1 Resume Writing Suddhodan Baidya Oct 5th, 2011

2 What is a Resume? Resumes are a catalog of your skills, experiences, and education A honest representation of you A document that shows your qualifications for the job you are applying for

3 Goals of a Resume Capture the attention of the person looking at the resume, “sell” yourself to the employer – A potential employer takes less than 20 seconds to choose whether your resume should be considered for further review – The visual impact of your resume is almost as important as the words written on it – Give the employer a reason to ask you for an interview

4 Effective Resume Writing Clarity – Accurate Information – Use simple words – Write in point form instead of sentences and paragraphs – Use 1” borders on Letter size paper

5 Effective Resume Writing Consistent – Use the same font throughout the resume – Use the same size font (12) except for Headings – Use the same tense e.g. present tense for current jobs, past tense for previous jobs – Arrange information logically and in order

6 Effective Resume Writing Concise – Be focused and truthful – Use specific descriptions of your duties – Highlight information in your resume that best matches the requirements of the job description – Keep resumes to appropriate length 1-3 pages

7 Resume Formats Chronological (or Time Oriented) – Most recent experience shown first – Use when you can clearly show you can show growth and development in your career ladder and want to proceed to the next step – Usually a good first resume to work on – Disadvantage: More difficult to highlight what you did best

8 Resume Formats cont… Functional (or Relevant Skills) – Identify and highlight specific skills (3 to 6) – Use if you are changing occupations – If there are gaps in your work history – If you worked in the same job for an extended period of time – A recent graduate with no experience but have knowledge and skills – Disadvantage: Difficult to distinguish which skill was obtained at which employer

9 Resume Formats cont… Combination (Functional/Chronological) – Highlight specific skills in a chronological order – If you have a variety of job titles and positions – If you have the same job title for a number of different employers – Disadvantage: You may be repeating the same information on your skills and work history sections Usually results in a longer resume

10 Essential Pieces of a Resume Heading – Full Name, Full Address, Phone Number, Address Skills and Experience (Work/Volunteer) Education & Training

11 The Heading John Smith 3615 West 4 th Avenue Vancouver, BC V6R 1P2 604 – 456 – 7890 Do not include: Pictures, SIN, marital status, weight & height, the title RESUME or CV, religion, salary expectations - do not belong on your resume

12 An Objective Job Objective: Should be Clear, Concise & Relevant to the position you are applying for. – Objective: Premier with over 20 years of community leadership – Objective: Project Manager with 10 years experience leading innovative ventures

13 Highlights/Summary of Qualifications Your Highlights should include: – 5 to 7 points that clearly and briefly matches your skills with the employers needs – Pay special attention to the Duties of the job posting – What makes you unique – Personality qualities that is important for the opening

14 Highlights/Summary Employers tend to hire people on the following criteria points listed below: - Attitude – Reliable/Dependable - Communication Skills - Team Player - Flexibility, willing to have an open mind and learn new skills - Ability to solve problems

15 Skills Section Used for Functional and Combination Resumes Recognize skill sets for the job (i.e. management, customer service, technical/computer, organizational, administrative, communication) List relative points under each skill set Do not use personal pronouns like “I” or “my” Use strong ACTION words like Coordinated, Organized, Managed, Directed, Conducted

16 Transferable Skills Take inventory of your skills What are transferable skills? – Any skills that you have gained through any activity in your life that can be moved and applied to a new occupation Activities include: jobs, education, sports, hobbies, etc

17 Work Experience List your work experiences from most recent to your very first paid job after you left school Job Title, Company Name, Location, Dates State what you did in that position relevant to the job applying for in Chronological and Combination resumes: – Increased revenue, projects worked on, customer satisfaction, reduced costs – Add an accomplishment/achievement section to highlight something significant

18 Education & Training Formal education up to and including University Degree/Diploma/Certificate/etc and major/minor/honor, Educational Institution, Location, Date Any education or training that you took on your own or provided to you by your employer Any specialized courses that are required by your profession or association Highlights in coursework relevant to position

19 Volunteering Volunteer experience is work experience without a wage Arrange experience in chronological order Highlight skills and knowledge relevant to job posting

20 Optional Awards & Achievements – Related to the job opportunity – Shows your abilities in the industry Publications Interests & Hobbies

21 References “References are available upon request” – this is understood and may be left out Ask for reference from your previous (volunteer) supervisor/manager Make sure they will give you a good reference Remind your reference after you forward their name to an employer – Avoid surprises!

22 Resume Tips Research the job before writing your resume and target the resume to the job Use numbers whenever possible (how many staff you supervised, how many computers in the network) Remove irrelevant information Use tabs whenever possible Do not draw lines – use the border function

23 More Tips Use headers to put your name and page number Make sure you send it in.doc format instead of.docx Print a copy and look at it, is it visually appealing? Proofread Carefully! Get a second person to proofread, then a third person. Put your resume through Words’ spell-check but do not rely on it! Check every red/green underline. five common words you don't want on your resume

24 Thank You Thank you for attending this seminar We are requesting your feedback on what we can do to make this a better seminar We ask you to complete the evaluation sheet and write any comments

25 The Presenter’s Contact Information Suddhodan Baidya S.U.C.C.E.S.S. Settlement Services Phone: ext Address: 28 West Pender Street Vancouver, BC V6B 1R6