Professional Employment Program Writing effective resumes and cover letters: telling your story through written applications Presenter: Olivia Doyle Career Practitioner, Centre for Career Development 15 September 2014 Swinburne Telling your story through written applications: Seminar objectives: Students will gain an insight into key features of written job applications: - Resumes - Cover letters and emails SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 2 Tell your story to stand out from the crowd Swinburne Most jobs require written applications to assist recruiters to identify the candidates to short list for interview You need to ensure ALL aspects of your written application tell your story in the most effective manner to market you as a qualified, talented individual who matches the employer’s selection criteria (often essential and desirable) required for the vacant job SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 3 A key document for job applications is your resume Swinburne What is a resume? • A marketing/sales tool - a brochure that tells your story and QUICKLY promotes your skills and achievements • A document that presents you as a professional • Maps why you are a match to the job on offer AND to the organisation • The key to gaining an interview SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 4 Swinburne How long does it take for a recruiter to assess a resume? Often less than 20 seconds So what makes a good resume? SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 5 Common mistakes in written graduate applications Swinburne - Bland applications - candidate does not stand out from the crowd - No obvious links to the job – the reader has to join the dots - Not addressing selection criteria - Poor written communication skills - - Spelling - - Grammar - - Expression - - Presentation - Expression SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 6 What makes for a winning resume? Swinburne Content Layout - Matches the requirements of the employer - Clear and easy to scan - Uncluttered - Uses short, clearly written phrases and paragraphs to demonstrate your skills & experience SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN - Appropriate format - Adequate margins and whitespace white space 7 Resume Layout / Presentation Swinburne - Make the résumé as simple and easy to read as possible - Consider type styles and font size (eg Times New Roman, 12) - Avoid font mania - use only one plain font – Arial or Times New Roman set at 11 or 12 point in size - All indents are in alignment (use Tab & indent settings NOT spacebar) - Use bold / italics / boxes (borders) wisely - Avoid italics or underline as they don’t fax or scan into a database well - Don’t OVERCAPITALISE - Use page breaks so lists and paragraphs are not split SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN Vital resume content • • • • • • • Swinburne Targeted to the requirements listed in the advertisement Use of key words Highlights the strengths of your brand Tell a positive story Achievement focused Concise Honest SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN It’s a crowded market! Swinburne On average 250 resumes are received for each job position The average time a recruiter spends looking at a resume is 5.7 seconds 76% of resumes are ignored if your email address is unprofessional The first applications are received 200 seconds after a job is posted Source: The Recruiters Lounge Recruiters often short list job applicationsSwinburne into three categories Which pile will your story end up in? YES MAYBE SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN NO 11 Resume Styles Swinburne - Reverse Chronological Arranges your experience and education in reverse chronological order (from most recent to least recent) - Functional Headings relate to your relevant skills and competencies rather than time-line order - Creative Using the resume as a tool to demonstrate your design/creative skills using colour and images etc Resume builder & example resumes Swinburne - Access SwinEmploy at www.swin.edu.au/careers - Sam Chronology template SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 13 Resume content – sample headings Contact Details Education / Qualifications Associations / Memberships Professional Development Extra Curricular Activities Demonstrated Skills Summary Employment History Project Work/Industry Projects Volunteer Work Career Objective/Career Profile Referees Hobbies NOTE: Not all of these headings are required for all resumes. Resume content – irrelevant information • • • • • • Date of birth / age Place of birth Nationality Ethnic origin Marital status • • • • • Religion Political persuasion Health Height / weight Photograph Number of children WHY? Contact details Name (first name and surname) Address (optional) Telephone Number Email Address Link to your LinkedIn profile Link to on-line portfolio (Ensure email is professional i.e. john-smith@gmail.com NOT hot4u@hotmail.com or ilovebeer@gmail.com) * Work visa status for international students Professional profile / career objective (optional) EXAMPLE  IT professional with substantial experience in commercial software development  Highly experienced in:      HTML5 CSS3 JavaScript J Query C#.NET  Skilled in translating client requirements into effective end products  Targeting senior development role within a commercial environment Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne Australia 17 Professional profile / career objective (optional) Swinburne EXAMPLE Cisco specialist (CCNA) with eight years’ experience, providing:  First-level help desk technical support and troubleshooting on IT network  Installation, configuration and administration of Cisco IT infrastructures: Cisco switches, routers, VOIP telephony, QoS, security applications, firewalls and network protocols. SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN Education Swinburne Provide a detailed insight into your studies Don’t just list qualification title and university Include: - Key or relevant study areas - Highlight good results - Exchanges / study abroad tours / internships - Awards or scholarships SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 19 Education EXAMPLE Swinburne EDUCATION 2011 – Present Master of Information Technology Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne Key areas of study:  Network Design and Security  Web Applications Development Distinction average results achieved to date 2008 – 2010 Bachelor of Information Systems (Software) Ho Chi Minh University, Vietnam High Distinction results achieved ** Do not need to include your secondary school education if completed overseas SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN Additional headings Swinburne  Professional Development - seminars, short courses, conferences RELATED to the position you are seeking  Industry specific headings Eg Endorsements / Certifications / Software Licences  Industry Projects / Capstone Projects SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN Additonal headings EXAMPLES Swinburne Certifications - 2013 CCNA Cisco Routing & Switching - 2012 Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician Academic Awards - 2014 Swinburne University Dean’s Award for Outstanding Results in Networking Major Academic Projects - 2013 Networking Design Proposal for Davis Jells Pty Ltd – involving review of organisational requirements, budget and preparation of detailed design proposal - 2013 Internet Security Project for Tiger Toy’s Pty Ltd on-line shopping cart – involving infrastructure and programming in C++ Swinburne Professional memberships 2013 – Current Student Member Australian Computer Society 2013 – Current Student Member Australian Institute of Management (Gym Membership is NOT a professional membership) SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN Employment history Swinburne  A chance to demonstrate how your brand differs from others  Present in reverse chronological order  Include dates and duration  Do not include any position beyond 10 years (unless highly relevant)  Document Responsibilities and Achievements  Consider separating relevant employment / experience from other experience (this is especially useful when your most relevant experience is not necessarily your most recent) Use of achievements Swinburne - Promotions - Increasing sales figures or improving efficiencies - quantify - Being part of a team that….(what your team did) – implementing or designing systems or processes - Winning an award or prize – even a trivial one - Employee of the month / year - Customer service / quality awards Employment history EXAMPLE Swinburne PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT Jun 2010 – Present Web Designer Colours Media Pty Ltd, St Kilda (Specialist web designers for print media) Responsibilities: - Liaise with clients to determine design specifications - Design web pages using ASP> NET, MySqul - Intranet development using Java Servlets, JSP, Taglibs Achievements: - Development of award winning website www.surfshow.com.au - Consistently receive positive feedback from customers regarding my excellent customer service focus Dec 2007 – May 2008 Software Programmer / Analyst Arayeh-Nullah Co, Tehran, Iran (Largest software developer in Iran) Responsibilities: … Employment history cont. Swinburne Other Employment (or Casual Employment) June 2008 – Present Crew Member McDonalds, St Kilda Responsibilities: - Customer service - Food preparation - Working in team of approximately 10 people - Handling cash and balancing tills - Following OH&S practices - Training new staff members Achievements: - Crew Member of the Month on two occasions - Regularly exceeded sales targets Employment history - layout comparison EMPLOYMENT HISTORY 2011 Manigrida Shire Northern Territory Trainee Engineer As an employee of the council I worked as part of a design team consisting of three members Mr C. Vill, Mr D. Sign and Ms N. Inear. We developed extensive computer models for local drainage networks which are very important to this part of Northern Australia. I also had the opportunity to analyse the various models and to present recommendations to council. I was also requires to design and prepare costing for various culverts according to Australian Standard Design codes. I had much opportunity to liaise with many people both within and outside teh organisation. I was also very fortunate in being given some on site experience at local construction sites and took part in the management of contractors who worked on the project. Swinburne EMPLOYMENT HISTORY Engineering Experience Dec 2010 – Dec 2011 Trainee Civil Engineer Manigrida Shire Council, NorthernTerritory Responsibilities :  Team member in design department  Designed computer models  Prepared detailed costings  Supervised project elements  Liaised with council staff and clients Achievements: • Promoted to Project Supervisor after 12months 28 Industry engaged learning Swinburne Demonstrate relevant industry projects or case studies you have been involved in: - Relevant capstone university projects - Team projects - Final year projects Industry engaged learning EXAMPLE 2014 Swinburne Recruitment Campaign for Whizz Telemarketing 2nd Year Human Resource Subject This university project focussed on the development of a recruitment campaign for 20 telemarketers. This involved: • Development of position descriptions and selection criteria • Identification and costing of appropriate advertising • Writing a job advertisement • Specification of screening and selection criteria • Preparation of behavioural interview questions • Achieved a High Distinction 30 Skills summary Swinburne • Opportunity to match yourself to the job and to convince employer of your potential • Highlight 4-5 professional skills that you can offer an employer which are relevant to the position you are applying and match the selection criteria • Give two examples of how you have demonstrated the skills • Focus on providing strong examples that highlight your capacity and that differentiate you from other applicants Skills summary EXAMPLE Swinburne Information Technology Skills Databases MS Access, SQL, Oracle Publishing Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, MS Publisher Web HTML, Java Script, Java Beans, Flash, Dream weaver, Fireworks MS Office Word, PowerPoint, Publisher, Visio, Excel, Outlook, Project, Access Operating Win 2003 server, XP, UNIX/Solaris, Linux, MAC Systems Installation, configuration, monitoring and optimisation of the above Hardware PC Maintenance, troubleshooting and upgrading modems, sound and video cards, digital Cameras, scanners, printers Network Admin Managing LANs over different platforms, including; Linux, Novell and Windows 2000/XP Miscellaneous Development, testing, documentation, implementation and training of a number of non-commercial software 32 Skills summary EXAMPLE Swinburne Communication Skills Highly developed interpersonal skills strengthened through four years of customer service experience as a Supervisor at Coles Supermarket. Excellent written communication skills successfully demonstrated in university assignments and in preparation of position descriptions and training manuals at Blue Chip IT Swinburne Leadership (Initiative and Enterprise) - Proactively taken leadership roles during group projects, leading and guiding teams into meeting deadlines and providing effective solutions to problems. - Actively managed, organised and co-ordinated team workload and tasks, set due-dates and deadlines for components of system design and implementation for university projects and assignments. - Ensuring involvement and support of team members as a critical part of working as a team to ensure productivity while allowing the expression of individual talents. - Undertaken leadership camps and teamwork courses provided by the co-op scholarship program with companies such as Operation Challenge and Oxygen Learning. Planning and Organising (Organisational) - Prioritised daily, weekly, monthly tasks to meet university deadlines. - Effective at managing time and balancing full-time study with part-time work, as evidenced by handing in all my assignments on time. Swinburne Problem Solving - Undertook and solved many information technology and business-related problems by undertaking real and simulated projects during undergraduate studies at Swinburne University. - Working as an IT Help Desk Technician, I was required to conduct a thorough analysis of the email software in order to identify potential errors. I was then required to make recommendations to improve the system. - Projects include systems analysis, design and implementation; evaluating systems results and making appropriate recommendations based on analysis on information technology management issues. - Transformed and translated organisational processes and procedures into written documents to assist business line competencies in streamlining or automating current processes such as the Business Performance Management process at Microserve. Interests Swinburne  Employers are always interested in you ‘the person’ and your potential fit to the organisation  They are curious to know about your hidden talents or interests – especially if they relate to the profession you are seeking to enter into the organisation  Make sure you highlight a wide range of interests  Clubbing, swords, surfing the net, Facebook, meeting new people and hunting are NOT appropriate on resumes Referees Swinburne  No matter how good your application and interview were – if your referees do not give positive feedback – you may not get the job.  No one is obliged to give a positive reference – make sure you choose someone with whom you had/have a good rapport  Should be work or study related (i.e. ideally someone you have reported to who can comment on your performance)  Show your referees the courtesy of asking for their permission and notifying them when you apply for jobs  Make sure their details have not changed  Provide at least 2 referees  Always include Full Name, Position, Company, Address, Phone Number and Email Address Questions & Answers … any questions? Swinburne Writing effective resumes and cover letters: Cover Letters Swinburne What is a cover letter? Swinburne  A formal letter of introduction  States your interest in the position or organisation – why do you want to work for the organisation and your skill match  Provide an overview of your qualifications  Outline your employment history or relevant experience  Match your skills to those required for the job – technical and generic Great indication of your communication skills SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN Cover letter – useful tips Swinburne  Written specifically for each application – refer to criteria outlined in the job advertisement  Shows reference number and position – where you saw the job advertised  Demonstrates your skills and knowledge – provide examples as proof  Tell the employer what you have to offer – not the reasons why they shouldn’t give you the job….  Demonstrates your knowledge of the company  One page NB: work out if the job is advertised through a recruitment agency, if it is, you will be working for their client, NOT for the recruitment agency! 41 Swinburne Amanda Kaur 22 Henderson Rd Epping Vic 3071 Ph: 9878 4456 Mob: 0432 907 123 Email: a_kaur@bigpond.com Your name and address 26th August 2013 Date Mr Robert Brown General Manager C & E Pty Ltd 26 Smith Street Thomastown Vic 3074 Employer or agency name, title, address Dear Mr Brown, Salutation (eg Dear Mr Brown or Dear Sir / Madam) Reference line Re: Book Keeper and Office Assistant Please accept my application for the position of Book Keeper and Office Assistant with C & E as advertised on the Seek website on the 5th July 2013. I believe my skills and relevant experience would enable me to make a significant contribution to C&E. Paragraphs I am undertaking a Bachelor of Business majoring in Accounting at Swinburne University of Technology (TAFE) and am looking forward to utilising the skills I am gaining in my course to join a company devoted to environmentally friendly car care products. This course is providing me with the knowledge and skills to efficiently work in an accounting and office administration role and the assignments have strengthened my ability to process accounts payable and receivable; update customer accounts records; produce a variety of financial records; and enhanced my office administration and keyboard skills. I am a confident internet user and familiar with MYOB and the full MS Office suite. This can be supported by my referees who will also be able to confirm my enthusiasm and ability to problem solve client and financial discrepancies. Utilising my good organisational skills I have balanced full-time study with part-time employment with Mumbai Property Exchange. My duties include reception and general office administration. As Mumbai Property Exchange is a market leader in the area, I was expected to demonstrate high level communication skills, professional standards and client confidentiality. At times, I am in charge of the office so I am very capable of dealing with high volume customer service and a wide range of client enquiries. Enclosed is my resume for your consideration. I look forward to discussing the position and my application further and can be contacted on 0432 907 123. Yours sincerely, Amanda Kaur Yours sincerely / Yours faithfully Sign and type your name Online applications Swinburne - Often used in graduate recruitment and are a vital component of selection criteria - Ensure you research the role and company - Address key selection criteria and provide specific examples of how you have demonstrated skills - Follow the instructions - If possible, type responses in MS Word then copy into online document SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN Cover emails Swinburne Most applications are submitted via email also require a short cover email Tips  - Mention the job title and reference number  - Express interest in the position highlighting you possess relevant qualifications and experience  - Refer to attached cover letter and resume  - Ensure your written expression, spelling and grammar are perfect – or the attachment will not get opened! SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 44 Selection criteria Swinburne - Separate document often used for government and academic positions - Cut and paste the key criteria and these become your headings - Demonstrate your skills by providing specific evidence of your past experience in relation to the criteria - Can use examples from study, part time jobs, extra curricular activities etc SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 45 Additional Swinburne resources to assist you Swinburne Resumes - Resume builder - Developing your resume handout - Resume podcast -Cover Letters - Cover letter handouts - How to write a cover letter podcast -Selection Criteria - Online applications and selection criteria handout -Access at www.swin.edu.au/careers SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 46 References Swinburne Resumes that Get Shortlisted – Jim Bright and Joanne Earl (2008) Brilliant Graduate CV – Jim Bright, Joanne Earl, David Winter (2013) SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 47 Transition to Graduate Employment Conference For science, engineering and technology students in their last 2 years of study REGISTER NOW 19 Sept swinburne.edu.au/careers/conference • Network with recruiters and employers • Improve your career readiness • Refine your employability skills • Look at future workplace trends Swinburne University of Technology CRICOS Provider 00111D Career Seminars – Semester 2 Swinburne Future workplaces 25 Sep The global worker 1 Oct International student visa information 2 Oct Personal branding 8 Oct Key employability skills 9 Oct LinkedIn 14 Oct Transitioning to the workplace 23 Oct International student job search intensive 24 Nov PLUS MORE – check out www.swin.edu.au/careers for details SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 49 Centre for Career Development Swinburne We are here to help you with career management assistance and advice Your professional career starts NOW – let us help you with your career journey All services are FREE and CONFIDENTIAL SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 50 Swinburne Services - Career counselling - Job search assistance - Interview skills - Resume builder - Employer information and on campus presentations - Going Global international job search data base - Career conferences, workshops and webinars - Range of handouts / podcasts: - Interviews Resumes Cover letters LinkedIn profiles - What can I do with my qualification - Networking - Job search - Assessment centres etc SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN 51 Location…. Swinburne Monday to Friday 8.30 am – 5 pm Level 2 The George Building, Hawthorn Campus Tel 9214 5360 Email careers@swin.edu.au Web www.swin.edu.au/careers 52 SCIENCE | TECHNOLOGY | INNOVATION | BUSINESS | DESIGN