Chapter 13--The Career Search, Resumes, and Follow-Up Communications

The Career Search, Resumes, and

Follow-up Communications "The art of communication is the language of leadership"

James Humes, American director and producer Components of a Good Resume Cover Letter One-Two Pages No typos or mistakes Aesthetically Appealing Major Categories Highlighted Style of Resume Matches Job Choose form that fits you best

Objective

To get a challenging job as a Customer Service Manager so that I can learn more and excel in my career and make lots of money.

Education

1999 - B.A. with a major in Communications and a minor in Spanish, davenport University, Grand Rapids, Michigaan; GPA 3.6; President of Spanish Club in 1998

Experience

Green Clothiers ofMIchigan, Grand Rapids, 1998
Customer Service Manager • 5/23/2000 - Present

• Recruited, trained and managed 15-member team
• I was in charge of JPGNMCS's
• Ensured continuous delivery of outstanding customer service
• Redesigned, developed and implemented employee training program which increased sales revenues
• Assisted customers when and where needed


Fine Sports Wear International,Grand Rapids, MI

Customer Service Manager • 3/2/1999 - 5/13/2000

• Recruited, trained and managed 35-member team
• Ensured continuous delivery of outstanding customer service
• Designed, developed and implemented employe training program which increased sales revenues
• Assisted customers when and where needed
• Exceeded annual goals in key metrics including profit, sales, employee retention and customer service

Customer Service Representative • 7/12/1997 - 2/29/1999

• Assisted with customer sales of women’s and children’s sportswear
• Trained 14 new representatives functioning as lead trainer, providing ongoing guidance and constructive feedback
• Achieved lowest returns percentage than all other coworkers

Hobbies

Skiing, hiking, cooking, Karate, attending Catholic Mass, hablo espanol, playing with my two cats and shopping! Example of a Bad Resume Tricia Graenemon
123 Anywhere Lane • Two Ville, CA 95423
777-555-3333 • tgraenemon@email.com



Customer Service Manager

Seasoned, results-oriented manager with extensive experience in the retail industry with a 10-year track record of success. Effective leader skilled in developing a results-oriented, productive team with customer-focused training and support. Exceptional ability to build rapport with customers and direct-reports to create customer and employee loyalty.

• Maintain Consistent Demeanor
• “Business-friendly” Personality
• Sales Training and Team Building
• Client Relationship Development


• Fluent in Spanish
• Well-Organized and Highly Efficient
• Problem Resolutions
• Customer-Focused

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Green Clothiers of Northern California, Two Ville, CA

Customer Service Manager • 2003 - Present

Charged with managing a range of key operational functions in support of eco-friendly clothing retailer with two locations and $55M in annual revenue. Recruited, trained and managed 15-member team, ensuring continuous delivery of outstanding customer service generating over $23 M in annual revenue.

Selected Achievements:

• Awarded Employee of the Month for a total of 12 quarters for outstanding customer service, problem resolution and customer-focused orientation
• In 2005 and 2007, awarded Manager of the Year for exemplary staff management
• Redesigned, developed and implemented employee training program which increased sales revenues by 22% for the first year and 30% for each successive year

Fine Sports Wear International, Two Ville, CA

Customer Service Manager • 2001 - 2003

Charged with managing a range of key operational functions in support of sportswear retailer with 5 locations across the state and $120M in annual revenue. Recruited, trained and managed 35-member team, ensuring continuous delivery of outstanding customer service generating over $20 M in annual revenue.

Selected Achievements:

• Awarded Manager of the Year for 3 consecutive years of exemplary staff management and team member motivation
• Designed, developed and implemented employee training program which increased sales revenues by 14% for the first year and 25% for the following two years
• Consistently exceeded annual goals by more than 10% in key metrics including profit, sales, employee retention and customer service

Customer Service Representative • 1997 - 2003

Provided top-notch customer service in support of sportswear retailer with 5 locations across the state and $120M in annual revenue. Assisted customers with women’s and children’s sportswear consistently generating additional revenues with thorough product knowledge and friendly sales techniques.

Selected Achievements:

• Awarded Salesperson of the Year in 1999 and 2002 for exceeding set sales productivity by 8% and 15% respectively
• Selected to train 14 new representatives functioning as lead trainer, providing ongoing guidance and constructive feedback which increased trainee retention by 12%
• Achieved lowest returns percentage for a total of three years

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Bachelor of Arts in Communications • Minor in Spanish • University of California Two Ville, California (1999)

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

National Retail Foundation (2000 Present)
Big Brother Big Sister Foundation (1998 Present) Example of a Good Resume
Typos and misspellings
Punctuation and usage errors
Difficult to read formats
Disorganized information
Inclusion of ethnicity or religion
Omission of name or contact information
Exaggeration of college or work record
Inadequate reference contact information
Too little information
Too much information
Outdated references or reference contact information
No cover letter
Hard to read fonts
Stiff or jargonized language
Unfamiliar terms or acronyms
Vague information
Poor copying or printing
Focusing on extraneous information (sports, etc.)
Adding unnecessary documents or support materials that haven't been requested Candidate A: Age 35 Submitted an outstanding resume.
Resume was printed on quality paper.
Resume focused on education and previous work experience.
Submitted a cover letter that clearly indicates the position he desires and how he is qualified for it.
His previous experiences are a good match with the company.
Graduated with honors from Davenport.
Has excellent references who spoke highly of him.
You do not have any firsthand knowledge of how well he communicates with others.
You do not have any firsthand knowledge of his work ethic. Candidate B: Age 35 Submitted a resume with many typographical errors and misspellings.
Resume was printed on flimsy paper and had some ink smears.
Resume focused on high school sports achievements.
Did not submit a cover letter.
Does not have previous experiences that are a good match with the company.
Graduated from Davenport.
Had outdated references you were unable to contact.
Has been with your company for 10 years and has a good work history with no disciplinary infractions.
Communicates well with the staff within your company. Example of a Good Cover Letter Example of a Good Cover Letter Example of a Good Cover Letter Example of a Good Cover Letter Jack Richardson,
Director of Human Resource,
323 South Avon Drive,
Milton, NY 10945,
(914) 555-2909.

Dear Mr. Richardson,

I am applying for position of Customer Services Supervisor, was advertised in JobsNews.com. Please accept my resume.
As per your requirements, I believed that I have proper experience, ability and skills that can definitely help your firm.

My experience and skills include:

* In customer service, I have five years experience as a supervisor;
* Good communication and problem solving ability in critical customer service area;
* Experience in multi-tasking and dynamic environment working;
* Ability to guide and motivate staff, to improve creativity along with productivity;

You can see my enclosed resume to check above experience and skills that I posses.

Please give me call at above telephone number or contact me on my e-mail EdenD@rediffmail.com. Thank you for reading my resume and consideration.

Sincerely,

Thomas K Eden.

Enclosure Resume Case Study Types of Resumes
Functional: Organized by experiences; most relevant experiences are listed first.


Chronological: Organized by year; most recent experiences are listed first. Common Resume Errors