This week we are discussing resumes and cover letters. It is important to display our interests, education, and experience in a way that highlights our interdisciplinary background. We can use our resume to display our multiple fields of study which have led to our IDS degree. Some students may find it beneficial to list relevant classes we have taken in our journey towards interdisciplinarity. The experience section of a resume is a great place to show our interdisciplinary knowledge. Through internships, jobs, and volunteer work, we can give an illustration of how we have put our interdisciplinarity to work and how we can continue to do so in the future.
Cover letters are also extremely important and a great place to highlight your interdisciplinary background. Your cover letter must be well-written and free from grammatical errors. It is the first thing your potential employer will read about you and can determine whether your resume is trashed or leads to an interview. It is important to change your cover letter each time and tailor it to the organization you are sending it to. You should not be sending the same, boring, general letter to every company. Also, your cover letter should not just repeat the same information presented in your resume. Use your cover letter to provide additional insight to potential employers. This is your first opportunity to shine – take advantage of that!
I found this website extremely helpful when I was trying to leave the restaurant industry and move into the social services field (and I recently landed a job!):
http://www.dumblittleman.com/2009/02/how-to-write-great-cover-letters-for.html
If you are unsure of how to even begin composing a cover letter, here is a good template to follow:
http://www.cvtips.com/cover-letter/cover-letter-template.html
What questions do you have about cover letters and resumes? How do you plan to use your resume to highlight your interdisciplinarity? Share at least 3 tips which you think are the most important things to remember when composing cover letters and your resume. Have you found a really great resource to turn to when looking for ideas? Please share it with the rest of us!
Please leave your replies as a comment to this post. Don’t forget to include your full name in your post so that you receive credit. When responding to other students, you may find it helpful to begin your response with, “@their name” so that it is easy to see who you are directing your question/comment to. Be sure to check back throughout the week to see if other students have posted questions or replies for you!
I think it is really important to add in any work experience that would pertain to the knowledge you have gained while studying critical thinking and Interdisciplinary work.
ReplyDeleteYour studies at whatever college you have attended and possibly any honors you have recieved show to an employer that you have determination.
Another good tip to make your resume one to spot, is any work history that will show experience that would be useful in the current position you are applying for.
In order to highlight my interdiscplinary studies in my resume, I will of course list my degree and place any courses taken with artifacts or honors I have received while gaining my degree. One of my studies is commerce and I have taken management classes will help me in my current career. If I am going to be entering a field in which I have no work experience I would make sure to highlight any types of classes that would help me for that company.
A great resource I have used in the past is simply Microsoft word templates. Even online they have great templates that can be used as guideline. I have been able to find cover letters and resumes focusing on any type of career path a person is looking to take.
--Shanna Kahn
One question I always had about resumes and cover letters was if a cover letter was absolutely necessary. Over the past couple of weeks, I have learned that it sure is! It gives a snapshot of what an individual is like without delving into the resume. I see now that a proper cover letter is vital to have.
ReplyDeleteSince I am aiming for a public health position, I plan on highlighting my volunteer experience with the fire department and at the hospital, as well as my state EMT certification and the subsequent certifications I must keep up with the American Heart Association. I also work as a food and beverage supervisor, and can highlight my experience with food preparation and sanitation as a potential area of public health
The most important tip that I read was to close your cover letter with a punch. This is the same for any writing that we were always trained to do-End it with a dramatic finish and make an impression on the reader. The ending is crucial to anything, especially a cover letter.
I also found that defining the different areas your are willing to go towards is important. Just because our major is in one area doesn't mean that we have to stick inside a small bubble. Instead, we can venture out, seek for jobs that are out of the box. It makes things more exciting.
Lastly, adding variation and having different variations of your cover letter allows you to tailor a cover letter to a specific opening. I think it's important because we all search for different things, and then we divide everything up further. Some cover letters require more emphasis, more punch, and more details, especially for the jobs that we aren't quite qualified for.
-Jessica Starr
A cover letter does give a quick glimpse of the resume. It should contain information that captures the employers attention. Hence your resume will be looked up more greatly.
ReplyDeleteFor my resume i used a template from online and tweeked as time went on. I liked looked online for some ideas and suggestions to improve the content and apereance of the resume. In resume i have posted education back ground, abilities and skills and employment history. In addition, adding volunteering or other activities looks well in the resume.
@Jessica
I agree with you that the cover letter states the position you are applying for and the skills and requirements meant for the position. Having variation does allow you to be able to tailor not for one opening but variety.
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ReplyDeleteI think it is important to tell employers about all work experience that might be obtained in ones past also to share with the employers the knowledge that has been come across through ways of critical thinking.
ReplyDeleteIt is important also to provide an employer information about ones education that way employers are able to figure which applicants are more qualified for a certain position on their workforce. It only helps to provide employers with awards that include achievements, accolades and honors.
Something that really helps in composing resumes is Microsoft word with all the tools available at ones disposable to provide an employer with the highlights of a potential employee to assist him with getting a certain job.
- Jeremy Amin
I have a couple of questions about the cover letter..What would be the appropriate amount of information to write on your cover letter? Also, are there any specific things that should be incorporated into the cover letter? I have different certificates for opposing subjects that might look good on my resume as well as certain courses that I have taken which may suite a specific job; I think that these would be beneficial to have on my resume because they will show how my interdisciplinary studies course work has taken place. One thing that I think is important for a resume is to keep it short and simple but to the point, no more than a page. Neatness is another important thing! Also, verbs are essential when describing certain briefings.
ReplyDelete-Megan Sebastian
I believe that this segment is crucial in the hiring process because it will set you apart from the typical candidate that will not have a cover letter. You always want to stand out to the interviewer for your attributes and you will never get to the interviewer if you do not have a great resume and a unique cover letter that grabs their attention to want you to be considered for the face to face interview. I’ve stated this before and it is somewhat risky but do not be afraid to appropriately use colored font to highlight your key points. This will draw their eyes to your key points and give you a much better chance to interview in person. The cover letter is a great tool and I thoroughly enjoyed the section on creating a good cover letter.
ReplyDeleteThe resume is a place for facts where as your cover letter allows for further explanation and detail. In my last few job searches I have honestly not sent a cover letter as the positions were either entry level or intermediate. However, I always tailor my work experience for the position I am applying for, choosing to omit certain positions that are not pertaining to the field I am applying. Any laps in employment are always accounted for further educational endeavors. Perhaps not the most ethical way to obtain a job but it works. I am not a huge fan of cover letters due to the fact that they are time consuming and rarely read in my current field. I have not begun applying for a position that I would consider my future career. I basically just accept the most convenient option as far as location and hours, my main priority the last couple of years and the next few years is to be home with my children. Once I begin to seriously look for employment where I may want to settle down I will then tailor my resume including a cover letter. How long should a cover letter be? Should it state that to refer to resume for specific dates and details of employment? I normally bring a copy of my resume to the interview in case the interviewer has misplaced mine, should I also bring the cover letter as well? I do not know if bringing a copy to the interview would be necessary as the interviewer would not be able to review it at that moment in time. Though the interviewer could refer to it after the interview or further down the selection process and weeding of candidates.
ReplyDelete@ Megan
ReplyDeleteI too have some questions as far as appropriate amount of information to include on the cover letter.
-Shannon
@ Shanna
ReplyDeleteI use the MS Word templates also when creating a resume. They are amazingly simple!
-Shannon
@ Shanna and Jeremy- Microsoft templates are a great place to start! I used a template for mine since I really wasn't even sure how to begin. It was so much easier than struggling to start from scratch.
ReplyDelete@ Jessica - Your cover letter is a great place to really highlight past volunteer and work experience! I also felt it was really important to change my resume and cover letter for different jobs I was applying to. I chose to highlight different parts of my IDS degree and volunteer experience based on the type of organization I was sending it to.
@ Megan and Shannon - I have always read that your cover letter should definitely be less than a page - about 3 or 4 short paragraphs. Typically you want to follow this format:
Paragraph 1: Grab attention, tell them why you would be an asset to their company
Paragraphs 2/3: Tell them about your qualifications. Here you would want to talk about internships/certifications/volunteer experience/previous jobs etc that are relevant to the position you are applying for. This should NOT just be a recap of what is on your resume though
Last paragraph: ask for an interview, set a date to follow-up, thank the reader
There are some cover letter FAQs here that you may find helpful:
http://www.quintcareers.com/edge.html
@Ryan - I don't know if I would ever be daring enough to use colored font in my resume/cover letter! I definitely use bold font and italics to highlight the important info - I'm sure many employers just skim over your info and this would help to catch their eye and make them read more
@ Shannon - It is always a great idea to bring a resume to an interview! I have never brought a copy of my cover letter to an interview... I guess if your interview is set up with someone different than who you sent it to, it may be helpful to bring a copy along. A book I read for my internship class last semester also suggested making business cards. This was a whole new idea to me. You can exchange cards after the interview.
@ Shannon,
ReplyDeleteI too have never used a cover letter for my resume. Cover letters are confusing to me because I just don't know what to put in them. I understand that they give highlights, but I always have trouble figuring out exactly what to highlight.
-Jessica Starr
@ Jamin,
ReplyDeleteMicrosoft Word has always been a real help to me when it comes to resumes. There's so many different templates you can find, and you can edit them further to fit what you're looking for. A helpful tool when it comes to something that I know I myself need guidance on.
-Jessica Starr
I've always wondered if a cover letter is necessary when applying for careers. I plan on applying for my career with a resume and cover letter because any extra information can help an employer decide. Is the cover letter a good place to describe our three fields of study while the resume is the place to introduce our interdisciplinary degree and three fields?
ReplyDeleteI plan on stating my interdisciplinary degree on my resume but explaining the three fields and how they are all focused on getting into medical school. I will be using my resume/cover letter to apply to medical school before I use it to apply for a career. My cover letter needs to explain my non-traditional major and my path in deciding my three fields.
Important tips learned:
1. It’s a good idea to create different variations of cover letter for different types of jobs.
2. Be sure not to just submit a stock cover letter but tailor the appropriate variation each time you are applying for a job.
3. Be careful not to be too wordy in either the cover letter or resume, each should be only a page.
@ Shannon
ReplyDeleteI agree about not sending out cover letters for temporary jobs but waiting until applying for graduate school or a true permanent career to write one. I have done the same and have yet to write a cover letter.
@Jamin
Great Idea to give advice abour Microsoft word. They have all the great templates to follow, available for download. I forgot to mention that in my post, I'm glad someone did!
I would like to know how I can strengthen my cover letter for each job I apply to and make my resume look very impressive. I plan to utilize all the skills I’ve gained to highlight everything I learned interdisciplinary studies major to make the resume great. The 3 most important things to remember when composing cover letters and your resume in my opinion are: 1. Remember that you are trying to get hired and think about what you would want in an employee if you were the employer. 2. Don’t sell yourself short! Talk about all the great and relative things you have accomplished. 3. Be yourself, don’t write or list things that are not YOU. I think the career center on campus is very efficient and can help you with any questions you have when it comes to cover letters and resumes.
ReplyDeleteLeslie-Ann Ellington
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ReplyDelete@Shannon I used to think the same thing about cover letters, but after I got help and created mines I found it to be very helpful and it just adds to the resume!
ReplyDelete@Jessica I like your tip about the cover letter, that is extremely important. Thanks for that!
Leslie-Ann Ellington
@Leslie-Ann - I love that you mentioned talking yourself up. That is an excellent suggestion! I think there is a fine line between being confident and being cocky though, so you have to be careful. Don't be afraid to shine and brag a little :-)
ReplyDelete@Kelly,
ReplyDeleteThanks Kelly for the information! That was really helpful ☺
@Shannon, I too have never written a cover letter when giving my resume. It is time consuming but I just never knew how to do one nor did I see the importance since I always got a job without one. I guess it’s time I start adding one to my resume though!
One of the questions i always had with cover letters was that if they were necessary and as i found out later, is that they are very necessary because it gives like a small synosis of what the individual is about.
ReplyDeleteI plan on stating my inderdisciplinary degree however focusing on my minor as i think it would have more stregth. And i would put a cover letter describing my degrees and telling the employers the focus behind them.
Address these 4 topics in a succinct manner and the hiring manager will be grateful.
1) For what position are you applying?
2) How did you learn of the position or company?
3) Why are you perfect for the position?
4) Who will contact who?
@KellyJO411
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you, its good to try to outshine others without sounding cocky, but confident
-Benjamin Rivera
Lellington 27
ReplyDeleteI like how you said "dont sell yourself short" because that its true, you have gone through a lot of years to school to not sell yourself adequately.
I have personally never written a cover letter before, but will use the provided link when the time comes. My three pieces of advice for resumes however would be, 1)make sure to put dates on everything, because I feel its like a story, 2)do not put excessive information/irrelevant information on it, and 3)have a good template. The more organized, the more professional it looks.
ReplyDelete~Andrea G.