Resumes Part II:Formats

FORMAT OPTIONS

Resume organizational style: Chronological Functional Combination

Resume Sections: choice, order, format

Traditional (paper) vs. scannable by ATS (electronic)

Individual “problems” to accommodate

Today we are discussing resume styles that are preferred in the United States. These same suggestions may not apply, even for English-speaking countries like Australia & the UK.

In some countries, a resume = CV (Curriculum Vitae)

In the US, resumes are acceptable to applying to most businesses. CVs are used for academic and research positions, especially for applicants with PhDs (for MA/MS, depends on employer field).

DISCLAIMER: U.S. PREFERENCES

CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME

Most common layout, and usually preferred/expected by employers

Ordered by time, usually in a reverse chronological order Most recent experience first, oldest experience

last Variations in order of sections, but each

section still organized by date

Note for CVs: sometimes presented in forward chronological order (this is a personal, departmental, or job field preference)

SAMPLE: CHRONOLOGICAL

FUNCTIONAL RESUME Least popular with businesses

Organized by function areas and accomplishments within those areas Does not link skills/tasks to specific

position held Minimizes or omits specific work history

Good for career changes, large gaps in time without work or school Targeted to specific job and shows how

your background can be reimagined to fit a new career

SAMPLE: FUNCTIONAL

COMBINATION RESUME

Combines chronological and functional formats Benefits of both styles Has function based organization

first, then brief work history

Good option when your past work history does not clearly fit the requirements of a particular position, but you have transferrable skills

SAMPLE: COMBINATION FORMAT

OUR RECOMMENDATION

Tailor your resume to your background and the specific job

Consider format based on job goals, needs & the basic standards for all resumes

Choose variations for key sections based on your needs

The ordering of sections is governed by what is most important when applying to that specific position

REQUIRED RESUME SECTIONS

All resumes must have your:

Contact information

Education

Work History/Experience

OTHER SECTIONS

You will also probably include:

Objective

Skills or Summary of Qualifications (in list or narrative style)

OPTIONAL SECTIONS

Consider adding these if they apply to you and they support your objective:

Activities Leadership Special Projects (class or club) Community Service Travel (study abroad/volunteering) Presentations/Publications/Poster

Sessions Awards (not financial) GPA (if asked, or in engineering)

ORDER OF SECTIONS

Top to bottom, left to right in order of importance:

Contact information must be 1st Objective is 2nd

Education is 3rd (if you are a student now, a recent graduate, your degree is related to your job search, or your degree/school is important to the employer)

Skills or Summary next, but only if you have strong skills (if not, can be moved lower)

Experience Additional sections come last

FORMAT OF SECTIONS

See Career Resource Manual for options

Most are about personal and/or industry preference

Mixing and matching is fine

ONLINE & ELECTRONIC RESUMESFor many online resume submissions use a PDFFor example: Craigslist Email

You may use an electronic resume for: Employer website application systems Job Boards

Monster Simply Hired Indeed Agcareers

Social media LinkedIn (profile and PDF)

APPLICANT TRACKING SYSTEM [ATS]A software application that scans for key words in resume to determine eligibility

ATS used by: Large job search sites (e.g. Monster.com

or Indeed.com) Large (and sometimes medium)

employers who use online application submission systems

“SCANNABLE” RESUMES & ATS

Save resume as plain text or text file (not .doc or .pdf file)

Cannot handle formats that include: Underlining or lines Bold, italics Tabs, columns, centering

Only use: Hyphens or dashes Simple symbols (above numbers on keyboard) Space bar to indent 60 characters per line 11-12 point font

Save and send it to yourself to check format

KEY WORD SEARCHES

Key words = important words often found in the job description Key words are basis of ATS/electronic

searches ATS searches for nouns

Traditional resumes prioritize verbs Key words may focus on:

Skills Tools Education Location

SCANNABLE SAMPLE

GENERAL TIPS Consistency is rule #1

Make sure style and size of font are consistent—use only one style

If you use CAPS or Bold or Underline or Italics for headings, be consistent throughout

Spell check and have a 2nd good proofreader look it over Vegetarian vs. Veterinarian, There vs. Their vs. They’re,

Fish vs. Fishes, Redding, CA vs. Reading, CA)

Tense matters – use past tense for all verbs except current position

Print out variations and see how they look

Mistakes on resume = employer thinking you are careless, sloppy, a poor writer, or don’t have attention to detail

GENERAL TIPS

Formatting can be manipulated to put emphasis on your strengths

Skills summaries help highlight your abilities in a noticeable way

Option: break your “Experience” section into “Relevant” and “Other” to get older but more critical to the job items towards the top

Not sure what to write? Look up the position on O*NET (onetonline.org) and use that as a starting place

NEED MORE HELP?

Bring a printed version of your resume to: Resume Review on Wednesday

(tomorrow) from 1:00-3:30pm Sign in at ICC Reception Desk, 2nd floor of

South Hall Drop-in, first come first served basis

Summer Drop-in Hours at the ICC

Keep in mind that it is normal to need about 3-4 edits for a strong and finalized resume

THANK YOU!

UC Davis Internship and Career CenterOpen Mon-Fri 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, South Hall 2nd floor

Summer Drop-In Advising:Mon-Thurs, 1:30 – 3:30 pm

Appointments with Coordinators Available:

Call (530) 752-2855Visit icc.ucdavis.edu