Finance
Co-op and Internship Program
RESUME WRITING
AND
INTERVIEWING GUIDE
Cooperative Education and
Internship Program
2009 - 2012
Holy Family University:
Table of Contents
Page
Welcome…………………………………………………………………….3
Resume Writing…………………………………………………………….4
Sample Resume Formats………………………………………………..11
Interviewing Guide……………………………………………………… 43
Contact Information:
Holy Family University
Education Technology Center, Room 222
9801 Frankford Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19114-2009
Sister M. Frances Veitz, CSFN, Ed.D. Director of Cooperative Education 267-341-3406
mfveitz@holyfamily.edu
James Acton, MA
Assistant to the Director of Cooperative Education
267-341-3239
jacton@holyfamily.edu
Diane Fiolo
Secretary
267-341-3403
dfiolo@holyfamily.edu
Revised: June 1, 2009
2
WELCOME!
WELCOME to the Cooperative Education and Internship
Department’s Resume Writing and Interviewing Guide.
All students interested in fulfilling a Co-op or Internship must attend an Interviewing workshop. To sign up, call Mr. Don Brom, Director of Career Services, at 267-341-3224 or send him an email,
dbrom@holyfamily.edu.
Please read through this handbook carefully.
A member of the Cooperative Education department will be more than happy to answer any questions with regard to the information in this handbook.
WHAT TO INCLUDE ON A RESUME FOR A CO-OP
OR INTERNSHIP
Of course, you won't include all of the information listed below on your resume. Resumes highlight your achievements. It is not a detailed account of your life history.
Again, announce what you have to offer; save the explanation for your interview.
； Courses (think of all your course work from freshman to senior year, particularly
those that are relevant to your career field)
； Scholarships
； Honors and awards
； Previous degrees earned (Associates, Bachelors, excluding high school)
； Partially or fully paid University expenses
； Extracurricular activities
； Research projects
； Significant assignments (papers, group projects, class presentations)
； Term papers related to your field
； Languages (French, Spanish, Italian, Polish, German, etc.)
； Volunteer work
； Junior Achievement
； Computer Skills (List languages, hardware, software or other equipment used)
； Special workshops, presentation attended
； Full-time jobs
3
； Part-time jobs
； Paid experiences (don't forget odd jobs)
； Unpaid experience (volunteer at hospital, etc.) ； Professional affiliations/memberships related to your field (officer, board member,
etc.)
； Internships (graduate practicums)
； Tutoring
； Work study/financial aid positions
； Hobbies related to field
； Interests
； Dorm groups/activities (did you help organize/plan events) ； Boy/girl scouts
； Started own business/enterprise (something that earned you extra cash) ； Community services
； Any creative pursuit
4
RESUME TIPS
； Stress your assets, not your liabilities.
； Employ the jargon of your profession.
； Provide as much relevant information as concisely as possible.
； Take the time to design your layout for the page. The resume's appearance should
be neat and pleasing to the reader's eye.
； Style your resume in a consistent, flowing, and easy-to-read manner.
； Use a reverse chronological order sequence throughout the resume.
； Underline and use capitalization to emphasize important points and to focus
attention.
； Underline OR capitalize firms, titles, headings, etc. Be consistent in what you
highlight.
； Proofread your resume for spelling and typographical errors, and run a spell
check. It should be neatly typed and letter perfect. Your resume is a reflection on
you and how you will perform on the job.
； As a co-op or intern student, your resume should be only ONE page in length on
8 ? x 11 inch bond paper.
； Use positive action verbs to dramatize your experience and skills (refer to page 4
for a listing of words). Use the present tense of verbs for current activities and the
past tense for previous experience.
； Try to fit your resume on one page, unless that would require you to delete very
pertinent information about yourself.
； Place important items in the most prominent areas of your resume.
； It is recommended that you type your own resume on a word processor and save
it on disk. This will enable you to make changes and corrections at any time.
5
DON'TS for the RESUME
DON'T:
； include information that would automatically screen you out (i.e.,
marital status, personal information, dismissals, low grades, etc).
； use the words "I' or "ME." The resume should be written in
telegraphic style.
； leave out volunteer work or other experience where you have
demonstrated high level skills.
； FALSIFY INFORMATION ON A RESUME!
； abbreviate in a resume.
； include names of references on the actual resume sheet.
； include highly detailed information; save it for your interview.
； put the word "Resume" at the top of the resume.
； use fluffy rambling "objective statements."
； list salary information.
； use full addresses and zip codes of former employers.
； list reasons for leaving jobs.
； list names of supervisors.
6
The Resume
A strong resume is essential to your success in landing a co-op or an internship
placement. It is a marketing document that must "sell you." Present your
achievements, interests and potential that will make you stand out. Include relevant
course work, special concentration or minor, GPA (3.0 or better), papers, products,
and activities. Also consider the jobs you have held and communicate the
"transferable" skills (e.g., writing, computers, planning) that would be relevant to
any employer.
Further:
1. Limit your resume to one page. While this may be difficult,
employers scan resumes quickly, and may not be inclined to turn the
page.
2. Tailor your resume. Depending on the type and number of positions
you are seeking, if you have access to a computer and quality printer,
specifically target your resume to the position you want. You may
also develop more than one resume (e.g., include alternate objectives).
3. Sell yourself. Make the absolute strongest possible presentation of
your accomplishments, your enthusiasm, and your potential. Be
assured that your competition is doing the same.
4. Send out perfect resumes. Have your resume proofed. Employers
have very little information on which to base their hiring decisions. A
mistake as simple as a misspelled word can make the difference
between landing or not landing a position, much less making it to the
interview.
7
COMPONENTS of CO-OP or INTERNSHIP
RESUME
A resume that you will compile for a co-op or internship experience will differ
slightly from the resume you will do upon graduation. The OBJECTIVE of your
resume for a co-op or internship position should reflect your academic program. Be
creative! In what specific area would you or do you want to gain "hands-on" experience?
If you are interested in two areas, return two resumes with each objective listed to the
Co-op Department. The objective is followed by your EDUCATION section. The
education section can also be placed towards the end of your resume (after the work
experience section) after you have had a substantial amount of work experience.
An HONORS and LEADERSHIP section will follow your education section if this
applies to you. Any scholarships, Dean's List, Awards, Merits, etc. can be added under this category. The education section is followed by RELEVANT COURSEWORK:
courses you have taken related to your field that can assist you on your co-op or
internship experience. A COMPUTER SKILLS section follows the relevant course
work. Whatever computer software you have a knowledge of, list. Computer skills are a
marketing tool for you. No matter what field you are going into, most employers keep
track of records, perform documentation, etc. on a computer. Word processing programs
(e.g. WordPerfect 6.0 for Windows, Microsoft Word), spreadsheet programs (e.g. Excel,
Lotus for Windows), and Internet Applications are some ideas of what you can include if
you are literate in these areas. Next, you want to begin your WORK EXPERIENCE
section. For those potential co-op candidates interested in the Job Enrichment Program,
you may want to call this category PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE since you have
been in the working world for quite some time.
8
The work experience section is followed by an ACTIVITIES section if this
applies. This category can also be called INTERESTS or AFFILIATIONS. Are you
involved in any campus activities? Do you have any favorite hobbies? Are you a
member of any clubs on campus? Professional organizations in your field?
Memberships, Majors Accomplishments and Military Experience may be also be listed as
separate sections if this applies to you.
A REFERENCES section is the last category on the resume. This section serves as a closing to the resume and invites employers to ask for a list of references if they are seriously considering you for the position. Including a reference section on the resume is optional. The statement should read either "References Available Upon Request" or "References Furnished Upon Request."
Please remember that a good resume will provide you with a job opportunity. It
WILL NOT get you a job, but it WILL get you an interview.
(Refer to the Sample Resumes, which begin on page 12)
9
CLOSING REMARKS ABOUT YOUR RESUME
A couple of guidelines for a better presentation
Visually enticing - a work of art. Simple clean structure. Very easy to read.
Symmetrical. Balanced. Uncrowded. As much white space between sections of writing
as possible; sections of writing which are no longer than six lines; shorter if possible.
Maximum use of italics, capital letters, bullets, boldface, and underlining, with
uniformity and consistency. Absolute parallelism in design decision, for example: if a
period is at the end of one’s job dates, a period should be at the end of all jobs dates; if a
degree is in boldface, all degrees should be in boldface.
As mentioned above, the resume's first impression is most important. It should be
visually appealing to be inviting to the reader. Remember to think of the
resume as an advertisement.
Absolutely no errors. No typographical errors. No spelling errors. No grammar,
syntax, or punctuation errors. No errors of fact.
10