Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke Resume advice and assignment tips Why getting GOOD EXAMPLES is very important Why getting GOOD HELP can be really important Some guidelines for making a great resume This slideshow will help you if: You could use some really clear guidelines for creating a resume that is professional, persuasive, and HELPFUL for the folks doing the hiring

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke Electronic or Hardcopy whatever the format, follow these general guidelines Make it EASY for folks to use the document FOLLOW DIRECTIONS for submission Use VERY clear formatting that is easy for people to skim quickly Keep CONTROL of the document For a hardcopy, USE A LASERPRINTER so print won’t smudge For an electronic copy, use “.PDF” format so it will look the same no matter who opens the file (and use a CLEAR filename!) APPEAL to the audience Tailor your resume to each specific opportunity Use a STRATEGY to appeal to the audience! Make your resume EASY TO USE!

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke really important use EXAMPLES ! use FACTS ! Follow good EXAMPLE RESUMES from your field  Make the resume LOOK like what people in your field are used to seeing  Organize the information in a recognizable way Use FACTUAL information in your resume  Connect the things you describe to MEASURABLE details  If you can’t quantify something with numbers, then consider dropping it  DO NOT make a mere list of opinions (ex – “detail oriented”, “people person”, “dependable”, etc)

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke a great tip GET HELP ! Go to the Career Center Located in Wiggins – just ~200 yards from here They can help with general resume advice and editing Go to the Writing Center Located on the 1 st floor of this building, open M-F 9-5 You’ve PAID for them, and they can help with basic editing Drop by my office hours or talk to me in class I can help you brainstorm, draft, and/or edit assignments IF you get outside help, TELL ME and attach edited draft work to what you submit

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke Now the basics: what is the goal of a resume? Resumes do the following:  Save the people hiring time and effort  Keep you in the running so you can get an interview The goal is NOT TO GET CUT Getting a job is like “Survivor” – just make the last tribal council and you’ve got a shot

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke #1 TIP find a good resume & learn from it ! Conventions vary from field to field, so you need to find examples of winning resumes IN YOUR FIELD There ARE examples available at the career center, from your program profs and advisors, friends and relatives, in BOOKS, and from complete strangers GET THEM!

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke #2 TIP don’t try to do it all at once Give yourself TIME to write a resume work on it a little bit at a time whenever you get the chance EX: Brainstorming on scratch paper really helps, and you can do this anywhere

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke #3 TIP FOLLOW DIRECTIONS !!!! If the folks doing the hiring asked you to do something specific, then there IS a reason for it ignoring even seemingly little “nit-picky” things can often get your application tossed right out, and CLEARLY shows that you are not “detail oriented” remember that the goal is NOT TO GET CUT, so don’t give them an excuse to toss out your application

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke now the strategies: STRATEGY # 1.0 Think like a Human Resources professional Create a resume that makes their job EASY ! Winning resumes “stand out” by: Following directions EXACTLY Following professional conventions CLEARLY Showing that the person has EDITED very carefully Showing that the person has TAILORED the resume to this specific opportunity Being EASY TO SCAN QUICKLY & USE EFFECTIVELY

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke DO NOT be “creative” for no useful reason Winning resumes DO NOT “stand out” by: Being formatted “distinctively” Using “creative” backgrounds or graphics Using “unique” language or organization Remember that the people doing the hiring have A BIG stack of applications to plow through They want applications that are EASY TO SCAN QUICKLY & USE EFFECTIVELY You will “stand out” if you clearly show that you know HOW TO HELP THEM do their work easily

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke for example: Great resumes are EASY to skim & evaluate  Eliminate block paragraphs (UNLESS standard in your field)  Choose a VERY CLEAR font and size  Format your contact and other very important info so it is EASY TO READ AND PHOTOCOPY FOLLOW DIRECTIONS & include SOMETHING for EVERYTHING they specifically ask for

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke REMEMBER the overall GOAL You’re just trying NOT TO GET CUT Weakest (look weird, aren’t easy to skim, didn’t follow directions, etc) resumes are tossed first Remaining resumes are then looked at more carefully What does this mean for you?  a SIMPLE mistake (like your resume looks “weird”) shows you don’t know the rules of the game, and you get cut  a SIMPLE mistake (like you didn’t follow directions) shows you’re not careful or you don’t care, and you get cut  I’ve put some CLEAR INSTRUCTIONS in the assignment directions to test you on this

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke STRATEGY # 2.0 give the HARD FACTS they WANT Try to connect A CONCRETE QUANTIFIABLE FACT to EVERY need you know they have This is where background research on the company/organization is critical

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke STRATEGY # 2.1 show, don’t tell Never just tell the employer what you’re like SHOW them with SPECIFIC examples and QUANTIFIABLE details, and let the achievements you describe speak for you

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke Show, Don’t Tell example one  Hardworking with great organizational skills Sure, who isn’t – I’ve already read this line a hundred times in the past week, and I DON’T BELIEVE YOU!  Served as budget committee chair  Managed 50+ member accounts and a yearly budget of $32,000 HOLY COW! You must be really hard working with great organizational skills!

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke Show, Don’t Tell example two  Responsible student good at time management Sure, but I’ve seen your GPA and I DON’T BELIEVE YOU !  Self-financed all college tuition and expenses  Averaged 17 credit hours per semester  Worked 30+ hours a week each semester  Maintained an overall 2.95 GPA HOLY COW! You must be a really responsible student and good at time management !

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke Show, don’t tell example three  Strong leadership skills Sure, whatever.  Managed a 12 person sales force that achieved highest commission rate for three consecutive years Wow, great leader ! Getting the idea yet? Don’t tell it – PROVE IT !

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke You may have noticed... A lot of the previous examples USE NUMBERS Numbers JUMP out of the page, so use this to your advantage Numbers QUANTIFY the information you present – they define things like HOW BIG, HOW MUCH, HOW LONG, etc

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke Use QUANTIFIABLE details to show GENERAL skills Entry-level folks are often short on job experience (that’s why it’s ENTRY-level) Use classroom, volunteer, unrelated job, or other CONCRETE experiences to show that you have the general skills they’re looking for. Didn’t you WORK HARD, meet LOTS OF DEADLINES, manage GROUP WORK, and DEFINE PROJECTS in at least some of your schoolwork? Aren’t these general skills that ANY employer would want? You can list things like classes just like you’d list jobs

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke Show, don’t tell (BAD) example Relevant Coursework: Eng2311 Technical Writing Eng2388 Intro to Film Studies Eng3323 Early Medieval Literature Eng3365 Professional Report Writing What’s “relevant” here? If you don’t TELL them what’s relevant with details, then it’s just a random list & does nothing.

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke Show, don’t tell (slightly better) example Relevant Coursework: Technical Writing, Spring 2013, writing intensive english class Wrote a lot of memos and reports Met a lot of deadlines Worked in a group Figured out complicated assignments Worked hard to get a good grade Created a portfolio blog BETTER, but some numbers would really help.

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke Show, don’t tell (GOOD) example Relevant Coursework: Technical Writing, Spring 2013, writing intensive english class Wrote and edited more than 60 pages of memos, reports, and other technical documents Met 17 separate assignment deadlines in one 16-week class Worked in a four-person group do define, research, write, edit, and deliver a 15-page formal report based on a local real-world problem Worked independently to define three different course projects on my own based on open-ended and flexible project directions Earned an “A” course grade by staying organized, working ahead, and using comments and feedback Wow! This person must be really organized, able to handle a lot of deadlines, able to work independently, and also able to work really well in groups !

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke STRATEGY # 3.0 Use Action Verbs DesignedSupervisedCreatedStaffed TestedStudiedEarnedSaved GainedProgrammedSoldUsed Use STRONG words to describe what you’ve done

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke DO NOT use passive language KILL all “was responsible for” phrases passive language hides ACTIVE ACCOMPLISHMENTS, takes up space, and sounds WEAK NO: Was responsible for the supervision of 12 video clerks YES: Supervised 12 video clerks

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke Strategy # 3.1 Use Parallelism DEFINITION: “Parallelism is a writing technique that puts equally important things into an identical grammatical form.” You want to use parallelism in lists, especially if they begin with bullets Parallelism makes lists easy to scan quickly and remember easily, which is THE GOAL of a resume

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke DO NOT list things like this Today’s presentation will take the following format: examine the current dress code reasons for changing the dress code new dress code explanation summary Non-parallel lists are hard to skim quickly and hard to remember easily

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke instead USE PARALLELISM Today’s presentation will: examine the current dress code give reasons for changing the code explain a new proposed code summarize the main points

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke Where to look for parallelism mistakes in resumes? Look carefully at THE FIRST WORD in each line or list, especially under job experience Each statement should start with an ACTION VERB (a first-person active-tense verb) Not Action: Was responsible for selling Action: Sold

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke Parallelism Practice – FIX IT Worked on resolving discrepancies in shipments/receipts and in-transit accounts. Trained hourly employees in proper material handling procedures. Was responsible for many employees’ work.

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke STRATEGY # 4.0 Use Visual Hierarchy Using Visual Hierarchy means ORGANIZING information using different fonts, text effects, and layouts so the resume is EASY to scan This is where finding EXAMPLES specific to your field will really help Knowing background info about the organization and specific person you’re writing to will also help VERY much You want to make it EASY FOR THEM to find important info quickly and easily

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke Examples of Visual Hierarchy In each example, what info is most important? Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke STRATEGY # 4.1 Use White Space EFFECTIVELY White space attracts the eye Use it to add EMPHASIS and create a Visual Hierarchy White space helps people to make notes Use it to make your resume more USEFUL White space organizes information Use it to make information EASIER TO FIND

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke Which example is easier to skim?  Supervised the monthly inventory  Managed three sales clerks  Sold $5,000+ worth of widgets weekly In this position, I managed three sales clerks, supervised the monthly inventory, and sold $5,000 worth of widgets weekly.

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke resume writing Step 0 – Collect Info Hopefully you’ve been updating a resume from the beginning of your professional career – college is part of that career. If not, don’t panic. Just take notes on your achievements and KEEP them in a file. This will make producing a strong resume easier in the future.

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke resume writing Step 1– Brainstorm Get blank sheets of paper and make resume categories education, experience, leadership, skills... List EVERYTHING you can think of that fits each category ChE degree, writing, teaching, organization... Connect DETAILS to everything on the list EX: 2.95 gpa, produced 12 business proposals, taught 26 technical writing classes, organized a 250-person conference...

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke resume writing Step 2 – Add Details Look through your brainstorming notes and pick out things that best SHOW your strengths Go through your files to find details relevant to the organization you’re applying to Then brainstorm again to add MORE details EX: Senior design project in pollution prevention, $2.7 million funded software development proposal, 632 students in eight semesters, 40 speaker multidisciplinary conference

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke Advice: finding details Ask questions like:  How many people?  How much money?  How many hours?  How many people did I supervise or report to?  How much money or effort did I save?  How can I PUT A NUMBER to it? Dump all this into a rough 2-3 page resume that covers everything you could POSSIBLY describe Then edit this document down to the one page of strong information and examples SPECIFIC to the job ad

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke resume writing Step 3 – edit it CAREFULLY ! Do a “final” draft for the specific job you’re seeking Let it sit for 24 hours Look at it again and REVISE (repeat as necessary) DO NOT send people a resume with typos, misspellings, grammar, or formatting mistakes !

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke resume writing Step 4 – GET HELP ! Have at least one other person look it over Take it to my office hours, the Writing Center, the Career Center, show it to your friends, roommate, parents... Realize that not everyone will agree Think about everyone’s comments, then take the advice you think is best

Copyright 2013 by Arthur Fricke “Professional Job Application” final advice DO NOT simply hand in whatever resume you might already have Your resume must match a clear strategy specific to THE SPECIFIC opportunity you’re using for the project Your resume must respond to the grading checklist DO get some help The Career Center is an ok resource, my office hours are an even better option TELL ME if you get assignment help by attaching the marked up draft work with a handwritten note describing who helped you and how