resumes that work metro community college career network center
Post on 22-Dec-2015
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Career Network Center Coordinators
FOC – Fayetta Steele
457 - 2202 SOC – Peg Liewer
738 - 4555 EVC – Julie Langholdt
289 - 1416
ObjectivesList the advantages of developing
a resumeIdentify guidelines for resume
preparationDevelop a draft resume
Resume Tool to present an individual’s skills and
qualifications to a potential employer
Advertisement of you and your skills
Remember
You may be eliminated from consideration due to your resume.
Employers get their first impression of your professional standards and talents from the resume.
Heading Tips
Your email address should be conservative and professional
Your answering machine message should clearly identify you and be professional sounding.
Objective Briefly tells the employer what position
you are interested in. Needs to be employer-focused. Example:
• To obtain (list the position) with ABC Corporation.
Employment History A section that emphasizes your past and
present employment Other Names: Professional Experience,
Work History, Volunteer Work, Experience Provide information to help persuade
prospective employers that your experiences make you qualified for the job
What goes in this section?
Company or organization Location (City, State) Position title Dates of employment/involvement Descriptions of skills, knowledge or
accomplishments, etc.
Example
Cashier May 2002 to present
Super Target Omaha, NE• Balance drawer at beginning and end of shift
• Enter charges for all items; total items; subtract discounts
• Take payments; issue receipts; count change
• Deliver outstanding customer service
• Employee of the Month: August 2002, January 2003
Getting started List your past and present experiences. Start with the most recent (reverse
chronological order.
Include:• Jobs
• Volunteer positions
• Internships
Describing Experiences Use Action Verbs
• Are more descriptive and powerful
Keep statements brief
Use bulleted lists
Developing your descriptions
Answer the journalistic questions:
• Who?...With whom did you work?
• What?...What duties did you perform?
• Where?... Where did your job fit into the organization?
• Why?..What goals were you trying to accomplish?
• When?...What timelines were you working under?
• How?...What procedures did you follow?
Developing your descriptions
SampleBefore:
• Planned activities
Questions asked: What kinds?, How?, When?, For Whom?
After:• Planned arts, crafts, activities, and exercises
weekly for physically-challenged children
Making your descriptions parallel
Column A Recording OSHA
regulated documents Material purchasing and
expediting Prepared weekly field
payroll Responsible for charge
orders
Column B Recorded OSHA
regulated documents Conducted material
purchasing and expediting
Prepared weekly payroll Processed charge
orders
Try to see you experiences as a professional would
Understated• Answered phone
• Wiped tables
Professional• Acted as liaison between clients and legal
staff
• Created healthy environment for customers and maintained positive public image
Ways to tailor this section
Select content that supports your qualifications and matches job descriptions
Consider organizing by order of importance
Use professional wording, integrating job specific terms
A formula for success
Use appropriate headings Include required content Organize your section strategically Develop your descriptions Make your descriptions parallel See through professional eyes Tailor for your audience
Education and Training Section
A section that emphasizes your educational background and formal training
Persuade employers your educational background is relevant to the job, providing evidence of your qualifications
“Bare bones” education section
Schools you have attended, including universities, community colleges, technical schools, etc.• Do not include high school information
Location of school(s) Date of graduation, actual or anticipated Degree(s) earned or pursued Grade Point Average (GPA)
What else may be included?
Extra information about your degree (major, minor or selective GPAs, funding sources, honors, etc)
Specializations and special projects Other relevant skills and training
(relevant coursework, computer skills, language proficiency, certifications, licenses, etc)
Example
Metropolitan Community College, Omaha, Nebraska
Pursuing an Associates in Applied Science Degree: Office Skills Technology
Anticipated Graduation: May 2004 GPA 3.23
Questions to answer What are my major and
minor GPAs? Any honors related to my
degree? How is my education
funded? What are my major and
minor? What are my areas of emphasis, specialization, or concentration?
What special course or degree related projects may be relevant?
What courses have I taken that are related to my career goals?
With what computer programs am I most familiar?
What language proficiencies do I have?
Any certifications or licenses?
Do I have any on-the-job educational training?
Resume Writing Tips Write your own
resume Make it error free Make it look good Be brief and
relevant Be honest
Be positive Be specific Use action verbs
and short phrases Edit and edit again
Selecting content for readers
Consider how much space you have on your resume
Read job ads closely Select your most relevant educational
experiences or those for which you have space
List in chronological order or in order of importance
Using fonts Size: how big is big enough?
• For a professional look, you will want to avoid more than 2 different font sizes
Two major kinds:• Serif (Times New Roman and Courier)
• Sans Serif (Arial and Helvetica)
Use bold type sparingly
Chronological ResumeMerits
Accentuates your formal qualifications
Appropriate for directly qualified candidates with linear career progression
Often the preferred format
Drawbacks May emphasize
candidate’s lack of direct, in-depth experience
Underscores past identity rather than future potential
Functional Resume
Merits Opportunity to
establish transferability of skills
Not limited to paid employment, widens scope of all experiences
Drawbacks Challenges the
standard presentation
May hide background information
Combination Resume Combines elements of both styles Gives equal focus to skills that relate to
the job/position your are seeking and your work history
Targeted Resume Includes a “grocery list” of skills,
responsibilities, accomplishments, and experiences that you have that relate to the job/position you are seeking
Resume Presentation
Quality paper – off-white, cream, gray, white
Paper weight – 16-32 lbs., 100% cotton fiber
Producing – Word processor (do not use Microsoft Word resume wizard!)
Printing – Laser is preferred
Tips for Using Your Resume
Send to the person in charge of screening by name
Always send with a cover letter Mass mailing is not effective Follow up sending your resume with a
phone call