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: 555-666-6666email@email.com

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