Resume Q & A Activity

102-117

Planning Your Business Management Career

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1. Whats the purpose of the resume?

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Whats the purpose of the resume?

Tells recruiters:You have the qualifications for the job.You can meet the employers needs.Youre someone who is likeable and works well with others.

To get an interview!

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2. How long do employers usually look at resumes for the first screening?

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How long do employers usually look at resumes for the first screening?

2.5 to 30 seconds; A minute or two at most.

Want to tell at a glance what you want to do and what youre good at.

Will look for key traits, technical skills, and previous experiences that satisfy the requirements of open position.

Will look for industry buzzwords; quantified statements; keywords from job posting.

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3. Which is the preference for describing work experience: paragraph-style or bulleted lists?

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Which is the preference for describing work experience: paragraph-style or bulleted lists?

Bulleted lists tends to look more reader friendly.Start with action verbs/power words.Dont use bullets for everything; use them for accomplishments.

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4. Should you list your GPA on your resume? Explain your answer.

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Should you list your GPA on your resume? Explain your answer.

Optional.If its 3.0 or above, probably.Can also list GPA only in major.

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5. Whats the most important element to highlight within your work experience section?

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Whats the most important element to highlight within your work
experience section?

Accomplishments.Emphasize skills within quantifiable accomplishments.Dont just list duties; focus on accomplishments!

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6. In what order should you list the elements of your education?

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In what order should you list the elements of your education?

Major; Institution; City, ST, Graduation Date

Associate of Applied Science degree in Business Management; Chippewa Valley Technical College, Eau Claire, WI; May 2013. GPA 3.89/4.00

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Elements of Education (cont.)

Institution; Completed (number) of

semester/credits/hours in (course or

subject or program name).

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire; Eau Claire, WI; 55 credits toward bachelors degree in health care management. 20012005

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Elements of Education (cont.)

Chippewa Valley Technical College, Eau Claire, WI

Associate of Applied Science degree in Business Management, May 2012. GPA 3.92/4.0 Coursework emphasized decision making, business ethics, marketing, and software

Small Business Accounting Certificate, December 2009

University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire; Eau Claire, WI; 55 credits toward bachelors degree in health care management. 20012005

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7. Is it OK to use personal pronouns (I, me, my) on a resume?

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Is it OK to use personal pronouns (I, me, my) on a resume?

No; the subject is obviously you.Omitting I, me, and my increases conciseness.Omitting I, me, and my helps you avoiding sounding like a braggart.

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8. In what order should you list the elements of your work experience?

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In what order should you list the elements of your work experience?

Job title; Employers name, City, ST; Dates of employment; brief result-oriented description of the job.Limit your employment history to the last 10 years unless an earlier job is relevant to the present opening.Be consistent with verb tense; i.e., ed for work experience in the past.

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Elements of Work Experience (cont)

Do not repeat the same job descriptions for different jobs but similar positions. List only new responsibilities and accomplishments for each promotion.Consider omitting jobs of less than six months duration.List several relevant part-time jobs under a section called Part-Time Jobs.

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Military Experience

List in Work Experience section if the experience applies to the civilian position youre applying for OR if it includes transferable skills that fit the civilian position. Emphasize rapid progressions, significant promotion(s), special commendationsUse civilian terms, not military jargonIf it was a significant part of your life, list it in a separate section called Military Experience.

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9. What can you do with words
to describe your accomplishments forcefully, clearly, and with power?

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What can you do with words to describe your accomplishments forcefully, clearly, and with power?

Use action verbs.Use job-specific keywords.Quantify your accomplishments.

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10. What style or format of resume might highlight your skills best if you have minimal work experience in your chosen field?

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What style?

Functional resume or combination resume.

Functional resume organizes information by types of experience. It highlights key traits and provides details and examples that highlight and demonstrate those qualities. Focuses on what you did rather than on where and when you did it.

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Combination resume (cont)

Also consider a combination resume.

Merges functional and chronological styles. Begins with a summary of qualifications in functional style and also includes a listing of experience and education in reverse chronological order.

Emphasizes transferable and applicable job skills instead of job history.

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11. If you have unpaid experience from internships, volunteer work, sports, or extracurricular activities, where should these be listed on your resume, if at all?

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Unpaid Experience?

Work Experience section.

Involvement in extracurricular activities while attending school tends to show students who are able to juggle their time among multiple commitments.

Can illustrate qualities such as leadership, teamwork, or the ability to save time or money.

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12. Should you include certificates and degrees you got along the way toward getting your final degree?

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Certificates and degrees?

Include all relevant training; i.e., anything directly related to the position for which you are applying.If your final degree is a four-year bachelors degree, include a two-year degree only if its in a relevant subject area thats different from that of your four-year degree.

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14. Should you list references on a resume?

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Should you list references on a resume?

No.If employer requests them with the resume, put them on a separate sheet.References will be provided upon request is OK, but since everyone knows youll provide them, even this statement is pointless.Use it only if you need filler.

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14. Should you include your hobbies and interests on your resume?

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Should you include your hobbies and interests on your resume? Explain your answer.

Only if theyre job related.Can be seen as trivial and superfluous.

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15. Should you include your high school education on your resume?

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Should you include your high school education on your resume?

If this is your relatively first job hunt and thats the only education you have.If youre in a post-secondary educational program or graduated from one, omit the high school education.

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16. Is it better for your Objective statement to be as general as possible or as specific as you can?

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Objective statement?

Specific to a career is better.Specific to the job for which you are applying is even better.Can include a job title. Objective statements may indicate an applicant who has ambition and direction.

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Specific or General Job Objective (cont)

Be sure it focuses on the needs of the employer, not on what you want from the job. Avoid challenging and rewarding.Avoid advancement into management. Management of what?

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17. Should you list the names of your courses on your resume? Why or why not?

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Should you list the names of your
courses on your resume? Why or why not?

No; transcripts provide these details.Can list concentrations or majors.Can list major projects if they show some accomplishment.

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18. How many pages should
your resume be?

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How many pages should
your resume be?

A one-page resume is usually sufficient for less than 5 years experience.Two pages is generally also acceptable.Put your name and the page number on the second and succeeding pages.

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19. Whats the main reason a resume is screened out of consideration?

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Whats the main reason a resume is screened out of consideration?

Typos!Grammar and punctuation: How intelligent is this person?Spelling and other errors: Is this person this careless on the job too?Be honest.Be accurate with titles, dates, responsibilities.

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20. How should you use professional associations, licenses and accreditations, your knowledge of foreign languages, and special accomplishments
on a resume?

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Professional associations, licenses and accreditations and/or your knowledge of foreign languages, and special accomplishments?

List any areas that are relevant to the job for which youre applying in separate sections with their own title.

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21. What shouldnt you include on your resume?

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What shouldnt you include on your resume?

The word Resume.Reasons for leaving past jobs.Past salaries or current salary requirements.Negative information about former jobs.Information that could stereotype you; e.g., expertise with weapons; religious or political preferences.Meaningless abbreviations (etc.).Jargon words without defining them.

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22. How does a creative resume differ from a chronological, functional, or
combination resume?

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How does a creative resume differ
from a chronological, functional, or
combination resume?

Tends to have an unusual format; e.g.:Hand letteredBrochureVideotapePowerPointWeb site

May be most appropriate for careers in sales, art, or design.

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23. Describe the paper and printing requirements for your resume.

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Describe the paper and printing requirements for your resume.

White, ivory, light gray, or light blue paper.Print using letter-quality output using a font big enough to read.Mail your resume in a 9 x 12- or 10 x 13-inch envelope.

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Paper and Printing (cont)

Good bond paper (at least 20 lb).8 x 11-inch paper.Cover letter and accompanying documents should match.

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24. What information should be in the heading of your resume?

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What information should be in the heading of your resume?

Name, mailing address, telephone numbers, email, Web addresses.If you give more than one address or telephone number, label them as home, office or work, or cell. Dont label individual lines.Be sure your email and Web addresses are professional!

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25. If most of your work experience is in some area thats not your career goal, how can you use that experience to your advantage?

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Work experience is in some area thats not your career goal?

Emphasize the transferable skills; e.g., communication skills, customer service skills, team player, patience, conflict resolution, leadership.

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26. What are some good techniques for successfully proofreading your resume?

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Good techniques for successfully proofreading your resume?

Proofread it at least three times with time in between.Read it backwards.Read each word out loud, not reading for context.Read what you see, not what you expect to see.Have it evaluated by someone in your career field and someone out of your career field.

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Proofreading (cont.)

Have someone competent in grammar, punctuation, and spelling proofread it.Have someone competent in grammar, punctuation, and spelling proofread it.Have someone competent in grammar, punctuation, and spelling proofread it.

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27. How beneficial is using resume-writing software?

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How beneficial is using resume-writing software?

May make resume writing easier and less tedious.May make your resume look like everyone elses.Recruiters recognize standard templates and may screen your resume out for lack of your originality.May be difficult to edit.

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28. How will you communicate your references to potential employers?

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How will you communicate your references to potential employers?

Bring a list of references on a separate piece of paper to the interview.

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Communicate references (cont)

Include each referencesNameTitleCompany NameAddressTelephone NumberEmail address (Relationship)

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29. How many references should
you list?

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How many references should
you list?

Three or four.People who have known you at least one to three years.

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30. What kind of people make good references for you?

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What kind of people make good references for you?

Past or present employers.Supervisors.Coworkers.Someone with whom you have volunteered. Instructors.

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Who makes a bad reference? (cont)

Relatives. Friends. Religious leaders.

Unless youve worked for or volunteered with these people.

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31. How can you help your references give you the best possible reference?

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How can you help your references give you the best possible reference?

Ask each person if he/she will be a reference for you.Be sure each person will give a positive reference.Verify contact information of reference.Provide each reference with a copy of your resume.Describe the job posting to the reference.Dont overuse the reference.

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32. Whats the difference between keywords and action words?

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Whats the difference between keywords and action words?

Keywords specific words employers look for when searching a resume database; usually nouns.Action words usually verbs.

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33. What about
recommendation letters?

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What about
recommendation letters?

Include them only if the employer requests them:No more than two or three, unless otherwise indicated.Be sure theyre current.Reproduce them on the same paper as your resume and cover letter, if possible.

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34. Does Appearance Matter?

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Appearance Matters

Limit of two fonts in the resume.Use an easy-to-read font such as Times New Roman. Section headings in a larger font.Ideal font size is 12pt for body text; 14pt for headings.Use sufficient white space.

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Appearance Matters (cont)

Use the thumb margin rule.Be consistent with formatting (periods, spacing, alignment of headings).Use two-letter state abbreviations in addresses; write out full state name in descriptions.Dont use parentheses. Use hyphens following telephone number area codes.

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Other Tidbits

Curriculum Vitae are used mostly for academia; emphasize publications, presentations, academic projects.Prepare different resumes and possibly different formats for different jobs.Keep a backup of your resume in a separate place from the original.

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Great Resume

Great Interview

Great Job!

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