WRITING AN EFFECTIVE RESUME’

From webinar by Career Builders

OBJECTIVES Increase the student’s ability to write exceptional, standout resume’s Increase the student’s ability to express their “brand” in a resume’ Increase student knowledge of the “do’s” and “don’ts” of writing a resume’ in today’s healthcare market Increase student understanding of what employers are looking for

PERSONAL “BRAND” “Brand” recognition: – Education: What do you like about your degree(s). What types of skills are essential for success? Highlight successes &/or special class projects – Talents/Passion: What motivates or excites you? What did you want to be when you grew up? – Previous jobs/promotions/special projects: anything that shows increased responsibility

PERSONAL “BRAND” “Brand” recognition cont. – Previous jobs/promotions cont. Build confidence – know your strengths and skills – Seek Input/Feedback Contact professors, classmates, former colleagues/bosses Identify your top 3 strengths – Previous reviews /evaluations: capture your successes/strengths

PERSONAL “BRAND” CHECKLIST Unique strengths, skills, competencies What makes you stand out? – How does it relate or support the job/company that you are applying to? What can you do for the employer? – “Return on investment” Personal passion Personal values “60 second commercial” about you!

PERSONAL “BRAND” CHECKLIST Why did you pick the major (degree(s)) you selected? What types of jobs/roles are you interested in pursuing?

DRAFTING A RESUME’ GOAL: TO GET AN INTERVIEW! Process: – Decide which Resume’ “type” you want to use – Determine the key components for a resume’ – Create the Resume’ Remember: It’s not about creating a robust interview that you think employer’s want to know about you – RATHER: focus on getting the interview – you can “recommend” yourself during the interview.

RESUME’ TYPES CHRONOLOGICAL – Most widely used format – This lists qualifications and experiences, outlining major points only – Good if : You have current or recent work experience related to the position that you are applying for You can effectively demonstrate measurable achievements Your employment history is consistent – limited gaps in timeline

RESUME’ TYPES FUNCTIONAL – Highlights the wide range of skills and abilities developed through education, work experience, and other activities – Very detailed – Used when one wants to focus on relevant skills rather than dates – Good when one does not have a lot of relevant work experience or when there are gaps in employment history – Good for someone in career transition

RESUME’ TYPES FUNCTIONAL (cont.) – Highlight ‘transferrable skills’ – Important how the candidate explains the gaps in employment – Because of the current economy, employers are more “forgiving” about employment gaps

RESUME’ TYPES HYBRID/COMBINATION – Combines the best elements of the chronological and functional resume’ types – Targeted toward a particular position or key area in the healthcare industry Candidate may be specific to address selective criteria – Is effective in most situations; most versatile – Good for someone with varied work experiences

RESUME’ COMPONENTS Contact Information Summary/Qualifications Experience Education Training Certifications/Licenses Professional Affiliations Awards/Honors/Publications

RESUME’ COMPONENTS Contact Information – Minimum: name, address, phone # – If > 10 years work experience – okay to have a 2- page resume! Summary/Qualifications – “Highlight” your qualifications, educational experience, transferrable skills Experience

RESUME’ COMPONENTS Education/Training – Include education – whether or not to include dates of education/training is a personal choice – Not recommended that you list your GPA – however, it’s okay if you’re adamant about it! You can include that during the interview Certifications/Licenses – Include anything that shows a skill or competency

RESUME’ COMPONENTS Professional Affiliations – Be cautious re: including political or other controversial organizations – may trigger conflict

RESUME’ CONTENT The Essentials for a Modern Resume’ Use “job descriptions” to capture action verbs, competencies, and skills to integrate in the resume’ – DON’T “copy and paste” information from the job description to your resume’ Call attention to: accomplishments, success, and results Use consistent font(s) – no more than 2 -computer systems search for key words; frequent changes in fonts confuse the computer and it may miss your document

RESUME’ CONTENT The Essentials cont. Spell/Grammar check: use computer software tools AND PERSONAL REVIEW! – May want to ask someone else to proof read your resume’ also Be clear, concise, and focused – employers and recruiters scan for initial interviews – Ask yourself: Will they want to keep reading after the first 30 seconds?

Do NOT INCLUDE … An “objective” – use a professional or skills/qualifications summary List duties – include accomplishments Personal Information: height, weight, age, date of birth, place of birth, marital status, sex, race, health or SSN Start statements with “I” or “My” Reasons for leaving previous job(s)

Do NOT INCLUDE… Picture of yourself Salary history/expectations Reference names/ “References available upon request” – Go prepared to an interview with references information Religion, church affiliations, political affiliations

TECHNOLOGY “Understanding Today’s Technology: Adapting to Today’s Job Search” “Key Word” optimization: supports resume’s screening, social medial tools, recruiting tools Social Media: – Make as private as possible – Follow on Twitter, FB those healthcare company candidates that they are interested in

TECHNOLOGY Top 9 “key word” searches: – “Medical Assistant” – “Healthcare” – “Medical Billing” – “Registered Nurse” – “Nurse” – “Medical Office” – “Pharmacy Technician” – “Physical Therapist” – “Dental Assistant”

EMPLOYERS/RECRUITERS Assessing Employers and Recruiters Needs – Showcasing your resume’ Confirming the do’s Reviewing the don’ts

DO’S Goal: land the interview by meeting the employer’s needs. Prior to applying, confirm your resume’ includes: – Skills/competencies linked to the job – Includes a qualification summary – no “objective” – Resume aligns with the job’s goals and responsibilities

DO – Include successes, results, and necessary metrics [Asking yourself “So what?” – will help identify why it is relevant and included on your resume’] – Resume’s are clear, concise, and relevant to the job

DON’TS Simply rely on the software – personally read and edit: – Proof read for typos, grammar, punctuation Personal Information/details – want professional look AND content

Other Respect the criteria and process indicated in the ad for the job: – Submit as requested – “Are the candidates following directions?”