Career Planning: Resumes

The resume is a selling tool outlining your skills and experience so an employer can see, at a glance, how you can contribute to the employer's workplace. The resume is a starting point to knowing and selling your product (you), and yes, it is required. But no, it's not magic and no, it won't get you the job. Yet without a good one, it could keep you from getting the job (or from getting the interview).

All Cover Letters should:

• Explain why you are sending a resume.  Don't send a resume without a cover letter.  Don't make the reader guess what you are asking for; be specific: Do you want a summer internship opportunity, or a permanent position at graduation; are you inquiring about future employment possibilities?
• Tell specifically how you learned about the position or the organization. --a flyer posted in your department, a web site, a family friend who works at the organization. It is appropriate to mention the name of someone who suggested that you write.
• Convince the reader to look at your resume. The cover letter will be seen first. Therefore, it must be very well written and targeted to that employer.
• Call attention to elements of your background. --education, leadership, experience — that are relevant to a position you are seeking. Be as specific as possible, using examples.
• Reflect your attitude, personality, motivation, enthusiasm, and communication skills.
• Provide or refer to any information specifically requested in a job advertisement that might not be covered in your resume, such as availability date, or reference to an attached writing sample.

Below are listed a sampling of books on resume writing that are available online from either Ebsco or ebrary, both of which are digital libraries of books.  The Moody Library Catalog (webcat.hbu.edu) provides direct links to these e-books.  To access Ebsco e-books from off campus:   HCU faculty, staff, or students must FIRST create a user account from an HCU-networked PC.  To access ebrary from off campus, users are asked to provide their network log-in and password, using the same process that accesses online periodical databases.