Resume and Cover Letter Workshop

1. Resume and Cover Letter Workshop Professional Communications Club Graduate Marketing Association

2. Unwritten Resume Rules Goal of a Resume: Get the recruiter to call you for an interview • Provide a selective history • List achievements most relevant to the job you are applying to, not the one you came from • “What can you do for me?” • Tie your resume to specific job description • No two resumes should be the same • Recruiters spend an average of 10 seconds per resume • Use short, powerful, action oriented statements • Highlight achievements and promotions

3. Resume Types Chronological Functional Hybrid • Traditional time based resume • Use when “your life looks good on paper” • Upwardly mobile job history • No unemployment gaps • Your former jobs & companies are impressive • Focuses on skills attained instead of job titles • Effective for career switchers, employment gaps, recent positions lack “oomph”, reentry to the workforce • Useful to highlight skills attained through a variety of jobs that may not have an upward path • Showcases a combination of skills and jobs over time • Takes discipline to make this kind of resume work • Examples are key!

4. Summary – The 10 Second Skim • Highlight key skills for the job • Specialized experience tailored to marketing and the industry • Example: • Extensive experience in extracting consumer insights from research data • Synthesis of information in analyzing a business situation • Experience in getting a product to market • Back up everything you claim in summary

5. Sample Marketing Summary Marketing / management professional with strong blend of sales & marketing expertise in traditional and new channels (ecommerce, Internet, global business). Effective manager and project leader, skilled in developing collaborative working relationships with internal and external teams. Record of leadership in sales force and marketing automation, sales, strategic business planning, resulting in significant contributions to volume & share increases, expense reductions, customer satisfaction, and operational efficiency. Innovative and intuitive marketing / sales talent with proven leadership skills. Eager for new challenges in a dynamic business environment.

6. Show Results! • Not a list of responsibilities • Quantify impact • Example: Grew revenue by 35% • Percent = better comparative benchmark • Detail how you got these results • Grew sales by 35% through proactive prospecting • Use Action Verbs • Led, grew, developed, implemented • Show initiative

7. QUANTIFIABLE SKILLS Results oriented: a must for all jobs Analytical: Marketing is more and more reliant on analysis Quantitative and qualitative Marketing experience a plus Attention to detail Deadline driven, adapting to change SOFTER SKILLS Teamwork Managing up and across Vendors, research, agencies, finance, sales, legal Project mgmt Communication Verbal Presentation Written Interpersonal skills Ability to influence / negotiate Creativity Traits Crucial to Marketing

8. Cover Letters Goal of a Cover Letter: Get the recruiter to read the resume • Further tailor your personal message • Pull out specific skills relevant to the job • Support these claims with examples • First step: know your audience’s needs. Do research! • Should not duplicate your resume • 3-4 paragraphs, never more than a page

9. Three C’s of a Cover Letter • The Carrot: An introduction that is fresh, interesting, and relevant. • Consider presenting your carrot in the form of intrigue, an inspirational quotation, an interesting fact, or a strong appeal. The goal is not to be outlandish but to coax the recipient to read on… • The Corroboration: Content that shows an intelligent understanding of the employer’s needs and confirms your ability to fill those needs. • Corroborate: 1) to strengthen or support; 2) to attest to the accuracy of; 3) to confirm • The Close: A confident finish that may suggest a meeting or invite the reader to take further action. The close strikes a balance between being assertively confident and considerately respectful.

10. Part 1: Carrot • Opportunity to get reader’s attention • Remember: 10 second scan! Indicate: • What you are applying for and how you got the lead • Why you are interested and how this fits into your long term plan • Why should they hire you or at least keep reading the letter and resume

11. Part 2: Corroboration • Introduction of the body: A sentence that introduces the specific characteristics stated below • Example: As my resume indicates, I have consistently applied and developed my skills in order to grow customer base, profitability and revenue • Body: • Highlight 3 or 4 attributes appropriate for the job • Use specific examples under each attribute • Remember to always state the numerical impact of your action • Keep paragraphs short: 4-5 lines maximum • Keep bullet points to 3–4, especially if they are lengthy • Can include additional information on fit for the job & traits for success

12. Recommended Format for Corroboration • Analytical Skills: • My extensive quantitative experience in inventory management at Company X will translate into performing efficient, detailed and actionable analysis at Company Y • In my role as a X at Company Y, I grew sales and increased customer satisfaction through qualitative analysis of customer needs and development of appropriate solutions • Leadership Ability: • Example 1 • Example 2 • Example 3 • Interpersonal / Communication Skills: • Example 1 • Example 2 Note: Use boldface, underlines and bullets for ease of navigation

13. Part 3: Closing • State the next steps and how you will follow up. Put the ball in your court • Examples: • I will call you within a week to discuss the next steps. • I will be in the area on November 15th, and I will contact you by close of business Friday to set up a convenient time for our meeting.

14. Submitting Your Application • So now you have a compelling packet…What do you do now? • Email rules: don’t copy/paste your cover letter in the email to send out! Email content should be different • Email rules: Subject line and document names should be specific (Your name appears in both!) • Print rules: Cover letter & resume should be on the same type of paper • Remember to follow up

15. Tips for Career Switchers • Don’t speak your last job’s jargon • DO Speak the jargon of your target industry • Example: Media and ratings vs. CPG and share, volume • Concentrate on transferable skills • Provide rationale behind your career switch • How can you apply your learnings to your new employer? • Know where marketing fits into the organization (control, hub, at the table)

16. Speak the Industry Lingo

17. Tips for Career Switchers Sell it by common skills

18. Tips for Career Switchers (Cont) Know the key job functions by industry

19. Looking to The Future… • Keep a running inventory of your jobs, positions, activities, results • Keep updating your resume for different jobs & career fairs • 1st Years: Use Peer coaches & Second Years for individual assistance (bounce ideas, proofread) • 2nd Years: Use Stanton Chase International for individual assistance

20. Useful Resources • http://www.wetfeet.com/cb/schools/umd/toc.asp • Username: rhsgcmc • Password: rhsgcmc • http://www.vault.com/cb/careerlib/careerlib_main.jsp?parrefer=428 • Password: mdrhsmith

21. First Year MBAs Submit revised marketing resume to marketing@rhsmith.umd.edu by Sept. 21 Feedback given by Sept. 26 Final resume with changes submitted by Sept. 30 Choose 3 preferred “constellations” by which employers can search (areas of focus within sales / marketing) by Sept. 30 Second Year MBAs Submit revised marketing resume to marketing@rhsmith.umd.edu by Sept. 21 Feedback given by Sept. 26 Final resume with changes submitted by Sept. 30 Submit a short bio that employers can scan for your background & area of focus before your resume by Sept. 30 GMA Resume Book Submission You will be grouped by constellation for easy searches Resumes will follow the constellations in alphabetical order (last name) Resume books & CDs provided to employers & OCM Your bio and picture will be listed in alphabetical order Resumes will follow all bios in the same order Resume books & CDs provided to employers & OCM

22. Questions?