Resume Development. An effective resume:

Transcription

1 Resume Development A resume is a personal and intentional marketing tool. A strong resume is a brief and succinct summarization of you targeted to a specific career field that addresses the needs of a specific employer. Your resume provides an employer with a first impression of you and your qualifications. It must be perfect! It is possible that you may have to develop several versions of your resume for an effective, targeted job search. Please note, one resume may be uploaded to Rhodes State online job database You will need to review your resume on the Jobline each time you apply for a position in the system to make sure you are sending the appropriate document. An effective resume: Is a personal marketing tool May secure a job interview States your qualifications Is free of grammatical or punctuation errors Targets a specific job opportunity Concentrates on the skills the employer wants Focuses on your future (where you are going not where you have been) Emphasizes your relevant achievements and accomplishments Presents information as factual, results-oriented, accurate, and truthful Basic Mechanical Guidelines Format: When employers review resumes, they may spend only 20 to 30 seconds so make sure your resume format is readable. Every good resume is written concisely in an organized format and presents the most important information first. Avoid using Word, Publisher and other resume templates as templates may not allow you to display your experiences in an effective way and do not well to employers. Content Order: Categories should be sequenced and customized to reflect what is most important to the employer or industry. Start with what best reflects your experience and your career objective. Action Verbs: Begin each statement or phrase with a powerful action verb. Statements are best used in a bullet-style format and should be less than five lines. Rhodes State Career Services staff recommends using present tense verbs for current jobs and use past tense verbs for past jobs. Resume Length: One-page resumes are preferred by virtually all employers for most entry-level positions. If your resume is two pages, the content must fill both pages and make sure the most marketable and critical information is on the first page. If your

2 resume is two pages, you should include your name and Page 2 at the top of the second page Do Not Staple the Pages Together. Note: There are exceptions to this rule, please contact the Career Services Center if you have questions. Paper Quality, Size and Color: Resumes should be printed on high quality (16-25 lb.) 8 ½ x 11 bond paper; white, off-white or ivory preferred. Avoid colors and textures that do not photocopy well, such as gray or marble. Font Style, Size and Punctuation: Use a readable and familiar font (e.g., Times New Roman, Arial, Courier). The type size should be uniform and fall in the range of point font; your name may fall in the range of point font. Limit punctuation by eliminating periods at the end of each fragment and bulleted description point. Bold / Italics / Underlining: Limit use of bold, italics and underlining. It may make the resume too hard to read. Typing & Printing: Use word processing software and print your resume using a laser printer. Proofread: Check and then recheck your resume for grammar, spelling and punctuation errors. Ask your friends, faculty members, advisors and family to proofread your resume since spell check may not check UPPER CASE entries and does not know your name, address, phone number, or address. Resume Formats The resume format you choose should allow you to best present the information you wish to emphasize to each potential employer. Depending on the breadth of your job search, it may be advantageous to use varied formats. Most resumes fall into one of these three formats: Chronological, Functional and Chrono-functional. 1. Chronological Format This format lists your employment history starting with your most recent or current employment and working backward to your first job (or 10 to 15 years into the past). This format is effective when: Calling attention to a stable work history. Highlighting upward mobility, accomplishments, and promotions in your career field. Applying for a job in a very conservative company or field. Looking for a job in the same area as your previous job(s).

3 2. Functional Format This format emphasizes the applicable skills you have developed, rather than when, where, or how you acquired them. This format is effective when: Entering the job market for the first time or pursuing an entry-level position and lacking applicable work history to build a chronological resume. You held a variety of jobs in the past or the work was freelance, consulting, or temporary and/or you have a complicated work history. You have not advanced or you have made lateral moves; you are returning to the workplace after an absence. Concerned that your age may be a barrier; making a career change; and/or you are self-employed. Please note: As this format may have drawbacks, please contact Career Services staff for more information if you decide to use this format. 3. Chrono-Functional Format This format combines features of the chronological and functional formats. This format is effective when: Showcasing a solid employment history while highlighting skills that are applicable/transferable to the targeted position. You have a strong performance record and wish to stay in the same field. Components of a Resume Contact Information This is your personalized letterhead and should also be used for your reference page. It may be used as a letterhead for your cover letter as well. This information is your personal market branding campaign, a way to catch the employer s attention. NAME: Include first and last name, do not include nicknames, use pt font, and add your name to the top of the second page if your resume is two pages. ADDRESS: Include street number and name; city, state, and zip code; and abbreviate state only. PHONE NUMBER: Include area code; select the number that it is easiest to reach you; be sure voice mail message/answering machine is professional (hint: state your name in the message so the employer knows that he or she has reached you.) Make sure address is professional.

4 Job Objective While the job objective is optional, it is strongly recommended as some employers require one. The objective answers the questions: What, with whom and where do I want to work? ; At what level of responsibility? and What skills/experiences do I possess to accomplish this goal? Objective should be changed for each job. Make sure your objective fits the job for which you are applying. Other similar headings might be: Career Objective, Professional Objective, or Objective. Summary of Qualifications Education This section may be used to replace the Job Objective section. If no Job Objective, it follows the Contact Information. This section is a great opportunity to make a strong first impression with an Employer as you highlight your strengths related to position/company. Information may include: relevant experience; formal training and credentials; significant accomplishments; and outstanding skills or abilities. Similar headings might be: Qualifications Summary, Professional Summary, Summary, Summary of Skills, Qualifications, or Technical Summary to list computer skills. Required Information: Degree and major; Date of graduation (month & year) or expected date of graduation; Name of school (no abbreviations); and Location of college or university (city and state); Overall GPA Optional Information: Minor and/or area of concentration; Major GPA; Supplemental coursework (Specific classes that an employer might find important). Do Not Include High School Information if you have postsecondary education or training. Employment History Chronological or Functional Accomplishment statements are at the heart of the resume. They provide a prospective employer an idea of the extent of your knowledge, experience, and skills as well as your potential for adding value to their company. Statements are actually phrases, just one to two lines in length to describe not only what you did, but also how it benefited the company or organization. Showcase skills and abilities required for the job; customize to career field or job opportunity. Begin each statement with an action verb. Include keywords or terminology specific to the job opportunity or career field. Organize information to showcase your talents; list most impressive skills first. Quantify results whenever possible by using # s, $ s, and % s.

5 Related Professional Information Any of the following categories may become a separate section if applicable to your career direction. Publications Study Abroad Professional memberships & offices Laboratory Skills Campus and Civic Leadership Licenses or certificates currently held Honors, scholarships, & awards Special skills such as fluency in a foreign language, computer skills, etc Additional Personal Information Mention ONLY the personal information that pertains to your job objective. The following is a list of personal information that you should never include in your resume. Note: this advice is for individuals applying to United States companies. If applying for a job with a foreign country, please refer to the country s resume guidelines. Race Religion Marital status Disability Sexual orientation Political affiliation Height or weight Salary requirements Reasons for leaving a past job Resume Don ts On your resume, you should never Lie, exaggerate or attempt to be funny Use personal pronouns such as I, me, or my Forget to update your current phone number or address Provide reasons for leaving past jobs (Talk to a Career Services staff about terminations) Abbreviate your degree and university (i.e., Assoc. of Applied Bus., RSC, etc.) Include high school information after attaining or being close to attaining your collegiate degree Use any type of electronic resume format (i.e., Microsoft Word or Publisher) to create your document List hobbies and interests (unless related to career objective); Do not disclose salary requirements Start phrases with Responsible for in the Experience section Use graphics (unless applying for a graphic arts/design position). Have grammatical or spelling mistakes

6 Include personal information such as weight, age, marital status, etc. Submit your resume on regular printer paper; always use white, off-white or beige resume paper Tri-fold your resume when mailing it to an employer; always mail it in a 81/2 x 11 inch manila envelope Write your references on your resume and/or write references available upon request Please Note: Accounting and Education majors may need to include references on their resume. Check with the Career Services staff for more information. Put a picture of yourself on your resume Electronic & Scannable Resumes A resume is an extremely valuable tool in obtaining desired employment, but it only performs its duty when you create and submit it correctly. Successful job candidates submit their resume in the way specified by the employer and pay attention to the subtle format changes that need to be made if applying online or through . Several varieties of word processing programs and versions are used in the business world; therefore, the following tips provide you with suggestions on how to ensure that your resume will transfer from computer to computer without undergoing changes. Employers may request scannable resumes so they can store candidates information. While the majority of employers are now requesting the information to be uploaded to their employment Web site, the following information provides you with suggestions to help you develop a document that will relay your information correctly to employers. The lines and font differences used in the traditional paper resume make the content easy to read and appealing, but some lines and fonts will make your scannable resume unreadable. Minimize all unnecessary design elements and use keyboard symbols such as dashes (-) or asterisk (*) instead of bullets. Remember a computer not a human will be scanning your resume into a database. Use only one size of font (except for your name, it may be 2-3 sizes larger than the rest of the text) and one universal font (Times New Roman or Arial) for the entire document. Also, you should remove bold letters and use capital letters to emphasize headings.