Winning Résumés

How to get YOUR résumé into the hands of the decision makers!

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Consider this….

When you apply for a job that seems like a

PERFECT FIT, chances are…

…plenty of other people think the job sounds great

too!

• 200 resumes 1 interview

• Scanned NOT READ!

Your résumé must quickly create interest

and entice an employer into

wanting to know more

about YOU!

What is a Résumé

and what is its

Purpose?

…or is it?

It’s all about

YOU

A well written résumé

stirs the interest of an employer by

speaking to

their needs!

• Does the applicant’s

skills and experience

match our needs?

• Will they fit in with our

corporate culture?

• How long will it take

them to contribute to the

bottom line?

Here’s what they’re looking for:

PROVEN FORMULA

USED IN ADVERTISING

The AIDA Formula:

1. Get Attention 2.Capture Interest 3.Create Desire 4.Call to Action

Attract the reader’s attention

Create a picture of high potential and results

Differentiate you from the competition

Like a great advertisement, your resume should:

Put yourself in the

shoes of the person

doing the hiring. It’s the first and most important step

in writing a résumé that MARKETS

YOU rather than just describes your

work history.

Irrelevant information

Failure to convey

accomplishments

Misspellings, poor

grammar, excess

wordiness

Poor layout and

appearance

Incorrect punctuation

Overly boastful or

obviously dishonest

Lengthy phrases,

sentences, paragraphs

Poorly typed and/or

reproduced

Critical categories

missing

Difficult to understand

Text fails to support

objective or objective

statement is not clear

Excessive use of

jargon and acronyms

The 3 most common résumé formats:

•Chronological

•Functional

•Combination

Which would work best for you?

CHRONOLOGICAL

Recent experience first followed by

previous jobs

FUNCTIONAL

Highlights skills and

accomplishments—takes focus away from employment

history

COMBINATION

Combines Chronological and Functional formats

Résumé Writing 101

Header—this should always appear at the top of your résumé. Include: Name, Address, Phone Numbers, and

appropriate E-mail Address.

Optional Info: Personal blog or web page, LinkedIn

address

If you have a 2nd page, copy and paste your

information there

Objective – Highlights your career goal, the key skills that qualify you, and the benefit you bring to the company. HINT: Decide on 2-3 qualities or abilities that would make YOU a stand out.

Résumé Writing 101

Your Objective in Three Easy Steps Choose one option from each section. Fill in the blanks. Put them together and you have a solid objective that helps make your case. Edit as needed.

Opening Seeking a position as a/an __[specific job title]__ To obtain a position as a/an __[specific job title__ Seeking a/an (pick one) entry level, management, upper management

position as a __[specific job title]__ in __[industry]__

Type of Organization with an organization that values _________ in a thriving business that can benefit from __[name 2-3 strengths/skills]__

Relevant Experience using ___ years of progressive experience in the __[industry]__ field using a solid ___ year education in __[major]__, along with ___ years’ of

experience in the __________ industry using the expertise and skills gained during ___ years in the __________

industry

Now write out your new objective!

Focus on how you would benefit the employer, not on how the employer would benefit you.

Don’t be vague.

Keep it concise and targeted.

More than one career goal? Create a different résumé for each objective.

Your objective is all about what you can do

for the employer—NEVER about what they

can do for you!

THIS IS IMPORTANT!

Profile /Summary of Qualifications

Nothing is more convincing than a specific, concise explanation of your key contributions to your employers.

Incorporate or highlight key achievements Use #s, $s, %s—how well, how much Hint: What are the things you are most

proud of? Don’t generalize!

Résumé Writing 101

Example: Certified Nurse Aide:

• 12 years’ experience as a C.N.A. in home health care, hospital, and nursing home settings

• Outstanding interpersonal communication skills • Extremely knowledgeable of federal and state

healthcare regulations • Passionate about serving others

Résumé Writing 101

Core Competencies—highlighting core skills (optional section)

Project Management Strategic Planning E-Marketing Customer Service Budgeting Public Relations

Don’t be afraid to toot

your own horn!

Résumé Writing 101

Career Experience

Use bulleted action phrases Power pack with action verbs Be specific Use keywords effectively-know your audience Generally go back 10-15 years

- If you have relevant experience, you may go back farther

Education Only use dates if they work for you Remember professional development

seminars, workshops, associations

Résumé Writing 101

Résumé Writing 101

Give it a Professional Look:

Make it visually enticing

Leave white space

Use a font size no smaller than 10 point

Use uniformity with capital letters, bullets, boldface,

italics, etc.

Limit length to 1-2 pages

Proofread—absolutely no typographical errors!

Résumé Writing 101

Other Helpful Hints to Give

Your Résumé a Boost:

1. Keep your statements to 1 or 2 sentences.

2. Don’t use pronouns (I, me, my, we, her, him, them, they)

3. Write professionally—avoid jargon or slang

4. Stay balanced! Too much information will bog down

the reader and remove the mystery

5. Use good quality paper.

Other Helpful Hints to Give

Your Résumé a Boost:

6. Be honest! Don’t use false information or exaggerations!

7. Keep it current: Revise – Revise – Revise!

8. Don’t list family, hobbies, personal interests/activities

unless relevant

9. Proofread (Yes…I mentioned it before!)

A résumé should be a continuous

work in progress!

The old adage,

“If you shoot at everything,

you’ll hit nothing” is so true.

Target Marketing Your Résumé:

An Absolute MUST!

Create more than one resume if you

have varied experience

Tailor your resume to each

employer/job

Use keywords from the job description

The résumé has

one specific

purpose: to win

an interview.

If it doesn’t, it isn’t

an effective résumé.

A great résumé tells the employer: If you buy this

product, you will get these specific results,

direct benefits.

It convinces the employer that you have what it takes

to be successful in this new position or career.

It inspires the

employer to

pick up the

phone and ask

YOU to come in

for an interview.

Effective résumés

take work…

but the payoff

is worth it!

great FUTURE!

REMEMBER:

Creating a

great résumé

is an opportunity to

create a

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