building a better resume
TRANSCRIPT
Building a Résumé
presented by
Tony Sok
What is a Résumé“A résumé is a robust and complete synopsis that articulates your skills, responsibilities, and accomplishments that catches the eye of the decision maker in 7-10 seconds.”
~Tony SokStaffing Consultant
Formatting a Résumé • Customize a résumé for each position
you’re applying for−Match position needs or requirements
with proven skills • Format
−Chronological, the most common −Skill-focused or functional
• Results oriented, describing how well you perform tasks
Formatting a Résumé• Include accurate titles, skills, education,
and dates• Keep it relevant, clean, and simple• Use easy-to-read type: Times New Roman
or Arial• Be consistent with abbreviations and
formatting• Keep your résumé on one page, with
references on a second page
ChronologicalRésumé
Contact information
Most recent work experienceEarliest training
Professional Summary
EducationSkills summary
Functional Résumé
Contact informationProfileSkills summaryWork experience summaryCapabilitiesJob historyEducation
Résumé: What to Include• The basics:– Name – Mailing address– Email – Phone number with area code
• Write a career summary or profile that highlights what you can offer the employer.
• Employment history; include your last three to five jobs
• Specific results. Don’t just describe what you did, but how well you did it.
Résumé: What to Include• Skills:– Computer hardware and software– Certifications – Languages
• Accomplishments:– Awards – Significant milestones
• Education• Volunteer work, internships, co-ops
Use action verbs: present tense for current jobs, past tense for previous jobs.
Résumé: What to Include
Résumé: What to Leave Out• Age, marital status, children, health, physical size• Picture of yourself• Reason for leaving previous jobs• Salary requirements, unless requested• Grade point average and time spent in school• Names of references – make their contact information
available on a separate page• Use of the pronoun “I”
Advice from the OWL• Purdue University hosts an Online Writing Lab
(OWL) that offers advice on résumé writing• The quadrant test - Divide your résumé in half
horizontally and vertically, put your most important information in the top left quadrant, next is top right
• Use columns or a table to format information• Using serif or sans-serif font• 20-second test
Font ChoicesSan Serif
ArialCalibri
Franklin GothicTahoma
Times New RomanFrankRuehl
Cambria
Serif
Résumé Formats• Word Document and PDF• A plain text version of your résumé• A PDF version of your résumé with keywords
in the metadata– Consider sending both versions of your résumé
Proofreading Musts• Don’t use the words I, me, or myself.• Start sentences with a verb. Use descriptive
verbs in your résumé and clarify results.• Proofread for typos and grammatical errors. • Ensure your email address and phone
numbers are correct.
References• www.LifeClever.com – 7 Deadly Sins of
Résumé Design • http://Owl.English.Purdue.edu • Movin’ on Up blog – Blog.ExpressPros.com• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUPBTXAzL0Q
