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Transcript of Resume Writing Training March 3, 2010. 2 Program Objectives RESUME WRITING Gain a thorough...
Resume Writing TrainingMarch 3, 2010
2
Program Objectives
RESUME WRITING
Gain a thorough understanding of what recruiters look for in a resume
Understand the basic sections of a resume and how they should
represent you
Learn how to create a well-written resume that showcases your
strengths, skills and experience
3
Why Fret Over Your Resume?
Some Helpful Statistics
80% of candidates are screened out at the resume review stage
Recruiters spend less than 20 seconds reviewing a resume
85% of professionals who review resumes glance at the current job title first
Recruiters use your resume for two reasons:
SCREEN OUT candidates
Identify the BEST MATCHED candidates
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Resume’s Ultimate Objective
To win the interview!
By …
Presenting a powerful overview of your experience
“Selling” your qualifications
Demonstrating your writing abilities and professional depth
Showing that you take action to stay current within your profession and industry
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Resume “Building Blocks”
Heading
Objective Statement or Professional Summary
Employment History
Education
Professional Development and Training
Other Sections may include: Skills, Professional Affiliations, Publications/Presentations, Relevant Activities and Interests
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The Heading
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Heading
Name Mailing Address
If you have a temporary living situation, you may want to consider including both your temporary and your permanent address
Telephone Number(s) Make sure those are numbers you check regularly and that the
message you record for your voicemail is professional E-mail Address
Again, make sure that the e-mail address you provide is professional and one that you check regularly
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Heading Format Examples
Your Name Street AddressCity, State, ZipPhone
Number(s)E-mail
Your NameStreet AddressCity, State, Zip
Phone Number(s)E-mail
Your NameE-mail
Phone Number(s)
Address till <applicable date>: Permanent Address:
Street Address Street AddressCity, State, Zip City, State, Zip
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The Objective Statement
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Objective Statement
Your current employment goal – focusing on the short term
Sharpens the focus for the reader and sets the tone
Convincing, direct statement of how you can benefit your future employer
Defines: specific position/industry you are seeking, specific skills/qualifications you posses that are relevant to the position
Recommended in the cases of: career change, specific requirements or limitations or less than three years of professional experience
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Objective Statement Examples
Career change
Accomplished manufacturing supervisor seeking to leverage background in people management, customer orientation, productivity and quality management in an entry-level customer service position.
Career advancementIT Professional with eight years of project coordination, programming and lead rollout execution seeking management opportunity and team-building potential within a corporation or small business requiring in-house technical facilitation.
Company change
Highly experienced sales professional with comprehensive strategic planning and execution skills, and $8 million in new client revenue added in 2 years, seeking a field sales position in the OTC industry to add similar or greater value.
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The Professional Summary
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Professional Summary
States the specific position desired and why you are qualified for that position
Highlights specific expertise and how they can benefit the future employer
3 or 4 sentences that reflect: a clear summary of your skills, experience and accomplishments, description of qualifications using industry specific keywords, proof of your ability to deliver what the future employer needs
Recommended in the cases of: seasoned professionals (5+ years of experience) and candidates with noteworthy accomplishments
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Professional Summary Examples
Bilingual Operations Manager with 15 years experience, an MBA and expertise in warehousing, purchasing, facilities planning, staff management and cost control. Proven ability to provide the highest level of corporate services while consistently reducing expenditures by establishing competitive bidding processes leading to overhead costs reductions of 25% to 40%.
Results-oriented software developer and consulting project manager with six years experience at Big 4 firm. Experienced OO developer with particular expertise in Java and Extreme Programming (XP). Innovative problem solver, able to see the business and technical sides of a problem. Proven leadership, negotiation and problem resolution skills. Published author and frequent conference speaker at industry conferences.
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Objective Statement Professional Summary
Use one but not both
Which one you use greatly depends on:
Where you are at in your career progression (e.g., entry-level or experienced)
What are the objectives you want to accomplish in your next move (e.g., advance in your current field, make a career change)
Whichever you do not use, you can incorporate that information on your cover letter; e.g.,
If you do not include a professional summary on your resume, you can discuss your accomplishments and personal characteristics that uniquely qualify you for the position you are applying for on your cover letter
Should I use one, both or none?
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Employment History
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Employment HistoryWhat it is A list of:
positions you have held and/or currently hold the companies within which you held those positions and the location your tenure in each of those positions your roles, responsibilities and accomplishments while in each of those
positions
What it does Outlines what positions you held, what skills you used and gained in those
positions and your achievements in each of those positions Provides evidence that you actually did what you said you did in your
professional summary
Format The format of how you present your work history can vary so try different styles
to see which works best for clarity and ease of presentation
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Companies You Worked For For smaller or less well-known companies or to provide some context to
your experience, you may wish to include an “employer summary statement” (i.e., a short sentence about the employing company)
If you left a company because they went out of business or your department was downsized, etc. reflect this on your resume
Positions Held Start with your most recent position and work your way back in
chronological order Include functional, common job titles – your position needs to be
understood by the outside world
Dates of Employment When recording dates, employers prefer to see month and year
Tips …to keep in mind while listing companies, positions & dates
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Do not write them to read like job descriptions Keep it simple but remember that you are not there to answer any
questions Use paragraph form and provide a high-level overview of responsibilities
held while in the role Write in past tense for previous positions and in present tense for current
position
Tips …to keep in mind while writing your position descriptions
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This is the place to brag! Consider the smartest way to show how well you did something and what you contributed to the company
Use the SAR (Situation – Action – Result) approach in describing accomplishments
Start with an action word and end with a result Use quantifiable data when possible - #s and %s will help you draw well-
deserved attention to your accomplishments Highlight any technologies that you have used and the scope of your
experience with them If you were in charge of a special project, describe the project and what the
outcome of the project was When you list your accomplishments, answer the question: So What?
Tips …to keep in mind while writing your accomplishments
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Employment History Example
Executive Assistant Apr. 2004 – Oct. 2008
Managed all administrative tasks, including scheduling meetings, conference calls and arranging travel for the VP of Sales and 30+ field sales representatives. Assisted in the development of sales reports and presentations. Handled incoming communications and responded to requests for information with discretion.
AccomplishmentsDeveloped an innovative records management system to process travel-related
accounting documentation which resulted in expediting reimbursements by 5 business days
Managed and maintained files and filing system; designed and reorganized filing system allowing sales reps to locate files without assistance and significantly reduced number of lost and misplaced files
Answered more than 200 telephone calls per day for eight sales reps using the Acme 5000 Deluxe Telephone System
Typed 90 wpm without errors; helped others complete typing assignments, and substituted for office staff on vacation or maternity leave
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Education
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EducationWhat it is A list of educational credentials
What it includes Institutions attended and locations Degrees and dates awarded Major and concentration Any awards or scholastic achievements/honors
Format Listed in reverse chronological order Listed as one of the last sections of your resume
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Additional Sections
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Additional SectionsProfessional Development & Training A list of any programs/training you have completed (other than formal education) Includes course/training title, who conducted it and course content and date(s)
Skills A list of:
Computer languages and software applications/programs Languages (other than English) and level of fluency Laboratory and research skills, analytical skills and/or management skills not
mentioned elsewhere
Professional Affiliations List of professional associations, committees and community involvement,
especially if relevant to the target position and key work issues Highlight any leadership roles or positions held
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Additional Sections (cont.)Publications/Presentations Highlights your published work and/or major presentations (if you have a
lot of credits, summarize your work) Include stellar critiques or comments, if applicable
Activities and Interests Only include this section if your activities/interests are directly relevant to
your career interests and the target position
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Formatting
Font Don’t use …
a font smaller than 10 pts – it is hard to read large fonts – they waste space fancy fonts – they may be distracting and hard to read flowery or fancy bullets
Do use … a font of 14 or 16 pts for section headings and your name the same font throughout your resume standard fonts such as Times New Roman, Arial or similar
How your resume looks is as important as what it contains!
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Formatting (cont.)
Margins and Spacing Leave white space – crowded text is difficult to read Aim for 1-inch side margins and slightly smaller top and bottom margins Left justify the entire document Use a uniform style, keeping the sections lined up and consistent Use tabs, not spaces, to move across the page
Pages Keep it within 2 pages If 2nd page is too short (less than 1/3 of a page), condense it to 1 page Include your name and page number on the 2nd page
How your resume looks is as important as what it contains!
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Guiding Thoughts
Resume wording precedes resume formatting
Clear, clean and crisp wording and format
Spell check AND proofread
“Reality” check
Keywords are key
Customization of information
Less is more
Don’t forget the file name!
Q & A