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UCONSULTING RESUME + COVER LETTER WORKSHOP

By Nick Kellerman

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QUESTION: WHO ALREADY HAS A RESUME?

*Raise Hands*

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REALITY CHECK

  • Resume and Cover Letter advice is abundant (Google “resume advice” and you’ll find 49 million results)
  • Examples of successful Resumes and Cover Letters are some of your best resources
  • A recruiter may only take 15-30 seconds per resume, so be memorable (in a good way)

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THIS PRESENTATION:

  • Resume Basics
    • Goals, Format, Content, Tips ‘n Tricks
  • Cover Letter Basics
    • Goals, Format, Content, Tips ‘n Tricks
  • Experienced Member Panel
    • Kirstie, Sean, Raun, Olivia, Tesia
  • Q&A

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THE RESUME

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GOALS OF A RESUME

  • Express WHAT you’ve done in other positions to show employer WHAT you can do for them
  • Clearly and concisely display WHY you should be considered for the position
  • Get interviews, not jobs

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FORMAT

  • 1 Page
  • 0.5 – 1.0 inch margins
  • Font (10-12 pt for text, 14-16 pt for headers)
    • Arial, Verdana, Trebuchet MS, Century Gothic, Gill Sans MT, Lucida Sans, Tahoma, and Helvetica (NOT Comic Sans)
  • Clean and Consistent Format
  • Chronological vs. Functional vs. Combination
    • Only really need to know chronological for now

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CHRONOLOGICAL VS. FUNCTIONAL

  • Chronological
    • Lays out education, experience, and other activities in…you guessed it, reverse chronological order. Most recent positions come first.
  • Functional
    • Lays out education, experience, and other activities by by emphasizing skills developed and grouping them

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SO…YEAH NO

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OH…THAT’S NICE

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CONTENT

  • Heading
  • Objective (let’s talk about this…)
  • Education
  • Work/Related Experience (a.k.a. Professional Exp. or just Experience)
  • Organizational/Leadership Experience (Leadership & Activities)
  • Community/Volunteer Experience (not necessary for consulting work)
  • Skills (software and languages)
  • Interests/Miscellaneous/Additional

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CONTENT (BULLETS)

  • Clear and Concise (think professional tweets)
  • Start with an action verb (easy to look up or see Career Center Guide)
  • Emphasize impact and quantify when possible
  • What + How + Why + Impact
  • NO spelling or grammar mistakes

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HEADING

  • Name
  • Address
  • Phone
  • Email
  • Personal website (can also put elsewhere such as in “Interests”)

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OBJECTIVE?

  • A short statement that tells the employer what you’re looking for
  • Tells what your goal is, but isn’t your goal to get the job?
    • Companies are looking for the right “fit” as opposed to being concerned with what you want
  • Very much optional

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EDUCATION

  • College/University
    • Including study abroad
  • GPA (if above 3.0)
  • SAT/ACT Scores (if requested or rather impressive)
  • Related Coursework (upper division courses only, also depends on position)

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WORK/RELATED EXPERIENCE

  • A.K.A. Professional Experience or just Experience
  • List most relevant first (but keep chronological format)
  • Show experiences that connect to desired skills
  • Consider projects that may relate to position

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ORGANIZATIONAL/LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

  • A.K.A. Leadership and Activities
  • Again, show most relevant first
  • Focus on achievements in each position

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COMMUNITY/VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE*

  • *Not necessary with a consulting resume unless you hold a leadership position within a volunteer group
  • Good way to show what you care about

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SKILLS

  • Languages
  • Software (R Studio, C++, Microsoft Office, etc.)
  • *Consider incorporating skills into bullets (i.e. “predicted market growth by plotting and analyzing sales in Excel”)
    • Show practical application of skills in work

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INTERESTS

  • Be specific where you can (i.e. “devouring science fiction” instead of “1 <3 books”)
  • Be tame, but find a way to stand out

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TIPS ‘N TRICKS

  • Always target your resume to job/position description
  • Quantify, but don’t lie or exaggerate
  • Try to keep bullets one line long
  • Already a pro at formatting? Spice it up a little, but remain professional (search “modern resumes” for inspiration)
  • Ask for critique(and try scanning bottom-up to spot mistakes)
    • Professional, personal, and other contacts
  • Take notes on key words the firm or company uses and incorporate those into your content

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THE COVER LETTER

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GOALS OF A COVER LETTER

  • Show that you have researched company
  • Show that you’re the right “fit” for the company
  • Tell story of how your experience results in skills and plays into WHY you’re applying for this position
  • Create interest in WHO you are

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FORMAT

  • Heading
  • Address a person in the company (likely hiring manager or recruiting manager)
  • Approximately 3 paragraphs (give or take a few)
    • Intro: opening paragraph dictating interest and your research on company
    • Body: sell yourself (professionally) and expand on why you’re qualified
    • Conclusion: package everything up into a few sentences and then sign-off

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CONTENT

  • NOT a repeat of resume material
  • Pinpoint challenges in company or work you would like to address
  • Keep sentences short, and minimize “fluff”
  • Write in a professional, but conversational tone
  • NO spelling and grammar mistakes

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TIPS ‘N TRICKS

  • Be entertaining, be original
  • Know who to address, or go find someone
    • LinkedIn or google search
  • Name-drop if reasonable
  • Show how company can benefit from your skills and experience
  • Address company values
  • Ask for critique (and try scanning bottom-up to spot mistakes)
  • Actually sign the cover letter! (scan signed version and send pdf)
  • Take notes on key words the firm or company uses and incorporate those into your content

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EXPERIENCED MEMBER PANEL

  • Kirstie (Resume)
  • Sean (Resume)
  • Raun (Resume)
  • Olivia (Resume + Cover Letter)
  • Tesia (Resume + Cover Letter)

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Q&A