build a winning resume

Create your Resume

Build a Winning ResumeNeal RobinsonAssistant Director, Employer RelationsCareer Services, University of Central Florida

Learning Objectives:(1) The student will explain the function of their resume as it relates to the employment process.(2) The student will describe the key components of their resume including educational highlights, the use of targeted action verbs, and accomplishment statements.

1Advice & QuestionsADVICEQUESTIONSEmployers look at your resume for an average of 15 to 30 seconds. To this end, your resume should be clear, concise and easy to read. Generally, your resume should not exceed 1 page unless you have extensive experience or graduate work. Further elaboration of your experience would be more appropriate for the accompanying cover letter or during the interview. Leave margins from to 1 inch and equal on all sides. Ensure that you have a nice balance between type and white space on the page. Standard fonts such as Times New Roman or Arial are recommended. Font size should be between 10 and 12 points. Consistency is key. When using bullets, underlines, bold typeface, and indentation make sure they are consistent throughout the document. Laser print your resume on white or beige high quality resume paper (heavier weight & higher bond than regular copy paper).2Consider the BenefitsIts not ALL about the money!

Health, Dental, Life, & Disability InsurancePaid Vacation, Holidays, Sick TimeBonusesChild Care ServicesContinuing Education & Training ServicesFlexible Work ScheduleStock OptionsRelocation ExpensesRetirement PlansWhat will you get to add to your professional toolbox?

3Formatting & AppearanceLength Generally one page Margins 0.5 to 1 inch on all sidesFonts Standard fonts (ex. Times New Roman or Arial)Type Size 10 - 12 PointPaper White, beige, or light gray resume paper

Employers look at your resume for an average of 15 to 30 seconds. To this end, your resume should be clear, concise and easy to read. Generally, your resume should not exceed 1 page unless you have extensive experience or graduate work. Further elaboration of your experience would be more appropriate for the accompanying cover letter or during the interview. Leave margins from to 1 inch and equal on all sides. Ensure that you have a nice balance between type and white space on the page. Standard fonts such as Times New Roman or Arial are recommended. Font size should be between 10 and 12 points. Consistency is key. When using bullets, underlines, bold typeface, and indentation make sure they are consistent throughout the document. Laser print your resume on white or beige high quality resume paper (heavier weight & higher bond than regular copy paper).4Contact InformationFirst M LastCurrent Address:501 Russell HallStorrs, CT 06269555-555-5555Permanent Address:1234 Long Hill RoadMansfield, CT [email protected] NameMailing AddressesPhone NumberE-mail AddressVICTOR A. TRINGER

345 Alcorn Lane Ocean City, MD 20607 (555) 555-5555 [email protected]_____________________________________________________________________________

The example heading, which contains appropriate information and is formatted correctly takes only 3 vertical spaces.6Objective StatementPurpose:What position are you applying to?What skills/experiences would you contribute?

Creating an Objective:Highlight the industry, field, or company of interestEmphasize 2-3 of your strong and/or related skills

7VICTOR A. TRINGER


OBJECTIVE:

To obtain a legal assistant position at xyz law firm utilizing strong research, organizational, and written communication skills.

The example heading, which contains appropriate information and is formatted correctly takes only 3 vertical spaces.8Objective StatementObjective:Seeking a ________ utilizing ________, __________, and ________ skillsType of PositionYour Skills, Relevant to the Position Education SectionEducational institutions or specialized training programs you have attendedGPA (optional) Certifications and/or licensure related to employment goalRelevant coursework and/or thesis topic

As you apply for internships or entry level positions, one of your key credentials is your UCF education. So, this information should appear next on your resume. The Education section will include information about the college or colleges attended, which degree was obtained or will be obtained, anticipated or actual date of graduation, and details about your academic program of study as well as GPA (3.0 or higher.) Some employers have specific GPA requirements that are used as a qualifier for candidates. These required GPAs are communicated to potential candidates and are usually included in job or internship postings. As an upcoming or recent college graduate, if you do not list your GPA on your resume the recruiter may conclude it is very poor. Either way, you should be prepared to discuss your GPA at an interview. A sampling of UCF recruiters indicated they would prefer a candidate with a good GPA and other activities (work experience, student organizations, community involvement) to a candidate with limited or no additional activities and a 4.0 GPA (for undergraduates).When lacking significant experience, one way to convey knowledge and skills obtained is through listing relevant coursework. When listing courses, be certain not to provide a laundry list of courses; instead choose the courses that are most relevant to the position for which you are applying. Education, like experience, is a chronological component of your resume. Be sure to list in reverse chronological order and include Where your went to school, Location (City, State) of school, What degree & major you were enrolled in and When you did or expect to graduate.As you progress in your career, the Education section may move from the second area on your resume because it is most likely not one of your recently accomplishments.Do not list include high school information on your resume unless you have a very compelling reason. Also, you may decided not to have your community college experience on your resume, unless it will dramatically benefit you to include it.

10Education SectionUniversity of Central Florida, Orlando, FL Bachelor of ________ in __________, Month, YearMinor: ________GPA: #.## / 4.00, Deans ListEducation:InstitutionDegreeGraduation DateMinorGPA and Academic AwardsVICTOR A. TRINGER


OBJECTIVE:


EDUCATION:

University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL Storrs, CT Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies, May 2015Minor: Psychology; GPA: 3.87/4.00; Deans List

RELAVANT COURSEWORK:

Legal WritingThe Law of Contracts Legal ResearchHonors Moot Court The example heading, which contains appropriate information and is formatted correctly takes only 3 vertical spaces.12Skills/Certifications SummaryAvoid soft skillsFocus on hard skills Use keywords listed in the position description Revisit syllabi

This section enables you to provide a big picture of your qualifications, skills and background relevant to the position you seek. If possible, focus on the specific needs the employer provided in the job posting and/or position description and address each in this area. If the employer states they need someone who has A, B,C & D make sure you have a statement for each that describes what you have to offer in relation to each of those areas.This section is not a long list of your various knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs), but is a targeted list of the things you possess that are relevant to the position you seek and would benefit an employer in hiring you.Hard skills are those specifically related to the type of work you are seeking. For example a Biologist has laboratory testing skills that a Social Worker does not have (or need). Inversely, the Social Worker is trained in case management procedures and informed of laws, resources and services related to the practice & the Biologist isnt (and doesnt really need to be). Focus on the hard skills relevant to your field.Lastly, dont forget the experience, knowledge and accomplishments you earned in the classroom. You likely have completed an individual or team project that can provide you details relevant to your career field that you should include here. Look over the objectives on you syllabus. They can help you focus on what you learned in an academic setting that can and will be translated to your work setting.

Keywords: Use keywords from the job description. If an employer is using software to scan for keywords, you need to make sure they are included on your resume.13Skills/Certifications Section Skills:Computer: Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPointLanguage: Fluent in _____, Conversational in _______Certifications: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), Date CategoriesSkillsVICTOR A. TRINGER


OBJECTIVE:


EDUCATION:

University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL Storrs, CT Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies, May 2015Minor: Psychology; GPA: 3.87/4.00; Deans List

RELAVANT COURSEWORK:

Legal WritingThe Law of Contracts Legal ResearchHonors Moot Court

Skills:

Research: LexisNexis, American LegalNet Computer: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint) Language: Conversational Spanish

The example heading, which contains appropriate information and is formatted correctly takes only 3 vertical spaces.15Experience SectionRelevant ExperienceEmployment (full-time or part-time)Internships or Co-op (paid or unpaid)Job Shadowing Experiences Volunteer ExperienceAcademic Projects Study Abroad ExperienceMajor Academic Experience Ideally, the largest section of your resume will be the Experience section. There are a number of ways to present information about your experience. Include all relevant experience such as employment through full time or part time jobs, internships, co-op, summer jobs, volunteer and service learning experiences. Remember that projects and academic research can also showcase your skills and may be included in this section. You may decide to have 2 experience sections on your resume.. One for relevant experience and the other for experience that may not support your current job objective. Should you include unrelated experience? It depends. If you have some related experience to focus on, then you may not include the other experience. On the other hand, if you do not have much work experience, include all that you have. In the least it conveys to an employer that you are employable and you know whats expected in the workplace.

16Highlighting Your ExperiencesRelevant Experience:Company Name, LocationPosition Title, Date Date / PresentRelevant Experience:Position Title, Date Date / PresentCompany Name, LocationOrganization is More Prestigious Title is More PrestigiousFormatting information17RELEVANT EXPERIENCE:

Swartz & Swartz, Orlando, FL Legal Intern, June-August 20XX Outlined depositions and maintained files Conducted medical research to assist with malpractice suits Observed witness depositions

Office of Senator Kennedy, Washington D.C. Press Intern, June-August 20XX Wrote press releases and media advisories Researched current issues for staff members and compiled findings into memos to brief the Senator

Mock Trial Team, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL Vice President, September-May 20XX Coordinated debate schedule and travel arrangements for six competitions Planed monthly meetings and recruited new members

The example heading, which contains appropriate information and is formatted correctly takes only 3 vertical spaces.18JOB SHADDOWING EXPERIENCE:

Baker & Hostetler LLP, Orlando, FL, September 2014Akerman Senterfitt, Orlando, FL, July 2014Lowndes, Drosdick, Doster, Kantor & Reed PA, Orlando, FL, July 2012

ACTIVITIES/HONORS:

Active Minds, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL Vice President, August 2013-Present; Member, September 2011-Present Conduct presentations regarding mental health issues and ways to reach out to students on campus

Legal Society, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FLMember, January 2011-Present Participate in professional development site visits to local law firms Tutor five undergraduate students in legal studies courses at the Universitys academic center

ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE:

CVS, Cashier, Orlando, FL, September 2012-Present Grand Enchiladas Restaurant, Host, Orlando, FL, May 2010-August 2012 (Summers)

The example heading, which contains appropriate information and is formatted correctly takes only 3 vertical spaces.19Bullet Points Skills focused So what? Action Verb + What/How/WhySTAR (Quantify Results)

Example: Collaborated with legal assistants to research case law related malpractice suits in order to brief a team of three lawyers.

Resumes you post online- We are referring to when you are posting on a site that shares your resume to the general public (such as craigslist, monster, etc.), not when submitting to an employers application website or KnightLink.

Once you have finalized your resume, Career Services suggests that you save it (your name resume) in Word, PDF and ASCII formats.

A lot of employers use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) where your resume is scanned into their system (no human eye even looks at it at this point). Scannable resumes are in ASCII format and do not contain any bullets or formatting (bold, italics, ect). Copy & paste your final resume into notepad, which will take away all formatting. Then adjust spacing and save it. Then you have an ASCII version of your resume to paste into an online application.

Your resume can be sent via email. If you choose this option, Career Services has a few suggestions:You can include a brief email and attach one document (pdf preferred for best viewing & no virus issues) that includes both your cover letter (1 page) and your resume (1 2 pages). An alternative would be to have your cover letter in the body of the email and attach one pdf document (1 2 page resume). Career Services provides an excellent online resource, Optimal Resume, to UCF students and alumni. You can save up to 5 versions of your resume in Optimal Resume and have the option of including a link to your resume in the body (cover letter) of your email, instead of attaching a document.

Online ResumesYou may include hyperlinks for the educational institutions, associations and companies you have included on your resume. Recruiters who may not be familiar with one of your previous employers or a professional association that you belong to and may choose to click on the hyperlink to learn more about the organization.Privacy safe: Create email only for your job search, Do not list a phone number, Consider characterizing company information instead of listing company name (Instead of University of Central Florida 5th largest public university in the nation)Searchable: enables your resume to be found, Do not presume Boolean logic, List ALL keywords; software list all versions, include all variations of the job title you are seekingExample:Biology, biological, environmental, lab, laboratory, test, testing, assessment, assess, experiment, experimental, assay, cultures, DNA, RNA, genetics, genetic sequencing, chemistry, chemical, chemicals, organic, inorganic, biochemistry, microbiology

20Bullet Points Skills focused So what? Action Verb + What/How/WhySTAR (Quantify Results)

BeforeAfterResumes you post online- We are referring to when you are posting on a site that shares your resume to the general public (such as craigslist, monster, etc.), not when submitting to an employers application website or KnightLink.





21Electronic Resumes PDF is the preferred format for saving and submitting resumesAlways include your name when saving your resume (i.e. Victor Tringer resume.pdf)

Resumes you post online- We are referring to when you are posting on a site that shares your resume to the general public (such as craigslist, monster, etc.), not when submitting to an employers application website or KnightLink.





22Do Not Include Your PictureReferences AvailablePersonal Information (marital status, age, weight, height, etc.)Unrelated Hobbies Personal PronounsGrammatical Mistakes

Ideally, the largest section of your resume will be the Experience section. There are a number of ways to present information about your experience. Include all relevant experience such as employment through full time or part time jobs, internships, co-op, summer jobs, volunteer and service learning experiences. Remember that projects and academic research can also showcase your skills and may be included in this section. You may decide to have 2 experience sections on your resume.. One for relevant experience and the other for experience that may not support your current job objective. Should you include unrelated experience? It depends. If you have some related experience to focus on, then you may not include the other experience. On the other hand, if you do not have much work experience, include all that you have. In the least it conveys to an employer that you are employable and you know whats expected in the workplace.

23ReferencesSeparate from your resume Lists academic and professional contacts who have direct knowledge of your skills and qualifications Obtain permission from references in advance and provide resume and position description

You should have 3 to 5 professional references. ALWAYS ask permission. Make use of office hours so you can get to know your professor outside of the classroom. Developing rapport with your faculty will help you when you seek references from them.24REFERENCES:Dr. Robert Jones (Current Professor) Chair, Biology DepartmentUniversity of Central Florida4000 Central Florida BlvdOrlando, FL 32816(407) [email protected]

Ms. Louise Parker (Former Supervisor) Research CoordinatorCenters for Disease Control and Prevention101 Peachtree CenterAtlanta, GA 30001(404) [email protected]

Dr. Jonathan Hopkins (Professional Mentor) National PresidentAmerican Society for Microbiology1000 Dupont CircleWashington, DC 58221(202) [email protected] A. TRINGER


Most recruiters in the private sector prefer to receive a 1 page resume. Some UCF recruiters have stated a 2nd page on a resume is useless because it wont be read and will likely be loss. It is all about time and most recruiters admit they spend 10 40 seconds reviewing a resume.Other recruiters caution against the 1 page limit because if a candidate has relevant information to share that may go to a 2nd page, the recruiter would rather have the option of viewing it then potentially missing out on a great candidate. The bottom line is to provide relevant information that will communicate to the reader that you have what they are looking for and can do the job they need done.25Resume CritiquesMonday-Friday 10 am 3 pm

build a winning resume

Documents

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regular copy paper

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extensive experience

graduate work

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