1. Resumes __________________

2.  A personal summary of one’s background experience, and accomplishments  A resume is a marketing tool in which you are the product and the employer is the buyer  On average, the employer will look at a resume for only 20 seconds, so make those 20 seconds count! What is a resume?

3.  ONE page only  Print on high quality paper (watermarked)  Make it attractive  Proofread it for grammar, puncuation and speling errors  Have someone else check for errrors Tips for a Great Resume

4.  Functional – focuses on skills, experience, and accomplishments. A functional resume works best for young people with little work experience, just entering the job market.  Chronological –list your most recent job duties and employment dates first. A chronological resume works best for those with experience and a steady job history. Resume Types

5. Heading  Name  Address  Phone number – the phone number should be the one that has voice mail or an answering machine with a professional recorded message to take messages  Email address (this should be an email address that is professional) Parts of a resume

6. Education  Your most recent educational experience should be listed first – “currently attending”  Date of graduation – if you have yet to graduate, have a statement that says “expected graduation date XXXX”  Special workshops, seminars, coursework, or senior projects (include these items only if they strengthen the resume by relating to the job being applied for)  A GPA higher than 3.0 should be noted Parts of a resume

7. Skills  Identify skills that would strengthen you as a candidate for the job  Skills should include things such as knowledge of software, foreign languages, leadership, teamwork, etc. Parts of a resume

8.  Work Experience – required  Describe your work responsibilities with an emphasis on achievements using action words to communication your skills  Identify the position held  Name and location of the organization  Dates of employment  List the most important and related responsibilities first  Include part-time, seasonal jobs, internships, etc Parts of a resume

9.  Honors, Awards, Activities, Volunteer Work – optional  If the activities involved work responsibility, note it in some detail.  If you were elected to offices or committees, mention it (shows leadership)  Include dates Parts of a resume

10.  References – required  References should be available as an attachment, but NOT listed on the actual resume  A section titled “References” with the phrase “references available upon request” should be written on the bottom of the resume  A person should have 3 -5 references  DO NOT use family and friends as references Parts of a resume

11.  References continued  Information to include with references is the name of the person, their job title, address, phone number, email address  ALWAYS ask reference’s permission before submitting a name to a potential employer. They will be more likely to give you a positive reference if they are expecting it. Parts of a resume

12.  Weight  Height  Social Security Number  Birth Date  Marital Status  Photographs  Salary histories  Reasons for leaving past jobs  Hobbies, activities, and memberships not related to the job being applied for Information to NOT include in a resume

13.  8 ½ X 11 cotton bond paper  Minimum margins of 3/4”  One to 2 pages in length (1 is recommended)  Neat and easy to read  Have heading, education, experience, and references  Free of staples and folds How a resume should look

14.  BE HONEST – do not stretch the truth  Never list exact dates, just month and year  Never list the date your resume was created  Do not use “I statements” such as: I can type 60 words per minute instead, use action words and statements such as: skilled in typing 60 wpm  Use acronyms only after defining them General tips for resumes

15. Common action words to use in your resume  Accommodated, achieved, applied, assisted, budgeted, chaired, combined, compared, cooperatively, created, decided, delivered, developed, earned, experienced, explored, educated, established  Validated, taught, supervised, skilled, selected, solved, responded, received, managed, guided, formed, implemented, improved, ordered, provided, persuaded, presented, supplied, etc.