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Resume Writing Presenters: Judy Taylor, Professional Counselor

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1 Resume Writing Presenters: Judy Taylor, Professional Counselor
LaWanda Woods, On-Ramp Coordinator On-Ramp Program 2010

2 Overview Understand the purpose of the resume.
On-Ramp Program 2010 Overview Understand the purpose of the resume. Learn the different parts of a resume and how to build an effective resume. Recognize your transferable skills and how to use them to overcome common obstacles. Learn how resumes are viewed by employers and how you can get yours in front of the right people. Avoid costly mistakes and red flags.

3 Past, Present, and Future of the Resume
On-Ramp Program 2010 Past, Present, and Future of the Resume Standard resume is a 1-2 page document showcasing professional, employment, and academic history. Past: 1-2 page word processor document mailed or faxed to prospective employers. Present: Pervasiveness of Internet brought online job boards and other Web tools. Future: Capabilities of the Internet will continue to change the way resumes are created, displayed, and transmitted.

4 The Resume of the Past 1-2 page black and white document.
On-Ramp Program 2010 The Resume of the Past 1-2 page black and white document. ed, mailed or faxed to employers. Emphasized job duties Written from perspective of what benefits the employee.

5 The Resume of the Future
On-Ramp Program 2010 The Resume of the Future Created, updated, and distributed online. Links to blog, social networks, and company sites.

6 On-Ramp Program 2010 Anatomy of a Resume Video

7 On-Ramp Program 2010 Contact Information Name should stand out. Ideal: In capital letters and larger font than rest of document. Address Format: Street address, city, state, zip code. Home or Mobile Phone 10 digits with area code: Address must be professional. Heading and Contact Information. Name should be centered at the top, in bold, all capital letters, and a larger font size. Address in this format: city, state, zip code. You can keep street address confidential if you are posting your resume online or publicly. If you are applying for positions in another area, consider using a local address so that you avoid being overlooked by employers. Home and/or Cell phone needs to be 10 digits with area code: Make sure your voic is professional. address should be professional. Use personal address:

8 On-Ramp Program 2010 Objective Statement The first step to creating a high-impact resume is determining what you're trying to accomplish. With a clearly defined career objective, you can write a resume that conveys the experience, skills and training that best serve your overall professional aspirations.

9 Entry-Level Positions
On-Ramp Program 2010 Sample Objectives Entry-Level Positions Seeking an entry-level position in marketing utilizing my strong analytical and communication skills combined with a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing. Recent university graduate seeking an internship with an online media company who can utilize my developed skills in communications and multimedia design.

10 On-Ramp Program 2010 Sample Objectives Experienced To secure a business development position leveraging strong customer service and relationship building skills while utilizing over 11 years of business experience including 7 years of overachieving sales quotas. Seasoned manager offering 20 years of progressive experience in functional staff management and consistent staff retention.

11 Objective Statement: Required or Not?
On-Ramp Program 2010 Objective Statement: Required or Not? Career changers and entry-level workers should consider incorporating their objectives into their resumes, because their goals may not be clearly defined by their work history alone. If you're targeting a particular position, add a formal objective statement and reference the job opening. The hiring manager will see you took time to customize your resume and that the opportunity is important to you.

12 On-Ramp Program 2010 Career Summary A career summary is basically a summary of your positive points and aspects, and other attributes that you have, that would be beneficial to the employer. This gives the prospective employer a chance to glance through your profile in a single stroke and gauge how relevant your job skills are to the position that they are looking to fill.

13 Career Summary Tips Tips for writing winning summary statements:
On-Ramp Program 2010 Career Summary Tips Tips for writing winning summary statements: Emphasize personal brand by summarizing value added skills, experience, and accomplishments. List 2-3 specific skills that relate to the position. Be specific about your strengths and accomplishments. Show how you saved money, reduced costs, or increased sales. Summary is concise narrative statement summarizing your experience, areas of expertise, professional and technical skills, and special distinctions. Highlight key information detailed in body of resume. Emphasize value added skills, experience, and accomplishments. Be specific. Here are some tips for writing winning summaries: Emphasize your personal brand by summarizing value added skills, experience, and accomplishments. List 2-3 specific skills and competencies that relate to the positions. Present your qualifications in terms of what is in it for the employer versus what is in it for you. Be specific about what you can do: your strengths and accomplishments. Make a powerful value statement by showing how you saved money, reduced costs, and increased sales or in some way made a contribution to the bottom line. Don’ts Use flowery or ornate language List information unrelated to position applying for Omit summary altogether

14 Career Summary Example
On-Ramp Program 2010 Project Manager: Project manager with over 10 years of in-depth experience in the telecom business. Managed projects with a pre-allocated annual budget of 8-10 million and achieved goals. Leader in managing cross company teams efforts through effective and motivating mentoring strategies. Areas of Expertise: • Voice over IP • Telecommunication • Wireless

15 Career Summary Example
On-Ramp Program 2010 Marketing Manager: • An Internet Marketing Manager professional with 15 years’ experience in the Internet industry. • Worked on SEO, SEM, website development. • A proven record of developing new Internet business brands and strategies. Recently, completed a Master of Business Administration degree.

16 Recap Career Objective
On-Ramp Program 2010 Recap Career Objective Career objectives are short statements of interest created by a job applicant about a certain position. The function of writing a career objective is to help you plan your career and figure out where you want to go professionally. Career Summary Your Summary is your initial sales pitch to a prospective employer. The Summary statement gathers the best elements of your resume – your abilities, skills, experience, accomplishments, and personal characteristics – and condenses them into a brief description of the best reasons for hiring you.

17 Professional Experience
On-Ramp Program 2010 Professional Experience List employers, job titles, and dates of employment in reverse chronological order. Format: Company, Job Title, Responsibilities and Accomplishments, and Dates. Include brief description of responsibilities and scope of job. Keep it within 1-3 sentences. Use bulleted format to list job responsibilities. Begin each point with a strong action verb. After glancing at your summary statement and scanning it for keywords, employers, hiring managers, and recruiters move on to your work experience. Most important elements that they look for in your work experience are titles, companies, dates, and duties. Professional Experience Summary of your work experience and accomplishments that go back years. Most common format is chronological. Begin with most recent job and work backwards. Company, Job Title, Job Function, and Dates. Include brief company description: size of company, what it does, who it caters to. Dates: most hiring managers prefer year to year rather than month/year. Limit your experience to 10 years, unless you are applying for a senior-level position. Minimize noticeable employment gaps as much as possible. Include brief narrative outlining scope and responsibilities of job: 1-3 sentences. Use bullet points to list job responsibilities. Should focus on results, responsibilities, and achievements, not activities. Begin each point with strong action verb: developed, directed, supervised. Action Words Action words are verbs that enhance your accomplishments by emphasizing the work you did in compelling terms. Try replacing words like “helped” with “advised,” “managed” with “led.” Accomplishments should show challenges, action, and result.

18 On-Ramp Program 2010 Education Education section covers academic credentials and any education that would apply to job you seek. Typically placed below relevant work experience. Format: Name of institution, city and state; degree awarded with major and minor; date degree was awarded. List degrees in reverse chronological order, with highest degree first. Do not include incomplete degree unless you include an expected graduation date. Education section of your resume covers your academic credentials and any education that would apply to the job you seek be it continuing education or on-the-job training. Includes ongoing studies, high school, college, or post-graduate degrees depending on your individual situation. Typically, the education section is placed toward the end of the resume, below relevant work experience and above activities or professional development. If you are a recent graduate, your academic degree would likely be your biggest asset, so it should appear toward the beginning of your resume. In this case, you need to draw the reader’s attention to your degree or credentials, and the knowledge and skills you gained that would meet the requirements of the job you seek. Another reason to place the education section at the top of your resume is to highlight a particularly impressive academic background. If you graduated from a prestigious school, placing it at the top of the resume will draw attention to it immediately. Covers academic background in reverse chronological order with highest degree relevant to job objective. Format: Name of institution, city and state, degree awarded (major and minor), date. Date may be optional depending on how long ago you graduated. You may not want to draw attention to your age. If still working towards college degree, list expected graduation date and anticipated degree. Do not include incomplete degree that you have no intention of completing. (If you have taken courses toward a higher degree but did not finish college, list the degree program you were in, the degree you were working towards, and the dates you attended.) Note your high school diploma only if you have not attended or completed post-secondary education.

19 On-Ramp Program 2010 Optional Categories List additional information at bottom of your resume. Only include items relevant to specific position. Awards and Honors Format: Award title, date, awarding organization. Professional Development Certifications, licenses, and memberships. Volunteer Experience Emphasizes key skills not shown in work experience. Work Samples and Publications Can help you build portfolio and enhance your personal brand.

20 On-Ramp Program 2010 Keywords and Tags Keywords are search terms recruiters and hiring managers use to filter resumes. Using the right keywords increases the chances of your resume getting seen. Information employers look for in resume database search: keywords, titles, companies, education, location, compensation. Keywords often originate from job description. Identify critical keywords. Use them prominently and frequently. Keywords are similar to search terms when you look up something on the Internet. Many employers have subscriptions to large resume databases, where they look for resumes that have been posted. Most employers search for resumes posted recently, usually within the last 90 days. However they may search further back, depending on the position. The first thing they will enter in their search is keywords. With modern day recruiting dominated by impersonal job boards and applicant tracking systems, and with recruiters and hiring managers busier than ever, having the right keywords on you resume will determine if your resume gets in front of any decision makers. We discussed earlier the importance of keywords or “tags” on your resume, but here is why. Keywords will help match your resume with search terms criteria.

21 On-Ramp Program 2010 Resume Formats Chronological Functional Technical

22 On-Ramp Program 2010 Chronological Resume Chronological resume format provides your work history dating back from the present. Briefly describes accomplishments and successes that support your summary statement. Stresses responsibilities, skills, and accomplishments. The format calls attention to your recent job history and relevant experience. Chronological Resume format More accurately reverse chronological format, starting with your most recent position and working backwards. Depending on the job you seek, you typically go back no more than years. For the majority of job seekers, the targeted chronological resume will be the best format because it focuses your skills and experience around a specific job type or job description, highlighting the experience that is most applicable. Why should you use the chronological format? Most employers, hiring managers, and recruiters are accustomed to format.

23 Who Should Use Chronological?
On-Ramp Program 2010 Who Should Use Chronological? Most job seekers will be using the chronological format. You are staying within specific occupation or industry. You have steady work history with few gaps. Your career shows steady growth and development. You have relevant work experience to the position you are applying for. You are applying to a traditional field (accounting, law, finance) or organization.

24 On-Ramp Program 2010 Functional Resume Functional resume format stresses qualifications over specific employers and dates. Organizes information around specific skill sets and supports skills with accomplishments and experience. Directs attention to functional skills, strengths, and qualifications. Allows you to customize content to match job position. Not confined by chronological format. Functional Resume format A functional resume applies the same strategy of targeting your experience for each position, but formats the information differently. Instead of organizing the information chronologically, it groups the information based on specific skill sets. This format is ideal for those with a weak employment record, such as college students with minimal experience, job seekers changing careers to a field with very different previous work experience, people with gaps in their work history, or job seekers whose work experience has been unpaid. Basically, individuals with untraditional career experience. Targeted and Functional Although you may need to write a functional resume, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply a targeted approach to the content. With a functional resume, you actually have the ability to customize the content to match a job description or position because you aren’t confined by a chronological format.

25 Who Should Use Functional?
On-Ramp Program 2010 Who Should Use Functional? Contract or 1099 workers. You have a weak employment history. You have unexplainable gaps in your employment history. You are making significant career or job change. You want to emphasize skills and abilities not used in recent experience. You have held numerous positions in a short time frame. You have been employed in highly technical positions. Why should you use functional format? You have weak employment record, such as recent college grad. You are making significant career or job change. You want to emphasize skills and abilities not used in recent experience. Your job objective is different from your professional experience. You have unexplainable gaps in your employment history. You have been employed by same company for a long time. You have multiple short-term assignments. You are re-entering the job market after absence from workforce. Disadvantages of using functional format If you have a more traditional career path, I would not recommend using the functional resume format because some recruiters and hiring managers are not accustomed to the format. Furthermore, this format isn’t as acceptable in fields such as accounting, banking, finance, and law.

26 On-Ramp Program 2010 Technical Resume Technical resume format is designed to emphasize your technical skills and strengths. Lists computer, software, or specialized machinery knowledge early on. Emphasizes hard skills over soft skills. Focuses on Skills and Professional Experience sections. Technical/Chronological vs. Technical/Functional Most technical resumes follow chronological format but include summary of skills at beginning of resume. Use functional format if you’re a technical worker who’s mainly been hired for project-based or contract work. Technical Resume For those working in technical fields that require a high level of proficiency in technology such as information technology and bioscience, you will want to write a technical resume. The technical resume is designed to emphasize the job seeker’s technical skills and strengths. The main difference between a technical resume and a chronological or functional resume is that it highlights your skills and lists your computer, software, or specialized machinery knowledge early in your resume. Another significant difference is the technical resume’s emphasis on hard skills over soft skills, where your technical knowledge will be integral to your success in that particular position. Technical and Chronological vs. Technical and Functional Most technical resumes follow the chronological resume format but include a summary of skills at the beginning of the resume. Technical resumes should focus on two critical sections: the Skills section and the Professional Experience section. However, if you are a technical worker who has primarily been hired for project-based work or contracted out to companies, a functional format may serve you better.

27 Overcoming Obstacles and Objections
On-Ramp Program 2010 In today’s competitive job market, employers are looking for ways to screen candidates out, instead of screening them in. Employers will use a myriad of excuses for why they screened out a candidate. The vast majority is for lack of qualifications, but a percentage of candidates are screened out for less than honorable reasons. You are more likely to keep yourself from being screened out if you anticipate these objections in advance and creatively design your resume to overcome these objectives.

28 Baby Boomers Overcoming Objections Advantages
On-Ramp Program 2010 Baby Boomers Baby Boomers Applying for Jobs Overcoming Objections “Older workers are more costly.” “Older workers need re-training and can’t learn new skills.” “Older workers are over-qualified and will get bored.” Advantages When writing your resume, emphasize your knowledge and experience. Baby Boomers According to the U.S. Census Bureau, baby boomers represent 78.2 million persons in the United States. With such a large percentage of the working population approaching retirement age, there are some unique challenges and opportunities for baby-boomers. Baby Boomers applying for lower-level jobs Overcoming Objections “Older workers are more costly.” Emphasize value added. Additionally, older workers tend to be more reliable, which translates into productivity gains. “Older workers need re-training and can’t learn new skills.” Emphasize ongoing learning and training. Example: “Recently completed certification on green technology.” This demonstrates current and modern knowledge and experience. “Older workers are over-qualified and will get bored.” If your resume shows all of your experience going back to 1975, of course you’re going to look over-qualified. When applying for lower-level positions, limit your work experience to the past 10 years, and only highlight experience relevant to the position. You don’t need to brag about being a VP of a bank if you are applying for a position as a teller. Just highlight the skills you have that demonstrate your ability to excel in that position. Advantages More knowledgeable and experienced in the field Dependable and reliable You understand the big picture and can look longer term Other Helpful Tips Emphasize current computer and technology knowledge. Remove old dates from resume, including from education. Shorten and target your resume.

29 Military Overcoming Objections Advantages
On-Ramp Program 2010 Military Military Transitioning to Civilian Workforce Overcoming Objections “Speak civilian, not military.” Translate military experience to understandable civilian qualifications. Advantages Modern and current skills and training. Ability to work in a team. Ability to adapt to change and handle pressure. Military Disadvantages (Overcoming Objections) “Speak civilian, not military.” Translate military experience to understandable civilian qualifications. For example, if you were a “Field Radio Operator” in the Marine Corps, than you could say you have, “The ability to listen to and understand complex information and ideas presented in a fast-paced environment.” Resource: Transition Assistance Program (TAP) website provides a great online skills translator tool O*NET (Occupational Information Network) at . Advantages Modern and current skills and training Strong work ethic and ability to work with a team Ability to adapt to change and handle pressure. Ability to complete tasks and assignments as instructed. Other helpful tips Give specific reasons for joining military. Emphasize reasons that speak to character, sense of duty, and other positive soft skills. Focus away from combat duties and toward job related duties. Balance resume with other extracurricular work. Other Resources Military.com has largest veterans job board in the US and matches employers with military veterans: VetJobs assists transitioning members of US military: USAJobs is official website of US Federal Government: MilitaryStars helps military transition to civilian life:

30 Recent Graduates Overcoming Objections Advantages
On-Ramp Program 2010 Recent Graduates College or High School Grads without Work Experience Overcoming Objections “Recent graduates feel entitled in the work place.” “Recent graduates lack professionalism and strong work ethic.” Advantages Bring new ideas: Business thrives on innovation, so highlight your ability to apply new information and ideas to your work. Hard working: Younger employees take spirited approach toward work, staying up late or working on weekends to complete tasks. Affordable: Show value you offer the employer, and what they stand to gain by hiring you over someone more established. Recent College or High School Graduates Recent college or high school graduates have a unique challenge in that many of them lack applicable work experience, thereby appearing to have very little to offer employers by way of immediate benefits. Start What You Finish  Because our workforce has evolved into a project-based world, employers are looking for employees who can complete tasks. If your resume shows that you have started but not finished school, assignments, or stayed with a job for less than a year, the perception could be that you don’t know how to complete what you start. Make sure your resume screams, “I am a finisher.” List all the projects you have completed. Employers are also looking to see how you approached your education, so if you are actively in school, you can list that, but don’t list BA degree as, “In Progress” if you are not attending school, as it only reinforces the stereotype. Disadvantages (Overcoming Objections) “Recent college graduates feel entitled in the work place.” Overcome this objection by stating on your resume how you look to make contributions to your employer, and how you are seeking to gain valuable experience. “Recent college graduates lack professionalism and a strong work ethic.” Perception can be reality, but you can overcome this objection by first having an outstanding resume devoid of errors and typos, and by utilizing professional language that is articulate and focused. You can address the work ethic stereotype by stating specific examples or quoting references that demonstrate your work ethic.

31 Career Changers Overcoming objections Advantages Other helpful tips
On-Ramp Program 2010 Career Changers Job Seekers Who Are Changing Careers Overcoming objections “Has no experience.” Know and articulate transferable skills. “Why does this person want to leave their current field?” Advantages Bring new and fresh perspective to the position. Value added by bringing skills from other profession. Other helpful tips Do your research and change your resume accordingly. Emphasize accomplishments in your previous career and stress your transferable skills. Industry or Career Changers It is realistic to expect that throughout your career you may have to change careers several times. This is when it can be most difficult to create a resume, especially in an economy that stresses experience over education and soft-skills. The biggest mistake I see from job seekers who are changing careers, is they don’t take the time to do the research about the field which they want to transition to. All too often, recruiters get resumes from candidates for positions, where the candidate sent the same old resume they have been using for their current career. This is a big mistake! Take your time to research the position, the terminology, the job descriptions from multiple companies, and prepare your resume accordingly. Disadvantages (Overcoming Objections) “Has no experience”: This is the biggest challenge for career transitioning candidates. Understanding your transferable skills and highlighting them prominently is essential. Example: If you worked for retail clothing your whole career, you have tremendous customer service, sales and people skills. Let say you want to apply for an administrative assistant position in an office, than you could say, “Demonstrated excellence in working with diverse personalities, ensuring all business needs were met in a timely fashion.” “Why does this person want to leave their current field?” A well-written resume minimizes this objection by focusing the reader’s eyes on transferable skills. To address this objection, you want to stress your need to be challenged and for growth. Here is where a targeted title and summary can come in, “Administrative Assistant,” “Client focused Administrative Assistant with 5 years of exceptional client and managerial support. Contributed to 250% growth in department sales through quick response to internal and external customer needs.” Advantages Like recent graduates or younger workers, career changers bring a new perspective and fresh experience to their position. Proven ability to complete tasks or projects. If you had a lengthy career in another field, your track record of accomplishments will demonstrate your ability to complete assignments.

32 On-Ramp Program 2010 View from the Inside

33 How Hiring Managers and Recruiters View Resumes
On-Ramp Program 2010 How Hiring Managers and Recruiters View Resumes Location: If address indicates you live too far away—SKIPPED. Stability: Depending on position, if you appear to be a job hopper—SKIPPED. Education: If the job requires a degree, and you don’t have one—SKIPPED. Companies: Previous employers with recognizable names or brands stand out. Make sure company names and subsidiaries are listed prominently. Hopefully by now, we have driven the message home: keywords play a critical role in getting your resume seen by the right people. In addition to keywords, your resume will have to meet the prerequisite criteria: Location: If your address indicates you live too far away. SKIPPED. Stability: Depending on the position, if you appear to be a job hopper. SKIPPED. Consider using the functional resume format in this case, and list the dates of employment at the end of your resume. Education: If the job requires a degree, and you don’t have one. SKIPPED. That is, unless this is a false requirement. Often, hiring managers will list a degree as a prerequisite, but will overlook it if the right candidate comes along. Of course, that’s only if HR shows them your resume. Companies: If you worked for a direct competitor or a reputable company in your industry or field, this will stand out on your resume. Make sure company names and subsidiaries are listed prominently.

34 Submitting a Resume Emailing your resume Electronic screeners
On-Ramp Program 2010 Submitting a Resume ing your resume Most effective and common means of submitting resume to employers and contacts. Use standard file formats: Word .doc and .pdf Be direct and clear in your subject line. Include title of position, word “resume,” and keywords in . Electronic screeners Crack the code by using keywords highlighted in job description. Use keywords throughout your resume. Prioritize keywords so that those most relevant to position are at the top. ing Probably the most effective and most common means of submitting your resume to employers and contacts is by . The problem with these days is that it has become our primary form of communication in business, and most people’s boxes are overwhelmed. Here are a couple of tricks you can use to increase the chances of getting your resume seen: Use standard file formats, i.e. Word.doc and PDF Be direct in your subject line. Subject: “John, interested in Management position. 10 yrs. exp. Please read resume.” If you have hiring manager’s or recruiter’s name, putting it in the subject will attract attention. Include the title of the position, the word “resume” and several job description keywords in the body of the . Electronic Screeners Most recruiters today utilize web-based or enterprise software to screen out resumes, by typing in a few keywords in their search criteria, and letting the software algorithms do the searching. This minimizes the time recruiters have to look at unqualified resumes. To ensure your resume is seen, you need to write a “Search-Friendly Resume.” Crack the code - Recruiters typically use the same keywords they wrote in the job description. Identify the most important keywords and include them prominently and frequently in your resume. I emphasize “frequently” because when they do a search, the result usually come back with the keywords highlighted, so if your resume shows lots of highlights on the page, the recruiter will assume you have a lot of experience in that area. More Keywords. The modern day resume is driven by keywords. Consider creating a section below your summary for only keywords. Don’t call it keywords, rather “Skills” or don’t even give it a title keywords should be sufficient. Prioritize - Depending on which keywords are most relevant to the position you are applying for, rearrange them and put the most applicable toward the top.

35 Posting Your Resume Online
On-Ramp Program 2010 Posting Your Resume Online Job boards Keep resume current and updated. Avoid posting confidential resume. Social networks Make sure information on resume and public profiles are consistent and professional. Blogs and Websites Control your professional presence online and be conscious of the image you are presenting to potential employers. Job Boards There are literally thousands of job boards and websites covering every type of job and applicant imaginable. Here are some keys to posting your resume on job boards: Keep your resume current and updated. If you are an active job seeker, try to update your resume weekly. Avoid posting a confidential resume, as some recruiters don’t have the time to wait to hear back from you and want to get in touch with you immediately. However, there are ways to guard your privacy: I would advise removing your address and phone number from a public resume, and replacing it with an address created for your job search. Use niche job boards with your targeted resumes. Social Networks Here are some keys to navigating the job boards: Make sure the information in your resume and public profiles is consistent. Be careful that the information you post on your profile is professional, so you don’t turn off prospective employers. Social networks are for networking with friends and colleagues, so don’t go hitting up all your friends for a job. Ask a select group of contacts to review your resume and give you suggestions. Blogs and Websites Blogs and personal websites have emerged to promote your personal brand, and your resume can play a role in that if applied wisely. One caveat is that you need to be conscious of the image you are presenting to potential employers before you are brought in for an interview, and controlling your professional presence online is a very important part of that. Also, before you decide to post your resume on a blog be sure you are contributing to the blog in a constructive way.

36 Social Networks Great forums to promote your personal brand.
On-Ramp Program 2010 Social Networks Great forums to promote your personal brand. Join LinkedIn, add, and update work experience. Keep profile information and resume consistent across multiple sites.

37 On-Ramp Program 2010 Blogs and Websites On your blog or website, have a section about your personal brand. Use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to drive traffic to your profile and resume.

38 Guidelines for a Well-Written Resume
On-Ramp Program 2010 Guidelines for a Well-Written Resume Use strong and concise language to communicate your skills and accomplishments. Do not use personal pronouns: “I,” “me,” “my,” “our.” Use professional language. Remove slang or localized terminology. Shorten long and complex sentences. Leave out extraneous information. Check grammar and spelling. Beware of red flags. Avoid other common mistakes. Guidelines for a Well-Written Resume Verb tenses should be consistent. Rule: If you have already done something, verb should end in “ed.” If you are currently working on something, verb should be in present tense. Avoid use of helping verbs (have, had, may, might). Other common mistakes Do not put social security number on resume. Do not include photo on standard resume Do not use file formats other than Word.doc or PDF. Do not list salary history. (Unless specifically requested.) Do not include “References Available Upon Request” at bottom of resume. Do not mention being fired from a position.

39 Beware of Red Flags Grammatical and spelling errors.
On-Ramp Program 2010 Beware of Red Flags Grammatical and spelling errors. Too wordy or too much information. Irrelevant experience. False claims and over-embellishment. Inconsistent work history or unexplained career gaps. address is too provocative.

40 On-Ramp Program 2010 Any Questions?


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