Resume workshop
65
Best Practices & Current Trends
Transcript of Resume workshop
Best Practices
&
Current Trends
Agenda
I. Administrative
II. Parts of a Resume
III. Compare Resume Formats
IV. Resume Tips
V. Beyond the Resume: Cover
Letters, Thank You Notes,
Elevator Speeches
VI. Marketing Yourself -- LinkedIn
Class Administration
A&FRC Marketing
Breaks
Smoking Areas
Cell phones
SIP
Pre-Assessment
Your Expectations
• Expectations for today?
• What have you learned about resumes?
• Thoughts about cover letters
and thank-you notes?
Resume Advice (video)
How to Write a Great
Resume and Cover Letter
What Do Resumes Do?
Identify your value to the employer
Highlight work accomplishments, experience, and education
Emphasize skills that match job requirements
Before you Begin…
You NEED to define your career/job objective(s)
1. Position Types/Titles
2. Preferred Companies
3. Applicable Industries
With only a generic resume, you will have difficulty in your job search.
Parts of the Resume
1. Contact
Information
2. Career Summary
3. Professional
Experience
4. Education,
Credentials,
Certifications
5. “Extras” (Optional)
1. Contact Information
PURPOSE: Help the employer easily contact you.
Rose M. Hill618-256-8668 * [email protected]
http://www.linkedin.com/in/rosehill
(Ms.) Quinn Hill
Ndege “Nick” Vernon
2. Career Summary
Various Titles (Title is Optional.)
Career Summary
Management Profile
Professional Qualifications
Professional Summary
Executive Profile
PURPOSE: Catch the reader’s attention.
Entice them to continue reading.
Career Summary Formats
Headline:
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL
Telecommunications Products, Solutions & technologies
MBA, Executive Management, Harvard University
Cornell University Executive Sales Leadership
Paragraph:
CAREER SUMMARY
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT PROFESSIONAL with proven expertise in the design and implementation of cost-effective staff training, e-learning, customer service, sales, management, and marketing programs. Recognized for innovation and creativity in designing real-world training programs that focus on development of core skills and competencies.
3. Professional Experience
Various Titles:
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
EXPERIENCE AND ACHIEVEMENTS
EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE
EXPERIENCE SUMMARY
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
EXPERIENCE
Professional Experience Musts
Responsible for
1. Problem Action Result (PAR) format
2. STRONG verbs
3. Industry Keywords
Problem-Action-Results FormatPAR Brainstorming:
Problem – Our company had a 10% increase last year in restock fees
due to poor quality in manufacturing processes.
Action – I researched our current manufacturing processes and
identified 5 issues that could be handled better through robotics. I
analyzed the cost of the robotic implementation with the team.
Result – After implementing our modified version of the robotics solution
from the chosen supplier we reduced our restock fees by $14 million
in one year.
Our example translates to:
Engineered and implemented robotic manufacturing processes to
reduce costly mistakes, increase quality and contribute $14 Million
to the bottom line in restock savings
Active Verbs
“Responsible for” and “Duties included” convey a passive style. Use strong, active verbs.
BEFORE: Responsible for all marketing and special events for the store, including direct mailing, in-store fashion shows, and new-product introductions and promotions.
AFTER: Orchestrated a series of marketing and special-eventprograms for Macy’s Reston, one of the company’s largestand most profitable operating locations. Managed direct-mailcampaigns, in-store fashions, and new-product introductionsand promotions.
Experience: Paragraph
Business Manager 2000 to 2010Smith Ag Production Company Garnerville, Arkansas
Purchased run-down, debt-ridden farming operation and transformed
it into a near showplace, honored as one of the best commercial Angus
operations in southern Arkansas. Developed a far-reaching network
throughout the agricultural industry and with leaders with state
government, banking, and commercial lending.
Hired, trained and supervised all employees. Managed budgets of $750K
annually and more than $2M in operating lines of credit. Directed the
sale/purchase of all commodities to support business operations.
Advantages: Requires least amount of space. Brief, succinct, and to the point.
Disadvantages: Achievement lost in text – does not draw reader’s attention.
Experience: BulletedBusiness Manager 2000 to 2010
Smith Ag Production Company Garnerville, Arkansas
Purchased run-down, debt-ridden farming operation and transformed it into a near showplace, honored as one of the best commercial Angus operations in southern Arkansas.
Developed a far-reaching network throughout the agricultural industry, including leaders in state government, banking, and commercial lending.
Hired, trained and supervised all employees.
Managed budgets of $750K annually and more than $2M in operating lines of credit.
Directed sale/purchase of all commodities to support business operations.
Advantages: Quick & easy to peruse.
Disadvantages: Everything has equal value. Achievements not immediately recognizable.
Experience: CombinationBusiness Manager 2000 to 2010
Smith Ag Production Company Garnerville, Arkansas
Hired, trained, and supervised all employees. Managed
budgets of $750K annually and more than $2M in operating lines
of credit. Directed the sale/purchase of all commodities to
support business operations.
Purchased run-down, debt-ridden farming operation and
transformed it into a near showplace, honored as one of the
best commercial Angus operations in southern Arkansas.
Developed a far-reaching network throughout the agricultural
industry and with leaders in state government, banking, and
commercial lending.
Advantages: Responsibilities clearly presented. Accentuates achievements.
Disadvantages: Shines glaring light on positions without accomplishments.
4. Education, Credentials,
and Certifications Formats
EDUCATION
M.S., Counseling Psychology, University of Akron, 2001
B.S., Psychology, University of Miami, 1999
Highlights of Continuing Professional Education:
• Organizational Management & Leadership, Ohio Leadership Association, 2008
• Industrial Relations, Purdue University, 2007
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, State of Ohio, 2001 to Present
Licensed Recreational Therapist
Education, Credentials, and
Certifications Formats
Executive Education Format:
EDUCATION
Executive Leadership Program………………STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Executive Development Program…… NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
Master of Business Administration (MBA)……HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Bachelor of Science………………… UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
5. “Extras”
Possible Categories:
Technology Skills and Qualifications
Equipment Skills and Qualifications
Honors and Awards
Public Speaking
Publications
Committees and Task Forces
Professional Affiliations
Resume Types
Delivery Type
Scannable
Presentation
(Electronic/Paper)
Portfolio
Video
Arrangement
Chronological
Functional
Combination
CONTACT INFORMATION
Job Seeker
Certified Public Accountant; CPA
123 Any Street, Any town, MO 63103
Linkedin.com/in/jobseeker
SUMMARY
Senior Project Manager (always list the name of the position your
are applying in your summary) with an extensive back ground
working with diverse populations. “US Military (Branch of Service)
Veteran”
SKILLS
Project Management
Project Scheduling
Microsoft Office Suite
EXPERIENCE
Microsoft Corp.
Senior Business Analyst
6/2005 – Present
Make you experience paragraph style versus bullet points. Many
ATS will parse this style easier than separate points. Consider
removing the bullets and creating a paragraph of bulleted items.
If you’ve held multiple positions at the same company, you need
to repeat the company name
again for each one.
EDUCATION
University of Missouri at St Louis
B.S. Computer Science
4/2010 – 5/2014
Written for the computer
Keywords
Industry Standard titles
Universal font
Paragraph info (NO
bullets)
Chronological
Resume
Functional
Resume
Combination
Resume
You Have 6 Seconds – GO!
Studies have
shown that
recruiters
spend an
average of
6 secondson the initial
YES/NO
review.
Six Second Resume Test
1. Fold your resume in half
2. Place your thumb about half way down the page
3. Read from the top down to your thumb without unfolding the page
4. Your 6 Second Review!
How to Build a
Strong Resume4 Tips
Strategy #1: Keywords
Computers scan for keywords
Keywords can be found in job
announcements, company mission
statements
Incorporate keywords naturally into text
85% of resumes are never seen by a HUMAN!
Wordle.net
Strategy #2: Sell It to Me…
Sell It to Me…Don’t Tell It to Me
“tell me” = state facts
Tell It Strategy: Managed start-up of a new employee call center.
“sell me” = promote, advertise, and draw attention
Sell It Strategy: Directed team of 12 in successful start-up, staffing, policy/procedure development, budgeting, and operations design for new $1.4M call center.
Strategy #3: Use the “Big”
Use the “Big” and Save the “Little”
Focus on the “big impacts”: new
programs, special projects, cost
savings, productivity
Give a good, broad-based picture of what you
were responsible for and how well you did it.
Save the “little” stuff (the details) for the
interview
Strategy #4: Make your
Resume “Interviewable”
Strategy #3 invites interview discussions regarding your
previous experiences
Feature your “selling points”
prominently!
Make sure the resume is easily readable
1. plenty of white space
2. easy to read font and type size
3. logical flow (standardized format and headings)
RECAP: Resume Do’s
1. Make your resume format “Scan-able”
2. List Quantifiable Achievements
3. Use Keywords and Standard Headings
4. One - Two Pages (if 2: Number pages!)
5. Show Personality
6. Meet the job announcement requirements
7. PROOF-READ!
Application Process
Best way to spend 5 hrs…
1st Hour – Research the company
2nd Hour – Customize Resume/Cover Letter
3rd Hour – Complete the ATS process
4th Hour – Behavioral Assessment Link
5th Hour – Follow-up!!
QUALITYbeats Quantity
Beyond the Resume…(What else should I do?)
1. Research Company
2. Cover Letters
3. Thank You Notes
4. Elevator Speeches
5. Marketing Yourself on Linked IN
Company Research
Need to know about the company:
Mission statement
Company culture
Industry events/forecast
Where to find the info:
Company website
Glassdoor.com - Interview questions and
employee feedback
Social Media -- Facebook, Google+ and Twitter
Like or follow the company to get updates
Cover
Letters Highlight abilities
Display Company
knowledge
Personalize every
cover letter
Your sales pitch -- a
MUST!!
Cover Letter Writing Tips
Introduction: Keep it brief If no name is available, avoid
Body: Summarize qualifications Include numbers and specific
results Use paragraphs and/or bullets –
choose style that best showcases the information
Closing: Establish expectations for next step
Be assertive yet polite Indicate follow-up
Write a Winning Cover Letter
Four approaches:
Traditional: Briefly state why you are writing
Interest-Piquing: Start off with impressive
information to grab immediate attention
Drop Names: Let referral do the work.
Who You Are: Important to communicate in
every letter.
Thank-You Letter
If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.
- Meister Eckhardt
Thank You Letter
Often overlooked!
Shows your genuine interest
Reminds the hiring manager to contact you
Send after every interview
Be brief
Send within 24 hours
Use e-mail as last resort
Sample Thank You Card
Your Name
Home Address
Anywhere, State 12345
February 02, 2010
Jane Q. Public
Acme Bottle Washers
123 Hip Hop Street
Anywhere, State 11111
Dear <Salutations>,
Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule, I look forward to…
Best Regards,
Your Name
ELEVATOR SPEECHES
Elevator Speech
15 to 30-second commercial
Use at: career fairs, networking events,
cold calling, “lucky” breaks
Tells:
1. Who you are
2. What makes you unique
3. Benefits you can provide the company
Elevator Speech
Basic:
Hi, my name is ______. I’m in the _______ field, and I’m looking to ____________.
Once you feel comfortable with this, you’ll want
to take it up a notch!
Elevator Speech – The “Catcher”
Networker: “Hi, my name is Betty Joiner. I’m
responsible for this country’s future.”
Recruiter: “How so?”
Networker: “I’m a teacher. I love shaping the
minds of the next generation, but I’m also
interested in getting into corporate training.”
Go-getting networker continuation: “I’d like to take your
business card, as well as leave my networking card
and resume. Would it be possible for me to get a
spot on your company’s interview schedule?”
Marketing Yourself
Are you
Is – a professional tool for networking
Not – a social place for every minute of your life
Is – a free website
Not – always free
Is – a great place to document accomplishments
Not – your resume rather a summary
Is – effective when you have over 100 connections
Not – as effective with fewer connections
Purpose of LinkedIn
LinkedIn Job Search
Your Web
Application
Connect
with
people
you know
and
recruiters.
Meet friends
who work at
the
company.
Get names
and
information
DO NOT
Ask
“Can you
help me
get a
job?”
“Why is the
company
in peril?”
LinkedIn Job Search
Title Keyword or Company
Name Search
I like searching by Title, but Company
Name is sometimes the most
effective
LinkedIn Job Search
Refine
LinkedIn Groups
Join Groups pertaining to
your profession!
• Participate in discussions
• Show your expertise
• Watch your spelling and grammar
• Be brief
• Everyone will see what you wrote
Networking on LinkedIn
Search for people through companies
Search for people
through groups
Search for people
through people
Search for people
through your
connections’
connections
Other Online Tools
Other Online ToolsJob Resources / Skill Transfer
O-NET OnLine
My Next Move
Treating LinkedIn like Facebook
Putting your entire resume on your profile
Poor Grammar / Misspellings
Half done profile
Not looking professional (picture / words on blogs)
Pestering people
Being shy
Trying to connect to people not affiliated in a group without being introduced
LinkedIn No-No’s
Post Assessment
Answers
1. A
2. D
3. D
4. A
5. E
6. A
7. D
8. A
9. D
10. B
