How to Get Your Resume Noticed

Presented by

Danielle Rubenstein

Senior Associate Director, Alumni

Career Services

Goizueta Business School

With

Sarah Hay

Director, Alumni Career Services

Emory Alumni Association

Defining a Resume

What is a Resume?

• An outline of your skills and professional accomplishments,

certifications, education, community contributions, etc.

• Used to apply for jobs, graduate and professional schools,

fellowships and scholarships

• A tool used in networking and designed to secure an

interview

• A reflection of your professional story that is easily

digestible by a reader and clarifies professional

qualifications and strengths

Where to Begin

Questions to Ask Yourself:

• What are your main qualifications, strengths, skills and

areas of expertise?

• What position(s)--or type of position--are you seeking? If trying to make a change, what are your transferable skills?

• What type of organization or work setting are you most interested in?

Increasing the Power of Your Resume

• Consider your target audience – understand clearly what the employer is seeking

• Read the position description carefully

• Inventory and analyze your experiences

o Browse old performance reviews to gain insight into prominent skills

• Outline thoughts on paper

• Consider section headings and order

Formatting Your Resume

• Use familiar font (size should not be below 10 pt font, ideally 11)

• One page rule no longer applies – but keep it within two

• Allow white space within left/right margins (top/bottom can be

flexible)

• Save resume file as your name

• Ensure NO misspellings and typos; do not use personal pronouns

Core Elements of a Resume

Header

Summary of Qualifications/Career Profile

Experience (Career Highlights section can be above this)

Education

Additional Information

• Certifications/Specialized Training

• Honors/Professional Awards

• Activities/Community Engagement/Service

Header

• Includes all contact information – ensure it is accurate!

• Use design that portrays information in an easy-to-read and central manner (i.e. larger font for name, graphic elements, etc.)

• Coordinate heading with your cover letter – creates consistency

• Include personal website or link to LinkedIn profile

Summary of Qualifications/Career Profile

• Highlights your key career achievements and defines who you are as a professional

• Includes experience level, industry and skills

• Can be bulleted or in paragraph form. KEEP IT CONCISE

• May include a Key Competencies/Relevant Skills section to capture key words from job description

Example:

Accomplished Marketing Professional with 5+ years of experience utilizing social media to expand company-wide online initiatives. Resourceful self-starter and innate researcher who effectively identifies competitive advantages for sales teams and provides exceptional service to both current and prospective customers. Highly proficient at using PowerPoint to create marketing presentations for industry conferences, executive management and sales proposals.

Experience

• Bullets should represent your accomplishments, not responsibilities -think in terms of “How, Where, What, When and Who?”

• Ensure bullets are ordered according to relevance to position

• Use action verbs that convey skills most relevant to position - OK to brag!!

• Quantify wherever possible» Example:

» “Responsible for planning all events”

» is improved by stating:

» “Planned and executed multiple events for 125+ hospital staff while effectively managing $500K annual budget; events included formal

dinners and professional development activities”

Education

• Highlights your relevant schooling and academic training

• May be at the top if a recent graduate, or towards the bottom if your Experience is a greater sell to the employer (2+ years after graduation is the rule)

• Recent grads can include a Relevant Coursework bullet underneath Education – select courses that increase your level of expertise for employer

• List most recent schooling first

Additional Information

What to Include? • What have you been involved with in the past and in the present?

(volunteering, community leadership)

• What kinds of activities are valued most highly in your field? (certifications, training, honors, awards)

• Which of your activities are most closely associated with your career goals? (publications/presentations/professional memberships)

• What does your involvement in activities, related and unrelated to your career goals, reveal about you and your values? How can you "sell" these activities to an employer?

NOTE: Be selective in providing information about your political, religious, or personal interests. You may also include computer skills, foreign languages, hobbies, etc.

Sample Resumes

Special Circumstances

• Employment Gaps: If greater than two years, explain gap in transition statement (i.e. “Took hiatus from workforce care for aging parents (or young kids”))

• Age Discrimination: Leave dates off in Education section. Include relevant work experience through the 90s but not further back.

• Short-term Jobs: Consider leaving one off if there are too many. Try to bucket under one “Consulting” role.

How to Get Noticed

• TAILOR your resume to a specific job: address employer’s needs by researching the job function

• SHARE your resume with people in your target industry and/or company

• IDENTIFY a connection at the company/organization using LinkedIn or other networking avenues

• FOLLOW-UP after applying!!

LinkedIn v. Resume Content

• LinkedIn is your online resume –allows you to tell your story in a more personal way (more like in an interview)

• Create a detailed profile with professional summary, experience, core competencies and activities – focus on key words– https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlespgarcia

– https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuawaldman

• Add relevant presentations, publications, etc.

• Recommendations are an excellent way to stand out

Additional Resources

• Resume samples and tips:

– https://www.livecareer.com/quintessential/resume-samples

– https://www.livecareer.com/resume-samples

– http://www.blueskyresumes.com/free-resume-

samples/category/executive/

Q&A

Stay Connected

• Set up a meeting with Sarah: Sarah.Hay@emory.edu

• Schedule a coaching appointment with Danielle:

http://www.alumni.emory.edu/career/career-coaching-and-advising.html

• Learn how to post or apply for a job on our new platform, Handshake:

Jule.Taylor@emory.edu

• All Career Events (virtual and in-person): alumni.emory.edu/careercalendar

• Archived Webinars: alumni.emory.edu/careerwebinarsplaylist

• General Questions: acs@emory.edu

July 6 Webinar:

Getting Where You Want to Go: The Best Kept

Secrets to Job Searching SuccessSarah Carlson, Career Advisor and Adjunct Professor, Emory Law