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Does Your Resume Communicate
The Right Message?
MIT Career Development CenterRoom 12-170 (617) 253-4733
http://web.mit.edu/career/www/Bob Dolan dolanb@mit.edu
Jan 2010
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Does Your Resume CommunicateThe Right Message?
Intended Learning Outcomes:
Understand the purpose of a Resume Learn a strategy to develop and write a resume that
drives impact Practice writing an accomplishment statement
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Job
Search
Resumes, Cover Letters,Interviews, Networking!
FocusingWhich organizations are a good fit? What do Ineed to be competitive? Who can connect me tothese organizations? Networking!
Action Plan
ExplorationWhats out there? What options do I have? What jobs fit my skills?
What careers and industries can use them? Networking!
Self AssessmentWho am I? What are my interests? What kinds of skills do I have? What are my work-related values? What is my work style? Networking!
Career PlanningA Lifelong Process
Adapted from Peter Fiske: To Boldly Go: Practice Career Advice for Scientists, Workshop at MIT
Modified from Stanford University Career Planning and Placement Office
Todays
Workshop
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The Purpose of a Resume
Your Resume serves many purposes: A Marketing Tool
You are the product your resume is selling Your resume must be user friendly
A Calling Card and A Reminder
Brief summary of what you have done
Impression of you remains after the interview
A Way to Direct the Interview Specific accomplishments can direct the interviewers attention
Your Resume should be externally focused !
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Resume Development
Content
Format
Style
All threesend amessage
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Content - Strategy
Tailor your resume content to both youraudience and the job description
Hiring Manager may look for technical expertise Human Resources may look for behavioral
attributes
Exclude data related to salary expectation,religious or political affiliation, geographicalrestrictions, age, relationship status, etc.Your hiring should be based upon your ability to do the job, and nothing else
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Content - Strategy
Only include data relevant to the position for which youare applying
Choose, prioritize, and tailor headings andexperience relevant to the targeted position
Know your audience, and give them what they need !
A good resume piques the interest of the reader andprompts them to invite you in for an interview
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Content - ?
How do you know what to write?
The Job Description provides all of the vitalinformation and requirements about the job
Information gathered during Networking and yourindividual research can provide content thats on-point
Your resume message should target job relatedrequirements, both technical and behavioral
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ContentActual Job Description Entry Level
Entry Level Civil Engineer Job Description:
An Aerotek client, a leading utility firm is seeking an entry Level Civil Engineer. The civilengineer is someone who wants to get their foot in the door and grow within a well
established firm. The individual will be responsible for the design and drafting of civilengineering and construction projects. Must be comfortable working with a team ofdesigners to focus on large town/city projects.
Job Requirements:
* O-1 years of experience.* BS in Civil Engineering.* EIT preferred.* Excellent witting and communication skills.* This position involves travel to other locations will also be required.
Be prepared to talk tothese requirements as
well
Highlight the key responsibilities and requirementsand make sure your resume addresses their needs
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ContentActual Job Description - Experienced
Project Engineer Job Description The Project Engineer will be assigned to one of multiple planned commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol
projects. He/she will be the point-person for the identification, tracking, coordination and resolution oftechnical issues between project team members, including Verenium project management and processengineering, contractors, vendors, and external engineering entities.
Responsibilities include: -Being the the focal person for the project engineering change management process, including Engineering
Change Notices (ECNs) and Requests-for-Information (RFIs).
-Tracking and expediting of documentissues, submittals, reviews and approvals to ensure timeliness andcompleteness of performance. -Participating in design and constructability reviews, and as well as assist in the tracking of material quantities
as detail design proceeds. The Project Engineer will be based in Cambridge; however, he/she will be spend considerable time at the engineers
offices and project site during the design and construction / start-up phases of the project, respectively.
Requirements: Bachelors degree in Chemical, Mechanical, Civil, Structural or Electrical Engineering with 5 10 years experience
related to the design, engineering, construction, and/or operation of chemical process plants. EIT orProfessional Engineering Registration is preferred.
This candidate must have experience in the following areas: Interaction with engineering service suppliers, contractors and equipment vendors. Demonstrated excellence in applying modern software and hardware tools to solve practical problems. Ability to work well in a teamencompassing many disciplines as well as independently with minimal
supervision. Ability to read and analyze engineering drawingsfor quantity determination purposes. Ability to organize and manage large volumes of data, and to summarize and present such datain a clear
manner. Ability to prioritize and structure multiple-front work efforts to meet deadlines.
Looka typo
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ContentActual Jobs and Descriptions in CareerBridge
Log onto Career Bridgehttps://www.myinterfase.com/mit/student
Go to: DatabasesJobsSearch
Enter current date in first Expiration Date box,Leave second box blank, and click Search
As of Jan 13, 2010 (today) there were 1,025 open jobs in thedatabasefull-time positions and internships
Click on jobs of interest, review the Job Descriptionsand use this data to develop your communication
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Top Qualities/SkillsEmployers Want
Communications Skills (verbal & written) 4.6 Strong work ethic 4.6 Teamwork skills 4.5 Motivation/initiative 4.4 Interpersonal skills 4.4 Problem Solving skills 4.4 Analytical skills 4.3 Flexibility/adaptability 4.2 Technical/Computer skills 4.1
Detail oriented 4.0 Organizational skills 4.0 Leadership skills 3.9 Self confidence 3.9
5.0 Scale
NACE National Association of Colleges and Employers, 2008 Survey
Does your resumecommunicate theseskills & attributes?
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When Deciding on Two Equally
Qualified Candidates,
Hiring Managers Look At:
Has held leadership position 4.0 Major 3.9 High GPA 3.7 Co-curricular activities 3.6 Volunteer work 3.0 School attended 2.9
National Assn. of Colleges andEmployers, 2008 Job Outlook Survey
5.0 point scale, where 1 = no influence, 5 = extreme influence
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Content - Headings
Personal Contact Information:
Name, Address, Phone, e-mail, etc
Summary of Qualifications If you have work experience
Education degree(s) and date of graduation
Relevant Courses/Projects
Scholarships/Awards (if applicable)
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Content - Headings
Experience or Work Experience Accomplishments/Professional Achievements
Key MessageValue Added Contributions
Relevant Skills Section Computer, Languages, Technical, Lab, Equipment, etc
Other Headings, if Applicable Relevant Presentations/Publications
Professional Affiliations Leadership/Service
Activities/Interests
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Content - Message
The way you express yourself in written form will be evaluatedby the readers and will unveil your thought process Consider using the following format when describing your skills:
PAR Statement (P=Project, A=Action, R=Results)
Example:Project = Upgrade Defect Sensing and Marking DevicesAction = As Project Manager, researched, analyzed andidentified process improvementsResult = Eliminated human inspection on line, saving $200,000
Transfer to Resume as Accomplishment Statement:Managed project to upgrade defect sensing and markingdevices resulting in the elimination of human inspection online, saving $200,000 per year
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Content - Message
Quantify experiences to convey size and/orscale of projects, budgets, and results
makes a stronger impression what was value added about your contribution?
Lists relevant accomplishments and skills,
NOT job duties and responsibilities
Your Resume is not an Autobiography
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Content = MessageExamples
Before Responsible for the development of enterprise-wideQuality Engineering services
After- Created Strategic Quality Engineering services for
enterprise-wide solutions resulting in greater effectiveness ofE-Commerce organization
___________________________________________________________________________________
Before - Responsible for product optimization across U.S.manufacturing operations
After Developed and managed a common product releasecycle initiative for a multi-site manufacturing operations thatresulted in a 60% performance improvement within 100 days
Dont list what you were supposed to do, list what you did!
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Content = MessageExamples
Before Responsible for merger and acquisition duediligence which included financial and sensitivity analysis
After- Performed comprehensive M&A due diligence and
financial analysis including management evaluation,historical results, sensitivity analysis, and relative companyvaluation materials
___________________________________________________________________________________
Before - Responsible for improving reliability of optical
networks After Developed and optimized a lightpath diversity scheme
that achieved instantaneous response to multiple networkfailures for ultra-reliable optical networks, leading to a morereliable product.
Dont list what you were supposed to do, list what you did!
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Content = MessageExamples
Before - Duties included assisting in project administration, fieldmeasurements and records, project inspection, setting up andtracking project using Microsoft Project, and developingcomputerized material take off sheets
After- Initiated and managed tracking systems used for the BayDistrict water decontamination project which decreased staffallocation time by 20% and saved $100,000 on overall project
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Before - Responsible for chairing the Graduate Student
Promotional Committee After - Chaired promotional committee of 15 that resulted in a30% increase in ticket sales
Dont list what you were supposed to do, list what you did!
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PAR Statement PracticeLets write one (takes ~ 3 minutes)
Think about a job or project that you wish toinclude on your resumedescribe the job or
project:
P: What was the Project?
A: What were your Actions?
R: What was the Result or Impact?
On the next page, write the answers to the
PAR Statement beginning with an actionverb
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PAR Statement PracticeLets write one (takes ~ 3 minutes)
P: The Project__________________________________________________________________________________
A: Your Actions____________________________________________________________________________________
R: The Result or Impact______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Format
Reverse Chronological (Most Used) - list your experiences inreverse chronological order, beginning with your most recentposition
Be consistent with tenses
Functional - Functional resumes promote and headline specificjob skills and responsibilities, without emphasizing where or whenyou developed those skills
jobs, job titles, and employment dates are inconspicuouslyplaced toward the end Not recommended for students and
recent graduates
Combination utilizes reverse chronological order as well asorganizes experiences in order of importance
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Style
Use high-quality bond paper Print on one side only Use white, ivory color paper Do not use school letterhead
Use one conservative typestyle Example fonts: Times New Roman, Arial,
Helvetica, etc.
Size 10 12 size font are recommended
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Style
Use bolding, italics, and CAPitalization to helpemphasize what is most importantminimally andconsistently
The use of Bullets is effective in directing the readerseye
Margins should be no smaller than a half inch Dont overcrowd your resume
Only include what is relevant to the position Use white space to emphasize what is most
important
Rememberyour Resume is not an autobiography
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Final Tips
Proofread - use spell and grammar check andhavesomeone review your resume for errors
Have several people critique your resume Counselor, friend, critical proofreader, someone
familiar and unfamiliar with the field/industry
Make sure the reproduction is good, with noblurring, stray marks, or faint letters
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Final Tipscont.
How many pages? length is performance based Always have a one-page version available Advanced degrees and extensive work experience may
result in a two-page document Patents and Publications may be included on an
Addendum
Avoid jargon (acronyms, course numbers, etc)
Avoid word repetition and the use of I Less is more; Leave out unnecessary words or phrases Tailor resume to your audience and job
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The Do Nots
Do Not: List references
Exaggerate Include a photo of yourself (youll scare them)
Over-emphasize
Include extraneous or personal information
Use odd sized paper Forget to proofread
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Why Proofread?
ITS ALL SO OVIBOUS
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at an Elingshuinervtisy, it deosnt mttaer in waht oredr theltteers are in a wrod, the olny iprmoetnt tihng
is taht the frist and lsat ltteers are in the rghitpclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and youcan sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs isbcuseae we do not raed ervey lteter by istlef,but the wrod as a wlohe.
Readers Digest
You cant proofread your own writinghave someone else do it
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Career Resources
MIT Career Development Center - 12-170
617- 253- 4733 http://web.mit.edu/career/www/
We offer One on One counseling
Mock Interviews (behavioral based)
Resume and Cover Letter reviews
Job/Internship Search tips
Negotiating Job Offer advice
General and Tailored Workshops Preprofessional Advising (Pre-Med Pre-Law)
Daily walk-in hours check schedule for times
Plus a lot of other wicked good stuff !!!
Take Advantage of these ResourcesWe Work for You
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Does Your Resume CommunicateThe Right Message?
Intended Learning Outcomes:
Understand the purpose of a Resume Learn a strategy to develop and write a resume thatis impactful
Practice writing an accomplishment statement
Did we accomplish the intended outcomes?
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Q & AResume Messages
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Resumes Messages
The greater danger for most of us lies
not in setting our aim too high andfalling short; but in setting our aim toolow, and achieving our mark..Buonarroti
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Bob joined the MIT Career Development Center in 2007 as a full-time Career Development Counselor afterserving three years on campus as a seasonal career consultant. He is a Certified Job Search and CareerTransition Consultant with experience in the field of career management since 2001. He is also certified toadminister and interpret the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) psychological assessment instrument.
Before joining MIT, Bob had a private Career Consulting practice and worked with clients across multipleindustries, as well as, providing career consulting services for Lee Hecht Harrison, a leading global Career
Management firm. Bob's clients spanned all industries and positions ranged from company Presidents toadministrative staff.
Prior to choosing a profession in Career Services, Bob worked in several industries as a member ofCorporate Finance Management teams. Bob holds a BS in Business, an MBA, and worked in the Publishingindustry, Chemical industry (polymer sciences), and 12 years in the High Technology sector, predominatelyin telecomm. During this time, he managed local and global finance organizations supporting CorporateFinance, Tax, R&D and Manufacturing Engineering functions. Bob was also a company trainer, deliveringseminars on workplace diversity, effective presentation skills, and conflict resolution.
As a hiring manager for over twenty years, Bob brings a unique blend of "real world" and career servicesexpertise to his clients. Since 2003 Bob has been on the Board of Directors and Treasurer of the CareerCounselors' Consortium of New England, a Boston-based non-profit organization established for theedification and advocacy of practitioners in the Career Management field.
Bob DolanCareer Development Counselor
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