Translating Commonwealth Corps Onto Your Resume Presented by: Denise Riebman, Director of Career Development and Alumni; George Washington University, Trachtenberg School of Public Policy & Public Administration; AmeriCorps Alum 95 The first in a series of events from MSA on Commonwealth Corps Transitions 1
Elephant in the room 2
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Let s get started and get real. How is your resume being read? 4
Human eyes 5-30 seconds to impress Might not know ANYTHING about your field Keywords, Education, Experience Error Free Sharp and easy to read Computer eyes 5
The BIG question how long should your resume be? What are they looking for? 6
Nonprofit Sector What are they looking for? Mission and culture fit; Commitment to service Accomplishment driven but understand that not everything can be quantified International NGOs - often longer, more detailed, cv-like Where can you learn more? http://philanthropy.com/article/r-sum-s-matter-what/57414 http://www.bridgestar.org/library/writingeffectiveresumes.aspx http://www.jposc.org/career_management/documents/writingar esume_devex_en.pdf https://www.devex.com/en/blogs/development-careers Public Sector What are they looking for? Longer (3-5 pages on average) Very specific employment information (dates, salaries, supervisors) Highly detailed, responsibilities AND results. Format will vary for state/local government Where can you learn more? http://www.resume-place.com http://www.ourpublicservice.org http://www.makingthedifference.org 7
Private Sector What are they looking for? Big names, Big scores, Big Achievements Short and Strong Understanding of industry/using the right language Leverage transferrable skills Where can you learn more? http://netimpact.org/careers http://caseinterview.com/consulting-resume Translating Service into Resume Speak using CCAR Challenge. Describe a specific problem or goal. Context. Talk about the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which you worked, to tackle a particular challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinking budget, low morale). Action. Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge. Result. Give specific examples of the results of your actions. These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills. 8
Translating Service into Resume Speak using CCAR Challenge: Increase number of youth receiving tutoring Context. Partnered with school, three nonprofit organizations and parent association; Limited financial resources and lack of volunteers. Action. Identified three local companies for volunteers; Presented to employees about being a volunteer tutor; Negotiated with HR for employees to being able to take time off; Trained 10 new tutors. Result. 15 additional youth received tutoring during the academic year; Brokered three new corporate partnerships resulting in 10 volunteer tutors and in-kind/financial donations worth approximately $10,000. Let s get started right at the top 9
Your contact info is all set.now what? Objectives Statements OUT It s not about YOU and what you WANT or NEED. Professional Profiles IN It s about what THEY WANT and how you meet their NEEDS. What the heck is a Professional Profile? What it is: Why you are an ideal match for this job What makes you unique (foreign language, blend of experience, personal attributes) What it s NOT: Restating your resume Boring, clichéd language Generic TIPS: Write after doing the rest of your resume Look at resumes online and LinkedIn Profiles for ideas Dual Use for LinkedIn Profile 10
Professional Profile Examples AC Alums Five years experience in social science research, program evaluation, and policy analysis. Analyzed of national data sets. Led evaluations of prisoner reentry, housing programs. Demonstrated success in fund raising and capacity building. Secured $1.5 million capital grant and ongoing funding for youth and workforce development programming. Entrepreneurial thinker and catalyst for community initiatives. Spearheaded development of first youth-run teen center in Utica, New York. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PRACTITIONER Program Management Curriculum Design Community Development Professional Profile Examples AC Alums Community organizer focused on access to affordable housing. Experienced in the non-profit sector coordinating with external partners and engaging low-income populations in community dialogue. Specialized skills include social media and traditional communications, community mapping, proposal writing and fundraising. Education field experience focused on closing the achievement gap and increasing opportunity for children and youth. Core Competencies Project management; Program Design and Implementation; Community Engagement; Group facilitation. 11
Next up.education Section Education Section: Where does it go? What to include? Top or Bottom? Preference is bottom unless light on work experience or degree is highly relevant to position. GPA? Rule of Thumb: Include if above 3.0 Honors: YES Coursework? Research Papers? Activities? Does it add something new and needed? If so, YES Dates? Yes and include credit/course information if still in school or didn t graduate Including high school if no college credits 12
National Service Specific Issues What about trainings and/or certifications received while serving? Professional Experience Section 13
Chronological or Function? Preference is Chronological or Hybrid What is a Hybrid Model? Similar Work Experiences Clustered Listed chronologically Section Examples: Community Development Experience Classroom Teaching Experience Environmental Education Experience International Development Experience Journalism Experience National Service specific issues Position Title Examples: Youth Development Coordinator (AmeriCorps) Volunteer Coordinator AmeriCorps Member Jumpstart AmeriCorps Member Explanation Examples: Explains what the program is and the service commitment Demonstrates they were hired at organization after year of service 14
Time to talk Accomplishments So what? Who cares? Why does it matter? 15
Results, Results, Results $ # % Don t worry.not everything can or should be quantified Here s your chance to BORE them Provided Assisted Responsible for Successful Accomplished Dedicated 16
Leveraged Doubled/Tripled/Expanded Launched/Created/Piloted Produced Analyzed Spearheaded Cultivated HOW NOT TO BORE THEM: http://encorps.nationalserviceresources.org/resources/everything_about _getting_a_job/skill_clusters.php http://www.quintcareers.com/action_skills.html Impact Accomplishments BEFORE: Built homes for low-income families AFTER: Increased by 25% the number of weekday volunteers for build sites resulting in 3 homes completed ahead of schedule in one year. BEFORE: Responsible for 3 EITC centers during tax season including training new volunteers. AFTER: Managed 3 high volume EITC centers including recruiting two new accounting firms that committed 200 employee hours to provide free tax services. 17
Impact Accomplishments BEFORE: Wrote community resource guide. AFTER: Addressed need for centralized source of bilingual information through researching, writing and distributing community resource guide to local residents. BEFORE: Wrote 3 grants with agency staff. AFTER: Successfully secured $25K to rehabilitate decaying community playground through co-writing 3 fully funded grant proposals. Accomplishment Examples 18
Accomplishment Examples What about my other stuff? If RELEVANT, include things like. Volunteer or community service work Community and/or academic Leadership Professional affiliations and memberships Language skills with fluency level o Possible Descriptions: Full Professional Proficiency, Low- Intermediate Proficiency, Elementary, Written and Oral Fluency, Conversational Proficiency, Fluent) Professional development trainings and certifications Research or relevant publications Travel Technology Skills 19
How do I include my other stuff? How do I include my other stuff? 20
Keywords, keywords, keywords The Program Coordinator role has two key components: to lead the recruitment and support of mentors who host apprenticeships at their workplaces, and to support all aspects of Spark program operations at the school level. Key responsibilities of this role include supporting 2-4 partner schools' program operations, including the student enrollment process, parent/family engagement, training teachers on Spark's leadership curriculum, planning opening and culminating events, and coordinating evaluation efforts. Secondly, this role is responsible for overseeing the outreach, support, and systems for volunteer mentor recruitment, matching, compliance, orientation, and on-going coaching. Keywords, keywords, keywords The Program Coordinator role has two key components: to lead the recruitment and support of mentors who host apprenticeships at their workplaces, and to support all aspects of Spark program operations at the school level. Key responsibilities of this role include supporting 2-4 partner schools' program operations, including the student enrollment process, parent/family engagement, training teachers on Spark's leadership curriculum, planning opening and culminating events, and coordinating evaluation efforts. Secondly, this role is responsible for overseeing the outreach, support, and systems for volunteer mentor recruitment, matching, compliance, orientation, and on-going coaching. 21
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Thank you! Questions? 24