Self-Help Information: Resume & Cover Letter
PARTS OF A RESUME
Although there are several components listed
below, be sure to choose only those that are relevant to you and the
job you are applying for. Note: This is not an exhaustive list of
headings. There may be others that apply to your specific resume
that may be listed.
Heading
The heading is the top portion of your resume
that includes information such as your name, address, telephone
number, and e-mail address (optional). You should not include the
following information on your resume (employers have no legal right
to request this information either): age, sex, race, religion,
marital status, number of children, health, physical attributes,
sexual orientation, or personal habits.
Objective/Skills Summary
The employment objective tells the prospective
employer what you want. You want to be as specific as possible. The
skills summary tells the prospective employer your most sought-after
skills, abilities, accomplishments and attributes.
Education and Related Coursework
List degrees earned, your major/minor areas of
study, the name of the college, city and state where located, month
and year of graduation and GPA/Class Rank (optional). If you
attended any special programs or courses that supplemented your
education, you can also list them in this section. These would
include elective coursework, training sessions, and training
modules.
Related Work Experience
In this section, list your job position, the
company’s name, city and state where located, the time period you
worked there and what you accomplished while you worked there.
Include any experience gained from volunteering, practicum or
internships. This is the place to show you are employable and have
marketable skills. Don’t just list what you did (job duties), list
how well you did them (accomplishments)!
Leadership
Use this section to highlight any leadership
roles you have held both in and out of school. This can include
offices held, projects led, groups led, etc. Demonstrate how your
leadership was effective and the skills you used as a leader.
Professional Development/Certifications
This section should highlight additional
training and certifications relevant to the position you are
applying for and that sets you apart from other applicants. This
would include conferences, workshops and seminars attended, and
certifications or licenses held.
Publications
Use this section to list any abstracts or
articles you have had published during your education.
Honors/Awards
List any honors and awards received (both
academic and non-academic related).
Clubs/Organizations
Use this section to list any clubs or
organizations for which you are a member.
Volunteer/Community Service
This section lists your contributions to
various organizations within your community.
GENERATE A LIST OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Employers want to know what you have achieved
in past jobs to see how you can contribute to their organization.
Job duties tell a prospective employer what you did; accomplishments
tell them how well you did it. Think time, money and amounts. Use
the acronym CAR (Challenge-Approach-Results). Consider the problems
you have faced (the Challenges), your unique contribution (the
Approach), and the benefits that you have imparted (the Results).
Read the examples below to get a better understanding of the
difference between a job duty and a job accomplishment.
Job Duty: Responsible for keeping accurate
client records in a multi-doctor practice.
Job Accomplishment:
Developed and maintained a
computerized system for tracking production of six veterinarians in
a $950,000/year small animal practice.
Job Duty: Responsible for chemotherapy
treatments.
Job Accomplishment: Developed and implemented
chemotherapy protocol and treatment plan for total of 14 cancer
patients (3 felines, 11 canines) that resulted in remission and
improved quality and length of life not possible without treatment.
More accomplishment examples:
Primary orthopedic surgeon for Whitman
County Humane Society Hope Fund, which led to adoption of the 15
dogs aided by the Hope Fund.
Implemented external skeletal fixation
devices for fracture repair of 25 canines and felines during the
past three years.
Improved clinic exposure through
development and marketing of clinic web site and advertising at
local theaters.
Excellent interpersonal and client
relation skills demonstrated through retention and increase of
client base.
Increased personal production by 7%, which
contributed to an overall increase in clinic production of 11%
in a mixed animal multi-doctor practice.
Ask yourself the following questions:
What did you do that was faster,
better, cheaper?
Increase
membership/participation/sales?
Save your organization time, money
or eliminate waste?
Identify and/or help solve any
problems?
Institute any new methods, systems
or procedures?
Suggest a new service, product or
project?
Re-organize or improve an existing
system?
Refine the nature of an existing
task?
Maintain a consistently high level
of performance?
Demonstrate leadership skills and
exhibit good team player skills?
Reach out for more work or more
responsibility?
Achieve results with little or no
supervision?
Establish new goals and objectives?
Accomplish something others thought
could not be done?
Motivate others?
Coordinate any event or project?
Train another person? What were the
results?
Acquire industry-specific knowledge?
NON-TECHNICAL COMPETENCIES
Recent research in the field of veterinary
medicine, conducted by Brakke, KMPG and NCVEI, has shown employers
consider more than the technical skills and knowledge of veterinary
medicine. Employers want to know you possess certain non-technical
competencies that would make you a well-rounded person able to
function in a team environment and when working with clients. It is
important to demonstrate these skills on your resume. You can
incorporate these competencies in the skills summary section, in
your cover letter, or in the work experience section.
Top twenty non-technical competencies
employers look for in job candidates
- Communication Skills (verbal and written)
- Honesty/Integrity
- Interpersonal Skills (relates well to
others)
- Motivation/Initiative
- Strong Work Ethic
- Teamwork Skills (works well with others)
- Analytical Skills
- Flexibility/Adaptability
- Computer Skills
- Detail Oriented
- Leadership Skills
- Organizational Skills
- Self-Confidence
- Friendly/Outgoing Personality
- Tactfulness
- Well Mannered/Polite
- Creativity
- GPA (3.0 or better)
- Entrepreneurial Skills
- Sense of Humor
Other Non-Technical Competencies
-
Professionalism
-
Positive Attitude
-
Time Management
-
Dedication
-
Discipline
-
Goal Setting
-
Commitment
-
Multi-Cultural Experienc
Written examples may include:
Proven interpersonal and teamwork
skills in academic and work environments.
Demonstrated personal qualities of
strong work ethic and dedication to high quality
performance.
Multicultural experience through
education and team related relationships.
Positive attitude and quick learner
with the ability to adapt to new challenges.
Communicate and work well with
others from a wide variety of backgrounds and personalities.
Inspire others to set and achieve
personal and team goals.
Motivated, goal-oriented and
dedicated to excellence.
Excellent verbal and written skills
with clients, staff, peers and faculty.
Ability to work both independently
and as a team.
KEY PHRASES FOR POWERFUL RESUME & COVER LETTER
WRITING
Excellent written and verbal communication
skills.
First-hand experience with a wide range of
cultures.
Long-term interest in
_____________________.
Managed a very successful
__________________.
Completed assignments to our clients’
complete satisfaction.
Well-organized and resourceful.
A creative flair for putting on events.
Excellent communicator; able to draw
people out and quickly put them at ease.
Strong credentials in ____________and
_________________.
Creative problem solver.
Possess a positive, professional image
suitable for any business environment.
Theoretical grounding in _____________and
________________.
A quick learner with ability to adapt to
new challenges.
Designed and implemented a highly
successful employee _______________.
Skilled at developing rapport with all
types of people.
Able to resolve conflicts in a diplomatic
manner.
Effective in working with people from
_________________.
Outstanding communication and presentation
skills.
Taken specialized courses in ____________
and ________________.
Thrive on working with people and helping
clients achieve their objectives.
Effective independently or as a member of
the team.
Diplomatic and tactful with both
professionals and nonprofessionals.
Highly motivated and goal oriented.
Well-versed in _______________. A
generator of creative ideas.
Excellent references from
_________________.
Effectively interfaced with management at
all levels.
High level of professionalism.
Trained by one of the area’s most
reputable _________________.
Succeeded in only _________ months to
educate myself in _________areas.
Project a highly competent and
professional image.
A finely tuned sense of _________________
and its uses.
Excellent organization, communication, and
writing skills.
Familiar with ________________ cultures
and politics.
Designed courses to train over
_______________ people.
Excellent command of both ___________ and
_______________ languages.
Able to pinpoint problems and initiate
creative solutions.
Poised and competent as a professional
representative.
Extensive public service in nonprofit
organizations.
Special talent for improving systems. Able
to accurately establish priorities.
Enthusiastic, creative, and willing to
assume increased responsibility.
Effective at public speaking and media
presentations.
Ability to organize many documents into a
coherent presentation.
Effective in developing programs which
reach goals.
Communicate well with a wide range of
personalities.
Extremely dependable in completing
projects.
Special talent for coordination of colors
and visual effects.
Can be counted on to get the job done.
Planned, managed and supervised events for
up to ________ people.
High energy coupled with enthusiasm and
dedication to ________________.
ACTION WORDS
Accepted
Accounted
Achieved
Acquired
Adapted
Addressed
Adjusted
Administered
Adopted
Advised
Advocated
Allocated
Allotted
Altered
Analyzed
Answered
Anticipated
Applied
Appointed
Appraised
Approved
Arbitrated
Arranged
Assembled
Assessed
Assigned
Assisted
Audited
Authorized
Awarded
Balanced
Budgeted
Calculated
Calibrated
Carried
Catalogued
Categorized
Certified
Checked
Centralized
Changed
Clarified
Classified
Cleaned
Coached
Collaborated
Collated
Collected
Communicated |
Compared
Compiled
Composed
Computed
Conceptualized
Condensed
Conducted
Consolidated
Constructed
Consulted
Contracted
Converted
Conveyed
Coordinated
Copied
Corrected
Correlated
Counseled
Created
Critiqued
Cultivated
Defined
Delegated
Delivered
Demonstrated
Described
Designated
Designed
Detailed
Detected
Determined
Developed
Devised
Diagnosed
Directed
Disciplined
Discovered
Dispatched
Dispensed
Displayed
Dissected
Disseminated
Distributed
Drafted
Drafted
Edited
Elected
Eliminated
Empowered
|
Encouraged
Endorsed
Enforced
Engineered
Enlarged
Enlisted
Entered
Established
Estimated
Evaluated
Examined
Executed
Exhibited
Expanded
Experienced
Experimented
Explained
Extracted
Fabricated
Facilitated
Filed
Financed
Forecasted
Formed
Formulated
Founded
Gathered
Generated
Governed
Graded
Grouped
Guided
Handled
Headed
Hired
Identified
Illustrated
Imagined
Implemented
Improved
Improvised
Increased
Informed
Initiated
Innovated
Inspected
Installed
Instructed
Insured
|
Integrated
Interpreted
Interviewed
Inventoried
Investigated
Issued
Itemized
Joined
Launched
Led
Maintained
Managed
Manufactured
Marketed
Measured
Mediated
Minimized
Modified
Monitored
Motivated
Negotiated
Notified
Observed
Obtained
Operated
Ordered
Originated
Organized
Outlined
Overcame
Oversaw
Participated
Performed
Persuaded
Planned
Predicted
Prepared
Presented
Presided
Prevented
Prioritized
Produced
Programmed
Promoted
Protected
Proposed
Provided
Publicized
Published
|
Recognized
Recommended
Reconciled
Recorded
Recruited
Rectified
Reduced
Refined
Reinforced
Reorganized
Repaired
Reported
Represented
Researched
Resolved
Retrieved
Reviewed
Revised
Scheduled
Selected
Separated
Set up
Shaped
Simplified
Solved
Sparked
Surveyed
Staffed
Strengthened
Studied
Succeeded
Summarized
Supervised
Surveyed
Synthesized
Tailored
Taught
Tested
Trained
Transcribed
Transformed
Translated
Tutored
Typed
Unified
Updated
Utilized
Verified
Wrote
|
Sample Resumes
Cover Letter Format
Need Additional Help?
Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Counseling and Wellness Services offer free individual counseling for these and
related issues for veterinary students (WSU Veterinary Students ONLY). For more
information or to schedule an appointment call or e-mail:
Carolyn Wyatt PhD
ADBF 1035
335-0774
cwyatt@vetmed.wsu.edu
NOTE: The information contained in these self help
documents is not to be used as a substitute for professional care. Neither the
authors, Washington State University nor the College of Veterinary Medicine
assume liability for injury incurred by following the information presented in
these self-help documents
Last Edited: Mar 07, 2007 3:06 PM
