Overview of Resume Writing Introduction to Business and Technology Unit #3 Effective Communication Skills

WHAT IS A RESUME? One page summary of your skills, education, and experience Similar to an advertisement to “sell” yourself as the best candidate for a job or career Requires time creating, proofreading, and editing A solid resume is the key that will open the door to good jobs

HOW LONG DO EMPLOYERS TYPICALLY LOOK AT RESUMES? Employers often receive hundreds of resumes for a single position. As a result, they typically spend less than 30 seconds looking at one resume. Increased importance of the smallest details

RESUME COMPONENTS There are various forms of resumes, but they typically consist of the following components: Heading Objective Education Experience Activities Summary of Skills References

RESUME COMPONENTS: HEADING Should include essential personal information and should appear at the top of the page: Formal name (not nickname) Address (both permanent and temporary) Phone number Professional email address

RESUME COMPONENTS: OBJECTIVE Also called “career objective” Employers sometimes refer to the objective as the most important part of the resume. Typically one sentence which explains the type of job your are seeking Fairly specific and should change to match the type of job that you want Should relate to the company and the job description

RESUME COMPONENTS: OBJECTIVE (CONT’D) Create a good first impression by highlighting your abilities and skills appropriate for the position Separate yourself from the others, but ALWAYS tell the truth!! Sound positive and confident, neither aggressive or overly modest. Don’t use the word “I”, the whole resume is about you!

CHOOSE YOUR WORDS CAREFULLY Each description of your responsibilities should begin with a verb or an “action” word Examples of Action Words: Accomplish Balance Communicate Complete Establish Invent Lead Present Achieve Collaborate

RESUME COMPONENTS: EDUCATION As current students, this should follow your “objective” High school students should not include information about middle school Specify the dates of attendance or graduation or expected graduation Include relevant course that would contribute to employability-especially if you have completed a career cluster/pathway while in high school

RESUME COMPONENTS: EXPERIENCE Also called “work experience” or “employment experience” Include previous employers, their locations, your dates of employment, and your job title For each previous job, create at least two one-line descriptions of what your job duties and responsibilities were. *** ***Be sure to use action words and DO NOT use the word “I” in your descriptions****

RESUME COMPONENTS: ACTIVITIES Employers like to see people who are well-rounded and who have been involved in school or community activities List special activities (homecoming or prom committee) Organizations that you have joined (FBLA, DECA, Robotics Club, etc.) Be sure to include the time frame that you participated in the various activities

RESUME COMPONENTS: SUMMARY OF SKILLS This section is for special skills or talents that may not be included anywhere else in your resume Be sure to include skills are talents that would be helpful in the position that you are pursing Type 60 words per minute Bilingual-fluent in English and Spanish

RESUME COMPONENTS: REFERENCES Many books say “References Available Upon Request”, but most employers like to see them there for convenience. Be sure to include the following information for each reference: Full Name Addresses Employers Job titles Work phone number

MORE ABOUT REFERENCES You should have 2-3 people who have observed your work habits (employers, teachers, coaches, etc.) You should also included 2-3 people that can speak on your character Be sure that you have asked their permission to be included as a reference for you AND be sure they will speak well of you

MAKE YOUR RESUME STAND OUT FROM THE REST! Be sure to emphasize accomplishments in and out of the classroom. Volunteer activities, hobbies, sports, honor roll, and student organizations are things that help define who you are and should be included. List only recent honors and awards unless they are relevant to the position which you are applying

STRIVE FOR PERFECTION!! It only takes ONE ERROR in spelling, punctuation, or grammar to cause an employer to stop reading. Avoid overuse of italics, bold, and underlining Limit your resume to ONE PAGE and use 10 point font size minimum. One inch margins around the page and blank lines between sections makes information easier to read. Ask people to proofread your resume and go over it with a fine tooth comb