative or
• Include examples of transferable skills such as teamwork, leadership,
embellished fonts
organization, and communication
that may not copy or
scan well (Times
New Roman or Arial
are standard fonts.)
Use good quality
paper (white or light
color.)
Title of position, Name of organization
Dates
City and State
• Be sure to list internships or field projects
• Include campus or other organization involvements that are relevant to
the position
• List both paid and unpaid experiences that are related to the position
you are seeking, but indicate if position was a paid experience
WORK
EXPERIENCE
Job Title, Name of organization
City and State
• List other unrelated work experiences in this section
• Include the transferable skills utilized in this position
RELEVANT
SKILLS AND/OR
ACTIVITIES
List computer and other technical skills, foreign languages, and
cross-cultural experiences. Include extracurricular activities and volunteer
or service projects. Mention membership and leadership positions in
related campus or professional organizations
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Dates
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What is a Cover Letter?
The cover letter is often your first introduction to a prospective employer. An effective cover
letter will provide an introduction, explain the purpose of writing (to apply for a specific job or
internship opportunity), and create enough interest to generate an interview. The letter should
demonstrate your written communication skills, outline how your skills and experience match
the employer’s needs, and express your interest and enthusiasm for the position. Do not use a
generic cover letter for each resume that you send; instead, compose a letter that responds
specifically to the organization’s needs. Most cover letters follow a general format, as follows:
Your street address
City, state, zip
Date
Name of person (if at all possible, obtain the name of a specific person)
Title
Name of organization
Street address
City, state, zip
Dear _____________:
(First paragraph) Explain why you are writing and indicate the position for which you are applying. Tell
how you heard about the position and the organization. The first paragraph should catch the attention of
the reader and create interest in you as a potential candidate.
(Second paragraph) Emphasize your skills and qualifications, and demonstrate how your experience
meets the requirements for the position. Do not merely repeat the information listed on your resume, but
expand on the experiences that are most relevant to this particular employer. Outline the skills you will
bring to the position and communicate how you think you will contribute to the organization.
(Third paragraph) Refer the reader to the documents you have enclosed, such as your resume, application,
transcripts, etc. Close the letter by asking for an opportunity to meet to discuss the position. Provide
contact numbers and the best way to reach you. Take the initiative and note that you plan to follow up
with a phone call. Thank the reader for taking the time to consider your resume.
Sincerely,
(always handwrite your signature)
Type your name here
Enc.
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SAMPLE COVER LETTER
Jane Doe
One College Ave
Grantham, PA 17027
February 2, 2005
Fran Smith
Director of Nursing
Children’s Hospital Boston
P.O. Box 549252
Waltham, MA 02454
Dear Ms. Smith:
I am writing to express my interest in a position as a registered nurse at your hospital. In May
2005, I will graduate from Messiah College with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. As one
of the top pediatric hospitals in the United States, your hospital offers the opportunity to further
develop my knowledge and skills, and to grow as a professional pediatric nurse. I would strongly
consider any staff nursing positions that may be available.
As indicated in my resume, I have worked with children in a variety of settings. These
experiences, along with an excellent clinical rotation at Hershey Medical Center, have provided a
broad foundational understanding regarding the issues of child health. In addition to my nursing
skills, I will bring strong leadership and organizational skills gained through my extra-curricular
involvement. Advisors, supervisors, and clinical instructors have commented on my ability to
manage multiple tasks simultaneously while maintaining a level of enthusiasm for the project at
hand. I would be honored to join Children’s Hospital Boston as a highly functional team
member, able to contribute to the care of your patients in the manner you so clearly require of
your staff.
Thank you for giving my resume careful consideration. I will contact you early next week to see
if we can arrange a time to discuss employment possibilities. If you prefer, you may contact me
at 717-555-1212 or via email at [email protected]
I look forward to speaking with you.
Sincerely,
Jane Doe
Enc.
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