Resume Workshop

What is a Resume? Purpose: Definition: your competencies A description of who you are: your competencies accomplishments future capabilities A marketing tool Purpose: Applicant’s perspective- Get the attention of a prospective employer Get an interview Reviewer’s perspective: Communicate value Applicant screening

Quick Question An interviewer will spend, on average, ___________, screening any one individual resume. A. 1 minute B. 3 minutes C. 5 minutes D. none of the above

Do Your Research! Know yourself… Know the employer Experiences Skills Strengths Interests Future goals Desired type of job Know the employer Mission or Vision Distinctive services or features Applicant “fit” Culture Target your resume.

A GOOD RESUME = CONTENT The type of information you choose to put on your resume. FORMAT The way you arrange this information. APPEARANCE How this information is presented aesthetically.

CONTENT

Content: Guidelines Think about the qualities, skills and experiences you want your audience to know about. Relevant experiences can be both paid and unpaid. You can make custom categories and headings to suit your needs. -

Contact specifics: Amanda Smith One e-mail address A phone number with professional voice-mail Your current address Example: Amanda Smith 12234 Main St. Hometown, VA 00011 smithax@yahoo.com (540) 555-8989 -

Objective Statements – Yes or No?: Writing Objective Statements: Focus on how you would benefit employer or grad school- not how they can help you. Don’t be vague. Be concise and direct. Target your objective to each specific employer. Key ingredients to a successful objective statement: Name the job/position for which you are applying. Note how your skill set is a match. -“To obtain a position in marketing, that will use utilize my communication skills and sales ability”. Avoid phrases like “looking to build my skills and advance my body of knowledge.” Avoid phrases like “seeking a challenging position with potential for growth and advancement.”

What’s wrong with this picture? Let’s look at the samples.

Educational Background: JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY, Harrisonburg, VA Bachelor of Business Administration, May 2008 Hospitality & Tourism Management Major Overall GPA – 3.1; Major GPA – 3.6 (Usually don’t need to list High School at all.) Relevant Coursework Bulleted list of 6-8 courses OR Description of 2-3 major projects Academic honors, special certifications, endorsements, etc.

Experience: Start with your title, the organization, location, and time frame. Each relevant position should have a list of your accomplishments. Start with a verb in the past tense. Avoid “duties include” or “responsible for”. Quantify, be descriptive, and identify strengths. Example: “Edited a monthly newsletter for the department, streamlining office communication." -Don’t have to list every job- be selective. -Past tense does not have to be the only tense used though- some people like to use the present tense for positions that they are in currently. -A paragraph description is also appropriate if desired (a bullet list is not mandatory).

Skills: Technical Skills: Foreign Language Skills: Computer programs/software/languages. “Familiar” or “proficient”? Foreign Language Skills: “Basic understanding”, “conversant” or “fluent”? Lab/Scientific Skills: Equipment you can use, processes you can perform.

References: “References available upon request” at the bottom? When to provide references What to include for each reference include the person’s name, title, organization, contact information, and relationship to you.

FORMAT

Chronological Format Organizes information around dates, stating what you did and when. Work history is typically related to the job objective. Jobs/experiences are listed in reverse chronological order. Titles and organizations are emphasized. Accomplishments are highlighted. Most commonly used and probably what most people are used to seeing. When the names of previous employers are important to highlight. When you are applying for positions within the same field as your previous work experience and you want to show continuity and career growth. When prior job titles are impressive and give credibility to your qualifications.

Chronological Resume Make sure to note the nice communication coursework piece!

Functional Format Organizes information around functional headings, highlighting major areas of accomplishments and strength. Allows you to organize content in an order that most supports the objective; not bound by dates. Titles and work history are secondary. Draws on all sources of experience- volunteer, activities, courses, work and signifies each as equally important. -Often good for college students who may not have specific related experience. When you want to emphasize capabilities and skills not used in recent work experience. To illustrate your TRANSFERABLE SKILLS. If your experiences are characterized by limited career growth, unrelated experiences or a variety of part-time jobs unrelated to your objective.

Functional Resume

Combination Format Combines the best aspects of both the chronological and functional. Emphasizes skills, accomplishments, interests, and work experience relative to the objective. When to use the Combination Format? Use when you want to emphasize previous activities and or experience while also highlighting transferable skills.

Combination Resume

Combination Resume

APPEARANCE

Appearance Don’t use a template. Print on a laser printer. Be consistent with heading style and margins. Font: no smaller than 10 point. Margins: no smaller than 0.5 inches. Paper choice matters. Check for spelling and grammatical errors. Use one font style and size (except for your name). Fill the page. Try to stick to 1 page in most cases. Paragraphs vs. bullets. Use bullets, not dashes. -

A Few Final Guidelines… Do’s Revise your resume often. Have a variety of people give you feedback. If a position is still in progress, indicate so: “Fall 2006-present”. Vary your verbs. Talk about the big picture, i.e. what impact your action had on the organization. Proofread beyond spell check. -Consider reading your resume backwards from bottom to top to check for spelling errors. -Feel free to use my “Entertained the pubic.” example of a misspelling not caught by spell check (TNH) -Organize headings based on order of importance, but “objective & education” most often come first

A Few Final Guidelines…… Don’t include hobbies. Don’t use “I”. Don’t describe duties in paragraph form - use bullets. -Also don’t use other pronouns -Again, a paragraph may be an option for some people, but most people choose to use bullet formats because they are easier to read and write. -Why not to be wordy: Employers spend an average of 30-45 seconds reviewing each resume.

COVER LETTERS

Key Elements: Contact Information Content Purpose of Letter Special Skills Follow-up Intent