Creating a Resume

Competencies Participants will gain knowledge and skills on how to effectively assist job seekers in obtaining and retaining a meaningful job. Participants will have knowledge of basic job search skills. Participants will have knowledge and skills of how to do research using automation .

Objectives Practice Critiquing Resumes Explain Resume Writing Guidelines and Styles

Resumes Format Guidelines Content

Resume Formats Chronological Functional Combination Always Targeted

Chronological Advantages Widely Used Logical Flow / Easy to Read Shows Skill, Responsibility, & Growth Shows Promotion & Titles Demonstrates Company Loyalty

Chronological Disadvantages Points Out Employment Gaps Highlights Frequent Job Changes Emphasizes Lack of Related Experience Shows Demotions / Career Set Backs

Functional Advantages Emphasizes Skills Over Employment Organizes a Variety of Experience Disquises Gaps in Work Record or Series of Short Term Jobs

Functional Disadvantages Viewed With Suspicion By Employers De-emphasizes Growth / Job Titles

Combination Advantages Combines Skills Highlights Most Relevant Skills De-emphasizes Less Relevant Jobs Minimizes Gaps & Unrelated Experience

Combination Disadvantages Confusing if Not Well Organized Requires More Effort & Creativity to Prepare

Targeted Resumes Advantages Disadvantages Personalized to Company Shows Research More Impressive Addresses Employer Needs Time Consuming to Prepare Confusing if Not Well Organized Should Revise For Each Employer

Resume Components Objective Summary Key Skills / Areas of Expertise Experience / Employment Education / Training Volunteer Experience

Objective An objective statement (in a targeted resume) is a sentence that details the job you are applying for and a company name. For Example: Seeking a position as an Assistant Chef with Riverfront Restaurant.

Summary A summary statement provides the business with a snapshot of your qualifications and what makes you the best candidate for the position.

Summary For Example: A resourceful, results-driven professional with over 7+ years of experience including: project management, sales, marketing support, customer service, and administration. A strong communicator who understands business core values and is adept at building client relationships and providing excellent customer experiences. A life-long learner who has a passion for exploring new aspects of business.

Key Skills / Areas of Expertise Also known as Summary of Qualifications, this section emphasizes the main points of a person’s expertise. It is a condensed glance of skills and accomplishments that directly relate to the position.

Key Skills / Areas of Expertise For Example: 7+ years successful sales experience Well organized and thorough in completing project in a timely manner Establishes excellent relations with customer, building loyal repeat business

Key Skills / Areas of Expertise For Example: Receiving Customer Service Management Purchasing Delivery Stock Control Inventory Document Control Warehousing

Experience / Employment This section focuses on accomplishments and skills related to the position and company. They should begin with action verbs and can be bullet statements for readability.

Experience / Employment SAR Method Situation A Action R Result Implied

Experience / Employment SAR Method For Example: Created a team of 10 people to review insurance transactions which improved the accuracy of claims by 55%. The situation implied is insurance claims were not processed accurately.

Experience / Employment SAR Examples Produced over 15 fashion shows to showcase merchandise. Arranged for photography and design of all advertising images, boosting sales to $600,000. Developed on-line newsletter with staff of three. Newsletters delivered through 3rd party email software, resulting in 400% increase in client interaction.

Education / Training Include relevant training and classes List degrees/certificates Use simple descriptions and bullets

Education / Training For Example: B.S. Engineering, Utah State Electro Magnetics, U.S. Navy

Volunteer Experience Only include extracurricular activities that relate to the position Shows community involvement and locational stability

Cover Letters “Resumes should show you can do the work required, while cover letters should show you want to do the work required”

Cover Letter Tips Targeted Standard Business Format Don’t Repeat Resume Proofread Examples

References Ask permission to use someone Inform them of the position you are seeking Make sure they all have professional contact information Give them a copy of your resume Do not include on resume unless requested by company

References Have several names ready Want to rotate names Use both professional and personal Co-workers, supervisors, vendors or customers, professors, clergy, etc.

Questions?