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JobSearchGuide2006-2007CareerCenterResourcesResume&LetterWritingYouoftenmakeyourfirstimpressiononanemployerwithyourresume,andyouwantthatimpressiontobeoutstanding.Aneffectiveresumeisasuccinctlywrittensnapshotofyoureducationandexperience.Butitismorethanjustgoodwritingandagenericlistofactivities.Foraresumetobetrulyoutstanding,itneedstohighlightyouruniquestrengthsandbecustomtailoredtothepositionyouwant.HOWTODEVELOPARESUME1.Analyzethejobdescription.Readjobdescriptionsandhighlighttherequiredandpreferredskills,abilities,attributes,andqualifications.Usethesewordsinyourresume.2.CreatealistofaccomplishmentsTakesometimetothinkabouttasksthatyouenjoyeddoing,didwell,andofwhichyouwereproud.Includeeducation/training,volunteerexperience,jobs,projects,schoolassignments,travel,andgroup/teamactivities.Describeindetailwhatyoudidandwithwhom,theequipmentyouused,thepersonalstrengthsandskillsyouemployed,andtheoutcomeofyourefforts.Quantifyyourresults,ifpossible,andusecommonlyunderstoodterminology.Don’tbehumble;thisisyourchancetopromoteyourself.18Searchcareer.berkeley.edufordetailsabouttheseresources:CareerCounselors.45-minuteappointmentsforindividualhelpconstructingyourresumeorcoverletterorgettingfeedbackabouttheireffectiveness.15-minuteMini-Appointmentsforindividualresumeorcoverlettercritiques.InformationLab,JobSearchsection.Booksandbinderswithresumeandcoverlettertipsandsamples.CurriculumVitae(CV)Information.ForPhDstudents.SeeCVandCoverLetterinformationonlineatPhDsectionofwebsite.ResumeandCoverLetterWorkshops.Especiallyusefulifyouhaveneverwrittenaresumeandareworkingonyourfirstdraft.SpecializedResumeWritingworkshops.Tailoredtocertainmajorsorforthosepursuingspecializedcareerfields;e.g.,ResumeCheckforEngineeringMajorsorResumeWritingforJobsinNonprofits.ResumeCritiqueswithemployers.Feedbackonyourresumefromacompanyrepresentative.Specialsign-uponline,usuallythefirstweekoffallclasses.Resume&LetterWritingcareer.berkeley.edu3.AnalyzeexperiencesforrelevantskillareasReviewingeachexperience,identifytheskillsyouusedthatfitwithpositionsforwhichyouareapplying.4.WritedescriptivephrasesUsingactionverbsseep.23,writeshortphrasestodescribewhatyoudidthatillustrateseachskill.Beconciseandspecific.Arrangethedescriptivephrasesinorderofrelevancetothepositionforwhichyouareapplying(mostrelevantatthetop).5.ChooseanappropriateformatAvoidusingresumetemplatesthatcomewithwordprocessingapplications.Notonlyareemployersalltoofamiliarwiththem,buttemplatesareinflexible–oftentheywon’tallowyoutomovesectionsaroundortomodifyheadings.ResumeformatsSeveralresumeformatsareavailable.Selectthekindthatbestpresentsyourbackgroundandqualifications.seep.24forSampleResumes.ChronologicalThistypeofresumelistsyourexperienceinreversechronologicalorder.Arrangeyourresumesectionsbaseduponaspectsofyourbackgroundyouwishtostress,puttingthemostrelevantinformationfirst.Itworksbestwhenyourwork,volunteer,andacademicexperiencesrelatedirectlytothetypeofjobforwhichyouareapplying.Moston-campusrecruitersandbusinessemployerspreferachronologicalresume.SkillsUsingheadingsthatreflectskills,thisresumehighlightsyourmostimportantskillareasandknowledgerelevanttoagivenposition.Thisformatfocuseslessonwhereandwhenyouobtainedandusedskills,andlistsjobtitles,employers,anddatesofemploymentinabriefsectionatthebottomofthepage.Itworkswellwhenyourworkexperienceisnotdirectlyrelatedtoyourcareergoalorwhenyouaremakingacareerchange.HybridChronological/SkillsThistypeofresumecombineselementsfrombothchronologicalandskillsformats.Itallowsyoutokeepthepopularchronologicalformatwhilealsoshowcasingyourmostrelevantskillsnearthetopofthedocument.Ahybridresumecanbeorganizedinanumberofways,butmanystartwithaskillssummaryfollowedbyalistofexperienceswithdescriptionsinreversechronologicalordergroupedunderskillheadings.Foranexampleseep.26.ForinformationaboutaCurriculumVitae(CV),usedprimarilyforacademicpositionsatthePhDlevel,gotocareer.berkeley.edu/Phds/PhDCV.stmUSEARESUMETO:Respondtoanadvertisedjobvacancy.Sendtoemployersthatinterestyouafteryouhaveresearchedtheirorganizations.Accompanygovernment,graduateschool,orotherformalapplicationforms.Presentataninterviewtoapotentialemployer.Reinforceapersonalcontactyouhavealreadyestablishedwithanemployer.Submittoemployersbeforeon-campusinterviews.Accompanyarequesttoapastorcurrentemployerorprofessortowriteyoualetterofrecommendation.Networkforjobs.RESUMETIPSFORFIRSTYEARSTUDENTSAsafirstorsecondyearstudent,it’sokaytoincludework,accomplishments,leadershipexperience,andhighlightsofactivitiesfromhighschool.Byyourthirdyearincollegeyourresumeshouldcontainprimarilycollegeexperiencesandactivities.Ifyoudon’thavemuchworkexperience,incorporateothertypesofinformationintoyourresume.seep.21forathelistofResumeComponents.Includesomeoftheoptionalcomponentsmarkedwithasterisks.Ifyou’recreatingaresumeforthefirsttime,expecttospendseveralhoursputtingittogether.19JobSearchGuide2006-2007SENDINGRESUMESANDLETTERSELECTRONICALLYTosendyourresumeviaemail,findouttheemployer’sformatpreferencewhenpossible.Althoughsomerecruitersacceptattachments,others