The Resume

The average time a manager takes to

scan a resume and determine if the

applicant should be granted an

interview is 20 seconds.

A resume should present a person’s

abilities & accomplishments in previous work

experiences.

A well prepared resume is the

first step towards gaining an

INTERVIEW with a potential employer.

Resume Presentation

One page in length with a minimum of ¾”

margins Printed on neutral

colored paper Neat and easy to

read

Have heading, education,

experience, and references sections

(in that order)

Have the title of each category stand out by using a bold or

larger font

Should be free of staples and folds

Resume Tips

Be honest - do not stretch the truth!

Never list exact dates. The month and year is

sufficient

Never list the date your resume was

created; it will appear out of date if it is more than a few months old

Do not use “I statements” such as: I can type 60 words per

minute

Do use action words and statement instead

such as: Skilled in typing 60 words per

minute

Use acronyms only after defining them

Resume Tips

Do NOT include the following Personal Information on a resume

Your weight, height, social

security number, birth

date, or marital status

Salary histories

Reasons for leaving past

jobs

Hobbies, activities, and memberships not related to the job being applied for

Heading

Address •  If you have both a

permanent and current address you should include both.

Phone Number •  The phone number should

be the one that has voice mail or an answering machine with a professional message.

E-mail •  Should be professional •  tsmith@gmail.com not

lucky_lizard@gmail.com

Objective

The objective describes the position you want, especially when you submit a resume to a company without a formal application.

Seeking a position as a desk clerk in the Cache Valley.

To obtain an entry-level position as a

CNA.

To obtain an entry-level position in the fast food industry.

Education

Your most recent

educational experience should be listed first.

Institution attending

Date of graduation

Minors or concentrations

Only list your G.P.A. if it is higher than 3.0

Special workshops, seminars,

coursework, or senior projects

Include these items only if they strengthen the

resume by relating to the job being

applied for.

Education

•  Bridgerland Applied Technology School – CNA course completion May 2008

•  Mt. Crest High School – Graduation: May 2008 – GPA: 3.81

Work Experience

Experience comes in many forms. Be sure to include part-time and seasonal jobs, internships, volunteer work, etc.

Position held

Name and location of the organization

Dates of employment

Describe work responsibilities using active language

Experience

Cheesy Burgers Logan, Ut June 2004 to present Food Server

–  Performed effectively in outdoor conditions focusing on excellent customer service.

–  Operate cash register and maintain correct cash amount in drawer. Mt. Crest High School Hyrum, Ut Sept 2002 to June 2003 Teacher’s Assistant

–  Organized filing system for business educator. –  Oversaw the planning of a Business Professionals of America meeting

for 150 people.

Use Active Language

Accommodated, Accomplished, Achieved, Acquired, Allocated, Applied, Assisted, Budgeted, Chaired, Collected, Combined,

Communicated, Compared, Continued, Converted, Cooperatively, Corrected, Created, Critiqued, Decided, Defined, Delegated,

Delivered, Determined, Developed, Discussed, Distinguished, Donated, Earned, Educated, Effectively, Eliminated, Encouraged,

Ensured, Evaluated, Facilitated, Finalized, Formed, Gathered, Generated, Governed, Granted, Grouped, Guided, Identified, Illustrated, Implemented, Improved, Incorporated, Increased,

Informed, Interviewed, Introduced, Learned, Maintained, Managed Marketed, Motivated, Observed, Obtained, Operated, Ordered,

Organized, Originated, Participated, Performed, Presented, Promoted, Proved, Received, Recommended, Resolved,

Responded, Scheduled, Secured, Selected, Skilled, Succeeded, Supervised, Taught, Utilized

Action Statements

•  Part-Time Job –  Saved money from a part-time job to finance the

purchase of a new car. –  Assisted in training 3 new employees during a 2-week

period. –  Received the May employee of the month award. –  Developed sales interaction and communication skills

in a diverse and dynamic environment. –  Gained a true appreciation for the value of customer

service and satisfaction. –  Supervised daily operations of 4 employees.

Action Statements

•  Farm-Hand –  Managed and maintained the livestock feed for 150

cattle. –  Assisted in managing day-to-day operations for a

2000-acre farm. –  Operated heavy machinery while harvesting grains,

hay and sugar beets. –  Developed a new organization system in the farm

shop in order to help aid faster and better productivity. –  Responsible for planting, maintaining, and harvesting

500 acres of hay.

Skills

Identify skills that would strengthen you as a

candidate for the job being applied for. What can

you do for an employer?

For each skill, write a

one line statement that clearly

and concisely describes how you

have used and

developed the skill in the

past.

Skills could include

things such as

knowledge of software, foreign

languages, leadership, teamwork,

etc.

Honors, Awards, Activities, Volunteer

Work

Include dates

If you were elected to offices or committees, mention it. Recognition and demonstration of leadership roles are valuable.

If the activities involved related work responsibilities, note it in some detail. The employer is interested in the skills you have

developed whether through volunteer or paid experiences.

Action Statements

•  Extra-Curricular Activities –  Participated in the Family, Career, and Community Leaders of

America (FCCLA) club as a member in a chapter of 32 students. –  Created 15 posters for the Pep Club to be placed throughout the

community during basketball tournaments. –  Motivated 11 basketball team members from my position as the

team captain. –  Communicated effectively with 35 football Coordinated team

building activities. –  Performed in an octet at the State Music Festival and awarded a

1st place rating for a crowd of 250 people. –  Learned how to take constructive criticism from judges and

educators to improve performances.

References

References should be

available as an attachment, but not listed on the actual

resume

A section titled “References”

with the phrase

“References Available upon

Request” should be

written on the bottom of the

resume.

A person should have

3-5 references listed on a

separate page of paper

References

•  Name of the person & their job title •  Address, phone number, and e-mail

address where they can be easily reached.

Information to include with

references is:

•  Your reference is more likely to give you a positive review if they are expecting a phone call from a potential employer and they understand the job you are applying for.

Always ask for reference’s

permission before submitting a name

to a potential employer.