Resume Best Practices

From Resumes to Cover Letters … and Back Again

UChicagoGRAD – grad.uchicago.edu

I am the brainchild of Bill Watterson, reclusive cartoonist and – in the minds of many – one of the greatest geniuses in the history of comics. I am looking for work squishing bugs and playing Calvinball professionally. Please contact me at Calvin@hobesisreal.com for more information about my career trajectory. I am always happy to network!!

Associate Director, Bug Squishing!Calvin’s Family!!

The “Death” of the Résumé

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Associate Director of Bug Squishing at!Watterson Family Household!

Watterson Family Home!Ms. Wormwood’s Class!Kindergarten!

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The Advice Store Still Open

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So what are you doing here?

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Agenda: I)  The Genres II)  Format III) Content & Skills IV)  Wrapping Up

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Agenda: I)  The Genres II)  Format III) Content & Skills IV)  Wrapping Up

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Genres have History

When was the résumé invented? What does résumé even mean?  

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First Rule: Engage!

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Master the Genres!

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A Résumé is NOT a C.V. Traits of a C.V.:

-  Accumulation of detail

-  Used mostly for academic jobs and programs

-  Tailored in the order of sections, hierarchy of skills/experience

-  Multiple formats to accommodate info

-  No strict pg. limit

Traits of a résumé:

-  Curation of detail

-  Used mostly for non-academic jobs

-  Tailored acutely

-  Bullet points

-  Limited info about specific academic accomplishments

-  Go onto a second page

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The Résumé as a Genre What can a strong résumé ACTUALLY DO?

-  Give you a chance to do the easy stuff

-  Argue by curation

-  Frame your personal narrative

-  Respond to a job description

-  Show you’ve done your homework

-  Project confidence

-  Get you an interview

What CAN’T a resume do? (Almost no matter what).

-  Get you a job

-  Obscure a lack of attention to detail

-  Bend the truth

-  Tell the whole story of your experience from your birth through the present

-  Go onto a second page

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Cover Letters *YOU* Would Want to Read -  Begin with them: write to a person -  What’s exciting about this job?

-  Give narrative shape to résumé or CV

-  Key word is fit, not qualifications

-  Don’t repeat your résumé or CV

-  What you have = what they need

-  Each paragraph is a chance to show that you understand the job

-  1Pg. Sign it. Destination address unnecessary.

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But what about the “D WORD”?!

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It’s an asset. Not a liability. I promise.

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How Divinity “Plays” in these Genres -  Think about audience and mission alignment

-  The University of Chicago Divinity School OR The Divinity School at the University of Chicago

-  Don’t write off your experience/research

-  Rigor, research, and writing always play well

-  Don’t apologize or run from your work

-  Don’t explain yourself into a hole

-  *DO* understand readerly skepticism

-  *DO* trust the alumni network and the name

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Agenda: I)  The Genres II) Format III) Content & Skills IV)  Wrapping Up

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Format: (Not So) Easy Stuff

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Format: Fonts of Un-wisdom

Arial

Times New Roman (sweatpants of fonts) Calibri  Cambria  

Yeah Yeah, You Got it…Comic Sans The Calvin and Hobbes font…also not great

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Use a Better Font!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Serifs: Garamond

Georgia Palatino  Linotype

Gotham Light/Bold Helvetica Neue Light Century Gothic Trebuchet MS

Size: 11 – 12

Sans Serif:  

Format: Margins of Error

.7’ – 1” all around for all docs

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Less is more. Way more.

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Format that Aids Content 2-line contacts

Education §  Thesis?

§  GPA?

§  Study Abroad

Headings

Bullets

Spacing

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Format that Aids Content Vertical §  Reverse order

§  Most relevant on top

§  In each section, broadest to most specific

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Format that Aids Content Horizontal §  Most important

information on the left

§  Compound bullets get lost

§  Strong action verbs should run down the left-hand side

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*Magic*: Right-Align Dates

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*Magic*: Right-Align Dates

Questions So Far?

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Agenda: I)  The Genres II)  Format III) Content & Skills IV)  Wrapping up

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Docs Reward Creativity

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Docs Reward Creativity

a)  Strong Verbs b)  The Skills You Have c)  “I have No Experience!” d)  What Kind of Numbers? e)  Read Before You Write f)  Coda: not that kind of

creativity

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What is a Strong Verb?

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Verbs: Superhero Costumes Weak(er) §  Assisted with; Worked on; Looked at;

Helped to; Cooperated with

Srong(er) §  Managed, Led, Oversaw §  Taught, Tutored, Advised §  Wrote, Edited, Revised, Critiqued §  Communicated, Presented §  Analyzed, Synthesized, Examined §  Collaborated, Facilitated §  Implemented, Launched §  Created, Produced, Developed §  Drove, Gained, Delivered

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But seriously you HAVE. §  Managed projects (or a coffee shop) §  Led workshop discussions §  Facilitated meetings §  Collaborated with faculty §  Implemented a research plan §  Created, produced, developed:

presentations, talks, new research §  Conducted research abroad and

domestically §  Worked with data and in 3 languages

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“I have No Experience”

Do you feel like this?

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You know know how to READ!

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You know know how to WRITE!

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You know know how to THINK CRITICALLY!

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You know know how to TEACH!

… teach!

Skills to the Rescue!

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Articulating Your Skills Writing §  Grant-writing/fellowships §  Editing and receiving feedback §  Condensing information §  Reading and Reaching Audiences §  Writing in multiple genres §  Navigating varied cultural terrain §  Communicating about sensitive

material in appropriate ways

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Articulating Your Skills Teaching §  Communicating difficult concepts §  Leadership and management §  Facilitation of stakeholder views §  Assessing and addressing needs §  “Client” service §  Use of technology in classroom §  (…and preaching is teaching is

preaching)

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Articulating Your Skills Research §  Analyzing objects and evidence §  International travel §  Managing long-term projects §  Meeting regular deadlines §  Completing self-directed work §  Collaborating with difficult

bosses advisors §  Presenting and publishing work

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Articulating Your Skills Critical Thinking §  Use of language and data §  Synthesis of Information §  Analysis of complex evidence §  Curating information §  Detail-oriented use of evidence;

careful articulation of argument §  Considering the role of tradition

in the contemporary moment

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Articulating Your Skills Administrative Experience §  Conference planning §  Research planning §  Curating content §  Web design and content writing §  Promoting events §  Managing budgets/logistics §  Corresponding with experts

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So You Do Have Experience.

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But it’s Not *Just* Experience

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*Use* Your Experience §  More than “Work Experience”

§  Not just Volunteer or Work or Professional

§  Specify the kind of experience

-  Graduate Research Experience

-  Teaching and Tutoring Experience

-  Communications and Writing Experience

-  Arts and Nonprofit Experience

-  Leadership and Sales Experience

-  Retail and Customer Service Experience

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What kind of Numbers? Weak(er)

§  Tutored students §  Managed all staff

Strong(er) §  Produced daily and weekly presentations §  Managed $4k budget to host events for 10 staff §  Taught 50 students (ages 5-10) in 1-on-1 settings §  Managed 4 full-time and 3 volunteer staff §  Met strict daily and monthly deadlines

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Not that Kind of “Creativity” GPA/GRE’s/SAT’s §  Off except for some internships

and consulting/finance

Awards §  “Latin” and Named Awards only §  Explain wherever possible

Publications §  On resumes, mostly leave out §  Offer availability of citation list

“Interests” §  1-2 and ONLY if they’re unique

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Technical Skills / Languages Technical Skills §  MS Office Suite – especially Excel §  Drupal, Wordpress, Tumblr §  Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) §  Write about these in the experience sections §  Conflict mediation, discussion leadership §  SPSS, MATLAB, Stata, C++, HTML, Java

Languages §  How advanced is advanced? §  If you took one Spanish class ten years ago, and

you read the books in translation…. §  What are languages doing for you?

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Get more skills §  Coursera: Languages, programs

§  Code Academy, Lynda.com

§  Blogging: Personal Experience Counts, but include blog assignments in courses

§  Languages: Rosetta Stone in the Lib.

§  LRS / Certificate Programs (Graham)

§  Board Certification Programs

§  Volunteer through UCSC

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The Last Rule: Read First.

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Agenda: I)  The Genre II)  Format III) Content: Skills IV)  Wrapping up

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Don’t Do This Alone

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Use Your Resources

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Use Your Resources

§  Each other and alumni

§  Uchicagoalumni.org

§  Individual advising

§  Internships (some still open!)

§  Career and Skills Programming, including job search summer camp

§  Open forum on what you need!

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Time to Dream of Summer?

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§  By May 25 -  An updated resume; initial ideas about jobs -  A list of 10 names you want to contact -  An appointment at GSA to review draft -  Begin Applying to Positions -  No carpet-bombing!

§  By June 15 -  Talk to alumni, explore multiple paths -  Continue applying and, if possible,

volunteering

Nope….START NOW.

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Questions? aj@uchicago.edu