RESUMES AND THE FIRST IMPRESSION · The master resume is your complete \爀屲work history. This is helpful if you . ever need to put together a specific \(i.e. tailored\) resume
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9/27/2013 1 RESUMES AND THE FIRST IMPRESSION Eileen Lee AGS General Meeting September 25, 2013 Outline • The Resume Process • What This Means • Creating Your Narrative • The Structure • Explaining Yourself • Things to Avoid The Resume Process STEP 1: THE RESUME
Note: All of these recommendations are based off of my own personal preferences and my own experience.
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This is intended to be a guideline, not a rule for how resumes are to look and read.
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Yours will be and should be very different.
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The Resume Process
STEP 2: THE INTERVIEW
The Resume Process
STEP 3: YOU’RE HIRED
How it really works
STEP 2: THE HIRING MANAGER
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Your resume follows you throughout the interview process. There are many people who will see your resume to determine if you move onto the next step.
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How it really works
STEP 3: THE INTERVIEW
How it really works
STEP 4: THE SELECTION COMMITTEE
How it really works
STEP 5: YOU’RE HIRED
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You need to make a good impression at every step for every person.
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This involves checking and double checking your resume for typos, accuracy, and
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clarity.
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Don’t let this happen to your resume!
You wouldn’t
show up to
an interview
looking like this!!!
Show off your good side!
You are your
best advocate!
Own up to your skills
and highlight your
best traits
Remember: You’re playing by their rules• Know what they want
• Know what you bring to the table
• Prove it!
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Many people submit resumes that do not adequately highlight their skills and this looks inappropriate for professional environment.
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Your resume gives you the chance to portray yourself in the best light possible.
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Why all of these rules? These are the (unwritten) rules of the game.
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What does the employer want?• Most common complaint among employers:
• #1 Employee lacks research, communication, and writingskills
• #2 Employee lacks leadership and teamwork
• SOLUTION?
• Show them that you have these skills in your resume!
Preplanning: The Brainstorm• Goal: Craft a master resume
• Step 1: Make a list of places you (have) VOLUNTEERED,INTERNED, OR WORKED
• Step 2: Make a list of the things that you did
• Step 3: Organize it in reverse chronological order
Preplanning: The Brainstorm• Goal: Craft a master resume
• Step 1: Make a list of places you (have) VOLUNTEERED,INTERNED, OR WORKED
• Step 2: Make a list of the things that youdid
• Step 3: Organize it in reverse chronological order
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To know what your employers want, let's look at what they think employees lack.
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Show that you have these skills. Highlight previous job experience using concrete examples
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The master resume is your complete work history. This is helpful if you
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ever need to put together a specific
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(i.e. tailored) resume for a particular
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position.
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This should be about 3-5 pages long.
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Remember that making a list and brainstorming simply mean put the ideas down.
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So, if you worked as a cashier at Barnes and Noble, then a basic list would include
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stocked books on shelves, cashiered,
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and talked to people. This is a start!
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Preplanning: The Brainstorm• Goal: Craft a master resume
• Step 1: Make a list of places you (have) VOLUNTEERED,INTERNED, OR WORKED
• Step 2: Make a list of the things that you did
• Step 3: Organize it in reverse chronologicalorder
Think about your narrative!• What do you want your resume to say about you?
• I have research, communication, and writing skills!
• I am a professional!
• I have am a leader and I work well in teams!
Think about your narrative!• What do you want your resume to say about you?
• I have research, communication, andwriting skills!
• I am a professional!
• I have am a leader and I work well in teams!
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There are some other types of resume styles (functional or hybrid). I prefer this one.
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Note: All formatting and recommendations are based off of my own personal preferences
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These is not the only nor necessarily the best way to organize YOUR resume.
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Your narrative is your story. What do you want it to say. Remember that you are the writer!
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What you want your resume to say should come across in the words that you use
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to describe your experiences.
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These are typically what employers want. See following sections for examples of each.
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Think about your narrative!• What do you want your resume to say about you?
• I have research, communication, and writing skills!
• I am a professional!
• I have am a leader and I work well in teams!
Think about your narrative!• What do you want your resume to say about you?
• I have research, communication, and writing skills!
• I am a professional!
• I have am a leader and I work well inteams!
The Structure• NAME/INFO
• EDUCATION
• PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
• RESEARCH EXPERIENCE**
• COMMUNITY SERVICE**
• AWARDS/SCHOLARSHIPS
• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
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This is part formatting, part language, and the presentation all put together. It is a complete package.
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This should come across in the words you use to describe your experiences.
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The basic structure. Research and community service are
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ways to split up your professional experience
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Remember professional experience is working in a professional setting (so any volunteer, internship, or paid position).
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Your Name is Most Important!
Your Name is Most Important!
Times New Roman 17pt
Contact Info Needed but Not Essential
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Your name is at the top!
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Contact Info Needed but Not Essential
Times New Roman 10pt
Emphasize Headings and Sections
Bigger than Contact Smaller than Name
Times New Roman 13pt
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Headings should be easily identifiable because this makes it easy for employers to locate exactly what they are trying to find.
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The Qualifications and Details
Times New Roman 11pt
Smaller than Heading Bigger than Contact
Essential Info: Degrees (to be) Earned
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Essential Info: Dates
Essential Info: Expected Dates
June 2017
May 2013
No GPA/Honors for Expected Degrees
June 2017
May 2013
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If you are in your first year of college, you can put down your anticipated degree and graduation date.
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If you will be transferring and have been accepted put it on as well.
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For colleges that you will attend, you will not have a GPA or any awards. So remove these lines.
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Essential: Educational Institution
Optional: Include if 3.5 or more
Optional: Awards and Honors
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Remember that this formatting is suggestive only.
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You may also put it in this order.
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Degree College GPA
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Most people do not put their GPA on their resume. So, if you don't include it, it's not a big deal.
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Try not to have these be redundant with the ones below.
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You would put honors societies, Dean's List up here. Scholarships and awards should be in their own section.
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Professional Work Experience
Essential: Include the Work Location
Optional: Include Departments
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Make sure to include the city and state even if it is a local organization. It's
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always better to be clear and consistent.
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If your previous or current workplace is
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very large or has a lot of departments and divisions, you may want to include a section for the department name.
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Essential: The Dates Worked
Essential: Your Position
Essential: Your Job Description/Duties
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Be consistent with month abbreviations and dates. For example, don't include the
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day for one and not the other. Days are too specific anyways so it's best to omit.
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Things to watch out for--spacing. August 2012 - November 2013 is not the same as August 2012-November 2013. Little things like this undermine your credibility and professionalism.
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Again, some of these may be switched. I have seen many great resumes with this order: Position Workplace name, City
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Date This all depends on what you like.
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See below for use of action words and framing your skills.
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Optional: Honors, Awards, Scholarships
Change Headings to Fit Items Listed
Essential: Include Date (Year)
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If you have not yet earned any scholarships or grants, don't put these in the title.
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Generally, awards don't have money but they have recognition. Grants are specific usually to research.
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Unless you have multiple awards earned in the same year and want to specify when these were earned, then you need not include Month Year only Year.
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Essential: Include Titles
Essential: Describe Your Awards
Essential: Additional Information
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Descriptions of awards can come from doing a simple Google search for your award. Sometimes, you receive awards for which you may not know what the specific description is.
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These are important!
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Essential: Describe Proficiency
Essential: Describe Technical Skills
Describe International Experience
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If you do not include level of proficiency next to your language, your employer may assume that you know them all equally well.
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Do not put down skills that you are not comfortable using! For example. If you do not know how to use Microsoft Access, then don't put down Microsoft Office, just put down Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, etc.
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Don't put down places you have been for less than a few days. This should highlight your ability to adapt to other cultures.
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What if: I haven’t done anything!• What about?
STUDY ABROAD
COURSEWORKON-CAMPUS ORGANIZATION
VOLUNTEER
What We Think Is Research
GUIDED RESEARCH WITH A PROFESSOR
What Research Really Is
INDEPENDENT STUDY
CONFERENCE OR SYMPOSIUM
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These are all possible things to put on your resume!
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Everyone has most likely engaged in some form of research.
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Research Is Looking Up Information
RESEARCH PAPER
RESEARCH FOR WORK
Include: Examples of Research
Include: Your Research Project
I LOOKED UP WHAT EXPERTS SAID
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Research is Exciting! Use Action Words!
Research is Exciting! Use Action Words!
Research is Exciting! Use Action Words!
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Action words are important.
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Remember, that that research paper did not write itself. You did. So, use action words! Don't be passive!
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Include: Non-Profit Research
Research is Exciting! Use Action Words!
Research is Exciting! Use Action Words!
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This is research too! What does it mean to compile? It means to search the web for newspaper articles and print/email them to your boss! It sounds nicer than that though!
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Analyzed....this means read, summarized, and organized. There is a system to this, which means that you were not reading just anything.
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This could have been as simple as reading local laws and ordinances and summarizing them for your organization.
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All of the work you did inevitably led to something for the organization. So, what did you help
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contribute to. Highlight that!
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Research is Exciting! Use Action Words!
Don’t Be Afraid to Communicate!
74% OF AMERICAN ADULTS FEAR PUBLIC SPEAKING
You Communicate in Multiple Settings
COURSEWORK
ON THE JOB
ON-CAMPUS ORGANIZATION
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Communication is not limited to public speaking!
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Wait! I don’t have communication!
ON THE JOB
Look Up the Job Description!
ON THE JOB
What Now? Google to the Rescue!
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What if....
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If ever confused about what you did, start with the job description from the place you worked!
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However, this one is not too helpful...so what now?
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Incorporate Alternative Job Descriptions
Wait! I do have communication!
Wait! I do have communication!
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See what you did that was similar and use your own words.
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Now, you are essentially saying the same thing just better. It is more professional
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Handling large sums of money shows responsibility and ability to multi-task.
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Wait! I do have communication!
What is writing?
WRITING FOR SCHOOL
WRITING FOR WORK
What is writing?
PERSONAL WRITING
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This basically means that you handled food properly. So, you didn't put chicken in with the fruit.
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Writing can be academic or non-academic.
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Highlight your writing experience in different ways.
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The Lone Wolf Leader
Make Way for New Leadership!
IT’S ALL ABOUT HOW YOU FRAME IT!
You Are Not Your Title
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This is what we normally think of when we think of leadership.
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When in actuality, there are many differnet types of leaders. It's all about how you frame it.
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If you highlight your leadership skills that you have acquired through different jobs, then are a leader.
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Just because you hold a leadership position does not mean that you are a leader.
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Just because you do not hold a leadership
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position does not mean that you are not a leader.
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This Sounds Like a Paperpusher
This Sounds Like a Paperpusher
This Sounds Like a Paperpusher
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For example, if you were to only highlight
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your ability arrange and organize things, you may be downplaying the work it took to set events up and to coordinate people and
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topics for these events.
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Be active!
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This Sounds Like a Politician!
Where Did These Words Come From?
See! I used the Mission Statement
ENGAGE
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Don't be vague and ambiguous, this does not highlight your skills because it does not
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say anything about what you have done!
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But....this came from the mission statement You said to use the mission statement.
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See! I used the Mission Statement
COMMUNITYINVOLVEMENT
Include: Leadership Action Words
Include: Leadership Action Words
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Looking at the mission statement and job descriptions are a good place to start but you need to also improve on them for your
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particular case. These are the organization's goals
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What did you do for the organization to accomplish their goals? That is leadership and that is forward thinking.
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Remember, you didn't just passively sit at an event you invited people to your table.
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You conducted outreach events for the purpose of reaching out to new potential members!
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Don’t Rehash Make It Real!
I’m Not a Leader. I’m Just a Member.
I’m Not a Leader. I’m Just a Member.
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Say what you did. Sometimes, concrete examples work!
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If you do not highlight your leadership experiences, you will never be seen as a leader.
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Don’t Sell Yourself Short
Are You a Leader?
Include: Leader Action Words
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Look at the AGS mission statement. How did you help accomplish this?
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Include: Leader Action Words
Don’t Hide the Teamwork!
Essential: Describe Your Awards
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If you worked in a team, show it off! Employers love people who can work well with others.
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Don’t Over-Exaggerate
Changing the Margins or Copy/Paste
Inconsistencies: What’s Wrong Here?• Changing your margins or copy and paste
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Remember, you should be able to do the things that you describe in your resume.
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Beware of copying and pasting into different formats. When in doubt, send as a pdf and preview it beforehand.
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Review Review Review and Review!• Changing your margins or copy and paste BOLDED
NOT BOLDED
What Else?• Changing your margins or copy and paste
Review Review Review and Review!NOT ABBREVIATED
ABBREVIATED
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Dates Do Not Line Up
Personalizing: Ditch the photo!
Don’t: The Objective is 19th Century
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Photos are not recommended, unless a headshot is requested. You will be judged on something that is not your resume.
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Don't waste 2 lines on this. This should come out in your words and in your descriptions.
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Tech Savvy or Pretentious?
Tech Savvy or Lacking Technical Skills?
Resume 2.0: Welcome to the Internet• Manage your online
presence via social mediaand blogs
• You play by their rules!
• Get on LinkedIn!
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Resumes are generally traditional and conservative. Unless you are applying for a very avant-garde company, I would stay
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with the boring rather than cutting edge.
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QR codes...should be strategic. Don't just slap one on for the sake of looking cool.
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A lot of people do this to look computer-savvy.
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Have it link to a profile, blog, or website (professional)
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that you created that will show off your skills.
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Be aware of your online footprints. Employers are looking, so you need to manage yourself.
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Resume 2.0: Welcome to the Internet• Manage your online presence via social media and
