Effective Résumé Writing
What is a resumé?
A resume is your calling card A resume highlights your experience, skills
and accomplishments A resume motivates an employer to
interview you A resume communicates your value to an
employer The interview gets you the job, the resume
gets you the interview!
The ‘killer’ edge
Depending on the level of the job
1 interview is granted for every 300-500 resumes received by an average employer
10-20 seconds is all the time you have to persuade an employer to read further
Top half of the first page either makes or breaks you
What's the difference between a resume and a CV?
Primary differences are the length, the content and the purpose.
A resume is a one or two page summary of your skills, experience and education.
A CV, is a longer (two or more pages), more detailed synopsis.
It includes a summary of your educational and academic backgrounds as well as teaching and research experience, publications, presentations, awards, honors, affiliations and other details
What's the difference between a resume and a CV?
CV is used primarily when applying for academic, education, scientific or research positions. It is also applicable when applying for fellowships or grants
In addition to the basics, a CV includes research and teaching experience
Publications, grants and fellowships Professional associations and licenses Awards and other information relevant to the
position you are applying for
John Smith Street, City, State, ZipPhone: 555-555-5555
Cell: [email protected]
Objective:
Assistant Professor, Psychology
Education:
Ph.D., Psychology, University of Minnesota, 2006Concentrations: Psychology, Community PsychologyDissertation: A Study of Learning Disabled Children in a Low Income Community M.A., Psychology, University at Albany, 2003Concentrations: Psychology, Special EducationThesis: Communication Skills of Learning Disabled Children
B.A, Psychology, California State University, Long Beach, CA, 2000Experience:
Instructor, 2004 - 2006University of MinnesotaCourse: Psychology in the Classroom
Teaching Assistant, 2002 - 2003University at AlbanyCourses: Special Education, Learning DisabilitiesResearch Skills:
Extensive knowledge of SPSSX and SAS statistical programs.
Presentations:
Smith John (2006). The behavior of learning disabled adolescents in the classrooms. Paper presented at the Psychology Conference at the University of Minnesota.Publications:
Smith, John (2005). The behavior of learning disabled adolescents in the classroom. Journal of Educational Psychology, 120 - 125.Grants and Fellowships:
•RDB Grant (University of Minnesota Research Grant, 2005), $2000 •Workshop Grant (for ASPA meeting in New York, 2004), $1500
Awards and Honors:•Treldar Scholar, 2005 •Academic Excellent Award, 2003
Skills and Qualifications: •Microsoft Office, Internet •Programming ability in C++ and PHP •Fluent in German, French and Spanish
References:
Excellent references available upon request.
Preparation
Brainstorm Write your answer to, ‘What would make
someone the perfect candidate for the job?’ ‘What is your USP?” Cover all the possible ways
of thinking about and communicating what you do well
What does the employer really want?
Qualities employers seek
1. Communication skills
2. Honesty, Integrity
3. Team skills
4. Interpersonal skills
5. Motivation/Initiative
6. Strong work ethics
7. Analytical skills
8. Flexibility/Adaptability
9. Computer skills
10. Self-confidence
Formats
There are two kinds – One is the the familiar ‘tombstone’ that lists where
you went to school and where you’ve worked in chronological order
The other is what is called the ‘functional’ résumé – descriptive, fun to read , unique to you and much more likely to land you an interview
Chronological format
Name Header Objective Summary of skills/qualifications Work Experience Education Memberships/Activities/Honors
Chronological format
When listing positions include – Name of Employer Employer’s location Your dates of employment Your position or job title Summary of your responsibilities Your major accomplishments
Functional format
Name header Objective Summary of skills, qualification Skills Education Memberships/Interests/Honours
Objective
Objectives are the simplest, quickest way to target a specific position
Objective should be tailored to the prospective employer’s needs
Use the objective to establish why you are the perfect candidate for the job Eg: An XXX position in an organisation where YYY and ZZZ
would be needed
Objective
Objective should be simple, specific and brief -- no more than two or three lines.
It should highlight what you have to offer the company, such as a specific skill or experience.
A recruiter is more interested in what you can give the company than what you hope to get from it.
Eg: To obtain an entry-level account management position in financial services utilizing my strong analytical and interpersonal skills.
Career Objective Short Term Format
Specifies position and field Example: “To obtain a position as an Administrative Assistant in
a hospital setting” Functional Format
Specifies knowledge and experience required within the field Example: “ To obtain an Administrative Assistant position which
will utilize my experience in office management and accounting” Skills Format
Specifies skills and abilities required for the position Example: “ To obtain a position as an Administrative Assistant
that will utilize my communication, computer and general office skills”
Skills for the functional resumé
1. Communication skills
2. Organizational skills
3. Management skills
4. Administrative skills
5. Interpersonal skills
6. Teaching skills
7. Team/Competitive skills
8. Leadership skills
9. Financial skills
10. Money management skills
1. Computer skills
2. Event management skills
3. Creative skills
4. Analytical skills
5. Motivational skills
6. Training skills
7. Mentoring skills
Skills and Accomplishments
State your skills and accomplishments rather than just job responsibilities “Managed an office with five employees with an
annual budget of $100,000” is not as powerful as “Increased efficiency and reduced costs by 20% while maintaining a qualified and trained five person staff”
Exercise
Decide which points should be included Attended university, left after a year Studied business administration at night school 20 years raising children Coordinated charity fund raising in town Chairperson of son’s school parent teacher association Sung in Church choir Have run 5 marathons Raised money for local social project
Exercise Helped salesman husband reorganize his filing system by
installing a micro-computer Worked for 3 years as secretary to the manager of sales
division,ABC company Hated secretarial work Promoted to administrative assistant Like flower arranging Look after family budget and save 10% of yearly income Like working in a team 42 years and only 5 years of salaried income
Words count
Use of language is extremely important Avoid large paragraphs (five or six lines). Use action verbs. Verbs such as "developed",
"managed", and "designed" Don't use declarative sentences like "I developed
the ..." or "I assisted in ...", leave out the "I" ". Avoid passive constructions, such as "was
responsible for managing". Just say, "managed":
Background checks
Background checks can include: reference checks criminal background checks past employment verification education verification
Words Every Resume Can Include
'Teamwork‘
'Flexibility‘
'Detail-Oriented‘
'Self-Motivated'
Words That Weaken Your Resume
'Assist,' 'Contribute' and 'Support' 'Successfully' 'Responsible For'
Remember
Toot your own horn Add punch with action words – completed,
managed, operated, supervised.. Be specific, concrete, brief
Forget!
Heading ‘resumé’ Job references Salary information Personal statistics Photos Personality profiles (attributes) Testimonials
Tips Limit to 1 or 2 pages Don’t cram, Edit Use easy to read font size – Arial /
Verdana / Sans Serif Select a readable size 10-12, preferably
12 Don’t mix type faces Highlight with bold type faces Underline for section heads only
Tips
Use bullets to highlight accomplishments Keep paragraph length to not more than 4-5 lines Use short line length Keep it simple Select ivory Bond paper Print on one side of the paper only
Formatting
Top margin 1” Sides ½” Ragged right margin (Right justified) Double space between sections Single space between lines If 2 pages, add ‘continued’.. Write Pg 2 on the 2nd page
Action Phrases
Analyzed problems and developed solutions Excellent interpersonal and people management skills Able to exercise good judgment and sound reasoning Good interpersonal skills Able to concentrate and pay attention to detail Can work well on own initiative A good communicator Experienced, self motivated and energetic A good planner