3250 NW Street Name, Seattle, WA 98ZIP 206-555-5555
COMMENTARY by Lynn Gaertner-Johnston
In this letter sent by email, the applicant responds to an ad by addressing the position00/font>s exact requirements.
The opening sentence gets the reader00/font>s attention. It says, in essence, 00/font>I00/font>m worth reading about.00/font>
Rather than stating, 00/font>While I don00/font>t have a B.A. degree,00/font> the writer simply mentions the B.A. equivalent.
It is best to know the name of the reader and use it in the letter. In a letter of application, though, it may be impossible.
June 1, 2006
Seattle Public Schools
Satisfiers,00/font> but the applicant wanted to emphasize what is important to her.
Mary A. Johnson Maryjohn@Comcast.net3250 NW Street Name, Seattle, WA 98ZIP 206-555-5555
ProfileAn accomplished manager and individual contributor with solid experience in corporate and educational settings, providing management and information technology solutions.
Systems and software experience: Solomon, Ceridian, and CAMS; Paradox, object PAL, Crystal Reports, SQL, HTML, ASP, and MS Office. Traits: Resourcefulness, adaptability, optimism, empathy, and calm under pressure. Satisfiers: Facilitating the work of others, simplifying processes, solving problems, establishing good relationships, and providing high-quality reports and information. Professional Experience XXX University, Anytown, Washington 1997-presentProject Manager, Information Systems Specialist
Research, recommend, and implement software solutions for student records, finance, and human resources. Provide ongoing support for Solomon, Ceridian, and CAMS (Comprehensive Academic Management System) systems. Provide customized reports and processes in CAMS utilizing Paradox, object PAL, Crystal Reports, SQL, HTML and ASP.
Representative Accomplishments
Met specific needs of Admissions Department by customizing packaged software. As a result, staff is now able to respond to prospective students within 24 to 48 hours. Created a method of gathering prospect (student) information through the Web and automatically generating codes for requested material. These efforts have contributed to the increase in student body from several hundred to a thousand. Customized software for Registrar, automatically creating degree program records for incoming students. This material had been input by hand. Solved the problem of delayed data by creating a system for Finance managers that generated and emailed monthly financial reports and spreadsheets for on-time budget planning. Customized system to provide high-quality data to federal government, eliminating any threats to accreditation and financial aid programs. XYZ Internet Company, Seattle, Washington 1995-1997 Vice President of OperationsPlanned, organized, and initiated customer service, billing, and human resources for a start-up Internet Server Provider. Managed billing, customer support, and human resources departments.
Representative Accomplishments After being hired as Executive Assistant, immediately fixed serious Accounts Receivable problems. Based on rapid, tangible accomplishments, was promoted to VP in 3 weeks. Quickly staffed phone, front office, customer support, and billing departments. Supervised staff of 30 employees in varied departments. ABC Insurance, Seattle, Washington 1983-1994Programmer Analyst, Systems Analyst, and Manager
Designed and wrote insurance systems programs using COBOL and IMS. Managed a programming department. Managed help desk, software training and evaluations, and consulting. Supervised a staff of 15 analysts and computer support personnel.
Representative Accomplishments Managed the programming department and Small Systems Consulting during a critical phase of switching from mainframe to distributed systems, including the installation of the company00 first PC networks. Facilitated successful implementation of internal email system. Managed special projects including disaster recovery and client server architecture. Education New Horizons00ngoing technical training in Access and SQL databases, Crystal Reports, HTML, and ASP. Ongoing company-sponsored management and supervisory training. Western Washington University, Montessori Teacher00 College00eaching Certificate. City University, Seattle, Washington00ourses in business administration, programming, and system design Shoreline Community College00ourses in banking and business law. University of Iowa00ourses in business writing, communications, and liberal arts. Professional Leadership National presenter for CAMS (Comprehensive Academic Management System) User Group conferences 4 of the past 5 years. Host of national software conference. Leader of CAMS manager technical group for software enhancement and problem-solution implementation. Community InvolvementCOMMENTARY by Lynn Gaertner-Johnston
It is not necessary to include the category 00ommunity Involvement00on a resume. This individual chose to include it to communicate her interest in and commitment to the world around her.
Fundraiser, Rwanda Partners; Officer and newsletter editor, PTSA (Parent Teacher Student Association); Member, School Site Councils; Board Member, UB Childcare Center; Volunteer, Junior Achievement and Special Olympics
