resume writing - columbia college/media/2...resume writing resume writing is hard. rarely are you...
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Resume Writing
Resume writing is hard. Rarely are you tasked with putting your professional story on a
piece of paper in order to prove your worth. However, with a better understanding of the
purpose of a resume, you can create a strong document that will efficiently and effectively
offer the information the recruiter is looking for. Understand that when a potential employer looks over your resume, answers to the below questions should jump out:
Who are you?
What skills and qualifications do you bring our organization?
What work and academic experience do you have that directly relates to the job you
are applying for?
Have the skills you developed through work and academics prepared you adequately
for this job?
Will hiring you benefit the company in the short term?
Do you bring potential to grow with the job and potentially with the company? What sets you apart from all of the other applicants?
Think carefully about these questions. Understanding the goal of the resume (providing
good answers to these questions) will help you frame your responses and, ultimately, build
a great resume.
The resume is typically your first impression to an employer. This means there is no room
for typos, grammatical mistakes, bad formatting, or unneeded information. In clear,
precise, and easy-to-understand language, using a format that is commonly accepted, your
resume should truthfully describe:
Your most marketable skills
Your educational background
Your employment history Your key accomplishments on the job
When it comes to creating a resume, what you say, how you say it (the wording you use),
and the format and style of the document all help convey a positive or negative impression about who you are and what you offer a potential employer.
As you work on your resume, remember that it is simply a tool that will help make a
positive first impression on a potential employer. Even if you create the perfect resume, it is
not a guarantee that you will receive a job offer. The goal of a resume is to pique a potential
employer's interest in you so that you are invited in for a job interview.
On subsequent pages are guidelines for the three most common types of resumes, Chronological, Functional and Combination.
Basic Chronological Resume Format:
NAME
Address
City, State, and Zip Code
Telephone and or cell phone number
An appropriate e-mail address
OBJECTIVE:
Brief, clearly worded statement informing a potential employer of your career goal.
EXAMPLE: To secure a full-time position as a Marketing Research Assistant at B&B Marketing.
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS:
Showcase the skills that you have for a particular position.
Read the qualifications in the specific position description of the job you are seeking and try to match any
skills you may have for the position.
Begin these statements with action verbs, and keep the statements concise.
EDUCATION:
List most recent education experiences first. Include instances of higher education and study abroad
experiences.
Be sure to include: College Name, Location (city, state), Degree Anticipated/Earned, Dates, Major/Minor.
GPA is optional. Include any GPA at or above a 3.0. You may include scholarships and academic awards
you’ve achieved.
RELEVANT COURSEWORK:
List titles of higher level courses that are relevant to the position you are applying for.
Try to list about 4-6 relevant courses
EXPERIENCE:
Experience can include full or part-time work, internships, or volunteer work.
List your experience in reverse chronological order. (Most recent first)
Include four essential parts: Employer name, employer location (city, state), position title, and dates.
Give a short description of responsibilities/accomplishments in that position. Should be in bullet form, and
begin with action verbs that are in a verb tense that is relative to whether you are currently employed in the
position or no longer employed in the position.
COMPUTER SKILLS:
Use this section to tell employers about your technical/computer skills. You may include software,
operating systems and hardware, languages and applications, databases, and web development tools
ACTIVITIES:
May include campus or community activities. List organization first and dates. If you have had a
leadership role within the organization, include the leadership role as well.
MILITARY SERVICE:
List it similar to work experience. Translate your skills from your military experience.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
List the name of the professional organization and the dates that you have been a member of that
organization.
REFERENCES:
References are generally listed on a separate “References” page.
Basic Functional Resume Format: NAME
Address | City, State, and Zip Code
Telephone and or cell phone number | An appropriate e-mail address
OBJECTIVE:
Brief, clearly worded statement informing a potential employer of your career goal.
EXAMPLE: To secure a full-time position as a Marketing Research Assistant at B&B Marketing.
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS:
Functional Resumes are “Skills” based resumes. If the job requires specific technical skills, then the skills
sections of these resumes should be detailed. May use sub-clusters to organize skills in this section. Use
bulleted statements that begin with action verbs to showcase your skills.
EXAMPLE:
MANAGEMENT SKILLS:
- Conducted meetings with staff of six, assigned duties and scheduling
- Previewed and purchased merchandise
- Supervised inventory control, monetary transactions, and special projects
ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS:
- Organized procedures for purchasing, credit approvals, and invoicing
- Strong management, problem-solving, and supervisory skills
- Experienced in budget administration, staff management, and marketing
LEADERSHIP SKILLS:
- Facilitate training for six different employees
- Exceeded all annual corporate performance objectives and ranked #1 throughout the company
- Led staff to achieve performance goals and maintained the lowest turnover rates in the region
EXPERIENCE:
List in reverse chronological order, most recent first. Include four essential parts: employer name, location
(city, state), position title, and dates. Experience can include full-time, part-time, internships, or volunteer
work.
EDUCATION:
List most recent education experiences first. Include instances of higher education and study abroad
experiences.
Be sure to include: College Name, Location (city, state), Degree Anticipated/Earned, Dates, Major/Minor.
Typically no need for high school information.
GPA is optional. Include any GPA at or above a 3.0. You may include scholarships and academic awards
you’ve achieved.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:
Include any volunteer work or community service that you have participated in. Include the name of the
organization and the dates.
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
Include any professional organizations that you have participated in. Include the name of the organization
and the dates.
SKILLS:
Computer: List out your technical capabilities here
Language: If you have any language abilities put it here
Basic Combination Resume Format: NAME
Address
City, State, and Zip Code
Telephone and or cell phone number | An appropriate e-mail address
SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:
X Number of years of experience Write skills related to the job
Use strong, descriptive adjectives for your skills Emphasize skills highlighted in the job description
Make longer statements go all the way across both columns if you need to
Don’t forget to point out targeted technical skills, certifications, or licenses you have
EDUCATION:
List most recent education experiences first. Include instances of higher education and study abroad
experiences.
Be sure to include: College Name, Location (city, state), Degree Anticipated/Earned, Dates, Major/Minor.
Typically no need for high school information
GPA is optional. Include any GPA at or above a 3.0. You may include scholarships and academic awards
you’ve achieved.
EXPERIENCE:
Name of Organization, City State Dates Worked
Job Title
Briefly describe your position, especially as it relates to the skills needed of the aspired job
List out your most recent position first, then on down
Name of Organization, City State Dates Worked
Job Title
Don’t use personal narratives
Highlight skills and accomplishments that show the impact you had on your position
Name of Organization, City State Dates Worked
Job Title
No more than four lines for each position
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT:
Include any volunteer work or community service that you have participated in. Include the name of the
organization and the dates.
Can also be titled “Campus and Community Activities” or “Extracurricular Activities”
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:
Include any professional organizations that you have participated in. Include the name of the organization
and the dates.
SKILLS:
Computer: List out your technical capabilities here
Language: If you have any language abilities put it here
REFERENCES:
References are generally listed on a separate “References” page. No need for a “References available upon
Request” line.
RESUME CHECKLIST
Appearance: Is your name at the top of the page and in bold? Is your contact information easy to
read? Is your resume an appropriate length in comparison to your experience? (One page
for new graduates, two pages for experienced candidates) Uniform margins: top, bottom, and side margins (1” maximum, .5” minimum;
consistent for all pages) 100 percent error free: no spelling, capitalization, punctuation, or spacing errors! Is your resume easy to read? Does it include some white space? Is your resume consistent from start to finish? (dates, dashes, font styles, character
sizes, and style) Do your bullets line up perfectly? Did you use a resume template? (We recommend not using a resume template) Did you use concise bulleted statements that begin with an action verb to describe
your experience? Do you have verb tenses in the present for current jobs and in the past for previous
jobs?
Content: If you used an objective or summary, does it project the knowledge of the desired
career field by using appropriate phrasing and highlighting relevant skills? Does your resume include the following sections: Education, Experience, and Skills? Does your work experience include experience from the last ten years only? Did you use action verbs to describe your experiences? Did you list any relevant activities? Did you note any leadership positions? Did you leave out any unnecessary personal information? (height, age, weight, etc.)
Organization: Are you using the proper format for your resume? (Chronological, functional, or
combination) Does your name stand out at the top of the page? Is it easy to find your section
headings? Do you have a 2 page resume? Is your “Name” and “Page 2” at the top of your
second page? Are your education and experience entries listed in reverse chronological order?
(most recent first) Are the most relevant or professionally impressive sections towards the top of your
resume?
When selling yourself on your resume, you must express your skills, assets, and abilities in a concise manner. Begin
each descriptive section of your resume with an action verb. Below is a list of some action verbs.
Leadership
Skills
Problem
Solving
Skills
Communication
Skills
Adaptive
Skills
Creative
Skills
Helping
Skills
Administer
Analyze
Approve
Assess
Arrange
Assign
Attain
Authorize
Conduct
Consult
Coordinate
Delegate
Demonstrate
Develop
Direct
Evaluate
Execute
Facilitate
Guide
Improve
Increase
Initiate
Instruct
Lead
Manage
Monitor
Motivate
Negotiate
Oversee
Prioritize
Schedule
Supervise
Train
Analyze
Apply
Assess
Calculate
Compile
Conceptualize
Consult
Correct
Create
Critique
Define
Design
Develop
Diagnose
Dissect
Estimate
Examine
Explore
Inspect
Interpret
Propose
Research
Resolve
Review
Revise
Search
Solve
Study
Track
Troubleshoot
Uncover
Update
Address
Arbitrate
Arrange
Author
Consult
Contact
Correspond
Develop
Draft
Edit
Enlist
Explain
Formulate
Influence
Interpret
Interview
Investigate
Lecture
Mediate
Moderate
Motivate
Negotiate
Persuade
Promote
Publicize
Recruit
Teach
Train
Translate
Write
Adapt
Adjust
Change
Convince
Cut
Eliminate
Encourage
Expand
Increase
Improve
Innovate
Motivate
Persuade
Promote
Propose
Reconcile
Reduce
Remodel
Revamp
Revise
Stimulate
Support
Act
Create
Conceive
Conceptualize
Design
Develop
Establish
Expand
Found
Generate
Illustrate
Implement
Initiate
Integrate
Introduce
Invent
Organize
Originate
Plan
Publish
Produce
Revitalize
Advise
Assist
Clarify
Coach
Consult with
Demonstrate
Educate
Facilitate
Familiarize
Guide
Help
Notify
Perform
Refer
Support
Tend
Tutor
Demonstration
Skills
Financial
Skills
Functional
Skills
Teaching
Skills
Research
Skills
Decision-
making
Skills Demonstrate
Exhibit
Illustrate
Perform
Present
Prove
Show
Allocate
Analyze
Appraise
Balance
Budget
Calculate
Plan
Project
Research
Assemble
Keep
File
Open
Operate
Pack
Produce
Process
Sell
Advise
Clarify
Communicate
Coordinate
Develop
Educate
Guide
Instruct
Persuade
Collect
Critique
Diagnose
Evaluate
Examine
Identify
Interpret
Summarize
Survey
Choose
Decide
Determine
Enlist
Resolve
Select
Order
ACTION VERBS
Example #1: Functional Resume
David Test 143 Oceanside Dr. San Diego, CA 23451
573-555-1234 | [email protected]
OBJECTIVE To secure a position as a management trainee at US Bank.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Over 8 years of experience in management Completed several different training sessions on management techniques Management experience in banking and retail environments
MANAGEMENT SKILLS
Manage staff of six employees Preview and make final decisions on all merchandise purchased Supervise inventory control, monetary transactions, and special projects
ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS
Organize procedures for purchasing, credit approvals, and invoicing Schedule and coordinate training for new employees Direct and manage the development and production of marketing materials
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint Basic knowledge of graphic software: Photoshop, Illustrator, and Quark Proficient using both PC and MAC platforms
EXPERIENCE
Morgan's Department Store San Diego, CA Assistant Manager January 2010 - Present Marshall Bank
St. Louis, MO
Branch Manager February 2007 - January 2010 R & M Enterprises
St. Louis, MO
Management Trainee March 2005 - February 2007
EDUCATION Columbia College Columbia, MO Bachelor of Science; Business Administration Major: Management
May 2005
Example #2: Chronological Resume: Science
Farrah Walsh 1001 Rogers St., Columbia, Missouri 65216 573-555-1234 | [email protected]
EDUCATION Columbia College Columbia, MO Bachelor of Science Majors: Biology, Chemistry Minor: English
Anticipated: May 2013
Recipient: Truman Scholarship Relevant Coursework: Microbiology, Virology, Biological Processes, Statistics
SKILLS Laboratory: Microscopy, Koehler Illumination, Slide and Agar Preparation, Gram and Tissue Staining, Histological Slide Preparation, Anatomical Dissection Computer: Mac and PC Fluent, MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, Adobe Photoshop Language: Intermediate French RELEVANT EXPERIENCE Children's Mercy Hospital Overland Park, KS Shadow/Volunteer May 2011 - August 2011 Shadowed Hospital OB/GYNs on daily rounds Participated in introductory patient care Assisted with daily general tasks at nurse's station and answered clients' questions
Columbia College Department of Chemistry Columbia, MO
Lab Assistant August 2010 – Present Coordinate the setup for Chemistry 101 laboratory classes Help students troubleshoot experiments Train with professors to use a wide variety of equipment
OTHER EXPERIENCE The Blue Crane Restaurant Lake Ozark, MO Server/Host 2007 - 2009 Managed front area of restaurant in busy environment Trained in 10 new staff members
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES CAST - Columbia College's Community Service Organization Project Lead
Organize and delegate responsibilities to service opportunities Show-Me Central Habitat for Humanity
Assisted in the construction of 5 different homes
Example #3: Chronological Resume: Entry-level
JOHN SMITH
(573) 666-0000 [email protected]
1001 Rogers St. 333 Lutefisk Drive Columbia, MO 65216 Benton, MO 63736
SUMMARY
Experienced professional with over 5 years experience in customer service
Responsible, team-oriented self-starter with strong communication skills
Proven ability to handle high-pressure situations effectively
EDUCATION
Columbia College; Columbia, MO Bachelor of Science; Business Administration; Anticipated May 2011 Major: Marketing GPA: 3.5/4.0 Major GPA: 4.0/4.0
RELEVANT COURSEWORK:
Organizational Behavior
Management Science
Business Communication
Organizational Theory Intercultural Communication Labor Relations
RELATED EXPERIENCE:
Bank of America Columbia, MO Training and Development Intern Spring 2010
Created visual aids, worksheets, and manuals for training programs
Promoted training events to all employees
Assisted employees with questions regarding online training questions
Developed excellent communication skills from presenting training events
OTHER EXPERIENCE: Columbia College: Residential Life Columbia, MO Resident Assistant Fall 2008-Fall 2009
Acted as a resource person for more than 10 residence hall students
Enforced residential life policies, facilitated group interactions, and promoted campus involvement
Provided programming for residents, including career and wellness presentations
ACTIVITIES:
Alpha Chi: Member, Fall 2011 Collegiate DECA: Member, Fall 2009-present
Example #4: Chronological Resume: Technology
GRACE IVENA 1001 Rogers St | Columbia, MO 65251
573-555-1122 | [email protected]
EDUCATION: Columbia College, Columbia, MO Expected Graduation: May 2012
Major: Computer Science Minor: Mathematics
Major GPA: 3.5/4.0 | Overall GPA: 3.2/4.0
Alumni and Trustee Scholarships
RELEVANT COURSEWORK:
Programming Logic and Design Foundations of Information Technology Systems Elementary Statistics Web Page Design
Calculus I Introduction to Digital System Intro to Game Design Introduction to Computers
Fundamentals of Computer Science Database Concepts & Reporting
IT Research and Developments Lab Fundamentals of Management
TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES:
Languages: C++, C#, CSS, HTML, JavaScript, Microsoft Access/VBA, SQL 2005, Visual Basic
Software: Software Development: Microsoft Visual Studio (Version 6 - .NET 2005) Content Management Systems: Drupal, PostNuke, Joomla
Platforms: MS Windows® 2007, MS Windows XP, MS Windows 9x Office: Microsoft Office Suite 2003 & 2007 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, Project) MS Word,
MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Visio, MS Project Image: Paint Shop Pro, Animation Shop Pro, Adobe Photoshop, MS Movie Maker
CLASS PROJECTS: As part of five-member team developed and implemented inventory database for a small
business using Access. Database reduced time needed to complete monthly inventory by 50%
Created Excel spreadsheets to balance books of small home-based business. Assisted owner in
understanding of depreciation for tax purposes Created Oracle database for use by imaginary video library to maintain customer checkout
records
WORK EXPERIENCE: Columbia College IT Department, Columbia MO December 2010 – Present
Student Technology Assistant Provide repair, virus removal, and troubleshoot connectivity issues for students, faculty, and staff
Install new PC’s and laptops, software and updates, and initialize networking
Map network drives
Answer phone and in-person inquires
Columbia College, Columbia, MO August 2009 – Present Mathematics Tutor
Teach and explain mathematical concepts of calculus/probability and statistics to students
Help students with solving homework problems
Example #5: Chronological Resume/Functional Resume Combination: Liberal Arts
SARAH JONES 345 W. 3rd St.
Chicago, IL 60610 (660) 446-1234 [email protected]
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS:
Results-oriented professional; confident in making on-the-spot decisions
Over 5 years’ experience in human and social services
Strong commitment, vision, and leadership
Experience in both group and individual counseling settings
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Family Counseling Center Chicago, IL Case Worker June 2009 - Present
Offer group and individual counseling services to assist clients with social, personal, and vocational development
File and store client information in accordance with client confidentiality policies
Research community resources which address clients’ needs
Develop and facilitate various education programs on stress management
OTHER EXPERIENCE: B & B Marketing Chicago, IL Marketing Assistant January 2006 - June 2009
Designed brochures, flyers, and publications for marketing firm
Maintained project tracking spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel
Provided administrative support for three directors
Assisted with marketing and media event budgets
EDUCATION: Columbia College; Columbia, MO Bachelor of Arts: May 2004 Major: Human Services: GPA: 3.7/4.0
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS: ACMA: American Case Management Association: Member 2006 - present CMSA: Case Management Society of America: Member 2009 - present
Basic Guidelines: Identify potential individuals to use as a reference early in your college career. Get to know
your professors and advisors.
Before listing anyone’s name as a reference, be sure to ask his/her permission first.
A reference list should include a balance of employer and academic references. Use caution if
considering using personal references.
Plan to acquire three to five references.
Create a separate references page with contact information for your references. Be sure to
include complete contact information for each reference including: Name, Position Title,
Employer, Work Address, Work Phone Number, and Work Email (if applicable).
References Checklist: Ask your references for permission to use them as a reference. Example: “Would you be
willing to serve as a reference for me as I pursue my job search?” Provide a copy of your
resume to them.
Provide your references with a description of the types of jobs to which you will be applying.
Thank your references and keep them posted throughout your employment process. Be sure to
let them know whether or not you are still active in the job search process.
Inform your references of any significant changes in your contact information (name change,
etc.)
REFERENCES
Types of References:
EMPLOYMENT PROFESSIONAL ACADEMIC PERSONAL
References Tip: A call from a prospective employer should not be a surprise to any of your references. It should be expected so your references are adequately prepared to respond with specific examples about your skills.
Alan Jolups
(573) 666-0000 [email protected]
Present Address: Permanent Address: 1001 Rogers St. 333 Lutefisk Drive Columbia, MO 65216 Benton, MO 63736
REFERENCES
Mr. Bill English
Professor
Columbia College
1001 Rogers St.
Columbia, MO 65216
(573) 000-0000
Ms. Diana Windsor
Supervisor
White House Restaurant
2000 Manchester Road
Columbia, MO 65202
(573) 222-2222
Ms. Jennifer Smith
Marketing Director
B & B Marketing
3003 Oak Lane
Kansas City, MO 64101
(816) 333-3333