Creating an effective resume An employer may only spend 20 seconds scanning your resume, so it is imperative to make it short, concise and targeted to the job or industry to which you are applying. Choosing a resume format that best markets your skills and experience to an employer is the first step to job-finding success. 1. Main types of resumes: REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL: Since employers are most familiar with this format, choose another format only if the reverse chronological format does not allow you to market your skills effectively. Organize jobs in reverse chronological order (most recent first), stating: o Job Title: create an accurate one if you had none o Name of company or organization and location (city/province). Do not include supervisor s name or employer s street address or telephone number o Dates, beginning and terminating (for full-time, on-going positions of at least one year, it is not necessary to include a reference to the months) o Bullet point description of your skills and responsibilities, relevant to the job you are hoping to attain Reverse Chronological template (Appendix A) Most effective if your Does not work well if you employment history is closely related to the position for which you are applying achievements are measurable and can be demonstrated employment history is consistent and has few gaps have gaps in your employment history do not have relevant work experience FUNCTIONAL: The main difference between this type of resume and the Reverse Chronological is the condensed Employment History section. Identify three to six Key Skill areas (as identified in the job ad or from your understanding of your desired industry). Eg, Problem Solving, Organizational Skills, Communication Skills Use the bullet points from your Employment History section of your reverse chronological resume and include under one of the skill headings you created; ensure each point starts with an action verb Try to combine points wherever possible to make clear, concise entries; the number of points for each function/skills should range from three to seven Nipissing University Page 1
The Employment History section comprises, in reverse chronological order, a listing of your employment: Job title, Company/Organization, Location and Date. There are no job descriptions in this section. Functional Template (Appendix B) Most effective if you want to focus on skills and achievements rather than dates have relevant experience, but these positions would be lost among the other jobs in a reverse chronological resume do not have a lot of relevant work experience, but do have relevant qualifications for the job may have gaps in your employment history Does not work well if you can't provide specific examples of how you have used your skills in previous situations are more effectively marketed by alternate format CUSTOMIZED: Similar to a Reverse Chronological resume, but includes specific additional sections pertaining to a particular job industry. These sections are often only included when the applicant is a recent graduate, as Employment History does not yet demonstrate experience in the field. Organize in reverse chronological order, including dates and employer, giving bullet point examples of skills demonstrated/developed o Teaching: 'Teaching Philosophy', 'School Practicum Experience', 'Voluntary Teaching Experience' o Nursing: 'Clinical Placements' or 'Key Clinical Experience' o IT roles: 'Technical Skills Summary' Customized Template (Appendix C) Most effective if you Does not work well if you Are applying for a job in a specialized sector, usually requiring registration Have not experienced a practicum Not relevant to desired industry Have previous industry experience Nipissing University Page 2
2. Types of sections you can include: The following are some basic headings to consider for your resume, depending on the type of resume you wish to use that will market you best, and the industry you re applying to. Personal Details Career Objective or Personal Statement Education or Qualifications Key Skills School Practicum Experience/Clinical Placement Employment History/ Work Experience Professional Development Special Skills and Achievements Interests References Name, address, email, home phone, cell phone What do you want to do? What do you have to offer? Dates attended, name of institution/program, course/majors Reading, writing, document use, numeracy, computer use, thinking, oral communication, working with others, continuous learning Dates, name of employer, skills used Dates, name of employer, job title, roles/ responsibilities, skills Dates, name of qualification and institution, brief description Other relevant examples to enhance your resume Give high-level examples that indicate unique skill or experience Name, job title, relationship to you, contact phone and email Edit and Proofread Your resume should be concise and well organized keep to 2 pages. Blocks of text that are more than 4 lines belong on a cover letter, not your resume. Edit carefully for meaning, clarity, grammar and spelling. Get it critiqued! ALWAYS have a friend, family member or Career Counsellor review before submitting, to avoid making mistakes Languages: Speak English and Spinach. Experience: Demonstrated ability in multi-tasting. Experience: Child care provider: Organized activities; prepared lunches and snakes. Skills: Strong Work Ethic, Attention to Detail, Team Player, Self Motivated, Attention to Detail Nipissing University Page 3
3. The important stuff What do I write? Research the employer s needs Employers say the applications that impress them the most demonstrate your knowledge of their business. Employers prefer cover letters and resumes that specifically address their requirements, so to increase your chances at an interview, tailor your resume for each position you apply for. To do this effectively you ll need to have a good understanding of the position you are seeking, as well as having an appreciation of their key goals, priorities and challenges of the industry. What does the employer require? (review industry info, check out strategic plan) What abilities and experiences do I have that make me a suitable candidate? How can I demonstrate that? Link your experiences with employer requirements Through your research on the organization, you ll be able to identify 4 6 key skills, experiences or knowledge areas important to that employer. Your resume and cover letter should address these areas. Think about the employer s point of view and present information about yourself in a way that answers their question, What can this candidate offer my organization? By linking examples that demonstrate your relevant experience and skills, you ll create an application that will get their attention. The table below is an example of an organized approach to documenting skills and experience against each one of an employer s requirements: Skills and experiences the employer wants Planning & organizational skills Professional oral and written communication skills Initiative & leadership skills John s experiences Organized project on customer needs in banking sector; organized posters for sports club event Presentation on deregulation for business course; financial reports for university Independent research on Ontario financial institutions; introduced new accounting system for tennis team When you understand why you are a good fit, it will be much easier to communicate that to employers. Understanding your own skills, knowledge and behaviours will make your interviews easier too! Assess your skills, knowledge and experience It is a good idea to make documenting your skills an ongoing project. It s much easier to remember what you have done in the last few months than trying to recall details of projects you did a year ago or more! Even when you are not actively job seeking, keep adding to your notes on your skills and achievements. Nipissing University Page 4
Once you start identifying your skills, technical knowledge and personal qualities with examples to demonstrate your experience, it is easier to see how you match the employer s requirements. The following table identifies a range of transferrable skills and attributes regarded highly by employers. Consider which of these skills and attributes are most relevant for the position to which you are applying. SKILL COMMUNICATION CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAMWORK PLANNING & ORGANIZING MANAGEMENT/LEADERSHIP TIME MANAGEMENT ANALYTICAL/PROBLEM SOLVING SELF MANAGEMENT TECHNICAL INITIATIVE & ENTERPRISE INTERPERSONAL EXAMPLE Written and verbal communication: Are you able to clearly communicate your ideas? Can you adapt your style for different audiences? Have you had to explain specific information? What type of communication? (eg presentations, reports, brainstorming, formal discussion) Providing a service for the general public or internal clients: Are you an effective salesperson? Do you understand the needs of customers? Can you influence and negotiate effectively? Can you effectively empathize with customers and diffuse aggressive customer situations? Working effectively with others: Can you handle conflict? Have you undertaken different roles? Do you know how to support others and ask for support? Managing time, resources and priorities: Have you created timelines and coordinated tasks for yourself with others? Can you adapt plans to cope with unforeseen changes? Have you collected, analyzed and organized information? Have you planned or organized events? Your ability to plan, take and delegate responsibility, take action and achieve targets, and demonstrate foresight: Can you organize others activities and time? Can you resolve conflict? Can you make maximum use of people and resources to achieve objectives? Have you coached staff or provided constructive feedback? Working to targets, balancing priorities: Can you organize your work and prioritize tasks? Can you produce work to deadlines? Effectively balance study and work, volunteering or sport commitments? Identify issues, create strategies and develop creative, original or practical solutions: Have you identified problems and/or found a solution? Have you used budgeting to solve problems? Do you consider the data and circumstances before offering solutions? Have you resolved customer issues in relation to projects? Your ability to evaluate and monitor your own performance: Are you aware of your weaknesses and working to improve them? Are you able to articulate your thoughts and passion? Do you take responsibility for your personal growth? Technical knowledge: Are you skilled in using specialist tools? Do you have knowledge and experience of technology systems, programs and devices? Have you used IT in your work or study? Adapting to new situations, developing a strategic, innovative plan: Have you identified opportunities not obvious to others? Can you make ideas happen? Can you generate a range of options or suggest creative solutions? Building and maintaining effective working relationships: Are you able to relate to other people? Can you interact with a broad range of individuals and groups? Nipissing University Page 5
4. Using Excellent Examples Key Skills section When describing your skills avoid generalized statements such as Excellent communication skills anyone can say that! SHOW how you have actually used those skills by using examples from your employment history, studies or extracurricular activities. Your aim is to include in your example the Situation, Task, Action and Result (STAR). a. Note down the key information for each skill required. For example, if you need to demonstrate your planning and organizational skills, you might use an example of something you organized for the student society or club you are involved with: John s notes for an example of organizational skills Situation: (the situation or setting) Task: (outline what you did) Action: (outline how you did it) Result: (the outcome) My sports club was organizing a fundraising party I was responsible for the promotional materials I planned what kind of promotional materials were needed; designed posters, flyers and a slide for our facebook page; got the posters and flyers printed; told club members where to distribute Posters and flyers were up by the deadline b. Create a statement only 2 or 3 lines long that focuses on the key actions you took. Use the work related verbs list on the next page to give you some ideas. Where possible, quantify examples with figures; for example Produced 18 monthly newsletters with readership of over 200 has more impact than Produced monthly newsletter. John s example: Planning and organizational skills Planned and designed promotional materials for sports club fundraising event. Coordinated printing and distribution of 100 posters and 1000 postcards, successfully promoting the event over a 2 week period. Nipissing University Page 6
5. Tailor your Career Objective to each position Most employers expect to see a Career Objective or an Experience Summary at the start of a resume. It is the first impression you give of your suitability for the job, so tailor it to each individual employer. A too general or poorly written Career Objective will suggest laziness, disinterest or a lack of understanding not really the way you want to market yourself! A well thought out and genuine Career Objective can positively influence the way an employer considers you. An effective Career Objective highlights what makes you right for the role. It should: i. Provide a summary of your suitability to that particular position; ii. Link your abilities to the key attributes sought by the employer; and iii. Show how your goals fit with the employers expectations. It is easier to write after you have worked on matching examples of your skills to the position requirements, tailored your resume and written your cover letter. Remember Make it concise! Only 2 or 3 lines only. More detailed info belongs elsewhere. Identify the position you are applying for, key skills or experience you have to offer, and what you hope to gain or achieve in the position (NOT what the position can do for you). Example: To attain a position as a Junior Marketing Assistant with Innovate Marketing Inc, where I can demonstrate both the knowledge gained through my degree and my expertise in providing quality customer service. In some fields, or if you have an extensive employment history, a Professional Profile or Experience Summary may be more effective than a Career Objective. Regardless, conciseness and relevance are always essential. Here are some examples of work-related action words you may wish to use: Management Communication Research Technical Teaching Verbs Administered Analyzed Assigned Attained Chaired Consolidated Contracted Coordinated Delegated Developed Directed Evaluated Effected Improved Increased Organized Planned Produced Reviewed Strengthened Supervised Addressed Arbitrated Arranged Appeased Collaborated Convinced Drafted Edited Formulated Influenced Interviewed Lectured Mediated Notified Persuaded Presented Promoted Publicized Recruited Translated Wrote Categorized Collated Documented Examined Extracted Identified Inspected Interpreted Incorporated Investigated Summarized Surveyed Systematized Verified Assembled Constructed Calculated Computed Designed Devised Engineered Fabricated Maintained Operated Overhauled Repaired Solved Upgraded Nipissing University Page 7
Creative Helping Clerical Adapted Advised Clarified Coached Enabled Encouraged Explained Facilitated Informed Instructed Mentored Stimulated Trained Tutored Acted Created Customized Dramatized Established Illustrated Initiated Integrated Invented Originated Performed Outlined Revitalized Shaped Advocated Assessed Assisted Counselled Diagnosed Educated Guided Led Motivated Referred Rehabilitated Represented Supported Volunteered Approved Authorized Catalogued Classified Collected Compiled Dispatched Executed Issued Monitored Optimized Prepared Processed Recorded Retrieved Screened Specified Streamlined Tabulated Utilized Validated Additional Tips: Use bullet points throughout - avoid lengthy sentences Start each bullet point with an action word (see list above) Include internships, summer and part-time employment Emphasize skills, strengths and accomplishments List major awards, achievements and publications Use the language/jargon of your chosen field, Remove all personalization: "I," "me," "my," "we" Check for consistency to ensure everything is uniform and professional: do all jobs listed include city/state and the location of the company? Are all job titles listed and underlined under the company name? Nipissing University Page 8