This document summarizes a workshop on resume and cover letter writing. The workshop covers the purpose and types of resumes and cover letters, including chronological, functional, and hybrid resumes. It discusses the key sections of resumes and cover letters and provides examples. The workshop also reviews skills categories and covers writing resumes and cover letters with rhetorical awareness and user-centered design in mind.

1. GoToCollege Ambassadors
Professional Development
Resume and Cover Letter
Writing Workshop
Nevada State College
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2. Workshop Topics
• Types of resumes
• Cover letter
• Sections of a resume
and cover letter
• Writing your resume
and cover letter
• Application
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3. What is a Resume?
A resume is a personal
summary of your
knowledge, training, and
skills. Essentially, this
document contains a list
of attributes for future
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4. Purpose of a Resume
• Highlight your skills, qualifications,
and accomplishments.
• To get an interview!
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5. Two Types of Resumes
• Chronological Resume
• Functional Resume
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6. Chronological Key Points
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8. Functional Key Points
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10. Hybrid Resumes
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12. What is a Cover Letter?
A cover letter introduces you and
your resume to potential
employers or organizations you
seek to join (non-profits,
educational institutions, etc). It is
the first document an employer
sees; therefore, it is often the first
impression you will make.
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14. Characteristics of a Cover
Letter
Cover letters do more than introduce
your resume. A cover letter's
importance also includes its ability to:
• Explain your experiences in a story-like
format that works with the information
provided in your resume
• Allow you to go in-depth about important
experiences/skills and relate them to job
requirements
• Show the employer that you are
individualizing (tailoring) this job application
• Provide a sample of your written
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15. Sections of a Resume
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16. Sections of a Resume
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17. Categories of Skills
• Interpersonal skills • Critical thinking skills
• Oral communication skills • Creative thinking skills
• Public speaking skills • Planning skills
• Counseling skills • Organizational skills
• Advanced writing skills
• Coaching/mentoring skills
• Research skills
• Teaching/training skills • Administrative/clerical skills
• Supervising skills • Financial skills
• Leadership skills • Language skills
• Persuading skills • Perceptual skills
• Mediation skills • Advanced computer skills
• Interviewing skills • Technological skills
• Care giving skills • Performing skills
• Client services skills • Artistic skills
• Analytical/logical thinking skills • Mechanical skills
• Adaptability skills
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18. Review of Resume Headings
• Contact information
• Objective
• Education
• Work Experience
• Activities/Honors/Volunteer Experience
• Computer/language/technical skills
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19. Sections of a Cover Letter
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20. Writing the Resume and
Cover Letter
• Rhetorical Awareness
• User-Centered Design
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21. Rhetorical Awareness
The idea of rhetorical awareness for workplace writing includes the
following concepts:
• Workplace writing is persuasive. For example, when a writer
composes a résumé, the persuasive goal is to get a job interview.
Similarly, a report writer may need to persuade a client to take action
to improve work conditions ensuring employee safety and timely
production
• Workplace writing, since it's persuasive, must consider the rhetorical
situation:
– Purpose (why the document is being written, the goals of the document
– Audience (who will read the document, includes shadow readers-
unintended audiences who might read your work)
– Stakeholders (who may be affected by the document or project)
– Context (the background of and situation in which the document is
created).
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22. User-Centered Design
The idea of user-centered design includes the following concepts:
• Always consider and think about your audience
• Consider your readers based on:
– their expectations. What information do your readers expect to get?
What can be provided to your readers?
– their characteristics. Who, specifically, is reading the work? Is the
audience part of the decision making process? Will stakeholders read the
work? Or is the audience a mixture of decision makers, stakeholders,
and shadow readers? What organizational positions does the audience
hold and how might this affect document expectations?
– their goals. What are your readers planning to accomplish? What should
be included in your documents so that your readers get the information
they need?
– their context. For what type of situation do the readers need this
information?
• Identify information readers will need and make that information
easily accessible and understandable
– User-centered documents must be usable, so consider how the
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23. Additional Resources
• http://writingcenter.unlv.edu/
• http://www.unr.edu/educ/coecareers/pdf/resume_guide.pdf
• http://nsc.nevada.edu/6589.asp
• http://sites.csn.edu/workforce/careercoach.asp
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24. References
Material has been adapted from UNLV career services and the online writing center
at Purdue University.
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