BUSINESS ENGLISHLECTURE 14

Workshop

Letter Writing Formal and Informal Memo Writing Formal/ Informal Email Letter of Resignation

WORKSHOPLETTER WRITING

Reading

Functions

Vocabulary

WORKSHOPMEMO WRITING

Informal - Formal

Reading

Functions

Vocabulary

Review

Resume Writing Memo Writing Formal/ Informal Letter Writing Formal and Informal Email Letter of Resignation

REVISION

Resume Writing Review

• Define Business competitive resume• formatting• content• Some Frequently Asked Questions

Purpose of a Resume

Your resume is...

• A critical step at the beginning of a job search process

• An advertisement/marketing tool*

• A written pitch*

• A screening tool

• An assessment of your value*

• A document that leads to an interview (not a job, yet!)

• A first impression

• A stand alone document

*specific to your target audience

Strategize First...

Important to do prior to deciding on format/content-• Ask, “who am I?”• Ask, “who do I want to be?”• Ask, “what is my brand?”

Keys to getting it right—• Think ahead--write to the future• Emphasize specific skills to match the career you are seeking• Write to your reader (the target industry/function)• Market yourself by only including what’s important to your

reader

Good Resume Formatting

• One full page only (unless more than 10 years of related work experience)

• Sections, in this order (heading names may vary):

• Name and Contact Information (on top)

• Education/Credentials

• Experience (Work, Professional)

• Activities/Additional Information (Community Involvement, Language Skills, etc.)

• Easily scanned for skills, results, job titles and company names in 30 seconds.

Organize in reverse chronological order (most recent experiences on top)

Write bullet points, not paragraphs

Balance appropriate amount of white space Vs. text

Use graphics, tables, or logos if appropriate

Differentiate by font style; best to use: Arial, Book Antiqua, Bookman Old Style, Century Gothic, Garamond, Georgia, Tahoma, or Verdana (90%+ resumes are in Times New Roman)

Good Resume Content

• Current and previous job responsibilities represent your skills and results (in addition to general duties and responsibilities).

• Shows the impact your performance has/had on the department, project, organization or company.

• Quantify information/results, where possible. For example, “Achieved 80% reduction of lost-time accidents, saving company $1.2 million….”

Prioritize bullet points beginning with the most relevant or most impactful first.

Use action verbs descriptive of your skills to start each bullet point (see link on following slide).*

Show promotion or advancement by titles and dates.*

No outdated or irrelevant activities—unless it is a significant accomplishment,

skill, or unusual talking point.*

Format-related questions

Why should my resume be only one page?

It is a highlight of your unique differentiators specific to your career goal and does not list everything.

Helpful Resources

• List of action verbs: http://broad.msu.edu/mba/careers/students/helpresources/preparation

• Your functional portfolio with keywords (and sample resumes) and other functional-specific resources: http://broad.msu.edu/mba/careers/students/helpresources/focus

• MS Office templates: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/FX100595491033.aspx?pid=CL100632981033

• Resume Writing Worksheet: http://www.mba.msu.edu/newsletter/restutorial/resumetutorialexercise.doc

• Access to Simplicity https://mba-msu-csm.symplicity.com/students/index.php will give you resources in Wetfeet, Vault, and a Resume Builder template.