Developing Your Very Own. Winning Resume. A Writer s Workshop Presented by Jeff Tolley

Transcription

1 Developing Your Very Own Winning Resume A Writer s Workshop Presented by Jeff Tolley

2 Review of packet General DO s and DON T s resume tips Tools: Internet, Resume Templates, Optimal Resume Hands-on step-by-step resume creation Guidelines for follow-up assignment Wrap-up and evaluation

3 Plan: Consider your audience and your purpose. Organize: Review the resume checklist, outline the information, then determine the format. Create: Write a first draft using samples and templates. Revise: Confidently make changes to your resume that will lead to your goal: Getting an interview.

4 A brochure that promotes a product. YOU are the product! Likely your first contact with the employer. Make an impression! Used by employers as screening tools. Emphasize relevant qualifications and accomplishments. Qualities: well-organized, factual, clear, eye-catching, easy to read, and truthful. GOAL: Get the interview!

5 The type of opportunity you seek from the company. Who you are. What you know. Your personal and work experiences. It helps the employer get a sense of your potential as an employee.

6 1-2 pages in length Use easy-to-read fonts, white space, and bolding for emphasis (limit italics). Use bullet statements or short paragraphs. Use vivid action verbs. Use descriptive adjectives and accomplishment statements. Begin with most important material first. Quantify your experience. Avoid personal pronouns.

7 Be neat! No errors, so smudges, clear printing Proofread! Proper grammar and spelling say a lot. Be consistent in formatting. Use the same style and font throughout the document. Avoid the use of artwork, elaborate headings and script fonts. Use quality printer (laser!) and neutral bond paper. Stark white copy paper is not your best choice. Your resume, cover letter, and envelopes should all be the same color, style, and weight.

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9 Personal contact information (address, , phone) Career Objective (what job do you want?) Qualifications summary, special competencies/skills (list what you can do; cash register, MS Word, etc.) Education (degree, major, special training. HS counts!) Study abroad (Foreign exchange, special programs) Relevant paid or unpaid work experience it all counts! Babysitting, yard work, tutoring, student aide. Community service (church, Scouts, other groups) Professional affiliations (School clubs are important!) Interests/hobbies (If you are applying as a lifeguard and you are a competitive swimmer mention it!) References/portfolio include them!

10 Always review your own resume before you print it, and them again after you print. Always have someone proofread your resume for errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and facts. Your resume should be eye-catching. It should not be too busy, but it should not have too much white space, either.

11 What are the reasons that a resume would get Screened out?

12 Categories missing Unclear objective Wrong job target Generic and unfocused Lacks relevant experience/education Explains job descriptions not accomplishments Hard to understand Irrelevant information Time gaps Boastful or dishonest Slick, gimmicky Poor physical layout Too long, short, or condensed Wordy, bad spelling, poor grammar Lengthy phrases, sentences, and paragraphs Poorly reproduced

13 Too many fonts, fancy fonts, wordiness, long paragraphs Personal data Unnecessary abbreviations Justify type set (equal side margins) Too many UPPERCASE LETTERS, underlining, and italics Empty words various, duties included Emphasizing what does not exist (in other words, be truthful!)

14 Sample Resume Headings John A. Smith 123 Main Street, Burlington, VT (Website URL) 802/ (IM Address) John A. Smith 123 Main Street Burlington, VT (802) (Website URL, IM address)

15 Beginning of the resume or in cover letter Target it to a specific job or employer if possible Keep it concise, avoid unnecessary words Avoid the all purpose type of objective

16 Sample Objectives To participate in the Sandia National Labs summer institute as a chemical engineer intern. To join the staff at UNM pool as a Summer, 2013, youth swimming instructor. Summer employment as a customer service representative at Cinemark Movie Theaters. A part time, permanent customer service representative at The Home Depot. Dining room server and hostess at El Pinto restaurant in a part time capacity.

17 Functional specialty/title Overall picture of your qualifications Years of experience in the field Certifications, licenses Accomplishments/recognitions/results Key talents/special knowledge related to target job Language skills Technical and special skills

18 Two years experience operating cash registers YMCA-certified babysitter Three years experience with MS Office software Six years experience with i-phone and 4G technology. WSI and CPR certified Project management and problem-solving skills Financial experience (P&L, cost control, budgeting) Multi-tasking ability and flexibility Organizational skills and attention to detail Bilingual in English and Spanish Networking ability (to cultivate new business, for example) Leadership or supervisory experience

19 It is important to: List the schools you have attended and when you expect to graduate. A high school diploma is important until you have a college transcript. Emphasize what sets you apart from other students. Emphasize leadership roles and duties: team captain, club officer, responsible for funds.

20 List before work experience for recent graduates in reverse chronological order Cibola High School, Albuquerque, NM; graduation May, 2017 Write out dates; no abbreviations Degrees, major(s), and minor(s) for college Licensures, certifications, endorsements Include special training, relevant workshops Emphasize Advanced Placement and Honors courses

21 Honors: Graduated Cum Laude or Summa Cum Laude, GPA above 3.0 class rank above 3.5, scholarships, awards Relevant academic projects, special training, study-abroad Extra-curricular, athletic and leadership activities Club memberships and committee work Number of hours worked to help finance your education

22 Presentation of Your Education Credentials, Campus Involvement and Academic Achievements CIBOLA HIGH SCHOOL, ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO Diploma with honors anticipated May, 2013 Maintain a 3.85 GPA (4.0 scale) while working hours per week. Honor roll all semesters. Student aide to administrative staff. National Honor Society sophomore, junior, and senior years. Three year varsity letter winner in soccer and track. Member of yearbook staff, sophomore and junior year. Three year member of Operation Smile.

23 Use an internet search engine to find a desired job title and description; use it in your resume. Tailor a resume toward the company you want to work for. Go to their website and then use their terminology in your resume. Ask questions of people who have experience with job applications and resumes: teachers, parents, grandparents, older siblings, and business owners and managers you know. Talk to friends who have jobs about how they applied for their jobs.

24 Job title, employer, location (city, state), dates Reverse order/relevant before non-relevant Include relevant paid and volunteer experience (full time, part time, summer): retail sales, administrative assistant, home childcare, camp counselor, tutor, Special Olympics Volunteer. Group similar jobs with one job description. Use action verbs/industry jargon to describe experience in specific achievement oriented terms. Younger applicants won t have many groups.

25 Not just job descriptions, but rather your skills and verifiable contributions Advancements Bonuses Performance Evaluations Recognitions Awards/ accomplishments Transcripts Certificates

26 Include non-related jobs and volunteer work if they help create a picture of stability and work experience. Important when lacking experience. Concentrate on skills you developed that are important to your career or job objective. Include promotions, management and supervisory responsibilities, customer service, technology, and directly relevant coursework. Omit jobs that were very brief. Many employers do not look favorably on long term jobs that ended prematurely.

27 List memberships and responsibilities that relate to your career or job objective. Demonstrate that you are keeping up to date in your chosen field. Include organizations that show community involvement. Special interests, travel, and hobbies may help to show ability and experience.

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29 Have a minimum of 3 references - people who can attest to your work habits, skills, and accomplishments. Always ask beforehand! Current or past employer(s)/supervisor(s) Inform reference of your career objective and give them a copy of your resume Professors, teachers, principals Advisors, mentors, tutors, ministers/priests Coaches Internship, field experience, or community service supervisor

30 Name, title, company, address, phone # Never indicate on the resume that References are available upon request. When managers have a pile of resumes and applications to sift through, they want the whole story in front of them. They likely won t take time to call you for a list of references. The next resume is probably just as good as yours.

31 References John A. Smith 123 Main Street, Albuquerque, NM / Mr. Charles Amey, III Director of Hospitality Hilton Hotels P.O. Box 670 Albuquerque, NM (505) Mr. Milton Jones Field Experience Supervisor ABC Conference Center 208 Main Street Nowhereibeen, NM (505) As a general rule, have at least three references.

32 Proof proof proof! Understand your audience and speak to it. Be sure your resume is easy to read. Plan! Be well organized Be honest! Dishonesty is a termination offense. Dynamic Diction! Choose descriptive words. Be flawless in every aspect of your resume Update your resume whenever there is a change in ANY information.

33 Resume development is on ongoing process. As a second-year student, you are just beginning the process. Enhance your experience, personal qualifications, and leadership qualities over the next two years. Keep a folder of your accomplishments. Update your resume regularly.

34 ! Everybody applicant wants that call!