WRITING AN EFFECTIVE RESUME’

From webinar by Career Builders

OBJECTIVES

• Increase the student’s ability to write exceptional, standout resume’s

• Increase the student’s ability to express their “brand” in a resume’

• Increase student knowledge of the “do’s” and “don’ts” of writing a resume’ in today’s healthcare market

• Increase student understanding of what employers are looking for

PERSONAL “BRAND”

• “Brand” recognition:– Education: What do you like about your degree(s).

What types of skills are essential for success?• Highlight successes &/or special class projects

– Talents/Passion: What motivates or excites you? What did you want to be when you grew up?

– Previous jobs/promotions/special projects: anything that shows increased responsibility

PERSONAL “BRAND”

• “Brand” recognition cont.– Previous jobs/promotions cont.• Build confidence – know your strengths and skills

– Seek Input/Feedback• Contact professors, classmates, former

colleagues/bosses• Identify your top 3 strengths

– Previous reviews /evaluations: capture your successes/strengths

PERSONAL “BRAND” CHECKLIST

• Unique strengths, skills, competencies• What makes you stand out?– How does it relate or support the job/company that

you are applying to?• What can you do for the employer?– “Return on investment”

• Personal passion• Personal values• “60 second commercial” about you!

PERSONAL “BRAND” CHECKLIST

• Why did you pick the major (degree(s)) you selected?

• What types of jobs/roles are you interested in pursuing?

DRAFTING A RESUME’

• GOAL: TO GET AN INTERVIEW!• Process:

– Decide which Resume’ “type” you want to use– Determine the key components for a resume’– Create the Resume’

• Remember: It’s not about creating a robust interview that you think employer’s want to know about you – RATHER: focus on getting the interview – you can “recommend” yourself during the interview.

RESUME’ TYPES

• CHRONOLOGICAL– Most widely used format– This lists qualifications and experiences, outlining

major points only– Good if :

• You have current or recent work experience related to the position that you are applying for

• You can effectively demonstrate measurable achievements

• Your employment history is consistent – limited gaps in timeline

RESUME’ TYPES

• FUNCTIONAL– Highlights the wide range of skills and abilities

developed through education, work experience, and other activities

– Very detailed– Used when one wants to focus on relevant skills rather

than dates– Good when one does not have a lot of relevant work

experience or when there are gaps in employment history

– Good for someone in career transition

RESUME’ TYPES

• FUNCTIONAL (cont.)– Highlight ‘transferrable skills’– Important how the candidate explains the gaps in

employment– Because of the current economy, employers are

more “forgiving” about employment gaps

RESUME’ TYPES

• HYBRID/COMBINATION– Combines the best elements of the chronological

and functional resume’ types– Targeted toward a particular position or key area

in the healthcare industry• Candidate may be specific to address selective criteria

– Is effective in most situations; most versatile– Good for someone with varied work experiences

RESUME’ COMPONENTS

• Contact Information• Summary/Qualifications• Experience• Education• Training• Certifications/Licenses• Professional Affiliations• Awards/Honors/Publications

RESUME’ COMPONENTS

• Contact Information– Minimum: name, email address, phone #– If > 10 years work experience – okay to have a 2-

page resume!• Summary/Qualifications– “Highlight” your qualifications, educational

experience, transferrable skills• Experience

RESUME’ COMPONENTS

• Education/Training– Include education – whether or not to include

dates of education/training is a personal choice– Not recommended that you list your GPA –

however, it’s okay if you’re adamant about it!• You can include that during the interview

• Certifications/Licenses– Include anything that shows a skill or competency

RESUME’ COMPONENTS

• Professional Affiliations– Be cautious re: including political or other

controversial organizations – may trigger conflict

RESUME’ CONTENT

• The Essentials for a Modern Resume’• Use “job descriptions” to capture action verbs,

competencies, and skills to integrate in the resume’– DON’T “copy and paste” information from the job

description to your resume’• Call attention to: accomplishments, success, and results• Use consistent font(s) – no more than 2

-computer systems search for key words; frequent changes in fonts confuse the computer and it may miss your document

RESUME’ CONTENT

• The Essentials cont.• Spell/Grammar check: use computer software

tools AND PERSONAL REVIEW! – May want to ask someone else to proof read your

resume’ also• Be clear, concise, and focused – employers

and recruiters scan for initial interviews– Ask yourself: Will they want to keep reading after

the first 30 seconds?

Do NOT INCLUDE …

• An “objective” – use a professional or skills/qualifications summary

• List duties – include accomplishments• Personal Information: height, weight, age,

date of birth, place of birth, marital status, sex, race, health or SSN

• Start statements with “I” or “My”• Reasons for leaving previous job(s)

Do NOT INCLUDE…

• Picture of yourself• Salary history/expectations• Reference names/ “References available upon

request”– Go prepared to an interview with references

information• Religion, church affiliations, political

affiliations

TECHNOLOGY

• “Understanding Today’s Technology: Adapting to Today’s Job Search”

• “Key Word” optimization: supports resume’s screening, social medial tools, recruiting tools

• Social Media:– Make as private as possible– Follow on Twitter, FB those healthcare company

candidates that they are interested in

TECHNOLOGY

• Top 9 “key word” searches:– “Medical Assistant”– “Healthcare”– “Medical Billing”– “Registered Nurse”– “Nurse”– “Medical Office”– “Pharmacy Technician”– “Physical Therapist”– “Dental Assistant”

EMPLOYERS/RECRUITERS

• Assessing Employers and Recruiters Needs– Showcasing your resume’• Confirming the do’s• Reviewing the don’ts

DO’S

• Goal: land the interview by meeting the employer’s needs.

• Prior to applying, confirm your resume’ includes:– Skills/competencies linked to the job– Includes a qualification summary – no “objective”– Resume aligns with the job’s goals and

responsibilities

DO

– Include successes, results, and necessary metrics [Asking yourself “So what?” – will help identify why it is relevant and included on your resume’]

– Resume’s are clear, concise, and relevant to the job

DON’TS

• Simply rely on the software – personally read and edit:– Proof read for typos, grammar, punctuation

• Personal Information/details – want professional look AND content

Other

• Respect the criteria and process indicated in the ad for the job:– Submit as requested– “Are the candidates following directions?”