resumes that work metro community college career network center

RESUMES THAT WORK

Metro Community College

Career Network Center

Career Network Center Coordinators

FOC – Fayetta Steele

457 - 2202 SOC – Peg Liewer

738 - 4555 EVC – Julie Langholdt

289 - 1416

ObjectivesList the advantages of developing

a resumeIdentify guidelines for resume

preparationDevelop a draft resume

Resume Tool to present an individual’s skills and

qualifications to a potential employer

Advertisement of you and your skills

Purpose of a Resume To get you selected for an interview

Remember

You may be eliminated from consideration due to your resume.

Employers get their first impression of your professional standards and talents from the resume.

Components of a Resume What is the single most important piece

of information on a resume?

Heading

Sarah A. Smith123 South Wood Street

Omaha, NE 68103

(402) 555 – 1234

smith@server.net

Heading Tips

Your email address should be conservative and professional

Your answering machine message should clearly identify you and be professional sounding.

Objective Briefly tells the employer what position

you are interested in. Needs to be employer-focused. Example:

• To obtain (list the position) with ABC Corporation.

Employment History A section that emphasizes your past and

present employment Other Names: Professional Experience,

Work History, Volunteer Work, Experience Provide information to help persuade

prospective employers that your experiences make you qualified for the job

What goes in this section?

Company or organization Location (City, State) Position title Dates of employment/involvement Descriptions of skills, knowledge or

accomplishments, etc.

Example

Cashier May 2002 to present

Super Target Omaha, NE• Balance drawer at beginning and end of shift

• Enter charges for all items; total items; subtract discounts

• Take payments; issue receipts; count change

• Deliver outstanding customer service

• Employee of the Month: August 2002, January 2003

Getting started List your past and present experiences. Start with the most recent (reverse

chronological order.

Include:• Jobs

• Volunteer positions

• Internships

Describing Experiences Use Action Verbs

• Are more descriptive and powerful

Keep statements brief

Use bulleted lists

Developing your descriptions

Answer the journalistic questions:

• Who?...With whom did you work?

• What?...What duties did you perform?

• Where?... Where did your job fit into the organization?

• Why?..What goals were you trying to accomplish?

• When?...What timelines were you working under?

• How?...What procedures did you follow?

Developing your descriptions

SampleBefore:

• Planned activities

Questions asked: What kinds?, How?, When?, For Whom?

After:• Planned arts, crafts, activities, and exercises

weekly for physically-challenged children

Making your descriptions parallel

Column A Recording OSHA

regulated documents Material purchasing and

expediting Prepared weekly field

payroll Responsible for charge

orders

Column B Recorded OSHA

regulated documents Conducted material

purchasing and expediting

Prepared weekly payroll Processed charge

orders

Try to see you experiences as a professional would

Understated• Answered phone

• Wiped tables

Professional• Acted as liaison between clients and legal

staff

• Created healthy environment for customers and maintained positive public image

Ways to tailor this section

Select content that supports your qualifications and matches job descriptions

Consider organizing by order of importance

Use professional wording, integrating job specific terms

A formula for success

Use appropriate headings Include required content Organize your section strategically Develop your descriptions Make your descriptions parallel See through professional eyes Tailor for your audience

Education and Training Section

A section that emphasizes your educational background and formal training

Persuade employers your educational background is relevant to the job, providing evidence of your qualifications

“Bare bones” education section

Schools you have attended, including universities, community colleges, technical schools, etc.• Do not include high school information

Location of school(s) Date of graduation, actual or anticipated Degree(s) earned or pursued Grade Point Average (GPA)

What else may be included?

Extra information about your degree (major, minor or selective GPAs, funding sources, honors, etc)

Specializations and special projects Other relevant skills and training

(relevant coursework, computer skills, language proficiency, certifications, licenses, etc)

Example

Metropolitan Community College, Omaha, Nebraska

Pursuing an Associates in Applied Science Degree: Office Skills Technology

Anticipated Graduation: May 2004 GPA 3.23

Questions to answer What are my major and

minor GPAs? Any honors related to my

degree? How is my education

funded? What are my major and

minor? What are my areas of emphasis, specialization, or concentration?

What special course or degree related projects may be relevant?

What courses have I taken that are related to my career goals?

With what computer programs am I most familiar?

What language proficiencies do I have?

Any certifications or licenses?

Do I have any on-the-job educational training?

Resume Writing Tips Write your own

resume Make it error free Make it look good Be brief and

relevant Be honest

Be positive Be specific Use action verbs

and short phrases Edit and edit again

Selecting content for readers

Consider how much space you have on your resume

Read job ads closely Select your most relevant educational

experiences or those for which you have space

List in chronological order or in order of importance

Using fonts Size: how big is big enough?

• For a professional look, you will want to avoid more than 2 different font sizes

Two major kinds:• Serif (Times New Roman and Courier)

• Sans Serif (Arial and Helvetica)

Use bold type sparingly

Types of Resumes Chronological

Functional

Combination

Targeted

Chronological ResumeMerits

Accentuates your formal qualifications

Appropriate for directly qualified candidates with linear career progression

Often the preferred format

Drawbacks May emphasize

candidate’s lack of direct, in-depth experience

Underscores past identity rather than future potential

Functional Resume

Merits Opportunity to

establish transferability of skills

Not limited to paid employment, widens scope of all experiences

Drawbacks Challenges the

standard presentation

May hide background information

Combination Resume Combines elements of both styles Gives equal focus to skills that relate to

the job/position your are seeking and your work history

Targeted Resume Includes a “grocery list” of skills,

responsibilities, accomplishments, and experiences that you have that relate to the job/position you are seeking

Resume Presentation

Quality paper – off-white, cream, gray, white

Paper weight – 16-32 lbs., 100% cotton fiber

Producing – Word processor (do not use Microsoft Word resume wizard!)

Printing – Laser is preferred

Tips for Using Your Resume

Send to the person in charge of screening by name

Always send with a cover letter Mass mailing is not effective Follow up sending your resume with a

phone call

Tips for Using Your Resume

When directly contacting employers, always have a copy of your resume available

Attach your resume to employment application, however do NOT say “see resume” on application

Give a copy of your resume to your references Bring copies of resume to interviews