1. Objective: How to write an effective resume & get the career you want!
Resume Workshop
Objective: How to write an effective resume & get the career you want!

2. Can your resume pass the 10 second test?
10 seconds is all the time an employer is going to give your resume when deciding to keep it, or recycle it!

3. A Resume Is the 1st meeting between you and the employer
Tells a great deal about you
Gets you the interview
Is your ‘calling card,’ so remember that “First impressions are lasting ones.”

4. Resume Principles Convince employer that you are worth an interview
Keep it as brief as possible without sacrificing essential qualifications

5. Be sure to include some “attitude” in your resume-
Team player
Involved with…
Contributed to…
Served on…
Volunteered to…

6. Resume Do’s Target your qualifications for a specific job
Keep it to two pages or less
Label your second page
—keep it professional
No errors
Pleasing layout
List relevant work history…no more than 15 years back
Update lingo

7. Use Power Words Before Resume: After Resume:
Maintained records for accounts receivable and payable
After Resume:
Managed over 1,000 accounts receivable and payable accounts working directly with the Chief Financial Officer
I gave work assignments to staff of entry level accounting clerks
Directed workflow, supervised and trained accounting staff performing posting to general ledger, accounts receivable and payable accounts

8. Resume Vocabulary Accomplished Achieved Adapted Addressed Budgeted
Built
Calculated
Chaired
Collected
Communicated
Controlled
Coordinated
Decided
Defined
Delivered
Energized
Evaluated
Expanded
Filed
Formulated
Gathered
Guided
Handled
Identified
Illustrated
Implemented
Increased
Influenced
Initiated
Instructed
Invented
Judged
Lead
Mediated
Mentored
Motivated
Observed
Obtained
Operated
Oversaw
Piloted
Planned
Problem-solved
Presented
Programmed
Projected
Purchased
Questioned
Raised
Received
Recommend
Recruited
Reduced
Retrieved
Scheduled
Served
Shaped
Sold
Solved
Spear-headed
Summarized
Talked
Team-built
Trained
Transcribed
Volunteered

9. Resume Don’ts Avoid abbreviations and acronyms
Never use pronouns such as: “I,” “me,” “my,” “our”
Never handwrite! Always type & print on a good quality printer
No fancy fonts, binders, folders or layouts
Avoid lists of boring sentences
Photographs
Personal, family or health information
Folded resumes

10. Types of Resumes Chronological Most common type of resume
Listing of your jobs and experience with most recent mentioned first
Good for job seekers who have practical work experience with long periods of employment
Resume type most preferred by employers

11. Types of Resumes Functional Focuses on your skills and accomplishments
Highlights what they are, not when you developed them
Good format for job seekers with lots of job experience and many jobs

12. Organization
Your name and contact information should be bold, front and center!
The information should be arranged so that the reader sees the most important information first
Ex. If your work experience would be of greater interest to the employer than your education—then put it FIRST!

13. Organization pt.1 First Name Last Name 1. Personal Information
Address
Telephone number
address (only if you regularly check this & is professional)
Ex:
First Name Last Name
Full Address
City, Province
Phone number
2. Job Objective or Career Goal
This is a brief personal summary about who you are.
Written in paragraph form
Include what you would bring to the job
Include what you would like to learn from the job

14. Organization pt. 2 3. Education Ex:
List your education starting with the most recent year.
List the year(s) you attended in bold; then the name of the school; finally the grade or completion of special programs
Ex:
Walnut Grove Secondary: completed Grade 11
Oct Walnut Grove Secondary: “A” honor roll
June Langley Senior Secondary: completed summer session for pipefitting
4. Work/Career Experience
Organize jobs in reverse chronological order
Date (month, year); when you begin; date your job ended
Job title: create an accurate one if you didn’t have one
Name of the company or organization & its location
In point form, detail what your responsibilities were for the job listed
June-July Cashier; Save-on-Foods, Langley
Packed, bagged, straightened shelves, worked a cash register,
customer service representative

15. Organization pt. 3 5. Skills
Your skills should set you apart from fellow job seekers
Include 3-6 points outlining your most relevant strengths for the type of work you are looking for
Note if you are proficient in other languages
This will give the employer an idea of what you want to do & how you can benefit his/her company

16. Organization pt. 4 6. Activities & Interests (that apply to the job)
When listing activities, state your role (ex: member, president), the name of the organization, and the dates when you were involved.
Organize this information is reverse chronological order
If you wish to highlight your volunteer activities, create a SEPERATE heading! (ex: volunteer activities, volunteer experience, and community service)
At the bottom of the section include interests such as physical fitness, hobbies, sports and/or leisure activities

17. Organization pt. 5 7. References
You must include at least TWO responsible adults as references for the employer to call to verify the information given in your resume
List the person (first & last name)
Their job title
Their phone number
DO NOT USE Available on Request!
Ex:
First Name Last Name
Job Title
Phone Number

18. In Summary
Be sure your resume represents you in the best light possible
Use the correct resume form (functional or chronological) to highlight your skills, abilities, and work history
Don’t make careless mistakes
Remember: your resume is your FIRST interview!