RESUME 101

MRS. FLO

WERS

FINANCE &

BUSIN

ESS TECHNOLO

GY

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WHAT IS A RESUME?

A resume is a written document that contains a summary of your work experience, including positions held at each employer, and your educational background.

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HOW MUCH TIME WILL OR SHOULD IT TAKE TO COMPLETE A RESUME?

The average time it takes to complete a resume is 3 or more hours.

It may help to work together to create your resume. Feel free to get together with someone else in this class to collaborate.

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HELPFUL TIPS

Stick to what is relevant and marketable.

Don’t write a list of job descriptions. If you do, be brief. Write achievements instead.

Be honest. You can be creative, but don’t lie.

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STEP 1: FIND A JOB

It’s important to know what type of job you want before you write your resume. Why? Because your resume is a marketing piece for that job. And the more you know about that job, the better you can target your resume.

Look at:www.hotjobs.comwww.monster.comwww.careerbuilder.com

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STEP 2: MAKE A LIST OF KEYWORDS FOR YOUR RESUMEA keyword search might look for up to 60 keywords. The keywords in your resume indicate important information about you, such as:Technical expertiseManagement skillsIndustry knowledgeEducation and trainingGeographic locationEmployment history

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STEP 3: CHOOSE A RESUME FORMAT — CHRONOLOGICAL, FUNCTIONAL, OR COMBINATION

The Chronological Resume

The most traditional format is the chronological resume. This format highlights your dates, places of employment, and job titles, presenting them as headings under which your accomplishments are written.

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CHRONOLOGICAL RESUMEEXAMPLE

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RESUME FORMAT CONT.

The Functional ResumeThe functional resume presents your work

experience under skill headings, which gives you the freedom to prioritize your achievements by their relevance and impact rather than by chronology. The dates, names of employers, and job titles in your work history are listed very concisely in a separate section, usually at the bottom of your resume.

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FUNCTIONAL RESUME EXAMPLE

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RESUME FORMAT CONT.

The Combination ResumeThe combination brings together the best of the

chronological and functional resume formats to highlight both your work history and your relevant skills. Using the basic chronological format to present your work history in the body of the resume, skill subheadings are used to categorize achievement statements under each job title/employer.

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COMBINATION RESUME EXAMPLE

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WHICH RESUME FORMAT DO EMPLOYERS PREFER?

The chronological format is most preferred by employers, followed closely by the combination format. Employers tend to be suspicious of job seekers who use the functional format, fearing the applicants are making false claims about their achievements or hiding something about their past.

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STEP 4: CREATE YOUR RESUME HEADING Your name

Consider putting your name in bold or making the font size a little larger than the rest of the text on the page. 

AddressIt’s generally preferred to use your street address. If, however, you have a specific reason not to use your street address, it is acceptable to use a post office box.

Phone numberInclude your work number in your resume heading only if you can talk freely from that phone and a message can be left without jeopardizing your current job. Never assume that a caller will be discreet just because he is calling you at work. (Also, be sure that you have a clear and polite outgoing message on your answering machine, so that a prospective employer feels comfortable leaving a message if he doesn’t reach you in person.) It’s best to list just one phone number and be sure it is one they can reach you with. No fax numbers.

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STEP 4: CREATE YOUR RESUME HEADING

Email addressYou should include an email address in the Heading section because email is the most common form of communication between you and a recruiter or employer.

Web addressIf you have a website that’s relevant to your job search, you should include the URL (website address) in your Heading

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STEP 5: STATE A JOB OBJECTIVE

By starting your resume with a Job Objective section, you immediately tell your potential employer:What position you are looking for. A resume without a job objective statement effectively says, “This is what I’ve done. Could you figure out what I should do next?” — a weak approach. By stating an objective you give your resume focus and strength.What level of responsibility you are seeking.How to interpret all the information on the resume. The job objective tells the reader, “Everything that follows is relevant to this position.” That’s an important statement to make. This is a marketing piece, not your life history!

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STATE THE JOB OBJECTIVE EXAMPLES

Here are some examples:A position as a Sales Representative in a face paced company.Seeking a position as a Director of Marketing with a potential to grow inside of organization.Administrative position with a focus on finance.Associate Field Producer, TV ProgrammingIf your situation requires a more generic approach, try something like:A position in Retail SalesAn accounting position

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STEP 6: WRITE A SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

The Summary of Qualifications section on your resume is composed of three to four brief statements that say why you’re the ideal candidate for the job mentioned in your objective statement.

The following five slides are some questions and examples to help you come up with strong summary statements.

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1. HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE DO YOU HAVE IN THIS PROFESSION, IN THIS FIELD, OR USING THE REQUIRED SKILLS?

Example:Someone staying in the field of financial management might write, “I’ve worked as a financial manager for a mid-sized company for the last 14 years.”

Summary Statement:14 years as the financial manager of a company with current sales of $75 million.

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2. HOW IS SUCCESS MEASURED IN THE POSITION MENTIONED IN YOUR OBJECTIVE STATEMENT? HOW DO YOU MEASURE UP?

Example:A software developer wishing to make a move into technical writing might write, “Many different users have told me that my explanations are easy to understand.”

Summary Statement:Reputation for writing clear and concise explanations for technical and nontechnical users.

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3. WHAT IS IT ABOUT YOUR PERSONALITY THAT MAKES THIS JOB A GOOD FIT FOR YOU?

Example:A customer service representative staying in the same field might write, “I am very diplomatic, so I get good results.”

Summary Statement:Outstanding diplomacy that consistently produces win-win results for customers and company.

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4. WHAT PERSONAL COMMITMENTS OR PASSIONS DO YOU HAVE THAT WOULD BE VALUED BY THE EMPLOYER?

Example:Someone wanting to lead an environmental organization could write, “I am committed to educating people about industrial waste hazards that are endangering the environment.”

Summary Statement:Strong commitment to preserving nature through education about environmental hazards.

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5. DO YOU HAVE ANY TECHNICAL, LINGUISTIC, OR ARTISTIC TALENTS THAT WOULD BE USEFUL ON THE JOB?

Example:Someone applying to be a teacher in a multilingual school might write, “I can speak Spanish, Italian, and Russian.”

Summary Statement:Multilingual: Spanish/English/Italian/Russian.

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STEP 7: LIST WORK EXPERIENCE

When creating your resume, you should:

List your jobs in reverse chronology, that is, most recent first.

Use years (no months) when listing dates on your resume. This makes it easier for the employer to quickly grasp your employment timeline.

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STEP 8: WRITE ACHIEVEMENT STATEMENTS

Spark the employer’s interest right away by turning boring job descriptions into accomplishment statements on your resume.

Most resumes are boring because they focus on job duties (yawn!). True, the reader wants to know what you’ve done, but he or she is even more concerned with whether you can achieve results.

By writing about your experience in terms of achievements, not job descriptions, you convey three things: You have the necessary experience or skills. You’re effective at this work or at using these skills. You take pride in and enjoy your work.

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ACHIEVEMENT STATEMENT EXAMPLES

What projects are you proud of that support your job objective?

Increased productivity 20% as lead engineer on Hewlett Packard’s HMS technical team.

What are some quantifiable results that point out your ability?

Drove profits from $20 million to $34 million by directing a national celebrity marketing campaign.

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ACHIEVEMENT STATEMENT EXAMPLES

When have you demonstrated P.A.R. (Problem, Action, Result)? What was the problem, what was your action to remedy it, and what was the result?Reduced theft 47% by instituting “Shoppers’ Spy,” a tight yet discreet security program.

When did you positively affect the organization, the bottom line, your boss, your coworkers, your clients?Enhanced staff morale through a six-month incentive program that also instigated a major increase in sales.

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ACHIEVEMENT STATEMENT EXAMPLES CONT.What awards, commendations, publications, etc. have you achieved that relate to your job objective?Awarded “Top Salesperson” three consecutive years.

How is success measured in your field? How do you measure up?Selected by the NIH to represent the United States at the International AIDS Conference in Brazil.

Are you good at using the skills required for this job? When have you demonstrated that to be true?Used advanced CAD tools to create a totally new look in video game modeling.

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ACHIEVEMENT STATEMENT EXAMPLES CONT.What activities, paid and unpaid, have you done that used skills you’ll be using at your new job?Offered academic counseling to 40 students at “Make It Happen,” a program at Sanford High School.

When did someone “sit up and take notice” of how skilled you are?Commended for achieving 97% of production goal in an industry where 85% is considered high.

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STEP 9: LIST EDUCATION

Education is important. Learn what to do if you have a relevant degree, an unrelated degree, a degree pending, or no degree at all.

The Education section is usually positioned at or near the end of the resume. Here are some instances, however, when it is better to place it under the Summary of Qualifications section near the beginning of the resume:If your education is highly relevant to your new position.If you’re a new graduate.If you have no employment experience in the field you are going into, but have a degree or training in that field.

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TIPS FOR THE EDUCATION SECTION

If you have one or more college degrees… State where each degree was received. It is not

necessary to list all the different schools you attended leading up to achieving your degree.

Dates are optional. They sometimes indicate how old you are and how current your knowledge is, so be conscious of that when deciding whether or not to include them.

Majors, minors, theses, dissertations, internships, and coursework should be listed only if they are relevant to your job objective.

You can spell out the degree (e.g., Bachelor of Arts) or use the representative letters (e.g., BA or B.A.).

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TIPS FOR THE EDUCATION SECTION CONT.If you went to college but do not intend to get your degree in the immediate future…

Write your area of study and the name of the college. For instance: Liberal Arts, Antioch College, Yellow Springs, OH.

If you attended several schools without completing your degree requirements, list only one or two schools. Listing more than that might make the reader think you tend to move around a lot without finishing things.

If you are currently in a relevant educational or training program but have not yet finished…

List the program and name of the institution you are attending, followed by the date you intend to finish, or a phrase such as “currently enrolled,” “anticipated completion, Spring 2012,” “in progress,” or “six months completed.”

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STEP 10: OTHER LISTS ON YOUR RESUME Community Service

Professional Affiliations

Publications

Awards

Computer Skills

Personal Interests

Other Headings

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REVIEW: 10 STEPS

1 – Find a job 6 – Summary of qualifications

2 – Make key word list 7 – List work experience

3 – Choose a format 8 – Achievement statements

4 – Create heading 9 – List education

5 – State job objective 10 – Other lists

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