Resumes__________________

A personal summary of one’s background experience, and accomplishments

A resume is a marketing tool in which you are the product and the employer is the buyer

On average, the employer will look at a resume for only 20 seconds, so make those 20 seconds count!

What is a resume?

ONE page only Print on high quality paper (watermarked) Make it attractive Proofread it for grammar, puncuation and

speling errors Have someone else check for errrors

Tips for a Great Resume

Functional – focuses on skills, experience, and accomplishments. A functional resume works best for young people with little work experience, just entering the job market.

Chronological –list your most recent job duties and employment dates first. A chronological resume works best for those with experience and a steady job history.

Resume Types

Heading Name Address Phone number – the phone number should be

the one that has voice mail or an answering machine with a professional recorded message to take messages

Email address (this should be an email address that is professional)

Parts of a resume

Education Your most recent educational experience should be

listed first – “currently attending” Date of graduation – if you have yet to graduate,

have a statement that says “expected graduation date XXXX”

Special workshops, seminars, coursework, or senior projects (include these items only if they strengthen the resume by relating to the job being applied for)

A GPA higher than 3.0 should be noted

Parts of a resume

Skills Identify skills that would strengthen you as a

candidate for the job Skills should include things such as knowledge

of software, foreign languages, leadership, teamwork, etc.

Parts of a resume

Work Experience – required Describe your work responsibilities with an

emphasis on achievements using action words to communication your skills

Identify the position held Name and location of the organization Dates of employment List the most important and related responsibilities

first Include part-time, seasonal jobs, internships, etc

Parts of a resume

Honors, Awards, Activities, Volunteer Work – optional If the activities involved work responsibility,

note it in some detail. If you were elected to offices or committees,

mention it (shows leadership) Include dates

Parts of a resume

References – required References should be available as an

attachment, but NOT listed on the actual resume

A section titled “References” with the phrase “references available upon request” should be written on the bottom of the resume

A person should have 3 -5 references DO NOT use family and friends as references

Parts of a resume

References continued Information to include with references is the

name of the person, their job title, address, phone number, email address

ALWAYS ask reference’s permission before submitting a name to a potential employer. They will be more likely to give you a positive reference if they are expecting it.

Parts of a resume

Weight Height Social Security Number Birth Date Marital Status Photographs Salary histories Reasons for leaving past jobs Hobbies, activities, and memberships not related to

the job being applied for

Information to NOT include in a resume

8 ½ X 11 cotton bond paper Minimum margins of 3/4” One to 2 pages in length (1 is

recommended) Neat and easy to read Have heading, education, experience, and

references Free of staples and folds

How a resume should look

BE HONEST – do not stretch the truth Never list exact dates, just month and year Never list the date your resume was created Do not use “I statements” such as: I can type

60 words per minute instead, use action words and statements such as: skilled in typing 60 wpm

Use acronyms only after defining them

General tips for resumes

Common action wordsto use in your resume

Accommodated, achieved, applied, assisted, budgeted, chaired, combined, compared, cooperatively, created, decided, delivered, developed, earned, experienced, explored, educated, established

Validated, taught, supervised, skilled, selected, solved, responded, received, managed, guided, formed, implemented, improved, ordered, provided, persuaded, presented, supplied, etc.