Career Services presents

Recipe for a Winning Resume

LEAD Program Requirement - Spring 2009

Facilitated by Daphne Walker

Workshop Preview

Review of packetGeneral DO’s and DON’T’s resume tipsTools: Internet, Resume Templates,

OptimalResume Hands-on step-by-step resume creationGuidelines for follow-up assignmentWrap-up and evaluation

Steps for Resume PreparationPlan: Consider your audience and your

purpose. Organize: Review the resume checklist, outline

the information, then determine the format.Create: Write a first draft using samples and

templates.E-mail Resume Draft: sealey@champlain.edu

for review by a Career Services AdvisorRevise: The Career Advisor will review the

resume and e-mail you a draft with suggested editing or schedule an appointment.

Steps for Resume Preparation

Purpose of a Resume

Resume is a brochure promoting a product—YOU.

As your first contact with the employer, it must create a good first impression

Used by employers as a screening tool.Highlight relevant qualifications and

accomplishmentsShould be well-organized, factual, clear,

eye-catching, easy to read, and truthfulGOAL: Get an interview!!!!!

What a Resume Tells an Employer

Type of opportunity you seek

Who you areWhat you know What you have done

It helps the employer get a sense of your potential as

an employee.

RESUME LAYOUT – 30 Second Testorganized, concise, consistent, eye-catching, and truthful

1 - 2 pages in lengthUse easy-to-read fonts, white space and

bolding for emphasisUse bullet statements or short paragraphsStart sentences with vivid action verbsUse descriptive adjectives and

accomplishment statementsBegin with most important material firstQuantify your experienceAvoid personal pronouns

RESUME LAYOUT

Be neat and error freeProofread for grammar, punctuation, spellingBe consistent in formatting/similar “treatment” for like

information:- numbers and dates- uniform margins- align text and dates- grammatically parallel- Business names/titles

Use quality printer and neutral bond paperCoordinate color paper for your resume, cover letter,

envelopes

What Categories do Employers Expect to See on a Resume?

Key Resume Categories

Personal contact informationCareer Objective (optional)Qualifications summary, special competencies/skills

(optional)Education (degree, major, special training)Study abroad Relevant paid or unpaid work experience Other work experienceCommunity serviceProfessional affiliations Interests/hobbies (optional)References/portfolio

Resume Critique

Pretend that you are the employer and

critique the resume in your packet looking

at such areas as: Main categories, career

objective, education and experience

highlights, dates, layout, grammar,

spelling, tenses, order of the resume,

consistency, fonts, content

What are the reasons

that a resume would

get Screened out?

Reasons Resumes Get Screened Out

Categories missing Unclear objective Wrong job targetGeneric and unfocused Lacks relevant

experience/education Explains job

descriptions not accomplishments

Hard to understandIrrelevant informationTime gaps

Boastful or dishonestSlick, gimmickyPoor physical layoutToo long, short, or

condensedWordy, misspellings,

poor grammarLengthy phrases,

sentences, and paragraphs

Poorly reproduced

AVOID IN LAYOUT

Too many fonts, fancy fonts, wordiness, long paragraphs

Personal dataAbbreviations except StatesFull justification option for textToo many UPPERCASE LETTERS,

underlining, and italics Empty words – various, duties includedEmphasizing what does not exist (in other

words, be truthful!)

Sample Resume Headings

John A. Smith John.Smith@mymail.champlain.edu

123 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401 (Website URL)

802/999-9999 (IM Address)

John A. Smith123 Main Street

Burlington, VT 05401(802) 999-9999

John.Smith@mymail.champlain.edu(Website URL, IM address)

Career Objective A Resume without a Job Target is like a book without a title!

•Beginning of the resume or in cover letter

•Target it to a specific job or employer if possible

•Keep it concise, avoid unnecessary words

•Avoid the “all purpose” type of objective

Sample Objectives

Enthusiastic candidate for summer Graphic Design internship offered by Gardener’s Supply Company.

Seek a Network Administrator position with Champlain College.

2009 Bachelor’s Degree Graduate eager to be considered for full-time Restaurant Manager position with Applebee’s International.

Secondary or middle school position in science or math. Qualified and interested in coaching track, volleyball, or swimming.

Candidate for a Police Officer position at Burlington Police Department.

Summary of Qualifications May Include

Functional specialty/titleOverall picture of your qualificationsYears of experience in the fieldCertifications, licensesAccomplishments/recognitions/resultsKey talents/special knowledge related to

target jobLanguage skillsTechnical and special skills

Examples of Qualifications

Effective communication and customer service skillsSkill-set(s) related to your career concentrationComputer expertise (including industry software)Willingness to work as part of a teamProject management and problem-solving skillsFinancial savvy (P&L, cost control, budgeting)Multi-tasking ability and flexibilityOrganizational skills and attention to detailAbility to meet deadlines and work under pressureNetworking ability (to cultivate new business, for example)Leadership or supervisory experience

Items under Education

Take just a minute to: List education-related pieces of

information that an employer might like to see.

What are the selling points that would differentiate you from other students?

EducationBefore work experience for recent

graduates in reverse chronological orderInstitution name, location (city, ST),

graduation date Dates (month/year, i.e., 1/09 - 5/09)Degrees, major(s)Licensures, certification, endorsementsInclude special training, relevant workshops High school: Include high school only if lots

of relevant accomplishments or going back to your home town

Educational Accomplishments

Honors: Graduated Cum Laude or Summa Cum Laude, GPA above 3.0 class rank above 3.5, scholarships, awards

Relevant academic projects, special training, study-abroad

Extra-curricular, athletic and leadership activities

Club memberships and committee work Number of hours worked to help finance

your education

Presentation of Your Education Credentials, Campus Involvementand Academic Achievements

CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE, Burlington, VT Bachelor’s Degree, Hospitality Industry Management Anticipated: May 2010

• Maintain a 3.5 GPA (4.0 scale) while working 15-20 hours a week.

• Dean’s List all semesters.

• Admissions Tour Guide for prospective students and parents.

• Nominated by faculty and competitively selected to serve as a Peer Tutor.

• Organize extra-curricular activities for the Student Government Association.

• Participated in a Study Abroad semester in Rennes, France, to expand my

knowledge and develop an appreciation for the culture of another country.

Study abroad may be under its own category.

Internet Research for Resume Prep

Google a Job Description for a (put in a job title) and copy and paste into word.

Google ONET or go to: ONETcenter.org

- Under find occupations, type in key word search for a (put in job title)

Google Indeed or go to: http://Indeed.com

- What: Put in a (job title). Where: Boston, MA

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE BEFORE NON-RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Job title, employer, location (city, state), dates Reverse order/relevant before non-relevant Include relevant paid and volunteer experience

(FT, PT, summer): retail sales, administrative assistant, home childcare, camp counselor, tutor, Special Olympics Volunteer

Group similar jobs with one job descriptionUse action verbs/industry jargon to describe

experience in specific achievement oriented terms

Evidence of Achievements

Not just job descriptions, but rather your skills and contributions

AdvancementsBonuses Performance

EvaluationsRecognitionsAwards/

accomplishments

Emphasize achievements with concrete, measurable examplesUse quotations and testimonials to demonstrate accomplishments

Sample Description for Campus JobFront Desk Associate

CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE CAREER SERVICES, Burlington, VT 1/09 - 5/09, 15 hrs/wk

Promoted to Technical Assistant after six months due to hard work and proven ability.

Serve as primary point of contact for students, alumni, and business recruiters.

Trusted to manage the office alone daily; constantly relied upon to assist advisors with personal projects.

Used Adobe products to create and coordinate all marketing materials for campus-wide Graduate School Fair, Grad Chat, Career Services Logo, and the annual Job Fair. These included student communications and mailing materials. 

Created career campaign bulletin boards each semester for four locations around campus.

Tracked evaluations and assessment results using both Microsoft Excel and Access database systems.

 

Sample Description for Campus Job

Champlain College, Burlington, VT

Phonathon Ambassador January-March 2008

• Developed communications and public relations skills during three-month participation in College fundraising effort.

• Informed alumni and friends of the College about options for making donations to the Annual Support-a-Student Campaign and actively solicited contributions.

• Received special recognition at the end of the campaign with a College commendation and pay bonus for excellent attendance and for achieving the highest number of individual donations.

Non-Relevant Experience

Include non-related jobs and volunteer work if they help create a picture of stability, but don’t describe in detail

Concentrate on skills you developed that could relate to your career objective

Include: promotions, management and supervisory responsibilities, customer service, etc.

Omit jobs that were very brief

Professional Affiliations, Interests, or Community Service

List memberships and responsibilities that relate to your career objective

Demonstrates that you are keeping up to date in your profession

Include organizations that show community involvement

Special interests, travel

Testimonials: Who might be on your reference list?

Ideal ReferencesGet a minimum of 3 references - people who

can attest to your work habits, skills, and accomplishments

Current or past employer(s)/supervisor(s)Inform reference of your career objective and

give them a copy of your resumeProfessorsAdvisorsCoachesInternship, field experience, or community

service supervisor

May Include on the Bottom of Resume or

Attach Reference Contacts with Your Resume

Name, title, company, address, phone #

Or indicate at the bottom of the resume

that:

References are Available on Request…

References Available… References will be

Furnished upon Request (optional)

Sample Presentation ofReference Information

John A. Smith John.Smith@mymail.champlain.edu123 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401 802/999-9999

ReferencesMr. Charles Amey, IIIInstructor, Hospitality Industry Management ProgramChamplain CollegeP.O. Box 670

Amey@champlain.eduBurlington, VT 05402-0670 (802) 651-5988

Mr. Milton SmithField Experience SupervisorABC Conference Center208 Main Street MSmith@ABCConferences.org Burlington, VT 05401 (802) 888-8888

As a general rule, have at least three references.

Top Tips to Remember: Clear, Consistent, and ConciseProof… proof… proof!Write your own resume! Speak to your audienceEasy to readWell organizedHonestDynamic word choiceFlawlessUpdate frequently

Resume…always changing Be Strategic in Enhancing your Resume!!!!

Resume development is on ongoing process.

As a second-year student, you are just beginning the process.

Enhance your experience, qualifications, and leadership qualities over the next two years.

Keep a folder of your accomplishments.Update your resume regularly.

REMINDER for Next StepsThoroughly review workshop handouts.

Prepare a rough draft of your resume following resume content checklist utilizing a template from the workshop or OptimalResume.

Once you have completed your resume check off each required section against the LEAD Resume Assessment to make sure you have fulfilled all the criteria.

E-mail your resume and completed LEAD Resume Assessment to Sealey@champlain.edu by April 20th for review by a Career Advisor

Make your final edits based on feedback and resubmit to Career Advisor.

Build your resume as an investment in your future …

… Your LEAD Peer Advisor and Career Services will support you on your journey to success!

!