O BJECTIVE : L EARN TO THINK STRATEGICALLY ABOUT YOUR RESUME
Skimmers & Readers: How do recruiters evaluate resumes? What
hints does your resume give? Targeting Your Resume Building Out
A-C-R Bullets Q&A Cover Letter (not included in 4/29
workshop)
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Opportunities for Resume Critique OCD Resume Review appointment
(30 min & 15 min) Walk-ins (5-15 min) Sept thru April Walk-ins
Club-related resume reviews DEFAULT RESUME DEADLINE Watch for email
with specific date! After this date, resume database will go live
to recruiters
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Role of the iMpact Resume Resumes used for on-campus recruiting
must be in iMpact format Two uses of the iMpact resume: Students
drop resumes and cover letters for positions for on-campus
interviews. Any version of your iMpact resume can be dropped.
Companies view Default resumes of graduating students in August and
may make cold contacts to candidates they feel are good a fit. ~Via
an electronic resume database frequently referred to as the resume
book
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Formats for Off-campus Searches An iMpact resume is not
necessary, though some use it Can be up to two pages long See
Off-Campus Resume Guide for examplesOff-Campus Resume Guide Attend
an Off-Campus Resume Workshop for tips
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Two Audiences: Skimmer and Reader
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The Skimmer Observes major themes, keywords (strategy, GMAT
7xx) Looking for some sort of focus Variety of action verbs that
correspond to required skills Anything that stands out (for better
or worse) Shared experiences Results Spelling/grammatical errors
May read only part of resume or bullets Needs to make quick
decisions and move on
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The Reader In addition to the skimmer: Observes details Looking
for congruent story, career progression Ample evidence to support
your features and benefits (achievements/#s) May develop interview
small talk or questions based on specific bullets
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Can you? You will have 20 seconds to read this MBA1 resume
Experienced hiring professionals can read a resume in the time that
most people skim.
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Recruiter Insights SAM (video) Recruiter Insights SAM (video)
(
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Recruiter Insights JORDAN (video)
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Recruiter Insights SONAL (video)
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Your Resume Provides Hints About You EDUCATION Emphasis
(primary skill for future job function) Club/Officer Title (ways
you get involved) GMAT/GPA/Distinction (performance/intelligence)
EXPERIENCE Organization name, size, industry, location
(preferences) Job title, function, progression, timeline
(focus/performance) Action verbs, business case, results (favorite
skills/performance) ADDITIONAL Hobbies and volunteerism
(personality/interests) Special skills or experiences
(uniqueness)
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What does your resume hint about you? Form groups of 3-4 and
review one resume at a time: What stands out (skills, qualities,
etc.)? What questions (or reservations) might you have before
hiring this person? What might this persons career target be?
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Resume Philosophy: A Paradigm Shift From, Heres everything (or
a random assortment of things) Ive done To, Heres the ideal career
for me, now, what from my past should I highlight to present this
image to target companies? Strategically align your hints to make
the recruiters decision easy
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Determining Your Fit; Targeting Your Resume Gather information
about desired skills, qualities that make successful employees in
your target function/industry what matters to the company? Job
descriptions e.g., Microsoft Finance Manager InternMicrosoft
Finance Manager Intern Informational interviews with current/former
employees Language and branding used in company website, corporate
presentations Within this list, identify your best fitting
stories/examples Build out bullets that show transferable skills
and a business case Core 4 Identify a problem/opportunity /
Attention to detail Research the problem/opportunity / Analytical
skills Develop a solution / Creativity and innovation Present or
implement the solution / Organization, project management and drive
Plus 3 Leadership, Teamwork, Communication
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Building Out A-C-R Format
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Writing An ACR Bullet (Action) Begin with an action verb or two
that conveys a skill (Led, Implemented, Analyzed, Created,
Collaborated,) Avoid beginning with a result verb (Improved,
Reduced, Increased, Resulted in) - save it for the latter part of
the bullet Normally use past tense, but OK to use present tense for
current tasks Negotiated with six local area schools to donate food
towards local soup kitchen resulting in 25% increase in food
distribution in 2007 for the organization.
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Writing An ACR Bullet (Context) The Context portion is to
provide the reader with an adequate sense of the following for the
task: ~ The Business Reason (improve satisfaction, reduce cost) ~
The Scope (how big? how many people? cost?) ~ The Significance (who
cares?) Assume the reader is completely unfamiliar with your
industry and provide context accordingly Negotiated with six local
area schools to donate food towards local soup kitchen resulting in
25% increase in food distribution in 2007 for the
organization.
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Writing An ACR Bullet (Result) Two types of Results:
~Quantitative (reduced cost by $X, increased sales by X%, launched
product X months ahead of schedule) ~Qualitative (enabled client to
do X, presented findings to CEO, awarded X prize) For current
tasks, expected results will often suffice Result could be big
picture or simply your deliverable Negotiated with six local area
schools to donate food towards local soup kitchen resulting in 25%
increase in food distribution in 2007 for the organization.
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ACR Result Hierarchy of results Quantitative (saved $X in
scrap, increased sales by X%) Qualitative (presented findings to
CFO, developed understanding of debt markets, improved workplace
efficiency) Omit rather than exaggerate!
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Complete ACR Example Negotiated with six local area schools to
donate food towards local soup kitchen resulting in 25% increase in
food distribution in 2007 for the organization. Action Context
Result
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Collaborated with team of five to construct investment
portfolio based on clients risk tolerance and objectives, achieving
second place in investment portfolio competition. Led volunteer
recruitment by creating and executing promotional plan to reach
potential volunteers through new and existing channels, resulting
in nearly 30% increase in volunteers. Performed break-even analysis
of local food business and designed surveys to evaluate customer
satisfaction, resulting in elimination of unprofitable items.
Action Context Result More examples
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Peer ACR Analysis Trade resumes with a partner Select 2
Experience bullets for review Use different colored highlighters to
identify A-C-R Advise partner on building out areas that are
lacking or trimming unnecessary information Time permitting:
compare composition of all action verbs to desired skills for job
target Analysis? Teamwork? Leadership? Management? Creativity?
Initiative? Communication?
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Potential Pitfalls Resume not in iMpact format for on-campus
Resume before self-assessment / unfocused Spelling and grammar
Over-scrutiny of small items Over-reliance on the resume to get the
interview Including information on (health, marital status, etc.)
Misrepresenting work, education, abilities
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Resume Checklist Proper degree and graduation date Proper
school name Proper academic emphasis/emphases (not too many) Bullet
length (2-3 lines) Active verbs (proper tense) Correct spelling /
grammar Articles & pronouns (unnecessary), periods (Experience)
Proper length (1 page optimal, 2 is okay for off-campus) Gaps in
work history (minimize) Proper space allocation (more important
experience = more space allocated)
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Resources Step 2 of Career Tracker (see Career tab on iMpact)
OCD MBA Resume Guide; Action Words OCD MBA Resume GuideAction Words
OCD Guide to Entering Your Rsum on iMpact Technical help on iMpact:
contact Ross Career Counseling in OCD
[email protected]@umich.edu Ross
Career Counseling, E2420, 734-764-1373 Review resumes of previous
students Resume books available in E2420 (M-F, 8a-5p) at Kresge
Library circulation desk
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Role of the Cover Letter Use it to indicate the job you are
looking to fill why you are interested and why you are qualified
High risk Low reward Dont get fancy Proof for errors Be careful
when copying cover letters More important for the off-campus job
search
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Structure of the Cover Letter First Paragraph Who are you Why
are you interested in the job (research & names) What are you
requesting
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Structure of the Cover Letter Second Paragraph Short summary of
your background specifically as it relates to the skills the
recruiter is looking for Where to find skills? Look at the job
description! 1 to 3 points about your qualifications Give specific,
concrete professional examples
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Structure of the Cover Letter Third Paragraph Conclusion and
next steps Re-state your interest in the position Give contact
information