1. Page 1 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up Building Your Resume from the Ground Up Brad Collet Assistant Director Experiential Education

2. Page 2 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up

3. Page 3 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up The First Question “Why Should I walk away from my Customer to Interview You?”

4. Page 4 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up Purpose of a Resume A Marketing Tool: To convince an employer To call you For an interview You’ve got 30 seconds!!!

5. Page 5 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up Resume Myths “I don’t need one until I’m ready to look for a job.” “I can use one standard resume for the rest of my life.” “I’m too young, there’s nothing to put on a resume.” “My resume will get the job for me.”

6. Page 6 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up Steps to Building a Resume Laying the foundation Building the resume Finishing the resume

7. Page 7 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up Laying the Foundation Assess Yourself on Paper What are your Objectives? Kind of job you are looking for and when you are available What have you accomplished? Skills, Abilities, Work Experience, and Extracurricular Activities/Leadership

8. Page 8 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up Laying the Foundation What Resume Format is most appropriate? Chronological Organized by date in reverse date order Most commonly used type and more acceptable by employers Functional Grouped by status areas Useful for employment gaps Less acceptable by employers Combination Chronological/functional types combined

9. Page 9 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up Building the Resume Personal Data Section Objective (Optional) Education Section Work Experience Activities and Honors Do Not List References

10. Page 10 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up Personal Data Section Examples Example #1 Ima T. Aggie 1234 High St. (281) xxx-xxxx 4321 West Way College Station, TX 77840 ita@tamu.edu Houston, TX 77444ita@tamu.edu Example #2 Ima T. Aggie 1234 High St. College Station, TX 77840 (979) xxx-xxxx ita@tamu.edu Building the Resume

11. Page 11 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up Personal Data Section Examples Example #3 Ima T. Aggie 1234 High St. (979) xxx-xxxx College Station, TX 77840 ita@tamu.edu Example #4 Ima T. Aggie 1234 High St., College Station, TX 77840  ita@tamu.edu  (979) xxx-xxxx Building the Resume

12. Page 12 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up Building the Resume OBJECTIVE (Optional) Type of Job - CO-OP, Intern, Full-time? Specific Ideas, Not Vague and Fluffy Operations, Business, Sales, Design, R&D, Consulting? CO-OPs and Interns – start date

13. Page 13 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up …Example OBJECTIVE Summer 2015 internship with a Civil Engineering firm specializing in the design of commercial structures

14. Page 14 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up Building the Resume EDUCATION Name of university, Location Grad Date Major GPR

15. Page 15 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up …Example EDUCATION Texas A&M University, College Station, TX May 2016 Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Major GPR: 3.45; Overall GPR: 3.11

16. Page 16 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up Building the Resume WORK EXPERIENCE Company Name, Location, Dates of Employment Job Title Job Description – Statements (not sentences) Using action words and showing results Be Positive, Be Concise, Be Persuasive

17. Page 17 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up …Example WORK EXPERIENCE Lincoln Architects, Dallas, TXSummer 2014 Intern Assisted in site location and surveying Analyzed designs and budgetary plans Organized and maintained materials library Received “Intern of the Month” award

18. Page 18 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up Building the Resume Activities and Honors Student/Professional organizations Leadership positions Scholarships,Dean’s List, etc. Foreign languages, international experiences References Do not list on resume Bring separate page when you are interviewed

19. Page 19 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up …Example ACTIVITIES AND HONORS Student Engineering Council Spring 2014-Present Texas A&M Corps of Cadets August 2012-May 2014 First Brigade Sergeant Major – Highest ranking junior cadet in the Corps – In charge of operations of over 350 cadets; Coordinated planning and activities between higher and lower levels of command. Ross Volunteer – Participate in the 72-member precision drill company, the members of which are selected on the grounds of having excellent character and leadership potential

20. Page 20 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up Building the Resume Present most marketable information first Use brief, descriptive phrases No personal pronouns Use action verbs to describe experiences and accomplishments Be Positive Be Truthful You Have the Right to Remain Silent

21. Page 21 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up Finishing the Resume Avoiding common mistakes Spelling and grammatical errors. Formatting, fonts, length, paper quality Translate “Aggie speak” to business English LIES Too long Don’t include references

22. Page 22 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up Finishing the Resume Use white or off-white paper (checkout resume paper at area copy centers, i.e. Kinkos, Copy Corner, or Graphics Center on campus) Use 8 ½ x11-inch paper Font size of 10-12 point (except name/headings) Black ink only Use non-decorative typefaces Choose one typeface and stick to it Minimize italics and bolding No horizontal or vertical lines, graphics, or shading Do not fold your resume If you must mail your resume, put it in a large envelope

23. Page 23 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up Finishing the Resume Resume Critique and Advice Career Center Advisor Academic Advisor Mentor Roommate Employer

24. Page 24 Building Your Resume from the Ground Up In Conclusion…. Laying the foundation… Building the resume… Finishing your resume… Congratulations! You Did It!