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OCD W ORKSHOP S ERIES

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O BJECTIVE : L EARN TO THINK STRATEGICALLY ABOUT YOUR RESUME Skimmers & Readers: How do recruiters evaluate resumes? What hints does your resume give? Targeting Your Resume Building Out A-C-R Bullets Q&A Cover Letter (not included in 4/29 workshop)

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Opportunities for Resume Critique OCD Resume Review appointment (30 min & 15 min) Walk-ins (5-15 min) Sept thru April Walk-ins Club-related resume reviews DEFAULT RESUME DEADLINE Watch for email with specific date! After this date, resume database will go live to recruiters

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Role of the iMpact Resume Resumes used for on-campus recruiting must be in iMpact format Two uses of the iMpact resume: Students drop resumes and cover letters for positions for on-campus interviews. Any version of your iMpact resume can be dropped. Companies view Default resumes of graduating students in August and may make cold contacts to candidates they feel are good a fit. ~Via an electronic resume database frequently referred to as the resume book

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Formats for Off-campus Searches An iMpact resume is not necessary, though some use it Can be up to two pages long See Off-Campus Resume Guide for examplesOff-Campus Resume Guide Attend an Off-Campus Resume Workshop for tips

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Two Audiences: Skimmer and Reader

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The Skimmer Observes major themes, keywords (strategy, GMAT 7xx) Looking for some sort of focus Variety of action verbs that correspond to required skills Anything that stands out (for better or worse) Shared experiences Results Spelling/grammatical errors May read only part of resume or bullets Needs to make quick decisions and move on

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The Reader In addition to the skimmer: Observes details Looking for congruent story, career progression Ample evidence to support your features and benefits (achievements/#s) May develop interview small talk or questions based on specific bullets

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Can you? You will have 20 seconds to read this MBA1 resume Experienced hiring professionals can read a resume in the time that most people skim.

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Recruiter Insights SAM (video) Recruiter Insights SAM (video) (

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Recruiter Insights JORDAN (video)

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Recruiter Insights SONAL (video)

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Your Resume Provides Hints About You EDUCATION Emphasis (primary skill for future job function) Club/Officer Title (ways you get involved) GMAT/GPA/Distinction (performance/intelligence) EXPERIENCE Organization name, size, industry, location (preferences) Job title, function, progression, timeline (focus/performance) Action verbs, business case, results (favorite skills/performance) ADDITIONAL Hobbies and volunteerism (personality/interests) Special skills or experiences (uniqueness)

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What does your resume hint about you? Form groups of 3-4 and review one resume at a time: What stands out (skills, qualities, etc.)? What questions (or reservations) might you have before hiring this person? What might this persons career target be?

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Resume Philosophy: A Paradigm Shift From, Heres everything (or a random assortment of things) Ive done To, Heres the ideal career for me, now, what from my past should I highlight to present this image to target companies? Strategically align your hints to make the recruiters decision easy

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Determining Your Fit; Targeting Your Resume Gather information about desired skills, qualities that make successful employees in your target function/industry what matters to the company? Job descriptions e.g., Microsoft Finance Manager InternMicrosoft Finance Manager Intern Informational interviews with current/former employees Language and branding used in company website, corporate presentations Within this list, identify your best fitting stories/examples Build out bullets that show transferable skills and a business case Core 4 Identify a problem/opportunity / Attention to detail Research the problem/opportunity / Analytical skills Develop a solution / Creativity and innovation Present or implement the solution / Organization, project management and drive Plus 3 Leadership, Teamwork, Communication

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Building Out A-C-R Format

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Writing An ACR Bullet (Action) Begin with an action verb or two that conveys a skill (Led, Implemented, Analyzed, Created, Collaborated,) Avoid beginning with a result verb (Improved, Reduced, Increased, Resulted in) - save it for the latter part of the bullet Normally use past tense, but OK to use present tense for current tasks Negotiated with six local area schools to donate food towards local soup kitchen resulting in 25% increase in food distribution in 2007 for the organization.

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Writing An ACR Bullet (Context) The Context portion is to provide the reader with an adequate sense of the following for the task: ~ The Business Reason (improve satisfaction, reduce cost) ~ The Scope (how big? how many people? cost?) ~ The Significance (who cares?) Assume the reader is completely unfamiliar with your industry and provide context accordingly Negotiated with six local area schools to donate food towards local soup kitchen resulting in 25% increase in food distribution in 2007 for the organization.

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Writing An ACR Bullet (Result) Two types of Results: ~Quantitative (reduced cost by $X, increased sales by X%, launched product X months ahead of schedule) ~Qualitative (enabled client to do X, presented findings to CEO, awarded X prize) For current tasks, expected results will often suffice Result could be big picture or simply your deliverable Negotiated with six local area schools to donate food towards local soup kitchen resulting in 25% increase in food distribution in 2007 for the organization.

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ACR Result Hierarchy of results Quantitative (saved $X in scrap, increased sales by X%) Qualitative (presented findings to CFO, developed understanding of debt markets, improved workplace efficiency) Omit rather than exaggerate!

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Complete ACR Example Negotiated with six local area schools to donate food towards local soup kitchen resulting in 25% increase in food distribution in 2007 for the organization. Action Context Result

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Collaborated with team of five to construct investment portfolio based on clients risk tolerance and objectives, achieving second place in investment portfolio competition. Led volunteer recruitment by creating and executing promotional plan to reach potential volunteers through new and existing channels, resulting in nearly 30% increase in volunteers. Performed break-even analysis of local food business and designed surveys to evaluate customer satisfaction, resulting in elimination of unprofitable items. Action Context Result More examples

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Peer ACR Analysis Trade resumes with a partner Select 2 Experience bullets for review Use different colored highlighters to identify A-C-R Advise partner on building out areas that are lacking or trimming unnecessary information Time permitting: compare composition of all action verbs to desired skills for job target Analysis? Teamwork? Leadership? Management? Creativity? Initiative? Communication?

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Potential Pitfalls Resume not in iMpact format for on-campus Resume before self-assessment / unfocused Spelling and grammar Over-scrutiny of small items Over-reliance on the resume to get the interview Including information on (health, marital status, etc.) Misrepresenting work, education, abilities

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Resume Checklist Proper degree and graduation date Proper school name Proper academic emphasis/emphases (not too many) Bullet length (2-3 lines) Active verbs (proper tense) Correct spelling / grammar Articles & pronouns (unnecessary), periods (Experience) Proper length (1 page optimal, 2 is okay for off-campus) Gaps in work history (minimize) Proper space allocation (more important experience = more space allocated)

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Resources Step 2 of Career Tracker (see Career tab on iMpact) OCD MBA Resume Guide; Action Words OCD MBA Resume GuideAction Words OCD Guide to Entering Your Rsum on iMpact Technical help on iMpact: contact Ross Career Counseling in OCD rosscareercounseling@umich.edurosscareercounseling@umich.edu Ross Career Counseling, E2420, 734-764-1373 Review resumes of previous students Resume books available in E2420 (M-F, 8a-5p) at Kresge Library circulation desk

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Role of the Cover Letter Use it to indicate the job you are looking to fill why you are interested and why you are qualified High risk Low reward Dont get fancy Proof for errors Be careful when copying cover letters More important for the off-campus job search

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Structure of the Cover Letter First Paragraph Who are you Why are you interested in the job (research & names) What are you requesting

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Structure of the Cover Letter Second Paragraph Short summary of your background specifically as it relates to the skills the recruiter is looking for Where to find skills? Look at the job description! 1 to 3 points about your qualifications Give specific, concrete professional examples

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Structure of the Cover Letter Third Paragraph Conclusion and next steps Re-state your interest in the position Give contact information

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Q UESTIONS ?