Timothy Mellon

What Are Your Applying For?  What is the purpose of your resume?  Why do you have a resume in the first place?  What is it supposed to do for you?

Resume Facts and Figures  A recruiter often spends no more than 30 seconds taking a cursory first glance at a resume  A job offer often attracts between 100 and 1000 resumes these days, so you are facing a great deal of competition

What is a Resume?  The resume is a tool with one specific purpose: to win an interview  A great resume doesn’t just tell an employer what you have done BUT it informs them that by hiring you they will get these specific benefits

What it is not  History of your past Yes, it is focused on job history  A document needed to get a job

Top 5 Resume Mistakes 1. Spelling and grammar errors 2. Missing and phone information 3. Using passive language instead of “action” words 4. Not well organized, concise, or easy to skim 5. Too long

Simple Guidelines  Consistent Formatting  NO errors  Contains basic information Name, address, phone number, (in top right of page) Job history and degrees in reverse chronological order  It has focus  State accomplishments, rather than talents or responsibilities

What not to put on a resume  The word resume as a title  Reasons for leaving past jobs  References  High school achievements

Co-Curricular Activities  Your involvement in organizations can demonstrate a breadth of background that is attractive to many employers  Be selective about the activities you list  Include those that highlight a desirable skill, interest, or leadership trait  You do not need to include them all

What Do You DO?  List the responsibilities or things you do in your roles  What skills do you need to complete those tasks?  These are called Transferable Skills Communication, organization, creativity, flexibility, etc.

So What?  View your work experience from the recruiter’s perspective.  What transferable skills are key in the job you are seeking?  Identify those skills and then cite examples demonstrating that you possess them

 Budget Experience: “Oversaw annual movie series with a budget of $24,000.”  Supervisory Skills: “Recruited, trained, and managed a team of seven participants for an alternative break trip.”

 Project Leadership Skills: “Led a team of seven committee heads and 30 volunteers in the implementation of a community spring fair that attracted 40,000 visitors.”  Communication Skills: “Completed intensive peer counselor training program focusing on effective listening, communication, and crisis intervention.”

Wording  Poor: “Helped sorority raise funds for cancer research.”  Better: “Played key role in establishing innovative fundraising events, resulting in sorority consistently exceeding philanthropy goals.”

 Poor: “Member of Student Judiciary Board.”  Better: “Involved with all steps of judicial process including investigation, advising, hearings, and sanctioning within the Student Judiciary Board.”

 Poor: “Team captain of the Men’s Volleyball Team.”  Better: “Served as liaison between coach and team members whilst developing strong time management, communication, and leadership skills.”

Avoid Jargon  Make sure your resume is understandable to someone in the field you are pursuing. Do not soft-pedal your experience by overloading your resume with “university” language For example, if you are a computer lab assistant, describe the people you help as “users” or “customers” rather than “students.”

Break-up Long Sentences  Poor: “Direct management responsibilities over seven committees and 30 volunteers responsible for budget, fundraising, publicity, entertainment, and promotion of annual spring fair.”  Better: “Managed spring fair staff of 30 volunteers on seven committees. Scope of committees covered budget, fundraising, publicity, entertainment, and promotion.”

Cover Letter Application Letters: Used to get your resume read and generate interviews. Used to respond to job advertisements and demonstrate that your qualifications fit the position. Link major job dimensions with your related past performance, experience, interests, and education. RESPONDS TO COMPANY”S NEEDS

Cover Letter It’s addressed to a specific individual. It’s grabs the reader’s attention in the first paragraph. It sounds confident without being arrogant. It’s no longer than one page. It answers the question: “Why should we hire you?” It’s action oriented. It uses the first person (“I”) sparingly.

Review  Remember what a resume is and what it does for you  Simple formatting goes a long way  You have transferable skills and talents that employers are looking for  Proofread, Revise, Edit, Amend, Correct!

  com/resume-facts-a-figure com/resume-facts-a-figure  ume.pdf ume.pdf  resume-or-cover-letter/resumes/