Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
•
Does it emphasize the strongest attributes first?
•
How does it measure up on content?
•
Does it have enough personal data for them to contact us?
•
Does it have more personal data than we want them to know?
•
Does the e-mail address reflect a serious professional or cutesy college kid?
•
What is the objective? Career Centers like to have us put our objective on it. Be
careful as it may tend to eliminate more jobs than it does to help.
Does it provide the necessary information on education? At minimum, it should
•
probably have the degree (or anticipated degree) and date, GPA out of 4.0, thesis
and/or dissertation titles.
Does it highlight work experience with particular emphasis on experiences in
•
food science and or management etc.? Do not forget significant projects com-
pleted in school.
Does it list the most important honors, awards, and special skills with an empha-
•
sis on those related to food science? I was a star newspaper carrier in the ninth
grade, but I usually leave that out.
Does it list the most significant extracurricular activities, particularly those that
•
show professional affiliation or leadership?
If it is for an academic position does it list your presentations and publications?
•
Give complete citations?
Does it list references? Unless specifically called for, leave these off. When
•
providing references, make sure that at least half of them are professional refer-
ences. References are usually much more important for academic or government
positions than ones in industry.
Chris has designed a résumé which is shown in Fig.
18.3
. It has some strong points,
but it also has weaknesses and omissions. Can you spot them? For more details on
making the most out of a résumé consult a good topic on the subject such as
Whitcomb (
2010
) or a university career guide (University of Georgia,
2011
) .
A résumé is usually sent with an accompanying cover letter. Even if the cover
letter is sent via e-mail, it should be more formal and professional than an ordinary
e-mail. From the cover letter and the résumé
•
Will they be able to find what they are looking for?
•
Does it demonstrate an ability to translate experience into results?
•
Does it show a general competence for the position and a breadth of
background?
Does it reflect a positive attitude?
•
•
Does it project self-confidence? Make sure the attitude does not come across as
arrogant or shy.
Chris is sending his résumé to apply for the position at Grain State. His cover letter
is shown in Fig.
18.4
. Has he met all the requirements for a strong cover letter?
