Creating and/or Updating Your Resume - Advanced New Media at the ...

In today?s media environment, you need to have the multimedia skills AND know how to showcase your multimedia skills. Creating a clean and lean resume and writing a memorable and professional cover letter are the first steps toward achieving your goals.

Below are some tips for creating a stellar resume and cover letter.

Remember to email me your resume and/or cover letter if you want any advice.

Resume Tips

• Do not label your address as ?permanent address? unless you have a temporary address also listed.
• References are optional. Use ?References available upon request? if you choose not to include them.
• 1 page is the goal, shrink text size to 10-point font if necessary
• Highlight relevant college coursework in your cover letter as opposed to your resume
• Keep your formatting consistent (e.g., bullet points, tabs, spacing, capitalization, punctuation)
• Use present tense for current jobs and past tense for past jobs
• Triple check your spelling and grammar!

Cover Letter Tips

• Avoid addressing the cover letter: ?To whom it may concern?. Find the person who?ll receive the letter. If unsure, call the front desk of the office and ask the secretary.
• Limit to one page
• Do not begin paragraphs with your faults or lack of experience. Emphasize all of your positives first. It will be clear to the recipient that you lack experience when they review your resume.
• If your internship/job position uses AP Style, then use it in your resume and cover letter.
• Triple check your spelling and grammar!
• Maintain verb agreement.
  • Bad Example: ?During the event I stayed at one of the bars overseeing the silent auction and making sure the event ran smoothly.?
• Keep sentences shorter rather than longer. When in doubt, use 2 sentences. Or, at least use a comma between compound sentences.
  • Bad Example: ?Working for ESPN is a once in a lifetime chance for an aspiring professional in this industry and I know I can contribute greatly to the most prominent sports provider in the business.?
• Use the active voice to keep sentences strong.
  • Bad Example: ?I would like to thank you for your time and consideration.?
• Avoid contractions. It sounds colloquial.
• Do not be afraid to use commas. Commas in sentences are similar to brief pauses or emphasis during speech. When in doubt, a comma is helpful.
• Use more interesting and descriptive syntax. Highlight a word and press Shift F7 in Word for the thesaurus.
  • Example: ?These events got me interested?? VS. ?These events sparked my passion?
• Switch up the syntax. Do not repeat too much.
  • Bad Example: ?As a student of both music and communication, I am interested in combining both disciplines at the Toledo School for the Arts. As a student of both music and communication I can understand the objectives of your promotions and can effectively relay them to your targeted audience.?
• Read sentences aloud to yourself to avoid awkwardness.
  • Bad Example: ?The amount of drive that I will have if working for this company is major factor to consider when reviewing my resume.?
• You are eager (NOT anxious) to hear from the company. Eager = positive emotion. Anxious = negative emotion.
• Be sure every sentence communicates something important.
  • Bad Example: ?This internship would provide me with the opportunity to assist at your organization by being a valuable contributor.?

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011 at 3:49 pm and is filed under media careers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://uwyojournalism.com/?p=969

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