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RESUME WORKSHOP

2Resume Workshop

INTRODUCTION

• Introduction

• Resumes

• Cover Letters

• Conclusion

Resumes and cover letters get interviews; interviews get jobs

Table of Contents

3Resume and Interview Workshop

RESUMES

4Resume Workshop

RESUMES

• Your resume is the foundation of your initial marketing to companies

• Allows you to highlight your:

– Competencies

– Qualifications

– Accomplishments

– Future capabilities

• Resumes should be focused and tailored

• Format be straightforward, logical and easy to read

Overview

Building your resume is the first step in being able to communicate “your story”

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• Limit your resume to one page

– NEVER go onto two pages

• Format the resume to tell your story

– Selectively use bolds, italics, underlines, and capitalization

• Left margin format is very common

• Maintain consistency of approach

• Use only professional fonts

– Times New Roman

– 10 point font at a MINIMUM

• 8 ½” x 11” inch piece of white or ivory high-quality bond paper

• Try to maintain 1” inch margins all the way around

• No graphics – do not be unconventional

Format and Presentation

RESUMES

There is nothing more important than proofreading and spell-checking your resume for typographic, spelling and grammatical errors

Recruiters will often reject error-filled resumes out of hand

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RESUMES

• Best to use reverse chronological order

– Most common format for undergraduates

– List specific positions and education in reverse order

– Start with what you are doing now and work backwards

• Use either bullets or paragraphs throughout your document

– Bullets are easier for a reader to digest quickly

• Be dynamic and concise

– Omit the words I, me, my, a, an, the

Organization and Writing

Since resumes are seen by busy people who may see hundreds of resumes per day, your challenge is to get your message across quickly and easily

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• Mandatory Sections

– Identification

– Education

– Honors/Awards

– Extracurricular Activities

– Experience

– Interests

• Optional Sections

– Technical/Computer Skills

– Language Competencies

– Community Activities

– Registration/Licensing/Certifications

– Publications

– Professional Affiliations

Sections

RESUMES

Remember, your resume is just a framework for telling YOUR story

Don’t be afraid to combine/re-organize sections as necessary

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• As you go through each of your jobs/activities, think about two things

– What soft skills did you develop that can be applied elsewhere? Communication skills

Customer service

Organizational abilities

– How were you better at your job than your peers? Tasks above and beyond the scope of your position

Measurable results or rankings

Meaningful/lasting contributions to your company or organization

• When writing your bullet points, provide extra details where you can

– Quantifiable results are more powerful than simple claims Page size of reports

Length of presentations

Number of people taught/supervised

Amount of money saved

Content

RESUMES

Thinking about your soft skills and providing quantifiable results will make even mundane jobs stand out

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• Planning Words

– Conceived

• Directing Words

– Supervised

• Responsibility Words

– Established

• Service Words

– Delivered

• Interactive Words

– Participated

• Investigative Words

– Calculated

Action Words

RESUMES

Use strong action words to describe your accomplishments

The first word of EVERY bullet should be a strong, active-voice verb

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• DO NOT use an un-professional email address

– john.smith@gmail.com, NOT partyhard74@gmail.com

• DO NOT include an “Objective” section

• DO NOT use technical jargon

– Avoid specific industry terms

– Write so a lay person can understand what you have done

• DO NOT say “References available upon request”

• DO NOT include salary history or requirements

• DO NOT include reasons for previous terminations

• DO NOT include age, sex, race, ethnic background, etc.

• DO NOT include politics, unless it is a major activity for you

Common Mistakes

RESUMES

The absolute biggest mistake you can make is not proofreading your resume thoroughly enough…

Your resume should be a reflection of your best-possible work product

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COVER LETTERS

12Resume Workshop

• Cover letters should draw attention to the highlights of your resume

• Cover letters are a great way to provide additional information

– Name of the person who referred you

– Explanation of something unusual

• Companies request cover letters for a variety of reasons

– To see if you are well-informed on the position

– To asses your professionalism and manners

– To assess your writing skills

• See the included hand-out for additional information on structure/style

Overview

COVER LETTERS

Always proofread your cover letter for “find and replace” mistakes!

13Resume Workshop

CONCLUSION

14Resume Workshop

CONCLUSION

Questions

Please check your hand-outs for additional information including sample resumes and interview questions

• Any questions?