Exercise Science-Resume & Cover Letter

Resume & Cover Letter

The Career Services Center

Ashley Jones,Career & Internship Advisor

Cover Letter

A strong cover letter can be as important as the resume when conducting an effective job search. Your resume will state the facts, but the cover letter should create interest in the resume and bring your qualifications to life.

Cover Letter should:

• Always be typed
• Always be included with a resume being mailed, faxed or emailed
• Be individualized and addressed to a specific person whenever possible
• Use quality paper, preferably the same as your resume. White or cream-NO COLOR
• Emphasize achievements
• Avoid the letter looking like a form letter; tailor it to fit specific position.
• Be brief and concise. Like your resume, the letter will be skimmed. Should be one page with 3 to 5 short paragraphs.

References

Getting Started

How do I get started on my resume?

• Create an inventory of your experiences
• Identify your skills and accomplishments
• Don't forget extracurricular and volunteer activities

• Carefully choose references that compliment your resume.
• Past and present employers
• Faculty members
• Advisors or coaches

• Get permission from your references
• Contact each individual whom you are asking to serve as your reference Secure his/her permission in ADVANCE
• Provide your reference with a copy of your resume and provide updates on your job search

• Do not list references on your resume.
• Create a reference page. P. 34 CSC Guide

Note: Avoid using MS office and other word processing templates due to their limited functionality.

Career Conversation & Career Events

*February 3: Dusty Jackson-Personal Training, KSU Student Recreation

February 9th (11am-2pm, Unviersity Rooms)- RESUMANIA

*February 17: North Point Fitness

March 2: Writing Your Personal Statement (CL 1009,12:30-1:30 )

*March 9th: One Health Managemetn, Coca-Cola

*March 23rd: Eric Lougas, Strength & Condititioning

March 24: Spring Career Fair (Student Rec Center 12:00-4:00)

*April 13th: Brenau Unviersity, Physical Therapy Program

April 14th: Government/Non-Profit Career Fair (10:00am-2:00pm)

*PH 1003, Wednesday 12:30-1:45

OwlLink Resume Deadline: Tuesday, March 1st

Questions?

What should a draft of my resume look like?

Ashley Jones, Career & Internship Advisor

ajone325@kennesaw.edu

To schedule and appointment Call: 470-578-6555

Sections of your Resume....

• Keep your resume to one page unless you have enough relevant experience to warrant a second page.
• Balance the lay out by making margins equal in size.
• Resumes should be pleasing to read, important information should stand out for the reader.
• Within each section, list information in reverse chronological order (most recent first).
• Use fonts such as: Times New Roman, Arial or Garamond
• C.O.D.E: Clear, Organized, Dynamic and Error free...
• Have your resume reviewed by Career Services.

Heading

• Include your name, mailing address, phone number, and email address

Education

• List college degrees, in reverse chronological order (most recent first)
• Include graduation dates, even those in the future
• Do not include high school graduation
• You may include Study Abroad experience

Experience

• List work experience, relevant experience in chronological order
• Include job title, organization name, location and duration of employment
• Focus on describing accomplishments and relevant skills-not just your job duties/responsibilities

Optional Sections

Accomplishment Statements

Objective or Summary:

• The purpose of the summary is to highlight your accomplishments, the depth of your skills relating to the position, and key factors from your experiences. The purpose of the objective is to express your intentions for submitting your resume and is typically used to clarify which of the positions you are applying for within a company. A summary/objective should be placed immediately following the resume header.
• Summary Example: Certified Personal Trainer with 4 years of experience working with a diverse client population. Certified in Zumba, TurboKick, Yoga, Group Cicyling and TRX Shred.
• Objective Example: To obtain an Exercise Specialist position with OrthoSport.

Relevant Coursework:

• List classes that may be of interest to the employer
• Keep your list concise and relevant to the position

Volunteer Experience

• A recent LinkedIn survey found that 41% of professionals considered volunteer works as much as paid work when evaluating job candidates
• Don't just list the volunteer experience--Give details about what it involved

Skills

• List skill sets in which you are proficient that would be an asset in your field
• When citing language skills, include your level of expertise

Certifications

• CPR/First Aid/ AED
• Any other relevant certifications for your field. (Certified Fitness Trainer)
• List the certifying agency and date

Honors & Activities

• Dean's List, President's List, Student Organizations, Clubs, etc...

Responsibilities vs. Accomplishment Statements

Responsibilities typically refer to items that are listed on your job description-what you were supposed to do. Accomplishment statements give specific examples of what YOU actually did and the IMPACT your efforts had on your previous employer.

Action Verbs-P. 13 CSC Guide