Resume Writing KEY TO LANDING YOUR DREAM JOB. What is a resume? Arguably most important piece of...
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Transcript of Resume Writing KEY TO LANDING YOUR DREAM JOB. What is a resume? Arguably most important piece of...
Resume WritingKEY TO LANDING YOUR DREAM JOB
What is a resume? Arguably most important piece of any job application
Advertisement of yourself
Written compilation of Work Experience
Credentials
Accomplishments
Educational background
Personal skills
Lays out summary of qualifications Hopefully pushes employer to an interview
Optional sections – objective, summary statement, career highlights
Types of Resumes Chronological
Experience section is focus
Each job (or last several) described in detail
No major section of skills/accomplishments at beginning of resume
Staying in same profession/type of work
Recommended to have objective or summary
Most traditional
Employers typically prefer
Advantages easier to understand what you did in what job
Disadvantages More difficult to highlight what you do best
Rarely appropriate if making career change
Types Cont.
Functional Focuses on skills & accomplishments at the beginning
Employer clearly sees what you can do for them
A must for career changers, employment gaps
Also useful for students, people with wide range of skills, military officers
Advantages
Great for reaching new goal or direction
Disadvantages
Hard for employer to know what you did in each job
Types Cont. Combined
Includes elements of chronological and functional
May be shorter chronology of job descriptions with a short skills/accomplishments section
Also could be functional resume with accomplishments under headings of the different jobs held
Advantages
Maximizes both chrono and functional
Avoids potential negatives of each
Disadvantages
Generates a longer resume
Can be repetitious
Accomplishments and skills may have to be repeated in both sections
Generating Interest
Needs to be powerful, but subtle
Sell yourself
1 interview for every 200 resumes received
Quickly scanned 10-20 seconds
Top half of resume will make or break you
After first few lines you have them interested or resume is in trash Resume is an advertisement for yourself
Ask Yourself
What would make someone the perfect candidate?
Need to be thinking of employer’s needs, not yours What do they really want?
What special abilities would this person have?
What would set a great candidate apart from a good one?
Writing a great resume
Has 2 sections Assertions section (regarding abilities, qualities, achievements)
Evidence section (backing up your assertions)
Assertions – juice of the resume Don’t inform the reader, get them interested and excited
Usually broken down into 2 to 3 sections
Job is to communicate, assert, declare you are the best candidate
Most resumes include just evidence section
Need to have both to create a great resume
Objective Section
Ideally resume conveys why you are perfect candidate for a specific job/title Great advertising directed toward specific target audience
Be absolutely clear in regards to your career direction Or at least appear to be
OBJECTIVE – a software sales position in an organization seeking an extraordinary record of generating new accounts, exceeding sales targets and enthusiastic customer relations.
Writing your objective Decide on specific job title for objective
Make sure it is to the point Avoid the obvious statements and “fluffy” phrases
Have to generate interest right away
OBJECTIVE: An xxx position in an organization where yyy and zzz would be needed (or, in an organization seeking yyy and zzz).
If applying for multiple positions – adapt resume each time Each resume is crafted for different type of position
Remember this is advertising copy not your life story
Can include objective section with the summary section
Summary Section Several brief statements
Focuses readers attention to most important qualities & achievements you have to offer
Should be most compelling demonstrations of why you should be hired instead of other candidates
Gear every word to your targeted goal
Refer back to questions to ask yourself What would make someone the ideal candidate?
Possible inclusions: short phrase describing profession
Statement of broad or specialized expertise
Depth of skills, well-documented accomplished, history of awards/promotions
Professional or appropriate personal characteristics
Examples of summary Highly motivated, creative and versatile real estate executive with seven
years of experience in property acquisition, development and construction, as well as the management of large apartment complexes. Especially skilled at building effective, productive working relationships with clients and staff. Excellent management, negotiation and public relations skills. Seeking a challenging management position in the real estate field that offers extensive contact with the public.
Over 10 years as an organizational catalyst/training design consultant with a track record of producing extraordinary results for more than 20 national and community based organizations. A commitment to human development and community service. Energetic self-starter with excellent analytical, organizational, and creative skills.
Financial Management Executive with nearly ten years of experience in banking and international trade, finance, investments and economic policy. Innovative in structuring credit enhancement for corporate and municipal financing. Skilled negotiator with strong management, sales and marketing background. Areas of expertise include (a bulleted list would follow this paragraph.)
Skills & Accomplishments This section will go into more detail, very similar to previous
section
Still writing to sell yourself, not inform the reader
Let them know what results you produced, results of your efforts, special gifts you possess
Communicating that if you buy this product, these are the direct benefits you will receive If it does not further this, do not bother saying it
Not too much detail however, you want some to remain a mystery
Can be a separate section or part of job descriptions in a chronological resume
Many different structures for this section In all of these styles in order of importance for the desired career goal
Examples of Skills & Accomplishments
Raised $1900 in 21 days in canvassing and advocacy on environmental, health and consumer issues.
Conducted legal research for four Assistant U.S. Attorneys, for the U.S. Attorney’s office
Coordinated Board of Directors and Community Advisory Board of community mental health center. Later commended as “the best thing that ever happened to that job.”
Experience Section
Listed in reverse chronological order
Early jobs not much detail
Focus on most recent/relevant
More impressive: job titles or firms worked for Have to be consistent
Bold face type is a possibility here
Dates in italics – end of job
Can include volunteer work, internships, military work
Use “Experience,” Professional History,” Professional Experience” Avoid “Employment” or “Work History – sound lower-level
Education
Reverse chronological order
Degrees & Licenses 1st
Certificates & Advanced Training 2nd
Be selective, summarize, include only impressive items
Set degrees apart = more easily seen
Can use bold face type Most impressive
GPA – ideally only listed if over 3.4
If convinces reader of qualifications use selected courses
Education Cont.
No Degree? Still include degree
After degree use (expected 20xx)
Headings – Education, Education and Training, Education and Licenses, Legal Education/Undergraduate Education (more for attorneys)
Awards
If only in education place under education section
Mention what awards were for if you can
If have received awards this section almost a must
Professional Affiliations
Must be current, relevant, impressive
Shows membership in an association Enhances appeal as prospective employee
Include any leadership roles
Examples: clubs(students), AICPA, Kiwanis, City Council Board of Directors
DO NOT include a personal interests section Irrelevant to job in majority of cases
References
At end of resume: References available upon request. Not a must, but a standard close for a resume
Do not include names of references
Separate sheet will be brought to interview if requested
Guidelines Visually enticing – simple clean structure, symmetrical, balanced,
uncrowded
Uniformity & Consistency – italics, capital letters, bullets, boldface, underlines Ex. – if degree is bolded all degrees should be, if period at end of
job’s dates all need period
Absolutely no errors – grammar, spelling, punctuation
Basic info/expected is included – name, address, phone #, email, jobs held, etc.
Resume is targeted & is focused
Strengths highlighted, weaknesses deemphasized
Power words – use most impressive verbs
Few More Tips
Avoid turning employer off – controversial or negative light Ex. political views
Bold name on page 1
Boldface section headings
General rule - #’s 10 & under spell out, 11 & over use numerical form Unless 1st word in sentence
Spell out abbreviations unless obvious
DO NOT
Word resume at top of your resume
Salary information
Reasons for leaving jobs
Personal section
Names of supervisors
References