• Handshake - career platform • Resume and cover letter reviews

CAREERHUB RESOURCES:

 Handshake - career platform

 Resume and cover letter reviews

 Job search advice

 Mock interviews

 Computers available for job search

 Job fairs & On-campus recruiting

 Internships/Work Study

CAREERHUB - S101

MILWAUKEE AREA TECHNICAL COLLEGE

700 WEST STATE STREET

MILWAUKEE, WI 53223

(414) 297-6244

careerhub@matc.edu

TO ACCESS HANDSHAKE:

matc.joinhandshake.com

Resume Review Information

Email your resume to us at

[email protected] and in the body of the

email, tell us your student ID, program, the

type of jobs you are seeking, and how you will

use this resume. Resumes must be a

Microsoft Word document. An Employment

Development Specialist will email you

feedback.

information on upcoming events and services:

https://www.instagram.com/careerhubmatc/

RESUMES

An effective resume describes your education and

experience in relation to the job to which you are applying.

You will often make your first impressions on employers

through your writing and those impressions should be

outstanding. Your resume is a written snapshot that clearly

supports your career goals. Review and tailor your resume

to highlight your skills as they relate to a specific position.

Information on the resume should be presented in order of

relevance to the position.

DEVELOPING A RESUME

1. Analyze the job description for skills and abilities

Review job descriptions for the skills and abilities that

employers are seeking. Read through the descriptions and

highlight the required skills, attributes and qualifications.

Use these words in your resume.

2. Create a list of accomplishments

Take some time to think about your accomplishments, the

things you do well and enjoy doing. Include

education/training, volunteer opportunities, work

experience, projects, and group/team activities. Describe in

detail what you did, what equipment you used and what

happened. Quantify your results, if possible, and use

commonly understood terminology. Identify the personal

strengths and skills that you used to achieve your

accomplishments. Do not be humble. This is your chance to

promote your skills and abilities.

3. Analyze experiences for relevant skill area

Analyze your experience to identify your skill areas as they

relate to the types of positions to which you are applying.

4. Write descriptive phrases

Using action verbs write short phrases to describe what

YOU did that illustrates each skill. Be concise and specific.

Arrange the descriptive phrases in order of relevance to

the position to which you are applying.

5. Choose the appropriate format

Avoid using resume templates that come with word

processing applications. They are inflexible and often

prohibit you from moving sections around or modifying

headings. Be sure to choose the resume format that best

presents your background and qualifications. Samples of

different resume formats can be found on pages 6 and 7 of

this packet.

Use a Resume to:

 Respond to an advertised job vacancy

 Express interest in a company after you have

researched an organization

 Present to a potential employer at the time of an

interview

 Reinforce a personal contact you have already

established with an employer

 Submit to employers before on-campus interviews

Resume Tips for First Year Students:

 If you are a recent high school graduate, it is

acceptable to include work experience, leadership or

highlights of activities and accomplishments from

high school. As you progress in your program, be

sure to highlight skills and knowledge gained in your

college courses.

 If you don't have much work experience, you can

include other information that highlights your skills

and abilities. Think about “transferable skills.” What

skills will you need to be successful on this job? Do

you have them? Emphasize these attributes on your

resume.

Sending Resumes and Letters Electronically:

 When submitting a resume via an organization's

website, use the formatting recommended by the

website.

 To send your resume via email, find out the

employer's format preference when possible (Word,

PDF). Although some recruiters accept attachments,

others prefer your resume be included in the text of

the email message. In the body of the email, do not

use bold, underlining, bullets, distinctive fonts,

colored text, or html codes. Send it electronically to

yourself or to a friend to see how it will look.

 Unless you are told otherwise, include a cover letter.

Send both the resume and cover letter in an email

message. The cover letter should appear first.

 Give the document a name the recruiter will

associate with you, such as "MillerJennifer.doc." This

will enable a recruiter to find your resume once it is

saved on a computer. Don't name the document

"Resume.doc."

Developing a Scannable Resume:

Some large employers collect and make resume

information accessible utilizing resume database

tracking systems. They scan incoming resumes into a

database (sometimes letters too) and when they have

openings, retrieve resumes using relevant keywords.

 It is permissible to ask an employer if you

should provide a scannable resume. Some

companies will indicate on their website if

they scan resumes and even give tips on how

to format your resume.

 Include industry or job-specific keywords,

especially relevant skills, understandable

abbreviations, major, fields of study,

experience (e.g., marketing research, java,

html, sales, gel electrophoresis).

 Use a 10-12 point font size.

 Avoid underlining and casual or unusual

fonts. Look at the overall readability of the

font you select. Is it easy to read?

INFORMATION TO INCLUDE ON YOUR RESUME

Component

Basics

Comments

Identifying Data

At the top of the page: Name, e-mail

address and telephone number (include

area code). Could consider adding

LinkedIn profile link and links to online

portfolios.

Ensure that your name is on your voicemail and

your message and your email address are

appropriate for a potential employer.

Professional Summary

The professional summary should follow

your name, e-mail address and telephone

number at the top of your resume and

should indicate the skills that you can

bring to a specific position.

This is your opportunity to capture the reader’s

interest and distinguish yourself from other

applicants. This section should be no longer

than a few sentences.

Skills

List foreign languages, computer skills,

office skills, lab techniques or

transferable skills.

Focus on skills as they relate to the position to

which you are applying.

Certifications

List any certifications relevant to the

industry in which you seek employment.

Only list certifications that are current and

recognizable in your profession.

Education

Name of school, degree received,

graduation date (Month, Year) or

projected graduation date or dates of

attendance if no degree was obtained.

May chose not to include dates if degree

is not recent.

Honors and grade point information (if above a

3.5) is recommended in this section. If you

attended more than one school, list the most

recent first. It is not always necessary to list all

of the schools you have attended. You may list

any additional training you have had in this

area.

Work Experience

List paid or military experience.

Emphasize duties, responsibilities, skills,

abilities and accomplishments

appropriate to the position to which you

are applying. Include your job title, the

name of the company and dates of

employment.

In addition to describing job functions, identify

your achievements and contributions to the

position. Try to quantify results.

Internship/Field/Clinical

Experience

Create separate section to showcase your

Internship/Field/Clinical Experience.

Create bullet points as you did in your

work experience section to highlight

responsibilities.

Internships and experience that meet school

requirements are relevant and valuable to

include.

Community/

Volunteer

List offices held, organizations, projects

and the skills demonstrated.

If the setting is political or religious, you may

want to use generic descriptions (i.e. Youth

Leader for Church, Speech Writer for City

Council Candidate)

Activities /

Interests

In order of importance, list student

activities/organizations, professional

associations and committees in which

you have participated. List any offices

held and indicate the skills you gained.

Indicate activities and interests that show

leadership, initiative or pertain to your career

interests.

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY:

Having a professional summary at the top

of the resume can be very useful in

demonstrating what you are able to offer

to an organization. It gives you an

opportunity to highlight the skills that

would be beneficial in the specific

position to which you are applying.

Do not be vague. Steer clear from

statements that say nothing substantial

about your career skills (e.g.,

"Experienced professional with

exceptional skills").

Keep it concise and targeted. Hiring

managers often sort through hundreds of

resumes to fill one job opening.

Professional Summary Example:

Compassionate Emergency Department

Registered Nurse able to make critical

decisions in a high-stress environment.

Team player looking to utilize strong

documentation, triage and exceptional

patient care skills in the field of

emergency medicine.

RESUME DO’S AND DON’TS:

 Use good quality paper

 Be specific in your professional

summary

 Use a readable font and print on a

laser printer

 Emphasize results produced,

significant achievements and

recognition from others

 Quantify when possible and use specific examples

 Check the spelling of every word and make sure grammar

and punctuation are correct

 Have someone else proofread your resume

 Get feedback from several people

 Begin phrases with action verbs such as "Developed,"

"Initiated," etc...

 Be truthful about your accomplishments

 Use resume templates

 Begin phrases with "I” or use

complete sentences

 Include personal information such as

marital status, social security number,

age or national origin

 Use flashy graphics or colored paper

(unless you are applying for design, art or creative

positions)

 Mention controversial activities or associations

 Exaggerate your experience

 Include references

DON’T

VERB LIST FOR RESUMES AND LETTERS

MANAGEMENT

SKILLS

administered

analyzed

assigned

attained

chaired

consolidated

contacted

coordinated

delegated

developed

directed

evaluated

executed

improved

increased

organized

oversaw

planned

prioritized

produced

recommended

reviewed

scheduled

strengthened

supervised

TECHNICAL

SKILLS

assembled

built

calculated

computed

designed

devised

engineered

fabricated

maintained

operated

overhauled

programmed

remodeled

repaired

solved

upgraded

RESEARCH

SKILLS

clarified

collected

critiqued

diagnosed

evaluated

examined

extracted

identified

inspected

interpreted

interviewed

investigated

organized

reviewed

summarized

surveyed

systematized

COMMUNICATION

SKILLS

addressed

arbitrated

authored

collaborated

convinced

corresponded

developed

directed

drafted

edited

enlisted

formulated

influenced

interpreted

lectured

mediated

moderated

negotiated

persuaded

promoted

publicized

reconciled

spoke

translated

wrote

FINANCIAL

SKILLS

administered

allocated

analyzed

appraised

audited

balanced

budgeted

calculated

computed

developed

forecasted

managed

marketed

planned

projected

researched

TEACHING

SKILLS

adapted

advised

clarified

coached

communicated

coordinated

demystified

developed

enabled

encouraged

evaluated

explained

facilitated

guided

informed

instructed

persuaded

set goals

stimulated

trained

expedited

CLERICAL OR

DENTAL SKILLS

approved

arranged

catalogued

classified

collected

compiled

dispatched

executed

generated

implemented

inspected

monitored

operated

organized

prepared

processed

purchased

recorded

retrieved

screened

specified

systematized

tabulated

validated

MORE VERBS FOR

ACCOMPLISHMENT

achieved

expanded

improved

pioneered

reduced (losses)

resolved (problems)

restored

spearheaded

transformed

HELPING

SKILLS

assessed

assisted

clarified

coached

counseled

demonstrated

diagnosed

educated

expedited

facilitated

familiarized

guided

motivated

referred

CREATIVE

SKILLS

acted

conceptualized

created

customized

designed

developed

directed

established

fashioned

founded

illustrated

initiated

instituted

integrated

introduced

invented

originated

performed

planned

revitalized

shaped

Chronological Resume Format

This resume format lists your background in a reverse chronological sequence, starting with the most recent position. You may

arrange your headings in various ways, depending upon what aspects of your background you wish to stress. This format works best

when your work, volunteer and academic experiences relate directly to the type of job to which you are applying. It is preferred

by most on-campus recruiters and business employers.

Doreen K. Johnson

www.linkedin.com/in/doreenkjohnson

Milwaukee, WI

(414) 555-1234 [email protected]

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Experienced accounting professional looking to utilize good organizational skills and a strong background in spreadsheet

processing and auditing in an Accounting Clerk role at Smith Corporation.

SKILLS

 Maintained general ledger

 Created financial reports

 Managed records and files

 Utilized QuickBooks

 Processed accounts receivable

 Reconciled accounts payable

 Provided exceptional customer service and

support

EDUCATION

Milwaukee Area Technical College, Milwaukee, WI

Associate in Applied Science - Accounting

May 2019 - GPA: 3.6/4.0

WORK EXPERIENCE

Midwest Airlines Center, Milwaukee, WI

Clerk/Bookkeeper, January 2010 - Present

 Manage all accounts receivable and payable functions for the hotel operation

 Prepare daily, monthly and yearly balance sheets for auditing process

 Oversee daily cash control, prepare bank and credit card deposits

 Collect payments for customer billing and post to general ledger

Hyatt Hotel, Milwaukee, WI

Desk Clerk, October 2006 - December 2009

 Posted all room, tax and restaurant charges to individual accounts

 Typed memos and reports using Microsoft Office Suite Software

 Utilized computer to schedule reservations around the world for guests

 Communicated with guests and customers via a 10-line switchboard system

Grede Manufacturing, West Allis, WI

Production Clerk, June 2003 - September 2006

 Handled and resolved customer concerns in a professional manner

 Prepared financial statements using BANKO Accounting Software

 Provided clerical support for three department managers

 Reconciled budget expenditures and posted to appropriate accounts

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE

Falls High School

 Tutored students in statistics

Skills/Functional Resume Format

This resume highlights your most important skills or functions. Headings are built around these areas. Job titles, employers and dates

of employment are listed in a brief section at the bottom of the page. This format allows you to highlight skills, knowledge and

abilities relevant to the position regardless of where and when you obtained them. It works well when your work experience is not

directly related to your career goal, you are entering the job market for the first time or you are making a career change.

Doreen K. Johnson

www.linkedin.com/in/doreenkjohnson

Milwaukee, WI

(414) 555-1234 [email protected]

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Experienced accounting professional looking to utilize good organizational skills and a strong background in spreadsheet

processing and auditing in an Accounting Clerk role at Smith Corporation.

SKILLS

 Maintained general ledger

 Created financial reports

 Managed records and files

 Utilized QuickBooks

 Processed accounts receivable

 Reconciled accounts payable

 Provided exceptional customer service and

support

EDUCATION

Milwaukee Area Technical College, Milwaukee, WI

Associate in Applied Science - Accounting

May 2019 - GPA: 3.6/4.0

EXPERIENCE

Bookkeeping

 Managed all accounts receivable and payable functions for the hotel operation

 Prepared daily, monthly and yearly balance sheets for auditing process

 Oversaw daily cash control, prepared bank and credit card deposits

 Collected payments for customer billing and posted to general ledger

Clerical

 Posted all room, tax and restaurant charges to individual accounts

 Typed memos and reports using Microsoft Office Suite Software

 Utilized computer to schedule reservations around the world for guests

Customer Service

 Handled and resolved customer concerns in a professional manner

 Prepared financial statements using BANKO Accounting Software

 Communicated with guests and customers via a 10-line switchboard system

EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Clerk/Bookkeeper Midwest Airlines Center Milwaukee, WI 2002-Present

Desk Clerk Hyatt Hotel Milwaukee, WI 2000-2002

Production Clerk Grede Manufacturing West Allis, WI 1995-2000

Job Cost Clerk Mail Boxes, Inc. Cudahy, WI 1991-1995

Cover Letter

Whenever you send out a resume, a cover letter must accompany it. The purpose of the letter is to personalize your

resume for the employer and to enable you to elaborate more fully on your qualifications.

Date

Name

Your address

City, State Zip

Name of contact person

Title

Name of Organization

Street Address

City, State Zip

Dear (contact name):

Opening Paragraph: Why are you writing? Capture Interest!

 Strong opening sentences to make the reader want to continue reading.

 Name the job to which you are applying. Tell how you learned of it.

 Mention the name of the person (if any) who referred you to the organization.

 Perhaps pose a question that zeros in on a high-need area for the employer.

Body Paragraph: Critical content section. Convince the reader of your skills.

 Acknowledge the skills required by the open position.

 State the skills/strengths you will bring to the job and that parallel those needed to fill the position.

 Give examples of skills/achievements and how they will transfer to the job.

 Comment on your knowledge of the company (their products, services, or special projects) and why

you are interested in working for them.

Closing paragraph: Ask for an interview - identify the next step!

 Refer to submitted resume.

 State that you are available for a personal interview at his/her convenience.

 Make it easy for the person to contact you. List your phone number and times you may be reached.

Even if it is on the resume, list it here again.

Sincerely,

(sign your name here)

Type your name here

Sample Cover Letter

June 1, 2019

Doreen Johnson

114 East Main Drive

Milwaukee, WI 53214

Ms. Stephanie P. Tate

Accounting Manger

Smith Corporation

P.O. Box 789

Milwaukee, WI 53210

Dear Ms. Tate:

I am very interested in the (position title) opportunity you posted on Handshake. My MATC (name of degree)

has given me the skills necessary to contribute to the continued success of (add name of company you are

applying to).

At MATC, I developed (skills listed in the job description). With this background, I could help your staff

members resolve problems and quickly fit into the department’s work flow with little additional training. In

addition, I have learned that your organization is seeking an individual with (insert information from job

description) experience. I have (length of time) of (matching experience). These skills will be beneficial in a

business setting such as (add company name here) where teamwork is so important.

I welcome the opportunity to discuss my background with you in person. The best time to contact me is (days

of the week) between (time of day) at (your telephone number). I look forward to meeting you and working

for (company from above). Thank you.

Sincerely,

(sign here)

Type your name here

Sample Thank You Letter after an Interview

You may send an email or a hand-written “Thank You” card in the mail. Always try to collect business cards from the

interviewers that you meet with during the interview.

June 1, 2019

Doreen Johnson

114 East Main Drive

Milwaukee, WI 53214

Ms. Stephanie P. Tate

Accounting Manger

Smith Corporation

P.O. Box 789

Milwaukee, WI 53210

Dear Ms. Tate:

Thank you for our interview (day, date) at (company name) regarding (position you interviewed for). I am

very interested in joining your organization and I know that I have the communication and position-related

skills necessary to make a valuable contribution.

As you pointed out in the interview, the ability to (state a need discussed during the interview) is an essential

requirement of the position. I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate that during my (training or work

experiences), I preformed activities that allowed me to develop both my team work/building and

communication skills. These skills are important in generating measurable progress in team settings which is

so important to continued growth of an organization.

Again, I am very interested in the (position title) position and am confident about the contributions I could

make to your organization. I look forward to exploring the opportunity further with you. If any additional

information is needed or I may help in any way, please give me a call at (414) 555-1234. I look forward to

hearing from you within the next two weeks. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

(sign here)

Type your name here