1. RESUME GUIDELINES WORKSHOP Amy Beyea Office of Career Services

2. FUNCTIONS OF A RESUME Summary Summary of most relevant experiences and qualifications First impression Reference for an employer who is interviewing you NOT a comprehensive work history document

3. QUIZ TIME! How much time do you think the average employer spends looking at a resume? 15 minutes 5 minutes 1 minute 30 seconds

4. RESUME FORMATS Reverse Chronological  arranged in reverse chronological order  preferred by most employers, considered most credible (accomplishments listed with positions) Functional  arranged by skills or abilities (without dates listed)  used by career changers or students w/ no experience Combination  provides credibility of chronological, while allowing outstanding skills to be emphasized

5. BASIC ELEMENTS Heading Objective (optional) Education Experience (Related optional) Summary of skills or qualifications (optional) Related activities and interests (optional) References (separate page only)

6. RESUME LANGUAGE Use strong action words (verbs) Omit pronouns (do not use “I”) Avoid abbreviations (e.g. B.A., APU) No complete sentences or periods at the end Use short, concise statements

7. STYLE Use “white space” to your advantage Use high-quality resume paper Be consistent in layout and composition Bullet points work well Choose conservative and standard fonts, ink, and formats (Arial, Times New Roman, Palatino, etc.) Margins can be as small as.5 and as large as 1” Font size can be 10-12 pt. if necessary (name should be largest on the page)

8. QUIZ TIME! As a rule, the resume of a person with less than five years’ full-time work experience should be: one page long. two pages long. three pages long. written in paragraph form to expand upon limited experience.

9. What NOT to include Salary information Jargon or industry slang Photographs Health/Physical description Exaggerations Misspellings, mistakes, inconsistent formats

10. REFERENCES Use the same heading from your resume 3-5 references List strongest reference first Ask and inform your references Give references a copy of your resume Include Name, Title, Organization, Address, Business Phone and Email

11. SENDING YOUR RESUME Always include a cover letter Use matching resume paper for cover letter, resume and references Do not fold Do not staple or paper clip Make sure your heading is on every page

12. EMAILING YOUR RESUME Attach as a MS Word document Include cover letter in body of the email Follow up with a hard copy in US mail Use a professional email address

13. SCANNING YOUR RESUME Use white or off-white paper Do not use italics, underline, scripts or bold Avoid horizontal and vertical lines Use wide margins Avoid graphics and hollow bullets

14. What is a Cover Letter?? An introduction of yourself to the employer Highlights key information that qualifies you for the job Opportunity to name-drop Extends your request for an interview

15. Elements of a Cover Letter Address letter to specific name No more than 1 page 3 - 4 paragraphs Typed, 12 pt. font and 1” margins Be sure to include - “Enclosure: Resume” at the bottom Don’t forget to sign the letter!

16. www.apu.edu/careerservices www.apu.edu/careerservices (626) 815-2103 Located in Magnolia Court (on the way to Starbucks!) CONTACT US!