Resume Guide

SUNY Westchester Community College • Career Services Resume/Cover Letter Guidelines 2022-2024 28  Work-ethic traits, such as drive, stamina, effort, self-motivation, diligence, ambition, initiative, reliability, positive attitude toward work, professional appearance, punctuality, ethical standards, flexibility, honesty  Logic, intelligence, proficiency in field of study  Technological Skills These six skill clusters can be considered the most important in your first post-college job, and some or all of them will be required in just about any job in your career. It is therefore very important to show a prospective employer how you have them. Consider transferable skills you’ve attained exclusively in the classroom:  Ability to meet deadlines, complete tasks in an appropriate timeframe  Ability to handle multiple tasks; manage time effectively  Ability to achieve goals  Ability to adapt  Writing, speaking, and listening skills  Research skills  Ability to work as part of a team Format As with a resume, there is no one “official format” for the cover letter, but here are some thoughts to keep in mind:  Each cover letter is an original letter designed to target a specific position and/or firm. Photocopies, fill-ins or crossing out of a “canned” letter is not a professional presentation.  Address the letter to a specific person. Make an effort to find out who will be making the hiring decision and address the letter to that person (using Mr. or Ms. for the salutation). Try to avoid an impersonal letter, but if necessary address the letter to “Dear Hiring Manager” or “Dear Madam/Sir” or “Manager” followed by a colon.  You may use bullets, indent or bold to emphasize and organize information, but be conservative.  Be sure to use the same font style for the cover letter that you used for the resume.  Tell a story-something unique in your career history, results-driven accomplishments with a past employer