As you approach writing your résumé, it is important to know that this is a marketing piece, an advertisement, for your unique set of skills, abilities and experience. It is a tool that you use to gain an _________________.

Employers today want to know “What can you do for ______?” …It is up to _________________ to do the research and discover what employers in your field seek in a prospective employee.

Think of your résumé as a _________________. It is not going to be possible to list every single item of interest about yourself in this document - you need to identify what will be of interest to your target audience and highlight that information.

Enable you to assess your _________________, _________________, _________________ and _________________ - thereby preparing you for the interview process

Act as a reminder of you to the employer/interviewer after you're done interviewing

Be a basis for the interviewer to justify your hiring

The ultimate goal of a resume is to gain you an _________________!

Yes, but only a few! Almost every rule you have ever heard can be broken, if you have a very good reason.   Some rules, however, are absolutes, including:

No _________________

No errors in _________________

No _________________ or grandiose embellishments

No _________________ information should be included

Include only _________________ information

Never be more than _________________ pages long

While most recently graduated college-student resumes are one page, this is not an absolute rule, IF you have the right combination of _________________ and _________________.

Your resume must be long enough to detail what you have to offer a potential employer, BUT short enough to entice that employer to want to know more (that is, invite you for an interview.) 

As a general guideline, you should keep your resume to one page until you have _________________ years of experience, then go to two.

If you cannot fill two entire pages, you should condense it to one page.

_________________!

Employers today want to know what you can do for them, so it is imperative that you create a targeted resume each time you apply for an opportunity.

You will also develop a '_________________' resume to use in online databases.

You may also need a scanable or web-based resume, depending on your field; more on these later.

Yes, the three most common resumes styles are:

1. Reverse _________________

2. _________________

3. _________________

4. _________________

Present your education and work experience in chronological order, beginning with your _________________ experiences.

•This style is best for people whose job experiences closely parallel the _________________ for which they are applying or for those who have not had periods of unemployment time between jobs.

Work Experience:

1997-Present U.S. Postal Service, Indianapolis. Worked as a Station Manager, delivering mail, overseeing retail sales, planning delivery to new routes

1994-1997 All Right Parking, Inc., Indianapolis. Worked as a Manager, handling customer relations, overseeing accounts, supervising twenty-five employees

1992-1994 Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis. Worked as a District Sales Manager recruiting and training new employees, managing crews of twenty-five carriers within nine counties, designing routes

Organize experience by type of _________________ performed. Under each, give specific examples.

Highlight experiences that directly relate to the job you are seeking.

_________________ experiences that do not relate to the job for which you are applying.

Place things in order of _________________ rather than chronological order.

Experience:Research Assistant (August 1998-August 1999)—Purdue U.Assisted Professor Robert Thompson in:

* updating statistical tables and charts* answering research questions via the Internet, library, and by establishing resources to provide the needed information

President, Sociology Club (January-May 2000)* Raised over $2,000 for club expenses and scholarships* Organized 10 activities for over 200 students* Designed and maintained club website

Emphasize what you _________________ rather than where you have worked.

Try to match your skills to the position for which you are applying.

This style is ideal for people who have gained valuable skills from a variety of _________________ experiences.

Skills:

Communication Skills

*Counseled teens in an anti-drug initiative at Jefferson High School *Received Employee of the Month Award for my work creating a positive environment at Wal-Mart while working as a cashier *Presented a semester-long project on choosing a major to a group of prospective students

Training Skills

*Trained new employees in cashier procedures at Wal-Mart *Served as assistant coach for a Jefferson High School basketball team

Acts like a mini-_________________ because it demonstrates a combination of layout, graphics, text integration, and audience selection.

Make sure a company is open to this type of resume _________________ submitting it.

This style is ideal for people looking for a job that demands _________________, such as graphic design or landscape architecture

It is appropriate to use color graphics on an imaginative resume, but the cost of duplicating will be increased.

• Get a job _________________ or _________________for the job, or type of job, you are seeking, if possible.

• Make a list of all co-curricular _________________ you are involved in (clubs, Greek organizations, honor organizations, major-specific fraternities, intramurals, etc.)

• Compile a list of all _________________ activities of which you are a part (PTA, church committees, social clubs, volunteer work, etc.)

• Gather together job descriptions from your _________________ positions. If you haven’t saved copies of these, you should from now on!

• List what things friends/relatives/peers come to you for help with. This may assist you in identifying strengths you would not otherwise recognize in yourself.

_________________  _________________  Phone number  Objective  _________________  Profile or Summary of _________________  Experience

Licenses/Certifications

Accomplishments/Achievements

Affiliations/Memberships

Activities and Honors

Height, weight, age, date of birth, place of birth, marital status, sex, race, health (some of these items may be necessary on an international resume) or _________________ number (NEVER!)

  The word "_________________" at the top! 

Any statement that begins with “_____" or “_____" 

Reasons for _________________previous job(s) 

_________________ of yourself 

_________________ Information for previous positions or Salary Expectations 

Religion, church affiliations, political affiliations

Use your "_________________" name. That is, if everyone knows you by a nickname or your middle name, use it.

For example, Katherine Elaine Johnson – if everyone calls you Kate – just put KATE JOHNSON on the top of your resume, if everyone calls you Elaine – use ELAINE JOHNSON or K. ELAINE JOHNSON.

List any _________________ credentials (M.D., CPA, Ph.D.) that are appropriate for the job sought.

By all means, list your _________________phone (and permanent phone if you plan to move soon) then get an answering machine hooked up to it and make sure you have a _________________ sounding message on it! Think about who is going to be calling and what image you are trying to project.

Avoid including any_____________ phone #s, mainly because you want to be as prepared as you can for a phone call from a prospective employer. You don’t want to be caught at the gym or putting gas in your car. With your home phone # and an answering machine you can check remotely, you will be in touch.

If you must use your cellular phone # - be sure _________________ to answer it every time it rings. If you are not in a position to have a professional conversation and consult your calendar to make an appointment - DON'T answer; rather, let your voicemail pick it up and you can return the call when you are ready.

Email is a great way to communicate. However, only include yours if you check it on a regular basis (everyday!) Employers who use this method will expect to hear back from you soon. Also, be sure your email address projects your _________________ image as well ~ addresses like 2hot2handle@mail.com or braindeadat21@hottie.org would not be appropriate! Use common sense.

_________________, it tells the reader why you are sending the resume, i.e., what position or type of position you are seeking.

It should be very _________________, does not need to be a complete sentence.

An objective is like the thesis statement of your resume. _________________you include after it should support it!

Ideally_________________your objective to include job title desired, position level, field, industry, and/or company name. If you are sending this resume for a specific position at a specific company - SAY IT HERE!

Use the objective to tell what you can _________ for the company, NOT what you want the company to do for you… no statements like: to gain valuable experience, etc.

Avoid the words "entry level" – use "professional" instead.

Yes, if they are _________________to the job you are seeking. Otherwise, no.

Typically you use this section only if you are seeking a co-op or intern position, in which case, you will have a section under Education where you list your Related Courses. However, some disciplines utilize a relevant coursework section. When in doubt, check with someone you _________________.

If you took a course that is one which other students with your major would not take and it would be advantageous for a particular position, list it (probably under your qualifications area.)

When you get to _________________; don't include high school on your resume, as a college student, it is understood that you completed high school.

Exceptional activities and honors from high school may be included IF

(1) the honor is one that very _______ receive (i.e., valedictorian, Eagle Scout, etc.) or

(2) the award shows an early interest in your

__________

Use the Honors and Activities section at the _____________ of the resume. (right before your references)

This is where you showcase for the employer what you have to offer - keeping in mind what the job entails.

You won't put every single skill, experience, or attribute you possess here, _________________on what you can do to successfully perform the job.

Tailor this section to reflect what the employer is _________________, different positions will warrant that you create different qualifications sections.

These are _________________ statements of your experience, training and/or personal abilities which summarize your skills, abilities and experience.

Begin by identifying your strengths, skills, abilities gained through past employment or campus organization or classroom experience.

  List job duties, __________________________________,

from past jobs and from volunteer work, etc. using the surveys and work we have done so far in the course

From these duties, identify what _________________skills you developed.

Remember, typically an employer doesn't want to know what you did for someone else. S/he wants to know what you _________________for his/her organization.

If there was a result (an accomplishment) related to the job duty, __________________________________.

Now that you know what you can do, it is time to identify what the employer _________________

This can typically be determined by thoroughly reading the job _________________and/or position vacancy announcement. Look at job duties, position requirements and preferences, desired traits, knowledge/skills/abilities etc.

If you are developing your resume for a database or a class, not for a specific job, this step can be accomplished by gathering job descriptions/vacancy notices from various websites. Get 5-10 different notices or job descriptions and note the common traits and experiences sought. Don't worry about where these jobs are located. You're not really applying for them - you're just trying to get a feel for what employers are looking for in a successful candidate!

Employer Skills Match - develop your Qualifications or Skills section by matching up what the employer _________________with what you can _________________. Sounds simple enough!

These are _________________statements of your experience, training and/or personal abilities.

They should highlight what you have to offer an employer (based on what the position requires.)

Begin each with an _________________or number, being sure to choose different words to begin each statement.

_________________can be used, if appropriate, i.e., computer skills, customer service skills, etc.

Job listing should be in _________________chronological order (that is, your most recent job is listed first.)

Listing must include name of company, city and state. Do ____________list street addresses, supervisors, telephone numbers or __________________________________.

 Dates of employment are required. Be sure to include _________________ (or term) and _________________, i.e., Fall 2004 or June 2003-present.

 There is no rule about which jobs you must include. Use your _________________and include everything needed for the employer to make a good decision about whether or not to interview you. You might list every job you've ever held or you might just list your last 3 positions.

Another approach might be to only include the _________________positions you've had and name the section Related Experience or Relevant Work History or something similar.

List a job _________________so the employer has an idea of the work you performed. If you didn’t have an official title, choose one that best describes what you actually did at this job.

Typically job duties should __________be included here unless they are highly relevant to your objective. Even then _______________ include duties which are implied by your job title or alluded to in the Summary of Qualifications or a Profile section.

However, job _________________SHOULD be listed as bullet statements under each position as applicable.

Put this section _________________ your Employment History.

Include scholarships, honors, organizations, and memberships.

Community work, volunteer work, is also appropriate to list here.

You don't have to include everything you've been involved with if it is overwhelming. Keep your goal in mind (__________________________________) and give enough information to allow the reader (i.e., potential employer) what s/he needs to make that decision.

Rank these items from '______________ impressive' or 'most relevant' to '_______________ impressive' or 'least relevant' as it relates to your job target.

Name this section what it is. If it is all community work – Community Involvement – would be a good name; if it is all clubs and organizations – call it Activities; if it is all honors – call it Honors.

Some activities we are involved in may be _________________. For example: political affiliated groups or volunteer work or church activities. We call these "hot buttons" and my advice is:

IF that activity or membership is SO important to you that you would not want to work somewhere that it wasn’t ‘ok’ then _________________it on the resume, BUT:

IF you are more interested in the _________________and would just as soon wait to let them know that you are a Democrat or a Baptist, leave it off or list it generically, for example: Sunday School Teacher

As a general rule, we don’t recommend that you list hobbies or interests unless they are

(1) _________________, i.e., you belong to a club or (2) _________________to the type of position you are

seeking

They are listed _________________using the same header you did on your resume. Then list the reference names and contact information in block (envelope) style.

Have between _____ and _____ references.

They should all be individuals who have _________________knowledge of your job abilities (supervisor, etc.), pastor, or a teacher.

Ask the references permission _________________ you use them. Also ask them if they will give you a good reference. You don’t want to

list folks who won’t sing your praises! Make sure to ask _________________they would like to be contacted,

i.e., home or work and get the correct contact information for each person.

Afterward, follow up with your references by sending them a copy of your completed resume. This will help them if/when they get a call on you.

Be sure to take _________________of your resume and references to all _________________. Most employers will request them at that time or you can use them to help you during the pressure of the interview.

Any time you send your resume to an employer it should be accompanied by a __________________________________.

A cover letter acts as an _________________for your resume.

A cover letter also stands as a sample of your __________________________________, so be sure to make it the best possible sample you can.

If you are sending your resume via email - the cover letter is the __________________________________ itself. Then attach the resume following the employer's instructions (i.e., MSWord document, text document, etc.)

Spend some time up front to determine what you have to offer and what you are worth to an employer.

_________________ use the resume wizard or template from your word processing software or copy the samples from class. This document needs to be uniquely you - you don't want to look like anyone else's. (you can start there though!!!)

Answer the question, "Why am I more qualified than the next guy?" Then develop your resume to reflect that.

_________________try to distinguish yourself by fancy fonts, clipart or non-traditional papers. That is not the interest you want to capture!

It is imperative that you catch a prospective employer’s attention within the first few _________________of reading your resume.

People today are busy and often don’t spend more than a minute or two scanning resumes, so you have to sell yourself quickly and concisely. (average is ________ seconds!!!)

Be sure when you are crafting your Summary of Qualifications / Profile area to highlight those skills that apply to your job _________________.

Remember that your objective is your "thesis statement" – proceed from there.

Make use of your word-processor's _________________ elements. Use bold, italics, different font sizes, upper-case and small capitals lettering for emphasis and to direct the reader's eye.

Type should be between _____ & _____ pt. Use a _________________, readily-available font such as Times New Roman, Arial, Bookman, Trebuchet, Lucida Sans, Garamond, Verdana or Courier.  You can use a different font for the headers of your resume as well as your contact information but don't use more than ______ types.  However, you can vary the size, style, etc.

Make sure your resume _________________! Don’t have all the text on the left side of the page and lots of blank space on the right. Use white space, but also spread out your information in an aesthetically pleasing way.

Use _________________ to draw the reader’s eye. But don’t bullet everything! Use them to highlight the strong points of your resume such as the Qualifications or Profile statements.

Be _________________ with headings (size, boldness, etc.) and body text (indented, not indented, tabs right-justified, tabs left-justified, etc.)

Use __________________________________. This can be purchased by the sheet at a print shop or by the box at any office supply or discount store. (thicker than normal)

Don’t get fancy – plain _________________or off-white (cream, ecru, etc.) is your best bet.

Don’t go with any _________________or _________________ paper. You want the attention on your

resume content not on it’s vehicle!

Don’t _________________and stuff your resume in an envelope (even the nice ones you can buy to match your resume paper!)

Buy envelopes that are the _________________as your resume and slip your cover letter on top, then your resume. Type an address label and return address label (or stamp if you have it) and mail flat.