Résumé 101

The Basics of Writing an Effective Résumé

Résumé Rules…

What are the Absolute, Unbreakable Rules of Resume Writing? There are only a few absolute rules in resume writing! These rules, however, are absolutes:

No typing errors.

No misspellings.

Do not tell a lie or mistruth.

Do not include any negative information.

It is YOUR résumé, your opinion matters. Use your critical thinking skill and filter suggestions from others.

Think of WHO is going to be reading your résumé and what THEY are most interested in knowing.

Résumé = Marketing Tool

How long do you think the average employer looks at a résumé?

What do you most want the employer to know about you?

Formatting: first, BOLD, white space!

THE PURPOSE OF A RESUME IS TO GET AN INTERVIEW

MUST HAVE Categories

on a Résumé

Personal Logo (Name, Address(es), Phone Number(s), and

Email)

Education

Experience (Work or Volunteer)

Categories NEVER Included on a

Resume

Height, weight, age, date of birth, place of birth, marital status, sex, race, health, social security number (except on an International Resume)

Reasons for leaving previous job(s)

Picture of yourself

Salary Information

References (more on this issue later)

The title "Resume"

Religion, religious affiliations, political affiliations

Templates:

To Use or Not To Use?

What About Those Resume Wizards in Microsoft Word?

Word's Resume Wizards are increasingly popular with students.

They can be help get you started with categories for your resume.

CAUTION: Formats are not geared to college students and can cause students to set up your resumes inappropriately. If you use Wizards, adapt them to recommended guideline for college students.

FURTHER CAUTION: Since so many college students are using Resume Wizards, employers are seeing an awful lot of resumes that look exactly alike.

Education

Bachelor of Science in Scientific and

Technical Communication

Emphasis in Web Development

College & University

Year

Percentage / Grade

Work Experience

Five Components:

Job Title

Name of Employer

Location

Dates of employment

Description

Use Action Verbs! Keep it brief and to the point

Organized Communicated

Directed

Planned Created Assisted

Supported Initiated Solved

Reported Edited Analyzed

Described Developed Managed

Led Sold Designed

Tie skills to context How have you applied them?

Excellent communication skills

vs.

Presented detailed information related to resume writing in strategic career planning

workshops

And now for the numbers…

Conducted presentations for sales

orientation programmes

Led over 30 presentations to groups of 50 corporate and their representatives introducing them to the organization’s services

Other Resume Categories

Objective

Computer Skills

Honors and Achievements

Scholarships and Awards

Volunteer Experience

Leadership Experience

Campus or Community Activities

Certificates and Additional Training

Objective

Objective can add focus to the resume

Specific to field and industry, but not to job

Examples:

Obtaining an editing position within the

medical industry

To provide web development services to a

health care company in the Chicago area

Summary of Qualifications

Must be specific, weighty, & descriptive

Must NOT be a list of vague skills Example of a good Summary:

Three years editing experience through college newspaper

Adept at using Pagemaker, Quark, Flash, and Dreamweaver

Lead designer for 11 web sites used in higher education and industry

Where to start?

What are you trying to communicate? Three guiding questions:

What is that particular employer looking for in the dream candidate?

What are the 3-5 most important aspects of your experience that you need to describe based on what the employer is looking for?

What is your competitive advantage relative to other candidates?

Other strategies

Placement of content makes a difference

Clump related qualifications

Use category headings that communicate

your qualifications – be creative.

The Importance of Research

Talk with people who know the employer,

it’s products, past employees, or customers.

Web, of course.

Checklist

Is it attractive? Does it make a good first impression?

One page? Or can two pages be justified?

Is it concise? Is extraneous information reduced or eliminated?

Is unfamiliar information clarified? Just what is the Wilma Wonderwoman scholarship? Example:

Wilma Wonderwoman Scholarship Recipient: Awarded to the senior who displays outstanding leadership.

Types of Resumes

Standard Resumes: Laser printed, well-formatted, & reader friendly.

Scannable Resumes: Text-based, plain, no formatting, key words (nouns & phrases), & qualifications summary.

Web-based Resumes: It is available 24/7, global exposure (good and bad), no page restrictions.

Cover Letter

Basics

Guiding Principles

What are your themes? What sets you apart?

Specify how you will benefit the employer

Be as specific as possible-- with examples

How does your background meet their specific

qualifications?

You are just what they are looking for and you

have the proof to back up your statements

Employer Name

If the name isn’t given, employ your research skills to find out the name

Be sure you have the gender and title correct

Position

A good cover letters targets a specific

position

Lack of clarity may lead to the perception that you don’t know what you want to do

Use examples

My excellent financial management skills

will greatly benefit your company

vs.

Through my work at the Jane Smith House, I honed my financial management skills by developing spreadsheets,

reporting on cash-flow accounts and ledger balances

Show your knowledge

of the employer I am interested in working for Delta

because of your reputation for quality

I have been following your decision to pursue portal technology as a part of your

communication strategy. I am eager to work for a Delta because of your

commitment to cutting edge technology.

Relate skills to the objective

Objective: Entry-level writing position

In my position at Joiner Co. I entered data,

contacted clients to update their addresses, and

wrote letters and reports.

Composed more that 50 letters sent to corporate

clients such as Zeneca and Campbell, Inc.

Wrote narrative for statistical report that was

included in annual report sent to 1000

organizations nationwide.

The Big Finish

Ask for an interview

Indicate how you will follow-up (unless instructed specifically otherwise)

Be sure you really do follow-up!

Questions?