Writing an Effective Resume
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Transcript of Writing an Effective Resume
Writing an Effective Resume
Writing Consultant PresentationINST205: Job Prep 1Bellingham Technical College
Writing an Effective Resume
Why you are writing
Organization
Presentation
A resume gets you an interview
The employer will:
Find out which applicants are suitable
Choose a small number of candidates to interview
Include interesting and unique information
Attempt best effort to make a first impression
No chance to explain if you do not get an interview
Reviewer spends 10 to 15 sec.per resume
Stand out from the crowd
Writing an Effective Resume
Why you are writing
Organization
Presentation
Summary of sections
NameAddress, telephone number, e-mail addressObjectiveEducationExperienceAchievements and awardsSkillsProfessional affiliations Publications or projects
Optional
Objective
One or two sentences
Type of position (part time, full time, summer internship)
What position would you like to find?
Emphasize how you will use your skills, not what you want to gain
Use the objective to stand out
Do not be needy:Objective: To obtain a position that will allow me to advance my potential while seeking new challenges.Objective: To obtain a position that will utilize my skills and let me continue to update my knowledge in the instrumentation field.
Show what you will contribute:Objective: An entry-level position as an instrumentation technician, where strong work ethic, instrumentation knowledge, and good communication skills are needed.Objective: To add value, technical diversity and a positive energy to the workplace.
Education in reverse chronological order
Include schools attended beyond high school
List major and minor(s), supply interesting details
For BTC, put the expected date in parentheses:
Bellingham technical College AAS - Instrumentation and Control Technology(Anticipated graduation: June 2013)
Include special or interesting aspects of your program
Experience also in reverse order
Dates of employment (2003–present)
Name and location of the company (Con Edison, Brooklyn)
Add specific detail that shows your organization, cooperation, responsibility with action
Calling this section Experience allows you to include jobs for which you were not paid. Include:
military service internships volunteer positions
Achievements and awards
Dean’s list
Scholarships
Grants
Prizes
Nominations
Professional societies
Significant accomplishments
Committees and leadership roles
Use the skills section
Software programs and proficiency (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, FrontPage, AutoCad …)
Programming languages (include Visual Basic, HTML, PHP, …)
Abilities (based on experience)
Languages and language ability
• Troubleshooting, repairing, calibrating, tuning and aligning controllers • Troubleshooting, calibrating and making field repairs to control valves • Troubleshooting, calibrating and making field repairs to positioners • Troubleshooting, calibrating and making field repairs to actuators • Troubleshooting and repairing level measurement equipment• Troubleshooting transducers
Instrumentation Skills Section (0)
• Troubleshooting and repairing vibration measurement instrumentation • Understanding of proper application of pressure rated piping/tubing fittings • Troubleshooting, calibrating, configuring and repairing electronic transmitters • Troubleshooting, calibrating, configuring and repairing DCS systems • Overhauling, repairing and calibrating displacer level controls • Using pressure test equipment
Instrumentation Skills Section (1)
The Skills Section This is where you emphasize your
technical skills Fill some skills in as a class
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
The Projects Section
Each project should have at least two bullets (focus on outcomes)Fill some projects in as a class 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Writing an Effective Resume
Why you are writing
Organization
Presentation
Create an effective layout
Try to interest your reader visually
A clean, professional format with a little style
Extra white space makes it easy to read – set margins
Limit font to two choices
For text: a serif font like Times
For headings: Arial or Helvetica are good choices to add visual interest
Don’t choose non-standard fonts like or
Font size should be 11 or 12 point
Write concisely and vigorously
A focused, targeted resume is best: Avoid the temptation to go more than one page
Delete obvious information in order to highlight your unique qualities
Find specific, dynamic verbs: Use present (or past) imperatives
Include each verb only once
Consult online lists of “resume action words”
Make lists parallel
Was responsible for staff of ten
Present reports to consultants
New reporting system was developed
Leader of monthly staff meeting
Coordinate monthly review
Make lists parallel
Managed staff of ten
Presented reports to consultants
Developed new reporting system
Led monthly staff meeting
Coordinated monthly review
Use brief style like presentations
Omit articles (a/an, the)
Use more lists than sentences
Arrange information in columns
Keywords(1)
Class participation, Instrumentation key words.1.2.3.4.5.6.
Keywords – Student Derived
Resume Formats - Chronological
Highlight your work experience in reverse chronological order
Be sure to not leave gaps
The most widely used format for working professionals
Cut off
Resume Formats - Functional
Highlight specific skills for which the market has high demand
Seldom used by new graduates
Frequently used to change jobs or careers
Again, cut off
Resume Formats - Combinational
Highlight specific work experience
Highlight marketable skills
Use reverse chronological order
The best resume style for most college students
I would prefer bullets
This is Meagan Bryson’ssuggested layout
M Bryson
Standard Resume Sections
Header Objective Education Honors/Activities Work Experience Relevant Courses Skills Projects
Move toward bottom
The order can be switched
Supporting Documentation – Cover Letter (1)
Why do I need to write a cover letter? Use the cover letter to focus attention on elements of
your background that are particularly relevant to the company
Letter acts as your verbal introduction to the employer Send it to a person, not a place
Avoid “To Whom It May Concern,” Worst case “Dear Recruiter:”
First sentence should tell why you are writing “I am writing in regard to your posting listed on …” “Dr. Wagner at UW – Eau Claire suggested that I …” “As you may recall, I spoke with you briefly at …” If unsolicited, indicate why you are interested in the
company
Supporting Documentation – Cover Letter (2)
Highlight your skills Use two to three paragraphs to given in-depth
description of your selling points Each paragraph should be stand alone (could be
moved to different location in text) Close with a promise of action
If possible, indicating that you will be contacting them in the near future to set up a mutually acceptable meeting time or to further discuss your qualifications
Nice if you can say “during my Winter Break, between December 28 and January 12, I will be in Minneapolis. I will contact your office when I arrive to arrange a possible meeting time”
Supporting Documentation – Cover Letter (3)
Supporting Documentation – References
Prepare a separate reference sheet Use same paper as the resume itself Bring reference sheet (and resume) with you to any
interviews, job fairs, career breakfasts, … Do not mail reference sheet with resume and cover
letter Reference sheet is a stand-alone document
Should include your Header from the resume Try to arrange contact information in pleasing
fashion Use professional references only
Pick individuals that think highly of you Pick individuals that are familiar with your work
Always ask your references before using their names Be prepared to give supporting materials – courses,
projects, … Ask again if it has been a while
Scannable Resumes Most large employers will scan your resume into a central
database Tips to assist the scanning process
Don’t use italics, underlining, or graphics Use bold only for headers Use “scanner-friendly” fonts (Serif or Sans Serif
fonts) Times New Roman, Courier, Helvetica, or Arial
are good examples Font sizes of between 9 and 12
Use black ink on white background Tips to assist the retrieval process
Most lookup is keyword-based Samples: Unix, C++, Java, hardware, networking,
trouble-shooting, testing, security, data mining, …
Tips on Delivery of Your Resume
Posting Online “rules” are still emerging Common mistake – formatting that doesn’t make the trip
Convert to text only Use PDF if allowed Proofread carefully after conversion
If they ask about salary, leave it empty If they force salary, be honest but don’t shoot for the moon
Emailing your resume Attach resume as a PDF document (or Word document)
75 – 80% of companies are running Windows Also include text version in the email message
Attachments can get dropped or filtered Test before deploy
Send to at least three friends, ask them to print it and send it back to you
Miscellaneous Tips (1) Act like a professional
Avoid cutesy or inappropriate graphics, images, formats, …
One page only You are a fresh graduate, don’t assume that the
one-page rule doesn’t apply to you! Stick to the truth
Don’t sprinkle buzzwords in that you really don’t understand
It speaks volumes about your character when you can’t explain your own resume
Focus on achievements and results Laundry lists of duties are not impressive
Miscellaneous Tips (2) Use easy-to-read language
Winston Churchill - “Use short, old words.” Get the words and punctuation correct
Errors and “broken English” are the kiss of death Follow the instructions
If the company asks for specific information, then give it to them
Follow up If you said you would call, then call
Maintain a consistent writing style Avoid “To apply …” then “Applying …”
Avoid the use of “I” or “my”
Miscellaneous Tilts Focus on you and your needs
Employers have better things to do than hear about you
They want to know “what can you do for me” Use templates to construct your resume
Give cookie-cutter look Lacks flexibility to your “silver bullet”
Use superlatives to emphasis your work Great performance as … Stick to the facts and figures – not an evaluation of
yourself Use long flowing sentences
Short and to the point Sentence fragments are fine if they are
understandable – BUT NOT IN THE COVER LETTER!!!!!
Don’t Make These Famous Mistakes
“Education: Curses in liberal arts, curses in computer science, curses in accounting”
“Personal: Married, 1992 Chevrolet”
“Proven ability to track down and correct erors.”
“Disposed of $2.5 billion in assets”
“Accomplishments: Oversight of entire department”
Cover Letter: “Thank you for your consideration. I hope to hear from you shorty!”
Good Examples (1)
Good Examples (2)
Final thoughts …
Choose the correct tense and use it consistently
Do not ask for a particular salary
Be accurate and honest
Print it out! Do not attempt to proofread on screen
Writing an Effective Resume
Why you are writing
Organization
Presentation
Writing an Effective Resume
Mahalo, Jeanne Young
On-Line Resources www.collegerecruiter.comwww.collegerecruiter.com www.developercareers.comwww.developercareers.com www.writinglettersandresumes.comwww.writinglettersandresumes.com www.professional-resumes.comwww.professional-resumes.com www.1stresumes.comwww.1stresumes.com www.a1resumes.netwww.a1resumes.net http://www.localjobnetwork.com/radio/play?rp_id=191
Title: Minding Your P's and Q's - The 1-Page Job Proposal
Featured Guests: Joanna Riley Weidenmiller & Tim Muma (20 minutes)
www.10minuteresume.comwww.10minuteresume.com www.crsresume.comwww.crsresume.com www.resumeservice.comwww.resumeservice.com
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Another perspective On the key sections:
The Header Section The first line should be your name
Larger than the largest font used in body Avoid using decorative fonts Don’t use black or gray shaded backgrounds Exclude titles Mr., Mrs., Ms., …
Include contact address Permanent address Current address
Include your email address Use your UWEC email address Don’t use “BIGBOY@HOT_MAIL.COM”
Include your phone number Change the message machine to be appropriate
The Objective Section
Considered optional but I strongly suggest including it Make statement clear, concise, and to the point
Bad: “I want to get a job” Weak: “To attain an internship in the computer
industry.” Good: “To attain an internship in the computer industry
working with database or network security.” Avoid being overly specific to single company
“To attain a position at 3M Pharmaceuticals working on …”
I prefer objectives from the company’s perspective “To attain a web application programming position
where knowledge of Java and the Struts framework will add value the overall development process.”
The Honors/Activities Section
Should only contain honors and awards earned during your time in college
You can include academic or extracurricular items I prefer only academic or service-related items
Include a brief description if not self-evident from title “Award given to top performer on the capstone exam”
Don’t include hobbies or activities not related to the job or your story Good to include leadership positions in
Instrumentation organizations Good to list membership in Instrumentation
organizations Don’t include volunteer work unless there is a direct and
positive link with the job or your story
This section should scream “I am a leader”This section should scream “I am a leader”
The Work Experience Section
Dedicated to most recent and relevant employment Format
Employer and location on the first line Don’t need name of supervisor, complete address, or contact
information Position and time-span on the second line
Use only year, not month and year (avoids time gaps)
Each position should have at least two bullets Explain role and contributions Don’t emphasize duties but rather emphasize outcomes
“Increased efficiency of … by 20%” “Improved user navigation experience on …”
Descriptions should be consistent in wording Watch the tense
Current job uses present tense Former jobs use past tense
Employers wantproblem solvers
The Relevant Courses Section
The keyword is relevant courses Don’t include Math99 Don’t include Psychology Focus on unique courses Computer Security
Pressure and Level Measurement Temperature and Flow Measurement PID Control Loop Tuning Data Acquisition Systems
Employers will assume you have had the rest
Bad resumes
Bad Examples (1)
Bad Examples (2)