Ken’s Famous Resume

Kens Famous High Probability Resume

Purpose:

• Get the reader’s attention
• Introduce yourself
• Explain purpose of letter
• Explain why interested in the position or the company (Culture? Approach?)
• Explain how you will help the organization
• What Your Resume Can’t Do
• Show writing ability
• Allow for greater personalization.

How to send a cover letter:

• One page
• Peppered with keywords
• Quick and easy to read
• First few sentences should be attention-grabbers
• TAILORED for the job and the employer
• Friendly and professional
• WHY you are writing and WHY you’re qualified
• Accomplishments that are related to the job you seek will always capture a hiring manager’s attention, urging him to read more

Cover Letter Pitfalls:

• No Personalization (don’t copy/paste–your audience will get bored!)
• DON’T use the same letter to apply for all positions
• Don’t use “company”
• Don’t address it to HR (they don’t make hiring decisions)
• Avoid vague clichés:
  – “I am a hard worker and a good team player.”
  – “I have excellent problem-solving skills.”
  – Use specific details and examples.
• Example:
  – ‘I am a skilled professional with excellent communication skills who excels at working within a team environment. I saw your posting for a (name of job) and know I’m the perfect candidate.’
• That sentence tells the hiring manager absolutely nothing except your opinion.
  – ‘Your job opening for (name position) closely matches my qualifications. At XYZ Company, I led 3 department teams, boosting sales by 48% over a 6-month period. This resulted in additional revenue of $38,000 for the company.’

Cover Letter Outline

• First paragraph
  – why are you writing
  – Reference the job you are applying for and where you saw it
• Second paragraph: link your education, skills and experience with the job description
• Third paragraph: ask for an interview and thank them for their review of your resume

Cover Letter Example

Date

Name
Title
Company
Street Address
City, State, Zip
Re: Job Title

Dear Hiring Manager (Use name if possible):

I am applying for the Sales Associate position that we discussed during the Career Fair at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C. on (date). My varied sales experience and my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration are my strongest qualifications for this position.

As you can see from the enclosed resume, I have sold a variety of products through my extracurricular activities and have worked in many banking environments through my cooperative education and internship positions. My marketing, computer research, and customer relations experiences, as well as my oral and written communication skills, should prove valuable in increasing (name of company’s) sales volume. I am enthusiastic about pursuing a career in sales with (name of company) because of its diverse product line and international scope.

I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and can be reached at (phone number) from noon to five daily. I will be in New York next week and will call you on (date) to discuss the possibility of an
interview.

Sincerely,
(Handwritten sig.)
Your name, typed

Resume Example

Name
Home Address
Phone Number
Email Address
Current Federal Employment Status (If applicable): [Position Title], [GS Level]
Veterans Preference Status: (If applicable)
VRA Eligible (If applicable)
VEOA Eligible (If applicable)
Schedule A Eligible (If applicable)
Clearance: (if applicable)
Citizenship: United States
Announcement #:

EDUCATION
Masters Degree in Organizational Leadership; St. Ambrose University, Davenport, Iowa. Graduation date: 01/01/1900. GPA: 4.0/4.0.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Human Resources Specialist GS-11

Veterans Administration, Pittsburgh Healthcare Syste
$xx,xxx / year (40 hours / wk)
HJ Heinz Progressive Care Center, Pittsburgh, PA
Dec 2010 to Present

SUPERVISORY TRAINING: Liaison between supervisors and Human Resources. Ensure there are opportunities in the HR Supervisor Series courses for supervisors to meet the 20 hours of continuing learning requirement.

• Effectively track and enter new supervisors in the ECF (Executive Career Field) database as they progress through the Nuts & Bolts program, ensuring that performance measurements are exceeded.
• Completed all Nuts & Bolts modules for supervision in an effort to learn more about the program I am tracking.
• Created and compiled a PowerPoint presentation used to train supervisors titled “Persuasion at Work.”
• Create, organize, and schedules a year-long calendar of course offerings for supervisors and attend all courses offered. This gives me an understanding of what supervisors do on a daily basis.
• Develop, with subject matter experts, courses related to Human Resources that are offered to employees.
• Organize and plan quarterly New Supervisor Orientations.
• Compile and analyze data from course evaluations and submit summaries to HR supervisors and trainers.

PROVIDES DIRECTION AND LEADERSHIP: Discovering a need that VA employees have for overcoming obstacles in applying for positions using a new system (USAJOBS), I took the initiative and started compiling information and offering courses on USAJOBS and resumes.

• Collaborated on the creation of the Workforce Development and Career Services Center, which came about due to the increased demand for one-on-one assistance stemming from the success of the courses that were presented on USAJOBS.gov.
• Designed a handout to help internal and external candidates apply for positions using USAJOBS.gov.
• Presents to groups on navigation of USAJOBS.gov, completing an application package, federal resumes, and performance based interviewing skills.

DEMONSTRATED TEAMWORK: Assumed duties being managed by employees who retired and sought out opportunities to solve issues in other sections of Human Resources.

• Manage TMS (Talent Management System) Administrative rights for the HR department and assign coursework to employees.
• Update ECF database with performance appraisal ratings and award amounts.
• Created sharepoint calendars used at three facilities to set and track appointments for PIV Card registrations, printing, and issuing.
• Took ownership of exit survey data collection. Percentage of completed surveys by participants rose 100% over previous year.
• Organized sharepoint site for Mid-Term Performance Reviews so that completion percentages are easily tracked. Set up a master spreadsheet used to report to the director and set all permissions for the service lines so information could remain secure and private.
• Volunteered for the 2012 National Wheelchair Games and served on the awards committee.

Business Education / Accounting Teacher

Oil City School District, Oil City, PA
$xx,xxx / year (40 hrs/wk)
Aug 1998 to Aug 2000

Wicomico County Board of Education, Salisbury, MD
$xx,xxx / year (40 hrs/wk)
Aug 1993 to Aug 1998

PROVIDE TRAINING: Led courses in Accounting, Consumer Economics, Computer Applications, Keyboarding, and Business Co-Operative Learning Program. Delivered student-centered instruction with the use of simulations, activities, and discussions.

• Consistently awarded excellent evaluations from supervisors and principals.
• Established and enforced rules for behavior and procedures for maintaining order among students.
• Engaged and challenged students from a wide range of diverse backgrounds.
• Taught courses in Accounting I & II with the following topics:
  – Focused on organization, operation, and entering of transactions for an accrual, double-entry, self-balancing accounting system.
  – Reviewed students output to include Work Sheets, Balance Sheets, Income Statements, and Owners Equity Statements.
  – Analyze business records to determine the break-even point, make decisions regarding present value and annuities, and analyze trends on financial statements
  – Journalize and post entries for a variety of transactions.
• Maintained accurate and complete student records as required by laws, district policies, and administrative regulations.
• Enforced all administration policies and rules governing students.
• Observed and evaluated students’ performance, behavior, social development, and physical health.
• Led courses in Microsoft Office Applications: Word, Excel, Powerpoint, & Access.
• Coached Golf and Assistant Coach for Baseball & Wrestling

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Coordinated the Co-Operative Business Program and successfully placed 30 students in paid positions within only three weeks (Wicomico County).
• Created a Stock Market Club that won the Maryland State Competition for middle schools (Wicomico County).
• Awarded tenure for displaying exceptional dedication and teaching abilities (Wicomico County).
• Established a Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) chapter and trained students for district and state competitions (Oil City).
• Due to lack of textbooks, I compiled and created an eighth grade computer curricula, instructional materials, and evaluation tools that were put into use throughout the district (Wicomico County).

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
(awards, citations, workplace accomplishments, high-level performance, etc.)

EXTRACURRICULAR / VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES:
Community service; club memberships, etc.

COMPUTER SKILLS:
Ability to type 40 words per minute. Proficient in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Access, Outlook; QuickBooks Pro and Internet applications, including Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter.

LANGUAGE SKILLS:
Knowledge of Arabic (oral and written).

REFERENCES:

Professional:

Bob Smith
Human Resources Officer (05-A)
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
Nevada, PA 15240
(412) 555-5555
(Current Manager)

Allison Jones
Asst. Human Resources Officer (05-A)
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System
Pittsburgh, PA 15240
(412) 555-5555
Current Assistant Manager)

Jack Savage
Chief, Police Service
University Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15240
(412) 555-5555
(Current Customer)

Personal:

Elle Woods
123 Main St.
Nowheresville, OH 12345
(412) 555-5555
(Lifelong Friend)

Sally Dowell
1345 jones St.
Nowheresville, OH 12345
(412) 555-5555
(Lifelong Friend)

Eddie Mathias
3245 345 St.
Nowheresville, OH 12345
(412) 555-5555
(Cousin)