RESUMES THAT WORK Metro Community College Career Network Center

Career Network Center Coordinators FOC – Fayetta Steele SOC – Peg Liewer EVC – Julie Langholdt

Objectives List the advantages of developing a resume Identify guidelines for resume preparation Develop a draft resume

Resume Tool to present an individual’s skills and qualifications to a potential employer Advertisement of you and your skills

Purpose of a Resume To get you selected for an interview

Remember You may be eliminated from consideration due to your resume. Employers get their first impression of your professional standards and talents from the resume.

Components of a Resume What is the single most important piece of information on a resume?

Heading Sarah A. Smith 123 South Wood Street Omaha, NE (402) 555 – 1234

Heading Tips Your address should be conservative and professional Your answering machine message should clearly identify you and be professional sounding.

Objective Briefly tells the employer what position you are interested in. Needs to be employer-focused. Example: To obtain (list the position) with ABC Corporation.

Employment History A section that emphasizes your past and present employment Other Names: Professional Experience, Work History, Volunteer Work, Experience Provide information to help persuade prospective employers that your experiences make you qualified for the job

What goes in this section? Company or organization Location (City, State) Position title Dates of employment/involvement Descriptions of skills, knowledge or accomplishments, etc.

Example Cashier May 2002 to present Super Target Omaha, NE Balance drawer at beginning and end of shift Enter charges for all items; total items; subtract discounts Take payments; issue receipts; count change Deliver outstanding customer service Employee of the Month: August 2002, January 2003

Getting started List your past and present experiences. Start with the most recent (reverse chronological order. Include: Jobs Volunteer positions Internships

Describing Experiences Use Action Verbs Are more descriptive and powerful Keep statements brief Use bulleted lists

Developing your descriptions Answer the journalistic questions: Who?...With whom did you work? What?...What duties did you perform? Where?... Where did your job fit into the organization? Why?..What goals were you trying to accomplish? When?...What timelines were you working under? How?...What procedures did you follow?

Developing your descriptions Sample Before: Planned activities Questions asked: What kinds?, How?, When?, For Whom? After: Planned arts, crafts, activities, and exercises weekly for physically-challenged children

Making your descriptions parallel Column A Recording OSHA regulated documents Material purchasing and expediting Prepared weekly field payroll Responsible for charge orders Column B Recorded OSHA regulated documents Conducted material purchasing and expediting Prepared weekly payroll Processed charge orders

Try to see you experiences as a professional would Understated Answered phone Wiped tables Professional Acted as liaison between clients and legal staff Created healthy environment for customers and maintained positive public image

Ways to tailor this section Select content that supports your qualifications and matches job descriptions Consider organizing by order of importance Use professional wording, integrating job specific terms

A formula for success Use appropriate headings Include required content Organize your section strategically Develop your descriptions Make your descriptions parallel See through professional eyes Tailor for your audience

Education and Training Section A section that emphasizes your educational background and formal training Persuade employers your educational background is relevant to the job, providing evidence of your qualifications

“Bare bones” education section Schools you have attended, including universities, community colleges, technical schools, etc. Do not include high school information Location of school(s) Date of graduation, actual or anticipated Degree(s) earned or pursued Grade Point Average (GPA)

What else may be included? Extra information about your degree (major, minor or selective GPAs, funding sources, honors, etc) Specializations and special projects Other relevant skills and training (relevant coursework, computer skills, language proficiency, certifications, licenses, etc)

Example Metropolitan Community College, Omaha, Nebraska Pursuing an Associates in Applied Science Degree: Office Skills Technology Anticipated Graduation: May 2004 GPA 3.23

Questions to answer What are my major and minor GPAs? Any honors related to my degree? How is my education funded? What are my major and minor? What are my areas of emphasis, specialization, or concentration? What special course or degree related projects may be relevant? What courses have I taken that are related to my career goals? With what computer programs am I most familiar? What language proficiencies do I have? Any certifications or licenses? Do I have any on-the-job educational training?

Resume Writing Tips Write your own resume Make it error free Make it look good Be brief and relevant Be honest Be positive Be specific Use action verbs and short phrases Edit and edit again

Selecting content for readers Consider how much space you have on your resume Read job ads closely Select your most relevant educational experiences or those for which you have space List in chronological order or in order of importance

Using fonts Size: how big is big enough? For a professional look, you will want to avoid more than 2 different font sizes Two major kinds: Serif ( Times New Roman and Courier ) Sans Serif (Arial and Helvetica) Use bold type sparingly

Types of Resumes Chronological Functional Combination Targeted

Chronological Resume Merits Accentuates your formal qualifications Appropriate for directly qualified candidates with linear career progression Often the preferred format Drawbacks May emphasize candidate’s lack of direct, in-depth experience Underscores past identity rather than future potential

Functional Resume Merits Opportunity to establish transferability of skills Not limited to paid employment, widens scope of all experiences Drawbacks Challenges the standard presentation May hide background information

Combination Resume Combines elements of both styles Gives equal focus to skills that relate to the job/position your are seeking and your work history

Targeted Resume Includes a “grocery list” of skills, responsibilities, accomplishments, and experiences that you have that relate to the job/position you are seeking

Resume Presentation Quality paper – off-white, cream, gray, white Paper weight – lbs., 100% cotton fiber Producing – Word processor (do not use Microsoft Word resume wizard!) Printing – Laser is preferred

Tips for Using Your Resume Send to the person in charge of screening by name Always send with a cover letter Mass mailing is not effective Follow up sending your resume with a phone call

Tips for Using Your Resume When directly contacting employers, always have a copy of your resume available Attach your resume to employment application, however do NOT say “see resume” on application Give a copy of your resume to your references Bring copies of resume to interviews