1

Step 1

BrainstormEmployment trends indicate workers will change careers—not just jobs— several times in a lifetime. For this reason it is important to know that resume writing is a skill you will use throughout your life.

Before beginning your resume, put together an accomplish-ments history, including your most significant achievements from work, hobbies, volunteer projects, school, extracurricu-lar activities, travel, and other life experiences.

Write everything down and do not limit yourself! Action verbs from the list on page 9 may help you remember things you have done and give you ideas for new ways to describe those activities. Friends or family familiar with your work and work style can be good sources of assistance as well. (Refer to Action Verb List)

Gather documents related to your experiences, e.g., performance reviews, letters of appreciation, job descriptions, documents, or presentations you wrote or prepared, etc. This can be helpful now with your brainstorming and later to review, check, and confirm details. Categories to generate ideas and organize your information include:

• Education(universitiesattended,classesrelatedtoyourcareer goal, certifications, special training)

• Experience(paid/unpaid,part/full-time,internships,military)

• VolunteerExperience(church,civicgroups,tutoring)

• ActivitiesandHonors(studentorganizations,professional associations, scholarships, academic achievements, sororities or fraternities)

• ImportantCareer-RelatedSkills(computerproficiency,foreign languages, problem solving, critical thinking, communication abilities)

• PersonalAchievements(financingyoureducation,overcoming obstacles)

• HobbiesandInterests(planningtrips,managingpersonal investments)

Keep your accomplishments history file and add to it over time because this will not be the last time you write a resume. Once you compile and organize information in your accomplishments history, it will be invaluable for all resumes you write throughout your career.

Step 2

Organize and Write Initial DraftName & Contact Information (Required)• Includeyourname,phonenumber,address,ande-mail.

Only include your permanent address if it serves a purpose such as if you are looking for a position in your hometown.

• Yournameisgenerallyboldandafewpointslargerinfont size than the rest of the resume.

Resume writing tips and instructions

remember…

• Resumesdonotgetjobs;theygetinterviews.

• Resumesshouldconveyyouruniqueskillsandabilitiesastheyrelatetothepositionforwhichyouareapplying.

• Resumesshouldnotincludeeverydetailaboutyou.Theyshouldhighlightthespecificsthatmakeyouaqualifiedcandidateforthepositionyouseek.

• Resumesshouldnotbesoshortorsovaguethatanemployerhasnoideawhatyourskillsareorwhatyoudid inyourlastjob.

• Humanresourcesprofessionalsknowthatthebestpredictorof futureperformanceispastperformance.Inyourresume,highlighttheresultsof yourexperiences.

2

• Ifyouuseyourcellphoneasyourcontactphonenumber, be prepared to handle a professional conversation wherever you may answer your calls. Only use a work phone if it is appropriate for you to receive calls at work.

• Youremailaddressshouldbeprofessional (i.e.,DONOTUSEhotlips@ku.edu).

Objective (Optional)A well-crafted objective indicates that you are clear about opportunities available with an employer and that you are clear about the position you are seeking. Objectives can be a liability if they do not match the position for which you are applying.

Customize the resume for each position or industry. When included, objective statements should tell an employer about the next step on your career path, not your life goals.

Youdonotneedanobjectivewhenpostingaresumetoanelectronic job board or when handing it out at a career fair. Objectives work best when they are written for a specific job or career.

Employers expect applicants to customize their resumes for each position. The employment objective needs to be supported by the content of your resume.

Examples of objectives:

• Toobtainanentry-levelsalespositionintheconsumerproducts industry.

• SeekingasummerinternshipininvestmentbankingwithXYZCompany.

Summary of Qualifications/Profile (Optional) Typically used by job seekers with more professional experience, this summary should focus on the big picture and help the employer understand how your experiences fittogether.Summaryinformationbrieflycommunicatesyour experience, training, and personal abilities as they relatetothespecificjobyouseek.Informationofthistypemay be included in a cover letter, eliminating the need to include it in the resume. Details of your experiences belong in other sections of the resume.

Examples:

• Twoyearsexperienceinamedicalenvironment;familiarwith confidentiality issues and medical terminology

• Stronganalyticalskillsdevelopedthroughlabexperience in chemistry and biology

• Provencommunicationskillsasdemonstratedthroughclub leadership, debate competition at state level, and writing for the university student newspaper

Education (Required)This section can include your credit-based higher education degrees and certificates as well as noncredit learning.Yourinformationshouldinclude:

• Degree(i.e.,BachelorofScience,MasterofArts)

• Major(s)

• Minors,concentrations,orareasofemphases

• Universityname,city,andstate

• Monthandyearofgraduation

• GPA(s)(typicallyifabove3.0)—IfyoulistanythingotherthanyouroverallGPA,besuretospecifywhichGPAyouareusing

Listyourmostrecentdegreefirst(Ph.D.,Master’s,Bachelor’s).Youdon’tnecessarilyneedtolisteverycollegeor university at which you have taken a few classes. Once you are in college, high school is not typically included on a resume unless you have a good reason you want an employer to know where you went to high school.

poSSible heAdingS

Objective

Summaryof Qualifications

Profile

AwardsandRecognition

Honors

HonorsandAwards

Education

SpecializedTraining

Accomplishments

Activities

RelevantExperience

RelatedExperience

Internships

EmploymentHistory

InternationalExperience

VolunteerExperience

ProfessionalExperience

AdditionalExperience

StudyAbroadExperience

OtherExperience

RelevantSkills

ComputerSkills

TechnicalSkills

ComputerSoftware

Certification

Licensure

Languages

ProfessionalMemberships

ProfessionalAffiliations

AdditionalInformation

WorkAuthorization

Ima J. Hawk

1415 Louisiana Street Lawrence, KS 66045

785-123-4567 imajhawk@ku.edu

3

Includingacademicawardsorscholarshipscanshow academic breadth and intellectual accomplishment. SometimesitmaybebeneficialtoincludeGPA(typically3.0orhigher),classrank,and/orrelevantcourses.

Ifapplicable,itcanbeagoodideatoincludeastatementabout your contribution toward financing your education—for example: “Financed 75% of college education through scholarships and employment.”

Experience (Required)The experience section should communicate what you accomplished in past paid or unpaid work experiences.

• Includethepositiontitle,employer/organizationname,location (city, state), and dates with months and years.

• Typicallyyourexperienceislistedinreversechronologicalorder with your most recent experience first.

• Highlighttransferableskillsandabilitiesratherthandescribing work duties and responsibilities. Think about the types of things that you did in your job or activities that relate to the types of things you will be doing in your future professional positions.

Forexample,“Interviewed,hired,andtrainednewteammembers” or “Led closing of store by assigning roles at the appropriate time, balancing the cash registers, securing all cash, and setting the alarm.”

• Describeyourexperienceinaresult-orientedfashionbecause employers know the best predictor of future performance is past performance. Whenever possible, useconcreteinformationtoqualifyand/orquantifyyourexperience.Forexample,“Increasedsalesby25%overathreemonthperiod”or“Taughtaclassof300students.”

• Donotusefullsentencestodescribeyourexperience;use short phrases beginning with an action verb.

• Considerthetypeofpositionforwhichyouareapplying.Youmaywanttotrytousethewordslistedin the position description when describing your experience.Highlighttheskillsthataremostrelevanttothe position for which you are applying.

NOt GOOD

• Responsibleforpublicity.

• Dutiesincludedhandlingcustomercomplaints.

• Responsibilitiesincludedadhering tosafetypoliciesandensuring otherlifeguardsknewpolicies.

• Workedwithdelinquentyouthin after-schoolathleticprogram.

BetteR

• Interactedsuccessfullywith publicaffairsrepresentativesand localmedia.

• Resolvedserviceandbilling

problems.

• Carriedoutsafetyprecautions andinstructedstaff intheproper useof equipment.

• Explainedteamstrategiesand instructedyouthonhowto executestrategies.

Best

• Interactedsuccessfullywithpublic affairsrepresentativesandlocal media,increasingcommunity awarenessof agencyby25%.

• Resolvedserviceandbillingproblems.Consistentlyrecognizedforpromptnessandprofessionalism.

• Carriedoutsafetyprecautionsandinstructedstaff intheproperuseof equipment,resultingina50%reductionof injuryaccidentsover thesummer.

• Explainedteamstrategiesandinstructedyouthonhowtoexecutestrategies.Developmentofenthusiasmandteamresultedinwinningcitycompetition.

deScriptionS of experience

Bachelor of General Studies in Geography, expected May 2009

The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS

• Minor in Geology

• GPA 3.65

4

• Generallynewcollegegraduateswillnotincludeexperiencesfromhighschoolorearlier.However,ifyou have relevant experience (i.e., you owned your own business) or if you are earlier in your college career (i.e., a freshman or sophomore), it may be appropriate to include experiences from high school.

• Includearound3to5bulletstodescribeyourexperience.

• Usepresenttensewhendescribingcurrentpositions. Use past tense when describing your past experiences.

Activities & Organizations (Optional)This section can include membership in campus or community activities, professional organizations, volunteeractivities,orrelevantinterests.Youmaychooseto format this section as a list, or you may choose to set it up with the same format as your jobs with descriptions of the leadership roles you performed in these organizations.

Activities might be included to:

• Demonstrateawell-roundedpersonwithmoredimensions than just work.

• Pointoutskillsthathavebeendemonstratedinyournonprofessional life.

• Accountforgapsinemployment.

• Startconversations(possiblytheemployersharesorisintrigued by your interest).

When you choose to include activities and interests, be aware of “hot buttons.” A hot button is an activity or interest to which some employers may have a strong positive or negative reaction, such as religious or political affiliations. When you have an activity or interest that is a“hotbutton,”youhavethreeoptions.Makeaninformedandreflectivechoice.

Options include:

• Includethisinformationonyourresume—Manyapplicants feel the employer should know who they are, inside and outside of the workplace, and they may not want to work for an employer who cannot accept them as a whole individual.

• Omitthisinformation—Youmaywanttheopportunityto present yourself as a candidate rather than be prematurelydiscountedduetotheemployer’sbias.

• Generalizetheseactivities/interestsbypresentingthemin a generic format (e.g., “Director of a choir” without specifying religion or denomination).

Interestsareunstructuredindividualpursuitsandcanbeincluded if relevant. Examples would be golf, marathon running, personal investment management, etc. When considering if you want to include an interest, think about how the employer would view the activity.

Honors & Awards (Optional)Thissectioncanincludescholarships,honorroll,dean’slist, competitive awards, juried shows, and so on.

• Youmaywanttoprovidesomeinformationonthecontext of the award if it is not evident. For instance, “One of ten students selected from across the nation for theFulbrightScholarship.”

• Donotincludedollaramountsforscholarships.

• Yourhonorsandawardsmaybelistedasaseparatesection or may be included within your Education section if there are only a few items in your list.

Skills (Optional)This section is included to highlight particular abilities. Frequently, technical skills, laboratory skills, and proficiencyorfluencyinaforeignlanguagearefoundinthissection.Itemsinthissectionshouldrelatetothepositions for which you are applying. The placement of this section on your resume may vary depending on the relevancy to the employer.

References (Required but separate from the resume)The statement “References Available Upon Request” is not needed as this is a given in the job search process. Reference names and information are generally listed on a separate page (see References section in this handout). Usually references are provided to an employer once they are requested or at an interview.

Activities: University of Kansas Student Ambassador Association of Collegiate Entrepreneurs Alpha Chi Omega Sorority

• Scholarship Coordinator • Chairperson of Rush committee

Big Brothers/Big Sisters volunteer

Honors and Awards:

• Golden Key National Honor Society

• Dean’s List, six semesters

• Leadership Scholarship

5

Step 3

Format ItThere are many different ways to write a resume and a lot ofdifferentopinionsaboutwhatisgood.Youropinionisimportant,too,sobesuretocreatearesumethatreflectswhoyouarewhilealsotargetingtheemployer’sneeds.

Passthe15-secondglancetest.Employersseehundredsofresumes,andtheyskimfirst.Ifthisfirsttestispassed,theymay look at your resume more thoroughly.

• Whenorderinginformationandsectionsinyourresume,prioritize according to the needs of the employer, putting the most important information toward the top and to the left.

• Chooseaformatandheadingsthatallowyoutoeffectivelycommunicate the combination of skills and abilities that highlight your qualifications for the position and provide insightintoyouasauniqueperson.RefertoPossibleHeadingsboxforideasonheadings.(Seepage2.)

• Lengthofresumevariesaccordingtofieldofinterestand level of experience. Generally, an undergraduate with little or no professional experience will have a one-page resume. Experienced workers and some graduate students, along with students in certain disciplines, may havetwopages.Seeyourcareerservicesofficeforhelpindetermining the appropriate length for your experience and desired career field.

Resume styles Reverse Chronological Resume: the traditional resume style lists professional experience in a reversed chronologi-cal order, starting with the most recent position and work-ingbackward.Mostresumesfornewcollegegraduatesarewritten in this format, and employers are accustomed to seeing chronological resumes.

Reverse Chronological resumes are particularly effective in the following cases:

• Youareorwillbeanewcollegegraduate.

• Youhaveexperienceinthefieldofinterest.

• Youcandemonstratemeasurableresultsfromworkactivities(e.g.,“Marketedevents,resultingin50%increase in attendance”).

• Youhaveheldimpressivejobtitlesand/orhaveworkedfor big-name employers.

• Youcandemonstratepromotionsandincreasedresponsibilities.

Functional Resume: summarizes your professional “functions” or experience and minimizes employment history. Functional resumes are often useful for:

• Olderworkersandthosereturningtotheworkforcesinceit minimizes dates.

• Careerchangerssinceitoutlinestransferableworkskills.

• Emphasizingknowledgeandskillsthathavenotbeenused in recent work.

Elements of both reverse chronological and functional styles can be combined if needed to show your experience.

Resume templates and resume wizards: Yourresumeisareflectionofyouandyouraccomplishments.Utilizingawordprocessing template or wizard that produces a document similartoothersmayreflectthatyoudidnotgivesignificantthoughtandconsiderationtoyourapplication.Itisimportantthat you learn how to write and produce an effective resume that best represents the value you can bring to an employer. Difficulty in formatting and inappropriate headings are just two of the issues that often arise with resume templates and wizards.KUCareerServicesstaffareavailabletoassistyouin getting started and finding the most appropriate resume writing solution for you.

checkliSt for proofreAding your reSume

Istheresumepleasingtotheeye?

Doesitfitcomfortablywithinthepage(asopposedto toocrowdedortooempty)?

Istheresumeoncottonbondpaper?

Istheprintclear,unsmudged,andlargeenoughtoread–doesitpassthephotocopytest?

Didyouusetoomuchbold,italic,orunderlining?

Doescontentsupporttheobjective?

Couldyoutellthesamestorywithfewerwords?

Isittooshort?Doesitlookasthoughyoustruggledto fillapage?

Hasextraneousmaterialbeeneliminated?

Doestheformatpresentyourqualificationsinthemosteffectivemanner?

Isallimportantinformationincludedandeasytofind?

Istheformatuniformthroughout?

Doestheresumemarketyourabilitiesandpaintapicturethatmakesanemployerwanttoknowmoreaboutyou?

6

Step 4

Proofread and editManyhumanresourcedirectorsseetheresumeasareflectionoftheapplicant.Spellingerrors,poorgrammar,poor organization, smudges, wordiness, vagueness, etc., will produce negative impressions. Employers may think, “Istheapplicantcareless,sloppy,orunprofessional?”

Haveseveralotherscritiqueyourresume.

• Contactyourcareerservicesofficeandmakeanappointment to have a professional career advisor look over your resume.

• Askyourreferencestotakealookandgivefeedback.

• Askafamilymember,friend,orroommatetolookoverthe resume. They are often great at catching typing errors.

Step 5

Prepare Different VersionsDesigned Paper Version: highly designed with bullets, underlining, and other highlights. For the finished paper resume,usegoodqualitypaper(atleast20%cottonbond):white, ivory, or a very pale gray. Avoid patterns that would give a “dirty” appearance when copied.

Designed Electronic Version: looks the same as your paper version when emailed or pasted into a company resume database.

Plain Text Version: you would remove any stylized formatting (i.e., bullets, bolding, italics, etc.) and then it can be pasted into an e-mail message or cut and pasted into online forms.

• Saveastextfiles(ASCIIortextonly).

• Enternomorethan65characters(includingspaces)across the screen, then hit the “return” or “enter” keytoforcethelinetowrap.Insomeinstances65characters per line may be too many.

• Indentlinesbyusingthespacebar.

• UseALLCAPITALLETTERSforsectionheaders.

• Surroundformerlyboldedsubheadingswithinmajorsections with asterisks (*).

• Rebuildlistsusingahyphen(-),asterisk(*),orplussign(+) at the beginning of each line instead of bullets or other special characters.

• Ifhorizontallinesaredesired,createthembyusingaseries of dashes.

• Emailyourresumetoyourselfandafriendtoseehowitlooks.Identifyandcorrectanyformattingproblemsbefore sending it to potential employers.

Online ResumesBeforepostingyourresumeontheInternet,considerwhether you want your resume to be public. There are security issues inherent in posting personal contact information online. Check the confidentiality of the database or service where you are posting your resume. NeveruseyourSocialSecurityNumber,dateofbirth,or other information that might make you vulnerable to identity theft.

There are ways to control the information you make available on-line:

• Considercreatingafreee-mailaccountatYahoo!orhotmail.com to use only for job-search purposes with the possibility that you will stop using the e-mail account once employment has been secured.

• Considerrentingapostofficeboxoraprivatemailbox from a mail receiving agency to use during your job search. This will eliminate the need to use a street address as your mailing address in the information posted on the web.

• Determinewhetheryourpostedresumecanbeupdatedat no cost and whether it will be deleted from the databank if you do not update it within a specified time.

formAtting And Writing tipS

• Maketheresumeeasytoskim:bullets,shortdeclarativephrases,easy-to-readfont–10to12points,noabbreviations.

• Useonefontstylethroughouttheresume;avoidscriptfonts.TimesNewRomanandArialaregoodchoices.

• Donotusegraphics,shadowing,orclipart.

• Useboldorunderliningappropriately(butsparingly)tohighlightkeystrengths.

• Putkeyinformationontheleftandnearthetopofthepagewheneverpossible(forexample,jobtitleratherthanemploymentdateslistedatthefarleft).

• Writeyourmaterialinorderofimportanceandrelevancetotheemployer/position.

• Beginphraseswithactionverbs.

• Avoidgeneralitiesandfocusonspecificsaboutexperience,projects,products,etc.

• Quantifyexperiencewhenpossible(EmployeeoftheMonth,Receivedcustomerserviceratingsof9.8/10,Workedwithabudgetof$20,000,etc.).

• Beconsistentintheformat,layout,andspacingthroughouttheresume.

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enth

usi

asm

for

ongo

ing l

earn

ing;

pre

par

ed to inve

st tim

e an

d e

ffort

in l

earn

ing n

ew s

kills

E

DU

CA

TIO

N

Th

e U

niv

ersi

ty o

f K

ansa

s, L

aw

ren

ce,

KS

Ba

chel

or o

f A

rts

in E

ngl

ish

, M

ay

20

10

M

ajo

r G

PA

: 3

.5

Joh

nso

n C

ou

nty

Co

mm

un

ity C

oll

eg

e, O

verl

an

d P

ark,

KS

Ass

ocia

te o

f A

rts

in L

iber

al A

rts,

Ma

y 2

00

7

GP

A: 3

.7

W

OR

K E

XP

ER

IEN

CE

Th

e U

niv

ersi

ty D

aily

Kan

san

, La

wre

nce

, K

S

Sale

s R

epre

sen

tati

ve, A

ugu

st 2

007 –

May

2008

•M

anag

ed 3

0 ac

tive

acc

ounts

; ex

ceed

ed s

ales

quota

by

65%

during f

irst

thre

e m

onth

s •

Man

aged

adve

rtis

ing b

udget

; im

ple

men

ted c

reat

ive s

ales

cam

pai

gns

•Rec

eive

d a

war

d for

hig

hes

t sa

les

achie

ved

during c

om

pet

itio

n p

erio

d

F

abu

lou

s F

ash

ion

s, O

verl

an

d P

ark

, KS

Sale

s A

ssoc

iate

, M

ay 2

006 –

Augu

st 2

007

•W

ork

ed full-tim

e during t

he

sum

mer

and p

art-

tim

e d

uring the

acad

emic

yea

r

•Conduct

ed c

ash a

nd c

redit tra

nsa

ctio

ns w

ith e

ffic

iency

and a

ccura

cy

•A

ssiste

d c

ust

om

ers

in s

elec

ting m

erch

andis

e; c

onsi

sten

tly

exce

eded

week

ly s

ales

quota

s by

15%

Sil

ver

cres

t R

eso

rt,

Wa

uto

ma

, W

I

Wa

itre

ss a

nd

Hos

tess

, Sum

mer

s 2004 a

nd 2

005

•Tra

ined

new

sta

ff m

ember

s in

tec

hniq

ues

use

d to p

rovi

de

firs

t-cl

ass

serv

ice

•A

ssig

ned

cust

om

er tab

les

to m

eet

the

need

s of

clie

nts

; m

ainta

ined

fai

r dis

trib

ution for

staf

f

•G

reet

ed c

ust

om

ers

and p

rovi

ded

wel

com

ing e

nvi

ronm

ent

AC

TIV

ITIE

S A

ND

HO

NO

RS

•

Aca

dem

ic H

onor

Roll

•Big

Bro

ther

s/Big

Sis

ters

Volu

nte

er

•U

niv

ersi

ty o

f K

ansa

s St

uden

t A

mbas

sador

• A

lpha

Chi

Om

ega

Soro

rity

•

Sch

ola

rship

Chai

r, S

oro

rity

•

Rush

Com

mitte

e C

hai

r, S

oro

rity

7

sample ResumesJo

urna

lism

Li

bera

lArt

s

Jo

e B

usi

nes

s 2

00

1 W

est

Six

th S

tree

t • L

awre

nce

, K

ansa

s 6

60

44

• (

78

5)

55

5-7

85

6 •

jb

usi

nes

s@k

u.e

du

ED

UC

AT

ION

Th

e U

niv

ersi

ty o

f K

ansa

s

Law

ren

ce, K

S

Bac

hel

or

of

Sci

ence

, M

ark

etin

g

May

20

06

Inte

rnat

ion

al B

usi

nes

s an

d C

hin

ese

Co

nce

ntr

atio

n

Ov

eral

l G

PA

: 3

.85

; M

ark

etin

g G

PA

: 4

.0

Stu

dy

Ab

road

: C

on

sort

ium

In

stit

ute

fo

r M

anag

emen

t &

Bu

sin

ess

An

aly

sis

(CIM

BA

) P

ader

no

del

Gra

pp

a, I

taly

F

all

Sem

este

r 2

00

3

EX

PE

RIE

NC

E

Mic

roso

ft

Wa

lth

am

, M

A

Acc

ou

nt

Tea

m U

nit

Ma

na

ger

J

uly

20

07

- P

rese

nt

•

Dev

elo

p a

nd

lea

d a

tea

m o

f 2

50

Acc

ou

nt

Man

ager

s in

th

e S

ou

thw

est

dis

tric

t •

Man

age

app

rox

imat

ely

$6

0 m

illi

on

in

sal

es

•

Mai

nta

in e

xp

ense

bu

dg

et c

on

tro

ls a

nd

red

uce

d d

epar

tmen

tal

cost

s b

y 2

3%

•

Su

per

vis

e an

d d

evel

op

sal

es t

eam

mem

ber

s an

d w

ork

wit

h r

egio

nal

tea

ms

to p

rov

ide

acti

on

able

fee

db

ack

sup

po

rtin

g s

ales

str

ateg

ies

•

Co

nd

uct

mar

ket

an

aly

sis

on

new

pro

du

cts

to h

elp

in

stit

ute

res

po

nse

tac

tics

to

co

mb

at c

om

pet

itiv

e th

reat

Acc

ou

nt

Ma

na

ger

M

ay

20

06

- J

uly

20

07

•

Man

aged

day

-to

-day

res

po

nsi

bil

itie

s fo

r ea

ch a

cco

un

t in

clu

din

g c

on

du

ctin

g r

egu

lar

con

fere

nce

cal

ls,

mo

nit

ore

d

and

rep

ort

ed c

on

trac

t d

eliv

ery

an

d p

rog

ress

, co

ord

inat

ed c

reat

ive

sub

mis

sio

ns

and

cam

pai

gn

op

tim

izat

ion

•

Ex

ceed

ed i

nd

ivid

ual

sal

es g

oal

s b

y t

akin

g $

10

0,0

00

in

in

itia

l an

nu

al r

even

ue

to o

ver

$3

00

,00

0

•

Par

tner

ed w

ith

sal

es a

nd

su

pp

ort

sta

ff t

o m

anag

e k

ey a

cco

un

ts

•

Bu

ilt

soli

d c

ust

om

er r

elat

ion

ship

s an

d a

cted

as

po

int

per

son

fo

r cu

sto

mer

qu

esti

on

s an

d c

on

cern

s

•

Dev

elo

ped

an

d p

rese

nte

d a

tar

get

ed m

ark

etin

g s

trat

egy

to

th

e V

ice

Pre

sid

ent

of

Mar

ket

ing

wh

ich

was

use

d i

n a

p

rin

t ad

cam

pai

gn

fo

r 3

yea

rs

Ko

ch I

nd

ust

ries

, In

c.

W

ich

ita

, K

S

Ma

rket

ing

In

tern

S

um

mer

s 2

00

4 &

20

05

•

Ass

iste

d M

ark

etin

g A

nal

yst

tea

m i

n c

om

pil

ing

in

form

atio

n f

or

Fie

ld M

ark

etin

g R

epre

sen

tati

ves

•

An

aly

zed

key

mar

ket

dri

ver

s an

d c

ust

om

er d

eman

d i

n t

he

gas

oli

ne,

die

sel,

jet

fu

el,

and

ch

emic

al m

ark

ets

•

Arr

ang

ed p

rod

uct

sch

edu

lin

g,

pip

elin

e an

d r

ail

car

mo

vem

ents

•

Tra

vel

ed t

o s

ever

al f

ield

off

ice

loca

tio

ns

to s

had

ow

Fie

ld M

ark

etin

g R

epre

sen

tati

ves

on

cu

sto

mer

vis

its

Alv

in G

ug

gen

heim

& A

sso

cia

tes

K

an

sas

Cit

y,

MO

New

Lin

e C

inem

a M

ark

etin

g I

nte

rn

Ja

nu

ary

20

04

- M

ay

20

04

•

Cre

ated

an

d i

mp

lem

ente

d “

Sp

rin

g M

ov

ie F

esti

val

” p

rom

oti

on

al c

amp

aig

n f

or

KU

cam

pu

s

•

Rep

ort

ed d

irec

tly

to

Mar

ket

ing

Dir

ecto

r o

n a

reg

ula

r b

asis

by

ph

on

e, e

-mai

l an

d p

rov

ide

wri

tten

sta

tus

rep

ort

s

•

Arr

ang

ed p

ress

co

ver

age

of

pro

mo

tio

nal

ev

ents

an

d o

rgan

ized

pro

mo

tio

nal

scr

een

ing

s

AC

TIV

ITE

S &

HO

NO

RS

KU

Mar

ket

ing

Clu

b

•

Tre

asu

rer—

elec

ted

2 y

ears

in

a r

ow

by

pee

rs t

o m

anag

e a

$5

00

0 b

ud

get

KU

Lea

der

ship

Ch

alle

ng

e P

arti

cip

ant—

sele

cted

as

1 o

f 2

5 B

usi

nes

s st

ud

ents

to

att

end

th

is l

ead

ersh

ip c

on

fere

nce

Big

Bro

ther

s B

ig S

iste

rs

Str

ick

lan

d M

emo

rial

Sch

ola

rsh

ip

Cri

mso

n a

nd

Blu

e S

cho

lars

hip

Ho

no

r R

oll

L

AN

GU

AG

E S

KIL

LS

Flu

ent

in S

pan

ish

an

d C

hin

ese

Ma

tt

he

w A

. Me

ch

an

ike

r Cu

rren

t Add

ress

:

1

923

W. M

aine

Stre

et, L

awre

nce,

KS

6604

4

(7

85) 3

12-5

578

Perm

anen

t Add

ress

: 2

06 S

. Was

hing

ton

Road

, Sal

ina,

KS

6230

1

(3

16) 7

32-4

701

E-m

ail A

ddre

ss:

Mat

tm@

ku.e

du

OB

JEC

TIV

E:

To se

cure

a c

halle

ngin

g fu

ll-tim

e po

sitio

n in

the

field

of e

ngin

eerin

g th

at w

ill u

tiliz

e m

y ex

perie

nce

and

know

ledg

e.

ED

UC

AT

ION

:T

he U

niv

ersi

ty o

f K

ansa

s, L

awre

nce,

Kan

sas

Bach

elor

of S

cien

ce in

Mec

hani

cal E

ngin

eeri

ng, E

xpec

ted

May

200

8 –

GPA

: 3.

79/4

.00

INT

ER

NS

HIP

K

och

Indu

stri

es, I

nc.,

Min

neap

olis

, Min

neso

ta

EX

PE

RIE

NC

E:

Proj

ect M

anag

er In

tern

, Sum

mer

200

7•

Prov

ided

eng

inee

ring

supp

ort f

or th

e Bu

ild-it

and

Con

struc

tion

grou

p in

clud

ing

desi

gn, p

erm

its, a

nd

certi

ficat

ion

for p

lann

ed p

roje

cts.

•

Org

aniz

ed a

nd le

d al

l clie

nt m

eetin

gs a

nd o

vers

aw a

ll pr

ojec

t com

mun

icat

ion.

•

Man

aged

five

pro

ject

s, es

timat

ed a

t $1.

5 m

illio

n.

Th

e B

oein

g C

ompa

ny, W

ichi

ta, K

ansa

s

En

gine

erin

g In

tern

, Sum

mer

200

6•

Mem

ber o

f a m

ilita

ry st

ress

gro

up th

at p

rovi

ded

fleet

supp

ort f

or th

e K

C-13

5 an

d its

der

ivat

ives

. •

Perf

orm

ed st

ruct

ural

ana

lysi

s on

diff

eren

t com

pone

nts o

f the

airp

lane

to e

nsur

e sa

fety

and

m

aint

aina

bilit

y.

Mar

che

Inc.

, Law

ren

ce, K

ansa

s E

ngin

eeri

ng In

tern

, Sum

mer

200

5•

Mem

ber o

f gro

up d

esig

n te

ams t

hat p

roto

type

d co

nsum

er re

crea

tiona

l pro

duct

s, m

edic

al

com

pone

nts,

busi

ness

inst

rum

enta

tions

, and

OEM

pro

duct

s.

•D

esig

ned

prot

otyp

es in

Pro

-eng

inee

r and

pro

duce

d re

al m

odel

s usin

g FD

M m

achi

nes.

EN

GIN

EE

RIN

G

B

oat

Lif

t D

esig

n P

roje

ct, U

niv

ersi

ty o

f K

ansa

s

PR

OJE

CT

:

Seni

or D

esig

n Pr

ojec

t, 20

07-2

008

•D

esig

ned

and

man

ufac

ture

d a

hydr

aulic

lift

that

rais

es a

4,0

00 lb

. ski

boa

t out

of w

ater

for s

tora

ge.

•Pr

otot

yped

the

lift u

sing

Pro-

Engi

neer

, Wor

king

Mod

el, a

nd F

EA c

ompu

ter m

odel

ing.

WO

RK

Wild

cat

Stoc

k F

arm

, Sal

ina,

Kan

sas

EX

PE

RIE

NC

E:

Farm

Han

d, 1

996-

2007

•Fi

fth g

ener

atio

n to

be

rais

ed o

n a

fam

ily-o

wne

d an

d op

erat

ed g

rain

and

live

stock

farm

. •

Ope

rate

d an

d re

paire

d he

avy

mac

hine

ry.

Uni

vers

ity

of K

ansa

s In

terf

rate

rnit

y C

oun

cil,

Law

ren

ce, K

ansa

s Ex

ecut

ive

Vice

-Pre

side

nt, 2

006-

2007

•Cr

eate

d ne

w b

illin

g an

d bu

dget

ing

proc

edur

es, i

mpl

emen

ted

new

com

mun

icat

ion

and

acco

untin

g

so

ftwar

e, a

nd re

stru

ctur

ed in

vest

men

ts.

•

Cont

rolle

d $5

0,00

0 an

nual

bud

get.

Will

ow B

end

Gol

f C

ours

e, W

ichi

ta, K

ansa

sSh

ort o

rder

coo

k, S

umm

er 2

003,

200

4 •

Tabu

late

d fo

od in

vent

ory

and

mer

chan

dise

lists

.

SOF

TW

AR

E

Pro

-eng

inee

r, A

utoC

AD

, Exc

el, W

ord,

Pow

er P

oint

, Mat

lab,

Wor

king

Mod

el, M

icro

soft

Proj

ect,

C++,

SK

ILL

S:

Out

look

.

AC

TIV

ITIE

S:

Del

ta C

hi V

ice-

Pres

iden

t, En

gine

erin

g St

uden

t Sen

ate,

Gre

ek E

ndea

vor F

acili

tato

r, Ro

ck C

halk

Cas

t

Mem

ber,

Icth

us B

ible

Stu

dy, D

elta

Chi

Phi

lant

hrop

y Ch

airm

an, A

thle

tics,

Saili

ng C

lub.

HO

NO

RS:

Ta

u Be

ta P

i (N

atio

nal E

ngin

eerin

g H

onor

Soc

iety

), O

utst

andi

ng G

reek

Sen

ior,

Nom

inat

ed fo

r Rho

des

an

d M

arsh

all S

chol

arsh

ip, P

i Tau

Sig

ma

(Mec

hani

cal E

ngin

eerin

g H

onor

Soc

iety

), G

olde

n K

ey

N

atio

nal H

onor

s Soc

iety

, Lea

ders

hip

Scho

lars

hip,

Ord

er o

f Om

ega,

Hig

h Sc

hool

Sal

utat

oria

n, K

ansa

s

St

ate

Fore

nsic

s Ch

ampi

on.

8

Busi

ness

Engi

neer

ing

9

Accomplishmentsachievedbenchmarkedcompletedexpandedexceededimprovedpioneeredreduced (losses)resolved (issues)restoredreversedspearheadedsucceededsurpassedtransformedwon

Analytical &Researchanalyzedassessedcalibratedclarifiedcollectedcomparedconductedcritiqueddetecteddetermineddiagnosedevaluatedexaminedexperimentedexploredextractedformulatedgatheredidentifiedinspectedinterpretedinterviewedinventedinvestigatedlocatedmeasuredobservedorganizedprovedresearchedreviewedsearchedscreenedsolvedspecifiedsummarizedsurveyedtested validated

Communication &Persuasionaddressedadvertisedarbitratedarrangedarticulatedauthoredclarifiedcollaboratedcommunicatedcomposedcondensed

conferredconsultedcontactedconveyedconvincedcorrespondeddebateddefineddemonstrateddescribeddevelopeddirecteddiscusseddissuadeddocumenteddraftededitededucatedelicitedenlistedestablishedexplainedexpressedformulatedfurnishedillustratedincorporatedinfluencedinformedinteractedinterpretedinterviewedinvolvedjoinedjudgedlecturedmarketedmediatedmoderatednegotiatedobservedoutlinedparticipatedpersuadedpresentedpromotedproposedpublicizedpublishedreconciledrecruitedreferredreinforcedreportedresolvedrespondedsolicitedspecifiedspokesuggestedsummarizedsynthesizedtranslatedwrote

Creativeactedadaptedbegancombinedcomposedconceptualizedcondensed

createdcustomizeddesigneddeviseddevelopeddirecteddisplayeddrewentertainedestablishedfashionedformulatedfoundedillustratedinitiatedinstitutedintegratedintroducedinventedmodeledmodifiedoriginatedperformedphotographedplannedrevisedrevitalizedshapedsolved

Financial&Dataadministeredadjustedallocatedanalyzedappraisedassessedauditedbalancedbudgetedcalculatedcomputedconservedcontrolledcorrectedcutdecreaseddetermineddevelopedestimatedmanagedmarketedmeasuredplannedpreparedprogrammedprojectedpurchasedreconciledreducedresearchedretrieved tabulatedtrimmedtrackedquantified

Helpingadaptedadvocatedaidedansweredarrangedassessed

assistedcared forclarifiedcoachedcontributedcooperatedcounseleddemonstrateddiagnosededucatedencouragedensuredexpeditedfacilitatedguidedhelpedinsuredintervenedmotivatedpreventedprovidedreferredrehabilitatedrepresentedresolvedsimplifiedsuppliedsupportedvolunteered

Interpersonal &Teamworkadvisedcollaboratedenabledfocusedinitiatedinteractedinvolvedlistenedmediatedmentoredmoderatednegotiatedpartneredteamed

Leadership&Managementaccomplishedactedadministeredadvancedadvisedanalyzedappointedapprovedassignedattainedauthorizedchairedcompletedconsideredconsolidatedcontractedcontrolledconvertedcoordinatedcounseleddecideddecreaseddelegateddetermined

developeddirecteddispatcheddisseminateddiversifiedeliminatedemphasizedenforcedenhancedenlistedensuredestablishedexaminedexecutedexplainedfoundedgeneratedgovernedguidedheadedhiredhostedimprovedincorporatedincreasedinfluencedinitiatedinspectedinspiredinstigatedinstitutedinstructedintegratedintroducedlaunchedledloweredmanagedmergedmodifiedmotivatedorganizedoriginatedoverhauledoversawpioneeredplannedpresidedprioritizedproducedproposedrecommendedrecruitedreorganizedreplacedrepresentedrestoredreviewedsavedscheduledsecuredselectedshapedsolidifiedstimulatedstreamlinedstrengthenedsupervisedterminatedtrimmedverified

Organization &Detailapprovedarrangedcataloguedcategorizedchartedclassifiedcodedcollectedcompiledcontainedcoordinatedcorrectedcorrespondeddistributedexecutedexpeditedfiledgeneratedimplementedincorporatedinspectedloggedmaintainedmonitoredobtainedoperatedorderedorganizedplannedpreparedprocessedprovidedpurchasedrecordedregisteredreservedrespondedrestructuredreviewedroutedscheduledscreenedset upstandardizedsubmittedsuppliedupdatedusedvalidatedverified

Teaching &Trainingadaptedadvisedappraisedclarifiedcoachedcommunicatedconductedcoordinatedcritiqueddemonstrateddevelopededucatedenabledencouragedevaluatedexplainedfacilitatedfocused

guidedinfluencedinformedinstilledinstructedmotivatedpersuadedsetsimulatedstimulatedtaughttestedtrainedtransmittedtutored

Technicaladaptedadvisedanalyzedappliedassembledautomatedbuiltcalculatedcodedcomputedcomputerizedconservedconstructedcontrolledconverteddebuggeddesigneddetermineddevelopeddiagnoseddraftedengineeredfabricatedfortifiedidentifiedimplementedinspectedinstalledlocatedmaintainedmonitorednetworkedoperatedoverhauledpreventedprintedprogrammedproposedrecordedrectifiedregulatedremodelledrepairedreplacedrestoredretrievedsolvedspecializedspecifiedstandardizedstudiedsupportedtrainedtroubleshotupgraded

Action Verb List

10

Resumesandcoverletterswininterviews;excellentreferences can win job offers.

Ifyouarebeingconsideredforajob,itislikelythatthepo-tential employer will speak with your references. Once you have gotten this far in your job search you must be certain that your references will provide a good recommendation. A less-than-enthusiastic reference at a critical juncture can spell disaster, so select your references carefully.

WhoTo identify as many potential references as possible, consider current and former bosses, professors, advisors, volunteer coordinators, co-workers, and subordinates who have first-hand knowledge of your work and abilities. Be sure to find references who know you well enough to speak on your behalf. Roommates, friends, and family members do not make good references unless you have worked with them in a professional relationship, e.g., you workedforyourmother’sbusinessduringthesummers,and she was your supervisor.

WhatNext, call or meet with the people on your list who are likely to deliver a very positive report and have seen you perform well. Begin by explaining that you are in a job search, and then ask whether they would be willing to

actasareferenceforyou.Youmightsaysomethinglike:“Dr.Thomas,IwillbegraduatinginMayandwillbeseekingafull-timeposition.Irealizehowimportantreferencescanbe,andIwaswonderingifyouwouldbecomfortableservingasareference?”

The answer will usually be positive. Be prepared to provide a brief (less than two minutes) idea of what you have been doing recently and the type of position you seek. With past co-workers or supervisors, you may want to state why you left that job since they are likely to be asked by the potential employer. Deliver to each reference a current copy of your resume so they will be familiar with your experiences and what you have highlighted for employers.

How ManyYouwillgenerallybeaskedtoprovidefromthreetofivereferences.Itisagoodideatohavea“backup”ortwoonthe list in case one or more of your references is out of town when called.

WhereDo not include references on your resume. Names and contact information for references take up a lot of space and usually have little meaning to a potential employeratthe“resumestage.”Makeaseparatereference page. Be sure to include your name and contact information at the top. When delivered with your resume and cover letter, the three documents should be complementaryandprofessional.Itisagoodideatoprintall three on the same high-quality bond paper.

Includereference’sname,currenttitle,agencyororgani-zation with which they are currently affiliated, address, preferred phone number(s), best time of day to call (be sure to take into account time zone differences), and email address.Insomecases,youmayalsowanttonoteyourrelationship to the individual (e.g., former supervisor at KU Library), particularly if your reference has moved to a neworganization.Becertaineverythingiscorrect!

WhenProvideyourreferencelisttoapotentialemployeronlywhen requested.

Be sure to thank your references at the completion of your job search.

References

Aless-than-enthusiasticreferenceatacriticaljuncturecanspelldisaster,soselectyourreferencescarefully.

11

Employers report that an impressive cover letter is often more important than the resume when making a decision whether to interview a candidate, so it can be a mistake to focus too much attention on the resume and ignore the potential value of a well-written letter. Like the resume, the cover letter is not intended to get you the job—it is intended to get you an interview (when you can convince the employer face-to-face that you are the right one for the job).

Whenever you cannot present your resume personally, a cover letter should accompany it. A cover letter should alwaysaccompanyaresumethatissentbyU.S.PostalServiceore-mail.Whateveryouwriteinyoure-mail ISyourcoverletter.Acoverletterisnotnecessarywhenyou deliver your resume to a potential employer at a career fair.

The purpose of the cover letter and resume package is to motivate the employer to take action and invite you for an interview. When delivered together, the two documents should be complementary and work together to accomplish your purpose. The appearance ofyourresume/coverletterpackagewillbeenhancedifboth documents are printed on the same high-quality bond paper.

The most important aspect of a cover letter is employer focus.Presenttheemployerwithindicationsofyourpersonality and style along with your skills and abilities.

Highlightyourqualificationsforthespecificpositionyou seek, clearly stating your interests and qualifications relativetotheemployer’sneeds.

Alwayscustomizeyourcoverletter!Sendingoutageneralcover letter and resume to hundreds of employers is rarely successful.Itcancreateaperceptionontheemployer’spart that you are not a serious and thoughtful person, that youaredesperateforajob,orthatyoudon’treallycareenough about their organization to learn about them or their needs.

Yourlettershouldbejustafewparagraphsandonlyone page in length. While there is no “perfect formula” regarding length and what to include, keep it relevant and relatively brief.

cover letterS: thingS to Avoid

• Startingeverysentencewith“I”or“my”

• Extraneouswordsandwordyphrases;e.g.“inorderto”and“forthepurposeof ”

• Confusingandcomplexlanguageandsentencestructure(HINT:Readyourletteraloudtoidentifyawkwardness,thencorrectit)

• Longsentencesandparagraphs

• Passiveverbs“tobe,”“todo,”or“towork”

• Fontsizessmallerthan10pointandlargerthan12point

• Passivestatementsornondescriptphrasessuchas “Iwasacomputerlabassistant.”Instead,say:“Iprovidedtechnicalassistance.”“Iconductedresearchactivities usingobservationanddataanalysisskillswhile…”instead of “Iworkedasaresearchassistant.”

Acoverlettershouldworklikeadvertisingcopy.Itshould:

•catchthereader’sattention (openingparagraph)

•communicateskillsandexperience(middleparagraph)

•supportyourstatementswithspecifics(middleparagraph)

•compelthereadertoact (finalparagraph)

Cover letters

12

sample cover letter12

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13

sample thank you letter

500 Lawrence Avenue

Lawrence, Kansas 66049

March 1, 20xx

Ms. Deborah White

Data Systems, Inc.

875 Knotty Pine Road

Sacramento, California 95831

Dear Ms. White:

I enjoyed visiting with you yesterday regarding employment opportunities at Data

Systems. I am extremely interested in the work your organization is doing and am

impressed with the advanced technologies employed by your company.

As I mentioned during our conversation, my past two summer positions were related to

the development and design of software programs for corporate accounting applications.

With my skills and interest in software design, I believe I could be of value to Data

Systems.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Please let me know if I can provide

additional information about my background. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Sincerely,

Steve Simpson