1. careers
2. resume writing and advice

RESUME & COVER LETTER GUIDE
Contact Us:
Main Phone: 623-845-3284
Dayna Mathews, Advisor
Dayna.mathews@gccaz.edu
Laura Hinau, Office Coordinator
laura.hinau@gccaz.edu
GCC Career & Employment Services
Career & Employment Services
www.gccaz.edu/career
Easy Resume Creation Guide –7
Example resume –8
References –10
Cover Letter –11 & 12
Thank-You Letter –14
Helpful Online Resources –15
The Resume
A resume is a
commercial
not an
autobiography.
All resumes
should contain:
1. Name
2. Phone Number
3. Professional Email
Address
4. Summary of
Qualifications
5. Work History
6. Accomplishments
7. Education
Resumes may also
contain:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Skills Section
Descriptions of duties
Memberships
Volunteer Activities
Scholarship Awards
A resume is a commercial designed to “sell” the employer on the idea that the
person would be an ideal candidate for the job. A resume is not an
autobiography listing everything a candidate has ever done.
A good resume is one that shows the candidate in the best light possible. Your
resume is your “live billboard”. If the company is going to “buy” you, they
need to know the very best information about you, your skills, and your
education. The first section should be a Summary of Qualifications which
should relate specifically to the job(s) you are applying for based upon the open
job listing. List your education second if you have a degree but no actual
industry experience. If you have a lot of related industry experience, list that
ahead of your education. Be sure to list any volunteer experience you have as
well. Any information in these sections should relate directly to what the
employer is looking for in an applicant.
When creating a resume, the majority of your information may stay the same,
but the emphasis of your skills and job descriptions should change to target your
resume to each specific job for which you apply.
Before you create your resume, sit down and make a list of everything you
have to offer an employer. Ask yourself, “What are my best skills? What have
I accomplished in each of my positions/internships/volunteer activities? What
kind of awards/compliments have I received at work or in school? And, what is
it that I want to tell the employer about myself to make them want to hire me?”
Do your research. Look at open positions on www.indeed.com and other job
boards to see what kinds of things the employers you’re interested in are looking
for in their next great hire. Preparation is key to a great resume!
This Resume Guide will assist you in preparing a
resume that gets you interviews!
Career & Employment Services
www.gccaz.edu/career
Resume Preparation
Time spent on these
initial steps prepares
you to create a better
resume and helps you
to prepare for the
interview. This is time
well spent.

If you are applying for
jobs in more than one
career field, you will
want to create more
than one resume.
List your skills – both hard and soft skills
o Hard skills: Microsoft Office, HTML, Adobe, Outlook, etc.
o Soft Skills: Effective communication, adaptability, punctual, etc.
 Use an online job board to find advertisements related to your profession/job
choice. It is a good idea to find multiple examples of the jobs for which you
would want to apply.
 Copy the descriptions into another document. Continue reading and copying
descriptions until you have a good representation of those types of jobs- usually
ten or twenty job descriptions.
 Reread the job descriptions. Determine major “themes” or main ideas for the
jobs. For example, all the job descriptions may be categorized into four to six
main areas such as: people skills; computer skills; specialized
equipment/software/programs; supervisory skills; and licensures or certs
certifications. Type those categories onto your document.
Career & Employment Services
www.gccaz.edu/career
Resume Preparation
 Separate the phrases from the job descriptions into those categories by
cutting and pasting.
To ensure the employer
views you as qualified:
use a highlighter to
highlight the main
criteria in the job
posting. Incorporate
this criterion in your
resume by reviewing
your resume and
crossing out the items
in the job posting as
you address them in
your resume.
Use action verbs
when describing
your previous jobs.
 Look at all the descriptions under one of the categories. Which ones
reflect the training and experience you possess? Rewrite or combine the
descriptions into one cohesive sentence or paragraph. This will become
one of your bullet points under your, “Highlights of Qualifications”
section.
 Repeat for remaining categories.
 Identify two to three accomplishments/awards you have had in each of
your past jobs, school, or volunteer experience. (Think results that
happened because of the work you did.)
 Write down your previous jobs. Write the tasks you performed on your
old jobs keeping the above mentioned job descriptions in mind. A list of
action verbs to assist you in writing your descriptions follows:
Accomplished
Facilitated
Prepared
Administered
Generated
Reorganized
Attained
Handled
Researched
Changed
Hired
Sold
Collaborated
Implemented
Streamlined
Completed
Improved
Structured
Conducted
Initiated
Trained
Contributed
Managed
Updated
Coordinated
Negotiated
Upgraded
Developed
Organized
Verified
Established
Planned
Wrote
After the preparation is complete on what to say in a resume, it is also important
to learn how to say it. The format of the resume needs to be consistent
throughout the document with the applicant’s name having the most emphasis.
Career & Employment Services
www.gccaz.edu/career
Chronological/Combination Resume
Pat Garcia
Glendale, Arizona
(623) 555-1212
bestapplicant1@gmail.com
www.linkedin.com/patgarcia
Summary of Qualifications
e
Are your headings
consistent?
For
example, if one
heading is bolded,
all should be bolded.

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8 years progressive administrative assistant experience with a recent focus at an executive
level providing outstanding service to customers and department heads
Expertise in the training of 25+ medical office staff
Extensive software expertise; Microsoft Office, PeopleSoft, HRMS, Outlook
Associate of Arts in Business with emphasis on organizational leadership
Work Experience
Executive Assistant, ABC Corporation, Gilbert, Arizona
2008-Present
 Ensure compliance of local, state and federal regulations and laws governing business
operations, procedures and guidelines for working with patient records in a medical
facility
 Maintain confidentiality of patient and personnel records
 Successfully train, motivate and evaluate office staff of 25+ employees
 Monitor Vice President‘s budgets of up to $25,000, and work with vendors to locate and
order equipment and supplies in the most efficient way possible
 Assist in the preparation of PowerPoint presentations (6 to date) used for employee
trainings to increase engagement
Administrative Assistant, DEF Company, Chandler, Arizona
2005-2007
 Served as first point of contact for customers using multi-line phone system, taking 100+
calls per day, increasing customer satisfaction by 60% over the course of one year
 Utilized Microsoft Office products including Word, Excel, PowerPoint as well as
customized software for bookkeeping and human resources
 Collaborated with vendors to track equipment and supplies for manufacturing facility,
saving the company over $10,000 by utilization of compromise strategies
Use the tab key
rather than the
space bar to align
your information.
Customer Service Agent, GHI Company, Inc., San Diego, California
2003 -2005
 Successful background in working with customers to resolve issues
 Worked well with people from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds
 Recognized sales leader, exceeding sales quota goals by 120% thus increasing profit
margins of the department
 Used customized database to track 500+ customers’ information and inquiries
Education
Associate of Arts, Glendale Community College, Glendale, Arizona (May 2013)
Career & Employment Services
www.gccaz.edu/career
Tips for an Outstanding Resume



Your resume is only
one step of the job
search process, but
it’s a very important
one, so make it
great!
Your name should
be the largest font
size on the page.
Do not have your
information written
in smaller than
10 point.



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
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Your resume should look attractive to the eye.
o Not too much white space
o Not too many words (we don’t want to overwhelm people here)
Your resume should be free of spelling and/or grammar errors
Your resume should be a screen shot of who you are (skills, abilities,
education), what kind of work you’ve done, and the
accomplishments/results you’ve achieved.
Your resume should have only the following information:
o Contact Information
o Summary of Qualifications/Skills
o Employment History
 Job Title
 Name of Company
 Dates of Employment
 City and State of Job
 3 to 6 bullets explaining job objectives and accomplishments
o Education
 Name of degree program
 Graduation date (past or anticipated)
 GPA if above 3.0
 Relevant coursework to job applying for
o Activities/Volunteer (Optional)
Your resume should be easy to read (not filled with abbreviations and
industry jargon) and written in the 3rd person perspective.
The most important information as well as the headings of each section
should be bolded and/or underlined to catch the employers’ attention.
Your resume should contain more quantities (#’s & %’s) and objective
information (facts and examples) than subjective (your own opinion of
yourself – i.e., great communicator/detail-oriented) information.
Your resume should be tailored (made specific) to each job you are
applying to for greater results
Your resume clearly illustrate how you meet the qualifications for the job
you are applying for – this should be VERY apparent to anyone who reads it
Your resume should be continually updated.
Career & Employment Services
www.gccaz.edu/career
Combination Resume
The combination resume is a way to blend both the styles of the chronological
and functional resume. It is a synopsis of your professional skills (the
functional style) followed by your employment history (the chronological
format). Although there is no correct set of section headings for the
combination resume, there are a few components that are typically seen when
using the combination style:
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
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Contact information
Skills (Highlights of Qualifications and/or Summary)
Experience (title will change based on if your experience was work
related, volunteer, intern, or project based. Some examples could be:
Employment Experience, Professional Experience, Volunteer
Experience, Related Experience, etc.)
o This can be work, education (project) or volunteer experience –
if you put time into something, it counts as experience
Education
Volunteer/Activities (optional)
A combination resume should be used when:
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
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You are clearly attempting to demonstrate your skills, education, and
experience to the job for which you’re applying – which should be
ALWAYS.
You are a student working toward a degree and you are wanting to
apply for internships related to your coursework
You have had some work history or experience that is directly related
to the job for which you’re applying, but not enough to fill up one
page; this format will add substance with the skills section.
Your former jobs have varied with regard to their job description; this
format will focus attention on your skills, abilities, credentials,
qualifications, and/or accomplishments.
You are a student and looking for your first “real job”. This resume
format may be effective because it will allow you to focus on skills,
accomplishments, and leadership abilities. It will also allow you to
state “indirect” skills you have learned while in college courses as well
as your stable work experiences.
You want to really tailor your skills to match the needs of the
employer. This will emphasize your skills because they will be
mentioned both in your qualifications section as well as in your work
history section.
Career & Employment Services
www.gccaz.edu/career
Combination/Chronological Resume
Pat M. Garcia
Glendale, Arizona
(623) 555-1212
bestapplicant1@gmail.com
www.linkedin.com/patgarcia
Summary of Qualifications

5 years’ experience in training, motivating and evaluating 50+ employees. Successful background in working
with customers to resolve issues and retain accounts

Accurately monitor budgets of over $50,000; handle confidential information; prepare presentations using PowerPoint and
Prezi; and work with internal and external customers and vendors to negotiate contracts

Customer service and sales experience includes ability to work with people from diverse cultural and socioeconomic
backgrounds

Recognized sales leader (Sales of the Month Award) with ability to exceed sales goals
 Adept in using Microsoft Office products including Word, Excel, PowerPoint as well as using customized software for
bookkeeping, human resources and customer databases
Work Experience
Executive Assistant at ABC Corporation
Gilbert, Arizona – April 2008 to Current
 Ensure compliance of local, state and federal regulations and laws governing business operations, procedures and
guidelines for working with patient records in a medical facility servicing 5 departments
 Maintain confidentiality of 500+ patient and personnel records
 Successfully train, motivate and evaluate office staff of 50+ employees via the use of effective presentation,
communication, and training abilities

Monitor Vice President’s budgets of up to $50,000, and work with vendors to locate and order equipment and
supplies
Administrative Assistant at DEF Company
Chandler, Arizona – May 2005 to April 2008
 Served as first point of contact for DEF customers using multi-line phone system to schedule appointments
 Used Microsoft Office products including Word, Excel, PowerPoint as well as customized software for bookkeeping and
human resources procedures
 Effectively organized and revamped the customer information system to increase process efficiency by 40%
 Received high recognition in communication skill areas from supervisor in yearly reviews
 Collaborated with vendors to track equipment and supplies for manufacturing facility
Customer Service Agent at GHI Company, Inc.
San Diego, California – January 2003 to May 2005
 Worked closely with retail customers, answered questions and resolved issues
 Successful background in selling products and services (warranties) to customers
 Continuously met product sales quotas by 110%, increasing overall company sales by 20% by 2005
Education
Associate of Arts, May 2013
Glendale Community College, Glendale, AZ
 GPA: 3.9
 Vice President of Associated Student Government in charge of planning student leadership events
Volunteer Experience
Fundraising Volunteer, Make-A-Wish Foundation
Phoenix, Arizona – Summer 2013
 Lead team of 5 in fundraising efforts with summer profit equaling $500
 Successfully managed and tracked donations to effectively reach team goals
 Chosen as “Team Lead of the Summer” among 5 other teams
Career & Employment Services
www.gccaz.edu/career
References
In the past, the name, addresses, and phone numbers of people who could talk about the
candidate’s skills and work habits were included on a person’s resume. That practice fell out of
favor and job seekers began to put, “References available upon request” on their resumes.
Currently, the trend is to keep the resume down to one page, if possible, and leaving off any
mention of references. Most employers still want a list of references, but they may ask for
them on an application or during the interview as they consider the candidate for hire. It is still
a good idea to have a reference page ready- just don’t include it with your resume unless
specifically requested.
A reference should be:
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Close friend
Co-worker
Supervisor
Teacher
A reference should not be:
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ANY relative
Significant others
Anyone you don’t know very well
Make sure to talk to your references before you list them. It is a good idea to also tell them
what you think the employer is looking for in an applicant and what you are hoping the
reference will tell the potential employer when they call, “I am applying for XYZ positions and
I am hoping to use you as a reference. Would you be willing to talk with them about me,
especially my ability to …?”
A reference page should contain your contact information as well as the contact information of
your references, how long you have known them, and how you know them. It is important to
say how you know them i.e., “co-worker” so the person calling your references knows how to
start the conversation, “I’m calling for a reference check on John Doe. She has listed you as a
fellow co-worker at the ABC Company . . . .”
Reference information should contain a surname (Dr., Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms.); their complete
address; phone with area code; email address and their relationship to you (how you know
them).
Career & Employment Services
www.gccaz.edu/career
References
Pat Garcia
(623) 555-1212
bestapplicant1@gmail.com
Professional References
Mr. John Doe
222 Main Street
Glendale, Arizona 85212
(623) 123-4567
jdoe@web.com
Co-worker at ABC Company
Known for 6 years
Mr. Joe Mentor
Glendale Community College
6000 W. Olive Avenue
Glendale, Arizona 85302
(623) 845-3000
Joe.mentor@gcmail.maricopa.edu
Instructor
Known for 1 year
Ms. Jane Smith
333 N. First Street
Gilbert, AZ 85296
480.765.4321
j.smith@email.com
Supervisor at XYZ Company
Known for 7 years
Career & Employment Services
www.gccaz.edu/career
Cover Letter
A cover letter must accompany your resume in your job search mailings. It serves
as an introduction to your resume and an opportunity to show specifically how your
skills/personal characteristics match the job description. Letters should be
organized as follows:
Paragraph 1: Reason for the letter
State the position for which you are applying and how you learned of the job
(source). If you know someone in the company whom referred you to the job
opening, make sure you reference that person’s name here. This is where you can
really engage your reader with what you know about the company. Flatter them!
Paragraph 2: This is your marketing paragraph
Indicate why you are interested in the position and the company and how your
academic/experiential background makes you a qualified candidate. Make the link
between your skills and the advertised skills, but do not just repeat what is on your
resume. Add a personal characteristic which is suited for the position. Remember
that whomever is reading the letter wants to know they are talking to a real person –
so show your personality! Share an engaging story with them about how you
exceeded expectations at your last job and how you’re going to bring that same
enthusiasm with you to their company. You are not a robot, and it shouldn’t sound
like a robot wrote your cover letter. When you’re reading through your cover letter,
ask yourself, “Would I enjoy reading this?” If not, you know you’ve got some work
to do. It’s not rocket science, people – be interesting! Or, as we like to say, just fake
it ‘til you make it!
Paragraph 3: Thank the reader for their consideration.
Thank the reader for their time and consideration and express interest in an
interview and how excited you are to work for their company. If you show
enthusiasm for the job and company, they will be more likely to take an interest in
you.
Emailing a Cover Letter
An email is written in memo form. Inherent in the email is the sections for, “To”,
“From”, “Date”, and “Subject”. For this reason, these headings are missing in the
body of your email. The body of your letter should follow the same three parts as a
standard cover letter. It should be concise enough that the reader will not have to
scroll down to read the remainder of the letter.
If you can set up an automatic signature block for your email, then an additional
signature block is unnecessary. If you do not have a signature block, or if your
email address does not indicate your name, a signature block such as “sincerely”
and your name is appropriate at the end of your email message. A phone number
should be listed underneath your name.
Some companies will not open word processing documents attached in an email. It
is best to attach your resume as a PDF file, text file and/or your word processed
document. You might also copy your text file resume into the body of your email.
A small line between your letter and your resume is an appropriate way to indicate
the difference between the two documents.
Career & Employment Services
www.gccaz.edu/career
Cover Letter
123 Main Street
Glendale, Arizona 85302
March 2, 2011
Requisition #44567: Human Resources Manager
ABC Company
300 N. Cotton Lane
Peoria, Arizona 85321
Dear Mr. Sanchez,
I am responding to your advertisement for a Supervisor, which appeared on the Maricopa
Career Network website. The other day an article about ABC Company caught my eye. It’s
really impressive to me a company that cares so much about customer service and truly
making sure that process is managed properly. Yours is the kind of company I would enjoy
being a part of since that’s my personal philosophy as well.
With an Associate of Arts degree in Business from Glendale Community College, I have an
excellent knowledge in business practices and bookkeeping. Having trained and monitored the
work of more than 50 employees successfully in positions with increasing levels of
responsibility, I believe am an ideal candidate to supervise your staff in a decisive, strategic
manner. Under my leadership, this department would have a reputation as an efficient,
collaborative team with a strong customer service focus. The last team I managed called me
“The Collaborator” because I was set on making sure we worked well as a team to reach our
departmental goals. I’m confident this nickname will transfer to your organization when I
bring that same team-focused morale with me to ABC Company.
I look forward to and welcome the opportunity to interview with you to discuss how I can
contribute to your organization’s goals. Thank you for your time and consideration. I look
forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Sign your name
Pat Garcia
(623) 555-1212
bestapplicant1@gmail.com
Career & Employment Services
www.gccaz.edu/career
Email Cover Letter
Letter
Do not email from your
current work email.
Emailing a Cover Letter
An email is written in memo form. Inherent in the email is the sections for, “To”, “From”,
“Date”, and “Subject”. For this reason, these headings are missing in the body of your email.
The body of your letter should follow the same three parts as a standard cover letter. It should be
concise enough that the reader will not have to scroll down to read the remainder of the letter.
If you can set up an automatic signature block for your email, then an additional signature block
is unnecessary. If you do not have a signature block, or if your email address does not indicate
your name, a signature block such as “sincerely” and your name is appropriate at the end of your
email message. A phone number should be listed underneath your name.
Some companies will not open word processing documents attached in an email. It is best to
attach your resume as a PDF file, text file and/or your word processed document. You might also
copy your text file resume into the body of your email. A small line between your letter and your
resume is an appropriate way to indicate the difference between the two documents.
Your email should be
written using proper
business punctuation.
Career & Employment Services
www.gccaz.edu/career
Thank You Letters
Follow-up, or thank you
letters, show interest and
appreciation. They continue a
dialogue that your competition
may not be doing. Letters
should be organized as follows:
Paragraph 1:
Thank the reader for the phone
call, interview, advice, etc.
Paragraph 2:
Summarize your qualifications
or highlight a unique
qualification for the specific job.
Paragraph 3:
Indicate your interest in taking
the “next step.”
123 Main Street
Glendale, Arizona 85302
March 8, 2011
Human Resources Manager
ABC Company
300 W. Olive Avenue
Glendale, Arizona 85302
Dear Mr. Sanchez,
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to interview me for
the Supervisor position with ABC Company.
I am very interested in working for (name of company). (In this paragraph,
add something about the interview; something he/she told you about the
work they do, if you received a tour, something complimentary about what
you saw such as; the tour was really great. I especially liked the fact that
each supervisor had the responsibility for…) Summarize your qualifications.
My experience (list the related skill that you have) would be great in this
position because (why?) OR, start this paragraph by counteracting your
limited experience in a positive way such as: As a supervisor, I know my
ability to lead others will soon become an asset to (name of company).
I appreciate the opportunity to meet with you, and I look forward to hearing
from you soon.
Sincerely,
Sign your name
Pat Garcia
(623)555-1212
bestapplicant1@gmail.com
Career & Employment Services
www.gccaz.edu/career
Helpful Online Resources:



Utilize the resources
given to you – they
are free, they are
awesome, and they
WILL help you reach
your goals if you
choose to make use
of them!

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

www.workbloom.com
Workbloom is a site with hundreds of different resources on resumes,
cover letters, interviews, and everything in between. This site gives you
a lot of resume samples!
www.indeed.com
This site aggregates job listings from thousands of websites, including
job boards, newspapers, associations, and company career pages.
Indeed allows job seekers to apply directly to jobs on Indeed’s site and
offers resume posting and storage.
www.glassdoor.com
Glassdoor is a free jobs and career community that offers the world an
inside look at jobs and companies. Anonymous salaries, company
reviews, interview questions, and more – all posted by employees, job
seekers, and sometimes the companies themselves.
www.careerealism.com
Careerealism offers guidance and tips for success in all things career –
resumes, interviewing, cover letters, career management, and LinkedIn!
www.brazencareerist.com
With this site, you’ll get free career tips from the pros as well as exciting
and exclusive job opportunities. Free courses designed to help you land
the job of your dreams too!
www.careeronestop.com
Tools designed to help job seekers, students, businesses, and career
professionals of all ages! Great resource for career exploration as well.
Find
ALL
employers
in
AZ
on
this
site.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor
www.youtern.com
YouTern enables young talent to become highly employable by
connecting them to high-impact internships and mentors – and through
contemporary career advice found on their blog, The Savvy Intern.
www.linkedin.com
Utilize LinkedIn to create a professional profile to network with
colleagues and professionals in your industry, find jobs, and learn from
the best of the best! 90% of recruiters use this site to fill their jobs. Don’t
be left behind!

www.communitycollegesuccess.com
Wondering how to be successful during your community college career?
Isa Adney provides insight into ALL aspects of college. You can even ask
her any question you want and she will answer it for you!
Career & Employment Services
www.gccaz.edu/career