Resume Writing for Freshmen

By. Andrew Armoogan, Karen Choi, Steve Hong, Brian Tang

Introduction WRITINGRESUME

Objectives

Understanding the

purpose of a resume

ResumeSections

+Content

Preparing your own winning resume!

Understanding the purpose of a resume

Your resume is the first impression with a potential employer.

It must convince the employer in a matter of seconds that you are a good candidate for the position and should be interviewed.

The resume is a personal sales brochure: a TRUTHFUL and highly PERSUASIVE advertisement of yourself.

Your resume tells “who you are, what you have done, what you can do.”

Resume Content Resume should be one-page

As a freshman, filling up the page will be most challenging. You may include your high school experience for now.

Your resume should be FLAWLESS. Spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, or typos are UNACCEPTABLE and may cost you a position!

Consistency is key. Bold, italics, etc. and straight margins should be consistent.

Avoid personal pronouns (“I, my”) and abbreviations (“corp.”)

Do not include a picture or personal information such as height, weight, health, age, religion…

Resume Content (Cont.) · Use short statements instead of complete sentences, and bullet points instead of paragraphs.· Always be truthful about your accomplishments and background.· Students in more conservative fields (finance, accounting, CIS) should have a more formal resume style, and students in more creative fields (graphic design etc.) can design more creative resumes. Reverse

Chronological Resume

Style

Functional Resume Style

Reverse Chronological Resume

"CWE for Students." CWE for Students. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.

Functional Resume

"College Student Resume Templates." Resume Template Builder RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.

Resume SectionsIdentifying Information

Place your name first, then your address and telephone number at the top of the page.

Example

CARY ARMAND 2012 Graduation Street • Rego Park, NY 10134

Cell: (646)531-4678 • cary.armand@baruchmail.cuny.edu

Resume Sections (Cont.)Career or Job Objective

Prepare a statement describing employment you seek.

Example

Objective

To obtain an internship in the field of finance

Resume Sections (Cont.)Educational History

List your degrees and their dates, your major, and colleges or universities attended. If you have not declared a major/minor, please use “intended” major/minor and if you have not graduated, use “expected” date of graduation. Also list grade point average (if above 3.0) and minor concentrations.

ExampleEducation:Baruch College, City University of New YorkBachelor of Business Administration in Finance

Expected May 2018Overall GPA: 3.7/4.0Intended Minor: Psychology

Brooklyn Technical High School June 2014Overall GPA: 93/100

Resume Sections (Cont.)Honors and Awards

Information here includes membership in community organizations, special awards and honors (outside school), and hobbies.

ExampleHonors and AwardsGolden Key National Honor Society January

2015-PresentDean’s List

Fall 2014ARISTA National Honor Society September 2012-June 2014President’s Volunteer Service Award August 2013

Resume Sections (Cont.)Special Skills

Include information about foreign language skills, special

technical knowledge, and computer languages, if applicable.

ExampleTechnical Skills:Proficient in Microsoft Office (Access, Excel, PowerPoint and Word)Proficient in JavaScript

Language Skills:Fluent in Spanish (Written and Oral)

Resume Sections (Cont.)Optional Sections:

Special Skills or Special Projects

Relevant Courses

Relevant Experience

Leadership Profile

Membership/Professional Affiliations

Accomplishments or Awards

Community Involvement

Volunteer Experience

Presentations

Publications

Licenses or Professional Certifications

Try to utilize the above optional sections to fill up your resume!

Optional Sections Relevant Courses

This section lists courses relevant to your major and/or position you are applying for.

Examples

Relevant Courses:Introduction to Business Business LawMicro Economics

Relevant Courses:Introduction to Biology General Psychology Introduction to Chemistry

Optional Sections (Cont.)Leadership

This category, list any of your leadership experiences. Examples

Leadership Activities:President, Distributive Educational Clubs of America (DECA) September 2012 – June 2014· Recruited over 50 students to join the club· Trained approximately 20 incoming members in preparation for various competitions

Treasurer, Key Club September 2012 – June 2013

· Collected dues from new members· Tracked monthly club spending using Microsoft Excel· Compiled year-end financial report about the club for school administration

Optional Sections (Cont.)Volunteer Experience

This section lists any volunteer experiences you may have.

ExamplesVolunteer Experiences:Peer Tutor, Brooklyn Technical High School September 2013 – June 2014· Tutored five kids a week for six months in preparation for New York State Regents Exams leading to an improvement of test scores

Canvass Assistant, Grace Meng Campaign Office August 2012 – November 2012· Surveyed approximately 50 residents in area on possible participation in the election· Informed people about Grace Meng’s position on various issues by handing out flyers and communicating door-to-door

Preparing your own winning resume Self Assessment

Identify your strengths Identify your weaknesses Identify related experiences

World of Work Know the industry Research the company Find out the requirements

for the position

Preparing your own winning resume (Cont.) Start each bullet point with a power verb Remember to quantify your work Demonstrate the results of your actions Use relevant industry jargon and key words

Example Tutored five kids a week for six months in preparation

for New York State Regents Exams leading to an improvement of test scores

Which bullet point is the strongest?

A.Conducted 20 surveys by walking around the surrounding areas with papers, pens, and poster boards

B.Gathered and organized over 200 recyclable and organic materials to create a sculpture in the neighborhood garden the enhanced the view of the environment

C.Collaborated with other teem members to design and review various marketing ideas

So what are some power verbs that you can use?

The End

Any questions?

WRITINGRESUME