1. “Righting” Your Résumé www.msubillings.edu/careers

2. Résumé writing is Essay Writing! Résumé Objective = Essay Thesis Résumé Evidence = Education + Work Experience + Volunteer Experience + Special Skills (software, languages, supervision, etc.) Résumé References = Essay Conclusion

3. Résumé Formats Chronological: most recent experience first Functional: organize around job functions Functional Use O*NET OnLine http://online.onetcenter.org

4. ChronologicalFunctional Fits a “traditional” history of work and education Focus is on dates Most common format Shifts focus to skills and abilities, not “where you were, when” Minimizes dates and gaps in your history

5. Organize “your” Data Addresses: (permanent & temp), phone + email Educational history: degrees, dates, gpa’s College & community activities + awards Work exp, most recent first Personal: ONLY IF related to job Reference information

6. Objective Statement Serves as “thesis statement” Focuses résumé content Forces you to be selective & succinct Enables employer to match you with your targeted job Is “action” oriented

7. Sample Objective Statements To secure an internship in a full-service mortgage banking company. Seeking employment in the management trainee program of a private printing company. To obtain a full-time auditing position with a “Big 4” accounting firm.

8. Action-packed from A to Z! Use verbs to show initiative: acted, balanced, communicated, designed, eliminated, formulated, generated, helped, improved, judged, kept, led, mediated, negotiated, operated, prepared, questioned, reduced, sold, taught, updated, viewed, wrote, x-rayed, yielded, zeroed in on!

9. Personal Data is Discriminatory! Focus on job qualifications NOT age, height, weight, physical appearance NOT social security number, home ownership info, or creditworthiness NOT social groups, clubs, organizations NOT parental or marital status or childcare for your children NOT medical history

10. Choose References with Care! Provide references with copy of your résumé. Verify they will say excellent things about your performance! “Ghost write” the recommendation.

11. Electronic Résumé Format Use fonts such as: Comic Sans, Times, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana. Avoid decorative font! Use normal type size, 11 to 14 points. Max is 65 characters per line. Avoid graphics or shading Avoid graphics or shading. Avoid bold, italics and underlining Do not use bullets or lines. LEFT JUSTIFY TEXT. Check it out! Email to yourself/a friend before sending to employers.

12. Avoid Résumé Mistakes! Identified by 2012 survey of 2,500 recruiters Spelling errors, typos, poor grammar Dates not included or inaccurate Contact info missing, inaccurate, or unprofessional: beerguzzler@hotmail.combeerguzzler@hotmail.com Poor formatting, unnecessary headers & footers, boxes, etc. Failure to describe accomplishments & how they were achieved

13. Letter of Application Personalized and customized to each vacancy Highlights skills & abilities with point- by-point response to vacancy announcement Error-free High quality print White or off-white stationery: letter, résumé & envelope Same font as résumé Signature in blue or black ink

14. Your Résumé is Right! Use spelling & grammar checker; find “objective eyes” to edit. Quantify: add numbers to explain how much, how many, how vast your experience is. Print on high quality printer. Aesthetics are key: font, symmetry, format = “The Look.”

15. Montana State University Billings University Campus: LIB 100 657.2168 City College: Jacket Student Central 247.3006 www.msubillings.edu/careers Career Services