Resume and Cover Letter Workshop

You have 8 – 10 seconds to tell your “story”.

So what are you going to say, and how?

Career Services

Resume:Questions to ask

yourself

• Who is your target audience?

• Does the presentation of the content relate to the job?

• Is the resume concise?

• Is the resume easy to look at?

Resume: Necessary Sections

• Name

• Address/Phone Number/Email

• Education

• Experience (can be multiple sections)

Resume:Other Sections

• Objective

• Profile/Summary

• Activities/Interests

• Skills

• Other (Publications, Athletics, etc.)

Resume:Important Points

• Organize sections in reverse chronological order

• Make sure your GPA is accurately listed (there are multiple ways to list GPA)

• Have a short, focused objective (if included)

• Make sure the resume is readable

Resume:Important Points

• For descriptions, try to show – What you did (responsibilities)– What you accomplished (results)– What you learned (show this

indirectly, by mentioned what kinds of things you came into contact with, not by saying “Learned about the banking industry”)

Resume:Important Points

• Avoid “my” or “I”

• Do not mix fonts

• Use past tense for positions already completed

• Do not overstate language ability

• BE TRUTHFUL

• Less may be more

• Proofread many times

Resume:Considerations

• Content: Relevance, Depth, Demonstration of Skills

• Confidence: State your skills without superlatives

• Clarity: overall and within content

• Consistency in format

ALAN DOE

School Address Permanent Address University of Pennsylvania 1 Laboratory Drive Box #1 Locust Walk Engineering, PA 11111 Philadelphia, P A 19104 (800) 555-1212 (215) 555-1212 yourname@)seas.upenn.edu EDUCATION University of Pennsylvania, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Philadelphia, PA Candidate for Bachelor of Science in Engineering in May 2005. Major: Bioengineering. Cumulative G.P.A.: 3.4/4.0

Coursework Includes: Biomechanics, Physical and Chemical Basis of Bioengineering, Molecular Biology I-II, Calculus II-IV, Structure and Properties of Biomaterials, Physiology, Engineering Probability, Preceptorship in Clinical Bioengineering, Organic Chemistry I -II Honors/Activities: Dean's List, Secretary Society of Bioengineering, Engineering Peer Advising Council, International Program, E.R Volunteer at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Cherry Hill High School East, Cherry Hill, NJ Graduated June 2001 Honors/Activities: President National Honor Society, VP Students Against Drunk Driving, VP Choir, Tutoring Coordinator for Community Service Corps, Who's Who Among American High School Students, Delaware Valley Engineers Council's Outstanding High School Student of the Year PROJECTS Senior Design: Designed and manufactured a device that will serve as a memory aid for children (pennTOYS). PDSI Mutants: Analyzed spindle phenotypes of S. cerevisiae with deleted PDSl gene via microtubule fluorescence. Cardiac Fitness: Correlated heart rate reserve used during treadmill exercise to cardiac fitness using a lead n ECG. Yeast Growth: Compared proliferation of yeast cells under aerobic and anaerobic condition via doubling times. Trachea Modeling: Built various models of the human trachea and tested the coughing mechanism. RESEARCH EXPERIENCE National Science Foundation, Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, Philadelphia, PA (Summer 2004) Research Assistant Conducted research in the Vestibular (ku1ar Motor laboratory of David Solomon. Designed, built and tested a low-cost, portable device to clinically assess an individual's Vestibular Ocular Reflex in response to high frequency head perturbations. University of Pennsylvania, Genetics Department, Philadelphia, PA (Fall 2002-Summer 2003) Research Assistant Conducted experiments relating to cell cycle checkpoints and DNA sequences in S. cerevisiae that may possibly provide insight into the machinery of cancer cells. Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Division of University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (Summer 2001) Summer Research Student Conducted genetics research through experimentation with S. cerevisiae. Assisted in data research for published article concerning chromosome-defect related disorders in Eperimental Cell Research. COMPUTER SKILLS Adobe Photoshop 4.0, BiopiC, Lab View, Maple V, Microsoft Office, mead Photoexpress 2.0 COMMUNITY SERVICE E.R. Volunteer, Philadelphia, PA (Spring 2003-preseni) Assist Emergency Medical Technicians and nurses with patient care, patient transport and restocking of supplies. Pipeline Program, Philadelphia, PA (Spring 2002) Teaching Assistant for High School Science Program sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania Medical School. PennSTEP, Philadelphia, PA (Spring 2001) Computer teacher with class on a weekly basis.

Cover Letter:Structure

• Your Address

• Date

• Addressee Name and Address

• Salutation

• Three to Four Paragraphs

• Closing

• Signature

• Name

Cover Letter:First Paragraph

• Introduces you

• Tells the employer why you are writing

• Tells the employer how you heard about the job

• Be concise

• If you have a connection to the company, state it

• Include job title and/or number (if applicable)

Cover Letter:Second Paragraph

• Answer the question of why you would be good for the job

• Do not restate your resume

• Don’t get bogged down in details

• Address the concerns in the job description

• Be enthusiastic

• Be positive (don’t dwell on negatives-”although I don’t have experience…”)

Cover Letter:Third Paragraph

• Why you are excited about this company/position

• Show that you know something about the organization

• Don’t be vague (“I’d like to work in a challenging environment.”)

Cover Letter:Fourth Paragraph

• State what you would like to see happen next (interview, provide additional materials, you will be in town, follow-up with a phone call, etc.)

Box 000, 3700 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, PA 19104

November 7, 2005

Ms. Jane Doe Big Biotech Company Someplace, CA 00100

Dear Ms. Doe:

I was very pleased to learn on Jobtrak at the University of Pennsylvania that Big Biotech Company has an opening for a Research Assistant. I will graduate in May with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree and would like to be considered for the position.

As a Chemical Engineering major I have completed coursework and laboratory classes in biotechnology and genetic engineering, as well as courses in mathematics and physics. I am currently involved in a research project on cancer genetics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, analyzing tumor and blood cultures for mutations and deletions using DNA hybridization. Last summer I had the opportunity to work at Pfizer, where I participated in Enzyme Assay Development. This project involved gene assays, high throughput screening, data analysis, and the use of automated laboratory equipment.

In addition to my research experience, I have extensive experience working in groups, through both class projects and extracurricular activities. I am the Community Service Chair for the Society of Women Engineers at Penn, where I helped to organize a Girl Scouts Technology Day. I am also a Peer Advisor with the Engineering Peer Advising Council. I feel that I offer well-developed communication skills and the ability to make a strong contribution to team projects.

I have been following Big Biotech’s development of gene-based medicines with great interest, and I would be very pleased to begin my career with the company that is in the forefront of bringing genomics-derived drugs to clinical trial. My resume is enclosed; I look forward to meeting with you to discuss this opportunity. Please feel free to contact me if I can provide any additional information.

Sincerely,

Jane Jones

Enclosure: Resume

Interviews: the most important

part of the job search process!

This is a professional conversation Employers already believe you may be qualified for the job Now, you and the employer need to gather enough information about each other to

see if it is a good fit.

Before the Interview

Review the job description Research articles about the

organization in the last 3-6 months

Find out details about the interview

* How long will it be? Will you talk to

more than one person? Will you be

reimbursed for travel expenses?

Know your resume

The 3 main things companies want to know

How can you contribute to the organization?

* What in your experience is relevant?

* What in your education is relevant?

Why do you want to work for them? * Why this industry? Why this

organization?* What are your goals?

What are you going to be like once they get to know you?

* How do you describe yourself?

*How would your friends describe you?

* How would a supervisor or a co- worker describe you?

The Interview Dress appropriately Arrive at least 10 minutes

early Be professional Be enthusiastic Give honest answers

supported by examples Ask thoughtful questions

about the job, organization or services/products

Do not ask about the salary

Sample Questions Describe a group work situation

where you and your partner were having trouble getting along with each other. How did you resolve the problem?

Give an example of a time when you found it necessary to “challenge” authority

Describe a situation when you had to learn a large amount of material quickly. How did you do it?

Describe a situation when you were faced with a deadline you couldn’t meet. How did you handle it?

We have a client that is going to manufacture disposable diapers for the market in China. How many disposable diapers should they manufacture for the first year?

Typical Interview Questions

Tell me a little about yourself. Why are you interested in this

position? Why did you choose this

career/industry? What are your greatest

strengths? How would you describe

yourself? What motivates you to put forth

your greatest effort? Describe the relationship that

should exist between a supervisor and employee

Typical Interview Questions (con’t)

What are your weaknesses? What accomplishment has given

you the most satisfaction? Why? What major problem have you

encountered and how did you deal with it?

Describe example from your past that required you to respond to pressure. How did you deal with it?

What are your long-term goals? Describe a group work situation

where you and another group member had a disagreement. How did you resolve it?

Questions to Ask What type of training is

available? Could you describe a typical

work day? What are the department’s

goals for this year? What are the skills most

needed to succeed in this job? Why did the interviewer join

the company? What does he/she like most about it?

After the Interview

Send a thank you letter via email within 24 hours

It is appropriate to ask when you may hear from them at the end of the Interview.