Graduate Career Management Center. Resume Writing Tutorial

Transcription

1 Graduate Career Management Center Resume Writing Tutorial

2 Resume Writing Tutorial Purpose The goal of this tutorial is to help students successfully navigate the MBA resume writing process. This tutorial is the first step in the resume revision experience that a student will have during their MBA program. There are two sections of the tutorial: Strategy Development: This applies to slides 4 thru 6. It is important to think through these slides first to ensure your resume content connects with your future career path. Formatting Requirements: This relates to the required resume format that all students are expected to follow when participating in the job search resources during their MBA program.

3 Contents Define an MBA competitive resume Describe the required formatting and layout Provide instruction on developing content Answer Frequently Asked Questions (this section will outline WHY and the rationalization for our recommendations) Offer resources

4 Purpose of a Resume A written pitch A screening tool An assessment of your value An advertisement/ marketing tool A document that leads to an interview A critical step at the beginning of the job search Your resume is A first impression Always Specific to Your Target Audience

5 Strategize First Critical Pre-Resume Questions 1)Who am I? 2)Who do I want to be? 3)What is my brand? By thinking about how you would respond to these three questions in detail prior to your resume revision, it will help ensure your resume is written to the job you want and not the job you had.

6 Next, Communicate It Think ahead Write to the future job you want. Example: If a job you had was not relevant to the job you are applying from a career focus perspective, what transferrable skills did you demonstrate that can predict future success on the job such as strong communication or presentation skills. Market yourself Emphasize specific skills to match the career you are seeking. Provide quantitative results whenever possible to demonstrate success or context in previous roles you performed. Write to your reader Communicate your past experiences in a manner that is relevant to your targeted industry/job function. Think about reading your resume from the perspective of a recruiter. Your resume needs to successfully address the needs/requirements of the job description.

7 MSU MBA Resume Requirements Number of pages: Less than 10 years of work experience: One full page only. Over 10 years of work experience: No more than two pages. Why the page limit? The resume is a highlight of your unique differentiators specific to your career goal and does not list everything. Recruiters get 1000 s of resumes and must be able to scan quickly for qualifications. Resumes that are too long are often not read.. Sections of resume must be listed in the following order: Name and Contact Information (top of page, center) Education Experience Leadership All dates must be right justified and bolded, listed in numeric format. Organize resume in reverse chronological order (most recent experiences on top).

8 Resume Structure Requirements Use tables to keep formatting consistent: Why? Various systems where you will upload your resume will interpret manual spacing differently. Using tables will ensure your resume format alignment will be preserved across multiple platforms. After your resume is complete, test the layout by converting it to a pdf and this will enable you to verify that it converts correctly. Font requirement: Name heading must be Times New Roman, size 14 font and bolded. Section headings must be Times New Roman, size 12, bolded (Education, Experience, Leadership). Bullets and supporting text must be Times New Roman, size 11. The font color throughout must be black. How do I list locations? If a US location, list the city and state. Example: East Lansing, MI. If a international location, list the city and country. Example: Toronto, Canada.

9 Resume Structure Requirements Bullets Use the default circle shape and size from the bullet library. Experience section: You should have a minimum of two bullets per job title. You should have a maximum of five bullets per job title. Margins Right: 1 Left: 1.25 Top and bottom:.75 Grammar and spelling: This is a critical area to always review and recheck. Recruiters will reject a resume for a simple misspelling or grammar mistake.

10 Education Section Formatting Requirements Education should be listed in the first section of your resume after your name and address: Why? Since you are currently a student, chronologically this fits at the top. Recruiters will look here first to identify how to read your resume by job function and type (internship or full time). What is the required way to list the MSU MBA degree and other degrees on my resume? EDUCATION Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 5/2018 Master of Business Administration, Eli Broad College of Business, Marketing GPA: 4.0, GMAT: 720 Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 5/2012 Bachelor of Science in Business, Kelly School of Business, Marketing GPA: 3.7

11 Education Section Formatting Requirements Should you list your GPA? GMAT? You should list your graduate GPA if it is over a 3.5. Only include your GPA from undergraduate degree if it is over 3.3. You should list this information in the education section as the last line under your degree using a bullet point. For 1 st year MBA students, you will have to wait until the spring to list your GPA. List your GMAT if it is 700+ on the same line you use for the GPA.

12 Experience Section Formatting What is the required method to list my work experience? EXPERIENCE Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, MI Strategic Marketing Intern 5/2010-8/2010 First bullet. Second bullet. Etc.

13 Experience Section Formatting How do I list multiple positions with one employer? It is important to list multiple positions separately under the same employer name. This will help demonstrate how you have increased your skill and responsibility levels with the promotion. EXPERIENCE Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI Director 5/20120-Present First bullet Second bullet Etc Associate Director 4/2010-4/2012 First bullet Second bullet Etc

14 Experience Section Format Requirements Write in bullet points, not paragraphs: Why? It is easier for recruiters to read and navigate your resume. Include the months and years for each role held and in numeric format: Recruiters expect to see this to help them understand the true amount of time you were in a role. Example: 5/ /2009 Use succinct bullets (not paragraphs) to communicate your experience. Examples include: Led market research analysis to help identify new consumer insights and develop a stronger branding strategy for emerging markets. Directed a U.S. Department of Education grant-funded program which enhanced cultural sensitivity within all areas of the university and surrounding community. Analyzed purchasing consumption and sales reports to help identify key performance metrics and develop three year expansion plan. This resulted in a 30% increase in market share from

15 Experience Section Advice Each bullet should communicate the following items: Structure: Each bullet should have a skill demonstrated and result to showcase that you were successful in your role. Transferrable skills communicated: This is especially important for career switchers. Example: If you were a teacher in a prior career, then discuss project management and presentation skills to prove value to the recruiter. Demonstrate your personal brand: This is what you are known for professionally (your abilities, motivators, interests etc). Leadership experience showcased: Does your resume provide examples of how you led people/projects and its value to the company as a whole? Showcase intent and understanding of your future career path: Bullets should demonstrate a understanding of your career path intent. This means that you will have to explain past roles in a manner that is relevant to the career path you are seeking. Prioritize bullet points: List the most relevant or impactful information first. Lead with action verbs for each bullet point: See link at end of PowerPoint for examples. Show promotion or advancement: This can be accomplished with titles and dates.

16 Leadership Section This is the area of your resume where you will list items that do not fall into the education or experience categories, but add value to the career path you are focused on. Examples include: Languages Clubs and volunteer involvement (dates should be listed) Relevant technical skills summary LEADERSHIP & SKILLS Languages: English (Fluent), Mandarin (Native), Japanese (Basic) Certifications: CPA, 2012 Volunteer: Chairperson, UCLA Charity Auction, 2011 Clubs: MBA Association, Graduate Supply Chain Management Association

17 FAQ s: You should only use your MSU address. Why? Many Yahoo, Gmail, or Hotmail accounts go to recruiters SPAM accounts. You will be working with MBA CSC and campus recruiters so there is an automatic affiliation with the campus. Why can t I use an objective statement at the top of my resume? Your resume IS your summary of qualifications and your career objective Your cover letter, which often accompanies your resume, will communicate your desire and transferability to the specific job. Why is a skilled or functional-based resume not recommended? Recruiters are clear that they want to see where you worked and when in a reverse chronological order. A resume that is organized by skills or function make it harder for recruiters to find what they are looking for. Sometimes you might be encouraged to do a functional resume if you are making a drastic career change, but it is rare. What should I use for my phone and address? You should use the contact information that you plan to be available at during your MBA program.

18 FAQ s: It is important to be consistent with grammar and punctuation. The MSU MBA CSC formatting requirements include: End all bullet points with a period. Write numbers as 1, 2, 3. Use and not &. Always use past tense verbs. Use K for thousand, M for million, B for billion throughout resume. Example: $5M. Use % throughout resume, not percent.

19 FAQ s: Should I list military or mission experience? Yes, this is a great way to help demonstrate your skills representing leadership, global exposure, etc. Typically, recruiters like to see these types of experiences, especially if it fits well with where you are trying to go. This information would be listed in your work experience section if it served as your full time job. Where should I list my technical skills in my resume? Readers want to see HOW you used the technical programs the impact they had and how they helped you accomplish your responsibilities. Thus, it is important to note them within the bullet points of your experiences. You may also provide a summary of your technical skills in the Leadership section of the resume. Note: you should only identify technical skills if they are relevant to the career path you are seeking AND they are related to an accomplishment/task. How do I list language proficiency? Use the terms Native, Fluent, Conversant or Basic, and clarify written, spoken or both. List this in the Leadership & Skills section of your resume.

20 FAQ s: How often should I update my resume? You should update it often as necessary and at a minimum review it once a month. You will add various items during your MBA program such as placement at case competition. As your resume develops, you will need to drop bullet points on former jobs or extracurricular items that are less relevant or outdated. Resumes are not written in first-person or the subjective voice. How do I write in the thirdperson or objective voice? Avoid sentences that have personal pronoun s such as I or we. Example: an incorrect version states Our team took firstplace in the competition. The proper way to list is : National MBA Case competition: 1 st place. Avoid items on your resume like: Date of birth/age Graphics such as personal photos, logos, art work, etc. Place of birth Nationality or country of origin Marital status Gender Individual company salaries or any salary history Passport number Reason for leaving jobs Signature High school education or equivalent