Welcome to your third year of college! This year is certain to be fun and action-packed. There will be many decisions to make regarding major, career options, graduate school, and more. In an effort to help you prepare for a number of these decisions, UFC is asking you to create some essential tools for that next opportunity.

For this checkpoint, you will:

  • Create a draft of a resume and cover letter
  • Take your drafts of resume and cover letter to be edited by a career counselor in your campus career center and generate a final draft
  • Complete a mock interview to gather insights on your strengths and areas of improvement

In order to successfully complete this checkpoint, you must submit the following to your CSP counselor via email, fax, or mail:

√A final draft of your resume (reflecting edits provided by career center staff)

√A final draft of your cover letter (reflecting edits by career center staff)

√A completed Mock Interview Assessment signed by your interviewer

√Checkpoint Verification Form

We recognize that this can seem like a daunting task, so we have assembled some templates and tools to help you. In the following pages, you will find:

1.A sample cover letter

2.A sample resume with links and resources

3.Interview questions for your mock interview

4.A Mock Interview Assessment form to be completed by your interviewer

All of these documents are intended to assist you in successfully completing this checkpoint. Other things you can do to ensure success:

1.Start early — it may take up to 3 weeks to get an appointment with your career center so do not leave this checkpoint to the last minute.

2.Schedule an appointment with your career center for review of your cover letter/resume.

3.Keep in contact with your CSP Counselor should anything come up.

Investing time into this process now will set you up well to take advantage of opportunities in the future.

Best wishes,

The CSP Team

SAMPLE COVER LETTER:

The Purpose of a Cover Letter:

The general purpose of the cover letter is to get an interview. In this instance, the cover letter will serve as an opportunity for employers to know more about you. The cover letter must achieve a number of things in a minimum of space:

1) Introduce you to employers

2) Gain their attention and interest

3) Relate your experience to the position

4) Persuade them that you are the person to interview

See the template below for how to structure your letter:

Your Street Address
City, State, Zip Code

Date

Name of Person & Title
Company/Organization
Street Address
City, State, Zip Code

Dear Mr./Ms. _____:

Introduction: State the reason for writing. Name the specific position, or type of work for which you are applying.

Body: Explain why you are interested in working for that employer, or in that field of work, and most importantly what your qualifications are - academic background, work experience, personal skills. Point out achievements that relate to the field and why you enjoy that work. Refer the reader to the enclosed resume, application, and/or portfolio.

Closing: Indicate your desire for an interview. State that you will call on a specific day to see if an interview can be arranged at this person's convenience. (If you will be in their geographic vicinity on a certain day, stress the importance of setting up an interview on that day.)

Sincerely,

Your Name

Enclosure

SAMPLERESUME

Your Name

Email address and phone number

Home address

Education:

Name of University City, State (Location of University)

Bachelor of Arts or Science in (list major and minor if applicable) Year, Month (Anticipated Grad Date)

GPA generally given if over a 3.00

(List out full GPA = 3.17 and do not round up to a 3.2)

Name of High School – still acceptable for undergraduate studentsLocation of School

Diploma Graduation Date

Honors/Awards: Deans list, honor rolls – if applicable (do not list HS awards)

Study Abroad, City, and Country – if applicable Study Abroad Date

List subject areas studied: economics, art history, anthropology

Work Experience:

Name of OrganizationCity, State Start Date – End Date

Job Title

  • Describe any accomplishments that you achieved at your job or volunteer service
  • Explain what you did , how you did it, why you did it, and what the results were
  • When possible, quantify the number of people/items/data that you worked with

(Use present tense verbs to describe jobs)

Volunteer experience/activities:

Name of OrganizationCity, State Start Date – End Date

Job Title

  • Focus on a few key skills that your potential employer is looking for
  • Demonstrate how you used those skills through the description of the tasks/projects that you accomplished.
  • Remember to be consistent with your format (e.g. periods at the end of your bullets statements are not required, but should not appear randomly)

SKILLSReferences Available Upon Request

Name of Student/Candidate: ______


Please complete a mock interview with one of the following individuals: career office staff, current employer, or professor. Have your interviewer record feedback on your mock interview below. Ask questions and strategies for how to improve. Submit the completed and signed form to UFC via fax at 213.580.1820 or scan and send to your CSP Counselor.

Characteristics / Fair
1 / Good
2 / Superior
3
Assertive
Goal Oriented
Dedicated
Poise: posture, body language, hand gestures
Professional
Maturity
Problem Solver
Confident
Body Language
Firm Handshake
Eye Contact
Communication Skills: Uses proper communication skills, actively listens and responds succinctly
Questioning Skills: Asks appropriate follow up questions
Able to market skills effectively
Strong lasting impression
Thanked interviewer

Name of Interviewer: ______

Position/ Title: ______Date: ______

Signature of Interviewer: ______Phone: ______

We hope this experience has provided you with some beneficial feedback and tools to ensure your ongoing success as you progress towards your desired career. Please make sure to complete all the information requested below.

Name of Career Counselor/Support Staff who reviewed and edited your resume:

______

Title:______Date Reviewed:______

Name of Career Counselor/Support Staff who reviewed and edited your cover letter (if different than resume):

______

Title:______Date Reviewed:______

Help us improve our programming by answering the following questions:

On a scale from 1-4, how useful did you find this activity to be?

1 Extremely useful

2 Useful

3 Not useful

4Waste of time

On a scale from 1-4, would you recommend this activity to a friend?

1 I would highly recommend this activity to a friend.

2 I might suggest this activity to a friend.

3 Undecided if I would recommend this activity to a friend or not.

4 I would NOT recommend this activity to a friend.

Return to: United Friends of the Children

Attn: College Sponsorship Program

1055 Wilshire Blvd., #1955

Los Angeles, CA 90017

Fax: 213.580.1820