Resumé

Who needs a resumé?

Why do we need a resumé?

How in the world do you write a resumé?

How can your resumé stand out positively?

How do I start?

DO NOT USE A TEMPLATE!!!!!!

!!!I repeat – do not use a template for your resumé, even as a starter. It is much easier to start from scratch and make your own. Trust me on this one!!!!!!! A Template is

like the kiss of death.

• Contact information

• Education

• Experience

•Change with every job for which you apply!!!!!

• References – although these can be attached on a separate sheet.

• Note: Please DO NOT put

“References available upon request”!!!!!!!

Resumé

• Objective

• Memberships

• Volunteerism

• Certifications

• Hobbies/interests

• Others????? List them with me

Contact Information

• Name must be largest print on page

• Centered is nice, but not required

• Address, list both permanent and college, if applicable

• Telephone, cell and home – * second most important piece of info

• Email, make sure it is professional sounding, oh, and make sure you check it

Contact info example

Elizabeth Grimm3255 Pontaluna Road

Fruitport MI 49415

231-865-3101

Cell: 231-123-1234

egrimm@fruitportschools.net

Which comes first: education or experience?

Depends on what is required for the job. If a degree or some level of specific education is absolutely, unequivically required, then list it first. If not, then go with experience.

Education• Most recent to least recent

• Highest level attempted goes first

• List date of degree completion, even if in future

• No need for location of school unless very obscure or out of local area

• Don’t list anything lower than HS, leave HS off when have college degree unless very applicable

Education Example

Central Michigan University

Bachelor of Science in Business 2008

Muskegon Community College

Associate’s Degree 2006

Obscure Education Example

College of Grimm

Graveyard, Iowa

Bachelor of Science in Business 2008

Grimm Community College

Rachael, Arkansas

Associate’s Degree 2006

High School Only (so far) Example

Fruitport High School 2011

College Prep Classes

AP Physics

AP Chemistry

Architecture

Spanish

High School another

Fruitport High School 2011

Extra curriculars:

Woods I & II

Strength and Speed

Ceramics

Drama I

One more HS Example

Muskegon Career Technical Center 2011

Auto Cad

Fruitport High School 2011

Architecture

Drafting

Woods I

Experience• List most recent (or current) to least recent

• List everything if you are less experienced, almost all jobs show some type of skill you have acquired even if it is not directly related to that field

• List company name

• List job title

• List dates (only month and year, maybe just years)

More Experience

• If concurrent, put one you worked the longest

Ex.

Red Lobster 2008 - Present

Hostess

Meijer 2009 – Present

Greeter

More Experience

• Highest paying to lowest paying

is completely concurrent

• It is not required to list the description of what you did at the job, but you may, depending on if you already have a lot to put on your resumé, if the job is reasonably self-explanatory, and if it will help you specifically get the job for which you are currently applying

Experience Example

Grimm Company 2008 – Present Customer Service

• Manage 14 hourly employees

• Answer phones

• Type letters

• Compose customer complaint reports

• Create schedule for hourly employees

Another Example

McDonalds Restaurant 2004 – Present

Crew Leader

The Muskegon Chronicle 2001 – Present

Newspaper Carrier

North Pole 2002 – 2004

Sundae Artist

References• Name of person who can say good things

• Company where s/he works

• Title of reference

• Address

• Phone - use business unless know only personally

• Email address, if available

• list at least 3

• Ask them FIRST before listing them

More references stuff• Not a relative (unless worked for and ONLY option)• Should have done some type of work for this person• Person should be able to talk about your professional

and/or personal qualities• Should NOT be religious leader unless you have

volunteered or worked with him/her• Not a friend’s parent unless you have volunteered or

worked for him/her• Call and apprize him/her if you are applying for a

specific job where you think he/she might be called.

More Reference InfoReference options for HS students

• Teachers• Coaches• Counselor(s)• Principal(s)• Administrative Aides• Advisors

• Employers• Youth group leaders• People in charge

where you volunteer

One last very important thing about references

Make sure you ask them specifically if they can say positive things about

you.

Reference ExamplesElizabeth Grimm

Fruitport High School

English Teacher

3255 Pontaluna Ave

Fruitport, MI 49415

231-865-3101 extension 2143

egrimm@fruitportschools.net

 

Mia Boss

Zuppy’s Hardware Store

Owner

1234 Little Street

Anytown, MI 12345

198-765-4321

 

Jim Teacher

Fruitport High School

Soccer Coach

3255 Pontaluna Ave

Fruitport, MI 49415

231-865-3101 ext 1234

 jteacher@fruitportschools.net

Pastor Gee Zusfreak

Cross Church

Youth Pastor

1234 Pearly Gates

Heaven, Universe 01230

123-456-7891

Onewithgod@heavenly.com

• Not everyone needs or wants an objective

• Should be short

• Should be specific

• Should include what you honestly want

• Relate to the specific job for which you’re applying

Objective Examples

Objective: To obtain a challenging human resources position in a fast-paced Fortune 500 company in a large city

Objective: To utilize my skills successfully in a small, growing, local company in the customer service industry.

Memberships

• Most current to least current OR in order of importance to the job for which you are applying

• Related to job or demonstrate skill

• List any positions held

Memberships Example

National Honor Society 2004 – Present

Secretary

Science Olympiad 2003 – 2005

Mouse Trap

Equestrian Club 2001 – Present

 

Volunteering• Same as memberships, kind of

• You probably have a ton more than you actually know

• Do this in a small group, if possible, and you may be amazed at what you’ve done that you’ve forgotten about or didn’t think of as a volunteer project!

Volunteering Example

Aaron’s Walk 2009 - Present

Raise money for A-T research

Red Cross 2008 - Present

Regular Blood Donor

Betty Smith 2010

Shoveled Walk

Resumé Extras

Yup, there’s more; now we’ve gotta set your resumé apart from the templates and get your resumé

noticed in a positive way!

Are you kidding? What more?• White space

• Font style

• Bullets

• Font size

• Headings

• Bold

• Italics

• Watermarks

• EDITING

• Underlining• Consistency• Symmetry• Pics• Priority sizing• Symbols• Verbs• Borders• EDITING (yes, it’s on

here twice!!)

White Space

What’s that?

White space is…• the open area of an ad, and white space is

important to your resumé. Open up the newspaper, and take note of which ads first catch your eye. Are they the ads that are jammed full of text and pictures, or are they ads that have a large amount of unused space? This is done to grab your attention as you are always attracted to open areas. For this reason, don't worry if you are having a hard time filling the page with text; increase your line spacing to compensate – this will increase the white space – and really, that’s a good thing.

Ode to White Space

Girls just wanna have font..

• Font

• Font• Font• Font• Font• Font• Font

• Font• Font• Font• Font• Font• Font• Font

No font for girls! (or guys!)

• Stick to one or two fonts

• Are your fonts clear

• Are your fonts easy to read

• Do your fonts say something about you?

• Are your fonts advertised in the LARGE PRINT section?

• Do your fonts highlight your priorities?

Acceptable Fonts Stick with serif fonts (serif means tails) or sans serif

fonts ( without tails) • Times New Roman

• Bell MT• Bodoni• Courier NEW• Garamond• Georgia• Goudy Old Style

• Arial• Century Gothic• Franklin Gothic• Gill Sans• Lucinda Sans• Tahoma • Trebuchet• Verdana

Bullets? Yeah, Bullets.• Use them

– use of bullets was the 2nd-highest ranked resumé organization preference by employers

– Use bullets consistently– Use maybe 5-10 bullets on selling-points– No decorative bullets, just functional ones– following each bullet, use strong verbs and

a descriptor

Bold, Italics, and all that Stuff

• Limit use• Be consistent (get it, I wasn‘t consistent)

• Bold Name and Contact info

• Center when possible

Font Size - yup it matters.

• Stay around size 12 font

• No smaller than 11

• Limit yourself to two fonts

• Use of all caps can be a third “type” of font

• Name and phone size 14-16

Headings

• Be consistent in font, size and style, caps, underlining, bold, etc…

• Make sure that they are out-dented equally

• Give white space around the heading

• Limit to no more than 8 headings

Symmetry

• What is beauty? Research has proven that the number ONE answer to that question that has stood the test of time is SYMMETRY. Yes, symmetry. Why would beautiful resumés be any different? Make them symmetrical, please.

So what’s THAT mean?• Balance• Portionality• Harmony• Aesthetically pleasing equality on two sides• Regularity of form• Reciprocity of form• Excellence of proportion• Centering

Consistency

• Use the same bullets

• Use the same type font in two diff. sizes

• Use the same “types” of headings

• Use equal spacing on both sides of the paper

• Center or full justify when possible

Symbols• Use them – for example

– Bad: 30 percent– Good: 30%– Bad: Managed fifteen accounts worth fifty-five

million– Good: Managed 15 accounts worth 55MM

Verbs – gotta love em’!!

• Determined• Developed• Devised• Diagnosed• Differentiated• Diffused• Directed

• Minimized• Mobilized• Modeled• Moderated• Modernized• Modified• Molded

– Just to name a few!

Abated Abbreviated Abolished Abridged Absolved Absorbed Accelerated Accentuated Accommodated Accomplished Accounted for Accrued Accumulated Achieved Acquiesced Acquired Acted Activated Active in Adapted Added Addressed Adjusted Administered Adopted Advanced Advertised Advised Advocated Affected Affirmed Aided Alerted Aligned Allayed Alleviated Allocated Allotted Altered Amassed Amended Amplified Analyzed Answered Anticipated Appeased Applied Appointed Appraised Approached Approved Arbitrated Arranged

Arrested Articulated Ascertained Aspired Assembled Assessed Assigned Assimilated Assisted Assumed-responsibility Assured Attained Attended Attracted Audited Augmented Authored Authorized Automated Averted Avoided Awarded Balanced Began Benchmarked Benefited Bid Billed Blazed Blended Blocked Bolstered Boosted Bought Branded Bridged Briefed Broadened Brought Budgeted Built Calculated Calibrated Campaigned Capitalized Captured Captured Cared for Carried out Carved Cataloged Catalogued

Categorized Caught Caused Cautioned Cemented Centralized Certified Chaired Challenged Championed Changed Channeled Charged Charted Checked Chose Chronicled Circulated Circumvented Cited Clarified Classified Cleaned Cleared Closed Coached Coded Co-directed Collaborated Collated Collected Co-managed Combined Commanded Commenced Commended Commented Commissioned Communicated Compared Compiled Complemented Completed Composed Compounded Computed Conceived Concentrated Conceptualized Condensed Conducted Conferred Configured

Confronted Connected Conserved Considered Consolidated Constructed Consulted Consummated Contacted Contained Continued Contracted Contributed Controlled Converted Conveyed Convinced Cooperated Coordinated Copied Corrected Correlated Corresponded Corroborated Costed Counseled Counted Created Critiqued Crowned Cultivated Cured Customized Cut Dealt with Debated Debugged Decided Decoded Decreased Decreased Dedicated Defined Delegated Delineated Delivered Demonstrated Deployed Derived Described Designated Designed Detailed

Detected Determined Developed Devised Diagnosed Differentiated Diffused Directed Disbursed Discovered Dispatched Discussed Dispensed Dispersed Displayed Disposed Dissected Disseminated Dissolved Distinguished Distributed Diversified Diverted Divested Divided Documented Doubled Drafted Dramatized Drew up Drove Earned Eased Economized Edited Educated Effected Elaborated Elected Elevated Elicited Eliminated Embraced Emphasized Employed Empowered Enabled Enacted Encouraged Ended Endorsed Energized Enforced

Engaged Engineered Enhanced Enlarged Enlisted Enriched Enrolled Ensured Entered Entertained Enticed Equipped Established Estimated Evaluated Examined Exceeded Executed Exercised Exhibited Expanded Expedited Experienced Experimented Explained Explored Expressed Extended Extracted Fabricated Facilitated Factored Familiarized Fashioned Fielded Filed Filled Finalized Financed Fine-tuned Finished Fixed Focused Followed Forecast Forecasted Forged Formalized Formed Formulated Fortified Forwarded Fostered

Fought Found Founded Framed Fulfilled Functioned as Funded Furnished Furthered Gained Garnered Gathered Gauged Gave Generated Governed Graded Graduated Granted Grasped Greeted Grew Grouped Guaranteed Guided Halted Halved Handled Harmonized Harnessed Headed Headed Heightened Held Helped Hired Honed Hosted Hypnotized Hypothesized Identified Ignited Illustrated Imagined Implemented Imported Impressed Improved Improvised Incited Included Incorporated Increased

Indexed Indicated Individualized Indoctrinated Induced Influenced Informed Infused Initiated Innovated Inspected Inspired Installed Instigated Instilled Instituted Instructed Insured Integrated Intensified Interacted Interceded Interpreted Intervened Interviewed Introduced Invented Inventoried Invested Investigated Invigorated Invited Involved Isolated Issued Itemized Joined Judged Justified Kept Launched Lead Learned Leased Lectured Led Lessened Leveraged Liaised Licensed Lifted Limited Linked

Liquidated Listed Listened Litigated Loaded Located Logged Machined Made Magnified Maintained Managed Mandated Maneuvered Manipulated Manufactured Mapped Marked Marketed Mastered Matched Maximized Measured Mediated Memorized Mentored Merged Merited Met Met with Minimized Mobilized Modeled Moderated Modernized Modified Molded Monitored Motivated Mounted Moved Named Narrated Navigated Negated Negotiated Netted Neutralized Nominated Notified Nurtured Observed Obtained

Offered Officiated Offset Opened Operated Optimized Orchestrated Ordered Organized Oriented Originated Outdistanced Outlined Outperformed Overcame Overhauled Oversaw Owned Paced Packaged Packed Pared Participated Partnered Passed Penetrated Perceived Perfected Performed Persuaded Photographed Piloted Pinpointed Pioneered Placed Planned Played Praised Predicted Prepared Prescribed Presented Preserved Presided Prevailed Prevented Printed Prioritized Processed Procured Produced Profiled Programmed

Progressed Prohibited Projected Promoted Proofread Proposed Protected Proved Provided Pruned Publicized Published Purchased Pursued Quadrupled Qualified Quantified Queried Questioned Quoted Raised Rallied Ran Ranked Rated Reached Read Realigned Realized Rearranged Reasoned Rebuilt Received Recognized Recommended Reconciled Reconstructed Recorded Recovered Recruited Rectified Redesigned Redirected Reduced Re-engineered Referred Refocused Registered Regulated Rehabilitated Reinforced Reiterated Related

Released Relied Relieved Remained Remodeled Rendered Renegotiated Renewed Reorganized Repair Repaired Replaced Replicated Replied Replied Reported Represented Reproduced Reputed Requested Researched Reserved Resolved Responded Restored Restructured Retained Retooled Retrieved Returned Revamped Reversed Reviewed Revised Revitalized Revolutionized Rewarded Risked Rotated Roused Routed Safeguarded Salvaged Saved Scanned Scheduled Screened Sculptured Searched Secured Seized Selected

Sent Separated Sequenced Served Serviced Set Set goals Settled Setup Shaped Shared Sharpened Shipped Shortened Showed Signed Simplified Simulated Sketched Slashed Smoothed Sold Solicited Solidified Solved Sorted Sought Sourced Sparked Spearheaded Specialized Specified Speculated Spent Spoke Sponsored Spurred Staffed Standardized Started Steered Stimulated Stored Streamlined Strengthened Stressed Stretched Structured Studied Submitted Substituted Succeeded Suggested

Summarized Superseded Supervised Supplemented Supplied Supported Surpassed Surveyed Swayed Swept Symbolized Synchronized Synergized Synthesized Systematized Tabulated Tackled Talked Tallied Targeted Tasted Taught Teamed Tempered Tended Terminated Tested Testified Tied Tightened Took Took over Topped Totaled Toured Traced Tracked Traded Trained Transcribed Transferred Transformed Transitioned Translated Transmitted Transported Traveled Treated Triggered Trimmed Tripled Triumphed Troubleshot

Turned Tutored Typed Umpired Uncovered Underlined Underscored Understood Understudied Undertook Underwent Underwrote Unearthed Unearthed Unified United Unraveled Updated Upgraded Upheld Urged Used Utilized Validate Validated Valued Vaulted Verbalized Verified Viewed Visited Visualized Vitalized Voiced Volunteered Waged Weathered Weighed Widened Withstood Won Worked Wove Wrote Yielded

Verbs – yes more on them

• Write what you did, then turn to the verb list and find a more distinct, vivid verb for the action you performed

• Add these descriptors to your job titles or memberships, etc…

• Make sure you have no duplicates

EDIT EDIT EDIT!!!•NO

ERRORS ALLOWED

• Have multiple

people read your resumé

for errors

Watermarks and Borders

• Optional, depends on career and specific business

• On resumé or cover letter (water mark could be logo from business where you are applying)

• The border is a taste thing – you decide if it looks good

• Keep both simple, please

This is what a watermark looks like UNDER your words on your

Resumé

Personal Touch

• Be creative

• Add something unique (but not weird!)

• Use a border

• Use textured paper

• Make the watermark the logo to the company to which you’re applying

• What else can you think of?

Best thing EVER to do?

Hyperlink your resumé!

See Mrs. Grimm for details.

It’s legit!