Why Cover Letters and Resumes?
The topic that I chose for my WRD 395 presentation is how to tutor career writing, more specifically cover letters and resumes. I felt that researching and sharing my findings on this topic would be helpful for both tutors and writers. I drew this conclusion because most college students will have to create these two documents during their four years at school and beyond. Therefore, it would not be a surprise if a peer came to the writing center seeking assistance with either format. The information I have gathered will help you better assist an individual during such an appointment.
Resumes
So what is a resume? A resume is a document that presents one’s skills, accomplishments, and background to a potential employer. DePaul’s career center emphasizes how a resume is meant to serve as a marketing tool; its goal is to get the applicant in the door with the company. There are two resume formats that can be used: chronological and functional.
Chronological vs. Functional
Chronological resumes are the format that most are familiar with where prior experiences are the focal point, skills are bullet-pointed, and education is included at the beginning or end of the document. Monster.com suggests that those with a lot of workforce experience use the chronological format. If one doesn’t have much experience, the resume may look sparse.
For those just entering the workforce or frequently changing jobs, the functional resume may suit them. The functional resume highlights the skills that people have acquired that make them qualified for said position. Education and job experience are lightly touched on, in comparison to chronological resumes. The University of Southern California’s Career Center encourages people that resume style is individual to them but that all resumes should contain: contact info, skills, objective, experience, and education.
Cover Letters
A cover letter provides an employer with greater insight into who you are as a person and employee along with what you have to offer. The letter should address the recipient, include an introductory paragraph about the potential employee, include one to two paragraphs about how the skills/experiences on one’s resume are transferable to the position, and conclude with a paragraph about an interest in the opportunity to interview. The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Writing Center website offers an in-depth of do’s and don’ts that relate to how to create a clear and concise cover letter unique to the writer. They suggest that when reading/listening to the cover letter that you keep in mind the objective of the letter and its intended audience. During appointments with any modality, I recommend asking questions that target the goal of elaboration. Vagueness is not someone’s friend when writing a cover letter. Asking questions that prompt the writer to be more specific such as “Why are you interested in this position?” or “How did you gain ___ skill and how do you plan to apply it at your intended position?”, could be beneficial.
How Can I Apply This Information to Tutoring?
Being aware of the inner workings of resumes and cover letters as well as being knowledgeable about what most employers expect in a resume could prove to be useful during an appointment. With either document type, the content must be specific and concise. Having this in mind while reading or working with a writer, a helpful tool is asking the writer questions. These questions can range from having to do with elaboration to the intended audience. Knowing the two styles of resumes could allow you to offer recommendations more specific to the writer’s experiences. For example, if this is the writer’s first job they are applying to, then the functional format may work well for them. There are core UCWbL practices that can be implemented within this appointment type such as building rapport, creating an agenda, and working collaboratively. Building rapport can aid in the writer feeling more comfortable sharing their educational/work experiences, creating an agenda makes writing either document less daunting, and working together can result in new perspectives.
Additional Resources For Resume and Cover Letter Appointments:
Resume templates can be found on:
- Google Docs
- Canva
- Microsoft Word
- Pages
University Career Centers:
- resources.depaul.edu/career-center/resumes-interviews/Pages/resumes.aspx
- careers.usc.edu/students/write-a-resume/
University Writing Centers:
- writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/coverletters
- https://owl.purdue.edu/engagement/job_search_resources/cover_letters/index.html
- https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/job_search_writing/resumes_and_vitas/resume_workshop/index.html
References
Matuson, Roberta Chinsky. “Learn When to Use a Chronological Resume and When to Use a Functional Resume Format.” Monster Career Advice, https://www.monster.com/ career-advice/article/chronological-resume-or-functional-resume
“Resumes.” Resumes | Resumes & Interviews | Career Center | DePaul University, Chicago, DePaul University Career Center,resources.depaul.edu/career-center/resumes- interviews/Pages/resumes.aspx
“Writing Cover Letters.” The Writing Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, writing.wisc.edu/handbook/assignments/coverletters
“Write a Resume and Cover Letter.” USC, University of Southern California Career Center, careers.usc.edu/students/write-a-resume/