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Résumés 101

What we will Discuss What a Resume is How long employers read Resumes What is included in a Resume Basic Resume Tips

What is a Résumé? A resume is a one page summary of your skills, education, and experience. A resume is one of the most important pieces of writing you will ever create. A solid resume is the key that will open the door for an interview which lead to good jobs. The resume is your advertisement

What is the Purpose of a Resume? To get job To get a good score in CPP4 To get an interview None of the above If you selected C, you are correct. The resume is used as a screening tool to see if it is worth interviewing you.

The Resume is Your Advertisement. The resume acts much like an advertisement for a company trying to sell something. Just as a sneaker company spends countless hours (and millions of dollars) designing their latest advertising campaign, you too must spend a good deal of time creating, proofreading, editing, and perfecting your resume.

How long do employers typically look at a resume? Less than 30 seconds B. 3 Minutes C. 1 Minute If you answered “A”, you are correct. Employers often receive hundreds of resumes for a single position. They do not have time to pour over every word on each one. This increases the importance of the smallest details.

What should be included in a resume? Not all resumes are the same, but there are some common elements that they all should include. The necessary elements are: Heading Objective Summary of Skills, or Transferable Skills Education Employment History Work Experience Side Work Certifications On a separate page (not on your resume page itself) a Reference Page

Heading Your heading should include the essential personal information. Your formal name (not nickname) should appear at the top and it should stand out above all else on the paper. You want them to remember who you are in less than 30 seconds. Also include your address (both permanent and temporary) and phone number. If you use email, include your email address.

Objective It is generally a one sentence explanation of the type of job you are seeking. Your objective should be fairly specific. If you are applying for different types of jobs, change your objective to match each type of job. May be replaced by a Summary of Accomplishments

Summary of Skills Use this section to include special skills be relevant to the employer. Some possibilities are: Type 60 words per minute Fluent in Spanish Multitasking Proficiency in Microsoft office applications Computer Skills For more search “Transferable Skills List”

Top Ten Transferable Skill Employers are looking for Communication Skills (Verbal & Written) Honesty/integrity Interpersonal Skills Motivation/Initiative Strong Work ethic Teamwork Skills Computer Skills Analytical Skills Flexibility/ adaptability Detail -Oriented

Education shows your academic achievements and fields of study. This includes trades. Include you most recent educational experience and work backward If you went to college you do need to include high school but do include degree sought and number of credits earned. If you did not graduate, you may choose not to put it on your resume. Job Corps becomes your high school in that case

Experience Also called “Work Experience” or “Employment Experience” Include previous employers, their locations, your dates of employment, and your job title. You may have to create a job title if you did not have one. You can not assume that the job title explains what you did to all readers. Use past tense action verbs to start each of these descriptions. Do not use “I” in descriptions.

Job Descriptions You should include at least one or two one-line descriptions of what your job duties and responsibilities were, such as: Worked as a member of a team to ensure customer satisfaction Cared for children ages 2-6

Some Examples of Action Verbs: Performed Presented Proposed Reorganized Researched set up Supervised Supported Trained Traveled Worked (effectively, with others) Accomplished achieved Analyzed Adapted Balanced Collaborated Coordinated Communicated Compiled Conducted Contributed completed; created Delegated Directed Established Expanded Improved Implemented Invented Increased Initiated Instructed Led Organized participated

Side Work (Optional) This section is most important for those that did not receive an official pay roll check. Highlight work you may have done like babysitting, tutoring, painting, maintenance work, lawn care, etc.

Activities (Optional) Some employers like to see people who have been involved in school or community activities. list special activities you participated in (prom committee) and organizations you joined (drama club, baseball team, etc.). Include the years in which you participated. Be aware, however, that some employers may view this information as irrelevant. For younger or inexperienced job seekers, this should not be a concern.

References You should have 2 - 3 people who have observed your work habits (employers, teachers, coaches, etc.) and 2 - 3 people who can speak about your character. Do not use friends and family Although it is common practice to put “References Available Upon Request” at the bottom of a resume, most career advisors say it is unnecessary. There is nothing wrong with taking a nicely printed list of personal references with you to an interview. Make sure you have asked their permission to include them as references. It is best to list work numbers since some people don’t appreciate calls at home. You know an employer is interested when they request a list of references.

Resume Tips Start with your present to most recent position and work backward. Detail only 3-5 positions. Be brief with positions irrelevant to you desired one. Use month and year only for dates. Do not state obvious job duties like cooks who cook and cashiers who use a register. Keep your next job in mind and describe things in your previous jobs that relate to your desired one. Education goes on top of work experience if it occurred within the last 5 years.

More Tips Be consistent with formatting of the page (make sure everything lines up from top to bottom, especially indents and bullets) Format the dates consistently only using month and year Describe job duties in past tense action verbs like: -Provided customer service -Cared for children

We Discussed What a Resume is How long employers read Resumes What is included in a Resume Basic Resume Tips

References Maine community college system: Center for career development: Career preparation curriculum (2003). Retrieved February 1, 2009, from http://www.ccd.me.edu/careerprep/CareerPrepCurriculum_LP-4.pdf Careeronestop.org http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images