Creating a Resume

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CompetenciesO Participants will gain knowledge and

skills on how to effectively assist job seekers in obtaining and retaining a meaningful job.

O Participants will have knowledge of basic job search skills.

O Participants will have knowledge and skills of how to do research using automation

Objectives

OPractice Critiquing Resumes

OExplain Resume Writing Guidelines and Styles

Resumes

OFormat

OGuidelines

OContent

OChronological

OFunctional

OCombination

Resume Formats

Always Targeted

Chronological

OWidely UsedOLogical Flow / Easy to ReadOShows Skill, Responsibility,

& GrowthOShows Promotion & TitlesODemonstrates Company

Loyalty

ADVANTAGES

Chronological

OPoints Out Employment Gaps

OHighlights Frequent Job Changes

OEmphasizes Lack of Related Experience

OShows Demotions / Career Set Backs

DISADVANTAGES

Functional

OEmphasizes Skills Over Employment

OOrganizes a Variety of Experience

ODisquises Gaps in Work Record or Series of Short Term Jobs

ADVANTAGES

Functional

OViewed With Suspicion By Employers

ODe-emphasizes Growth / Job Titles

DISADVANTAGES

Combination

OCombines SkillsOHighlights Most Relevant

SkillsODe-emphasizes Less

Relevant JobsOMinimizes Gaps & Unrelated

Experience

ADVANTAGES

Combination

OConfusing if Not Well Organized

ORequires More Effort & Creativity to Prepare

DISADVANTAGES

Targeted Resumes

Advantages DisadvantagesO Personalized to

CompanyO Shows ResearchO More ImpressiveO Addresses

Employer Needs

O Time Consuming to Prepare

O Confusing if Not Well Organized

O Should Revise For Each Employer

Resume Components

OObjectiveOSummaryOKey Skills / Areas of ExpertiseOExperience / Employment OEducation / TrainingOVolunteer Experience

Objective

An objective statement (in a targeted resume) is a sentence that details the job you are applying for and a company name.For Example:

Seeking a position as an Assistant Chef with Riverfront Restaurant.

Summary

A summary statement provides the business with a snapshot of your qualifications and what makes you the best candidate for the position.

SummaryFor Example:

A resourceful, results-driven professional with over 7+ years of experience including: project management, sales, marketing support, customer service, and administration. A strong communicator who understands business core values and is adept at building client relationships and providing excellent customer experiences. A life-long learner who has a passion for exploring new aspects of business.

Key Skills / Areas of Expertise

Also known as Summary of Qualifications, this section emphasizes the main points of a person’s expertise. It is a condensed glance of skills and accomplishments that directly relate to the position.

Key Skills / Areas of Expertise

For Example:

O 7+ years successful sales experienceO Well organized and thorough in

completing project in a timely mannerO Establishes excellent relations with

customer, building loyal repeat business

Key Skills / Areas of Expertise

For Example:

• Receiving • Customer Service

• Management

• Purchasing

• Delivery • Stock Control

• Inventory • Document Control

• Warehousing

Experience / Employment

This section focuses on accomplishments and skills related to the position and company. They should begin with action verbs and can be bullet statements for readability.

S •Situation

A •Action

R •Result

Experience / EmploymentSAR Method

Implied

Experience / EmploymentSAR Method

For Example:

Created a team of 10 people to review insurance transactions which improved the accuracy of claims by 55%.

The situation implied is insurance claims were not processed accurately.

O Produced over 15 fashion shows to showcase merchandise. Arranged for photography and design of all advertising images, boosting sales to $600,000.

O Developed on-line newsletter with staff of three. Newsletters delivered through 3rd party email software, resulting in 400% increase in client interaction.

Experience / Employment SAR Examples

OInclude relevant training and classes

OList degrees/certificatesOUse simple descriptions and bullets

Education / Training

For Example:

OB.S. Engineering, Utah StateOElectro Magnetics, U.S. Navy

Education / Training

Volunteer Experience

OOnly include extracurricular activities that relate to the position

OShows community involvement and locational stability

Cover Letters

“Resumes should show you can do the work required, while cover letters should show you want to do the work required”

Cover Letter Tips

OTargetedOStandard Business Format

ODon’t Repeat ResumeOProofreadOExamples

OAsk permission to use someone OInform them of the position you

are seekingOMake sure they all have

professional contact informationOGive them a copy of your resumeODo not include on resume unless

requested by company

References

OHave several names readyOWant to rotate names OUse both professional and

personalOCo-workers, supervisors,

vendors or customers, professors, clergy, etc.

References

Questions?