Resumé Writing

Career Development Centre 2015 - 2016

Learning Objectives • Understand the importance and purpose of an effective

resumé • Understand how to create an effective resumé to

demonstrate my skills and experiences • Know how to target a resumé by reviewing a job

description • Become aware of the resumé resources and services

available through the Career Centre to assist in my career planning and job search

Your resumé is your marketing tool – and you are the feature

product!

Remember Your Audience

Your resumé is your advertisement

3 Parts of an Effective Resumé

Part I

Part II

Part III

Appearance

Appearance: - How does it look? - Do I want to read further? - Is it Professional?

Structure

Organization and Selection: - Can I find what I need quickly? - Is the necessary information included?

Content

Wording: Does the information sound RELEVANT and TARGETED?

Effective Resumé

Your Relevant

Skills

Experience

Education

Activities

Primary Goal of Your Resumé

To

demonstrate your FIT for

the job

Employer Requirements

Will the employer read your resume?

First Impression 5 Seconds

Second Look 15 seconds

Content Review 30+ seconds

1. Appearance

2. Organization

3. Content

For How long? 3 steps to

screening and making an impression

Don’t Let This Happen To You!

Target your resumé!

Use information obtained from the job posting and your research

to target the content of your resumé

www.wordle.net

Part I: Appearance

Key Appearance Components

Needs to be attractive, appealing,

and fit company/

industry style

Have a prominent

header with clear

contact information

Key Appearance Components

Key Appearance Components

Should be easy to read,

and have consistent

font, size/style

Key Appearance Components

Be sure that your sub-

section titles stand out

and are easy to locate

Key Appearance Components

Be sure it is modern and professional;

explore layouts to suit you & your target

industry

Key Appearance Components

Be error free!

Remember I’m Wilfrid, not Wilfred!

Part II: Organization

Part II – Organization

Choices of structure, order and layout impact the effectiveness

of your resumé.

Targeted Organization

Objective

Profile

Education

Relevant Experience

Additional Experience

Interests

Organize Sections to Target the Resumé

Reverse chronology Degree name in full, i.e., Bachelor of Arts, not BA Include name of school, city and province What about high school? What about listing courses or awards? What about the GPA?

Education

Weighing in on Experience Less

Detail More Detail

Focus on transferable skills and achievements, not specific tasks/duties

Organizing Experience

Organizing Experience

Personal Details?

• Date of birth • Marital/Family Status • Disability information • Country of Origin/Citizenship • Ethnic background • Languages spoken • Religion • Gender

Check out the Career Resource Centre for: • The Global Resumé and CV Guide, and • Best Resumés and CVs for International Jobs:

Your Passport to the Global Job Market

Interests – Are They Interesting?

• Enthusiastic about helping youth increase their fitness level; former soccer coach and lifeguard

• A useful collection of over 1,000 photographs of Canadian heritage sites and geographic landscapes

• Active member of neighborhood association; co-created Canada Day bike parade event for 30 children

• Competitive swimmer currently training for first triathlon

Write more than a word and explain the extent of your involvement

and interests so that they distinguish you from other candidates.

Additional Training & Professional Development

• Focus on relevant training and professional development i.e., Certified Human Resource Professional · Career Development Certificate

• Include seminars/lectures you attended which were not part of course work

• May include presentations or publications (if several, create a separate section) This section can be listed either in a separate section or in the

Education section.

Content What you say and how you say it impacts the message you are sending the potential employer There are 3 main areas that need targeting:

1. Use your Objective to focus the resumé 2. Use your Profile to provide a big picture or snap-shot

summary of your qualifications 3. Evaluate how you describe your Experiences (paid and

unpaid) to support your candidacy

The Objective Should you add an objective? • There is no agreement • Be sure it is not generic! • Consider using the following formula:

Identify yourself, indicate the role for which you are applying,

select relevant experience/skills/knowledge you can offer, and point out how you will

contribute to the goals of the position/organization.

Targeted Objective To obtain a sales position with a reputable organization Resourceful and collaborative psychology graduate seeking to secure the District Sales Team Lead position in order to leverage strong relationship-building and analytical skills to foster new clientele in the Waterloo region

Generic

Targeted

The Profile Is a big picture statement • Keep bullets at a

highlight level • Entice your reader to

view the rest of your resumé

If you have 15 seconds to tell your employer about yourself, what do you want them to know? Consider the qualifications of the job as ‘The Question’ and your Profile section as ‘The Answer’

Profile Components 4 - 6 point form summary statements: • Experience Summary – Relevant, targeted information about your

background that is connected to the position • Knowledge – Highlight your applicable knowledge especially

when you lack relevant experience • Relevant Skills - Select skills that indicate your understanding of

job requirements and how you will/have used the skill • Key Achievements – You may highlight the benefit of a relevant

achievement • Personal Qualities or Attributes – Focus on qualities suitable to

the target industry • Key Certification or a Bonus Highlight - Identify other

information that adds to your candidacy

Profile Samples

• Be sure to ‘back up’ your claim to a skill and discuss it dynamically:

Notice how Alexa’s Profile changes based on the distinct targets: Customer Service vs. Data Entry Clerk

The Profile

Profile: Experience Statements

• Strong customer service experience • Progressive customer service experience gained

within a consumer packaged goods company • More than 2 years of experience delivering high

quality customer experiences within an internationally recognized technology retailer

Generic

Targeted

Targeted

Profile: Knowledge Statements

• Strong economic background

• Solid ability to comprehend complex and detailed

information, including demographics and economic information for the purpose of developing recommendations and policies

• Strong familiarity with online marketing strategies

including social media tools, Google analytics and Hootsuite

Generic

Targeted

Targeted

Profile: Skills Statements

• Excellent interpersonal skills

• Proven ability to establish co-operative,

professional relationships with customers, staff and administration through effective communication and interpersonal competence

Distinguish yourself with unique statements!

Targeted

Generic

Sample Bonus Certification or Bonus Highlight (1 line) • Interest in and passion for social media

• Anticipate summer 2015 completion of Google Analytics Training Part 1

• Strong knowledge of social media trends through education, personal research, marketing related volunteering and student club membership

Generic

Targeted

Targeted

• Re-focus descriptions to target each job to which you are applying

• Draw greater attention

to the relevant aspects of your experiences

• If minimal relevance,

stress transferable skills

• Be sure to use result-

oriented statements

Experience Section - Targeting

Targeting Job Descriptions Job Goal:

Camp Counsellor

Previous job as a Camp

Counsellor

Camp Counsellor Summer 2011 ,2012

Kid’s Summer Camp Experience, Kitchener, ON • Supervised children ages 8 – 16 at a summer camp • Developed and lead activities including arts and crafts,

nature exploration, swimming, water safety and canoeing • Ensured inclusive summer experience for children with

disabilities (seasonal)

Include details if they are relevant to

the target job

Targeting Job Descriptions Past job not

directly relevant?

Job Goal: Junior

Marketer

Camp Counsellor Summer 2011-2012

Kid’s Summer Camp Experience, Kitchener, ON • Co-ordinated and organized activities which involved preparing

materials, creating schedules and managing multiple participants

• Liaised with the public to ensure exchange of information including negotiating special requests and answering concerns

• Collaborated with colleagues to plan and assign tasks and provided training and orientation to new employees

Stress transferable skills when the job is less relevant to your target

Notice how the description of Zehr’s changes based on the distinct targets. Data Entry Clerk vs Customer Service

Targeting Job Descriptions

Accomplishment Statements • Differentiate yourself by HOW you describe your

experiences • Discuss points dynamically, in relation to the position to

which you are applying • Ask yourself when you have:

– Initiated something – Achieved a goal – Exceeded expectations – Solved a problem

−Demonstrated Leadership −Been selected for added responsibility/promotion −Received praise/award

Writing Accomplishment Statements

Action Verb

Result (Impact, Purpose)

Task (& Tools)

(Relevant)

e.g., Designed client database using MS Access resulting in 50% increased retrieval rate

Accomplishment Statements BEFORE • Responsible for training new staff • Performed customer service and cashier duties as required • Stocked supplies and cleaned cash area AFTER • Selected by management to train 5 new staff members to

encourage consistent customer service • Interacted professionally to successfully build customer

relationships, resulting in repeat business • Maintained an organized, efficient area to ensure brand

standards were met

A Word About References • Prepare on a separate page • Only submit upon request • Should have seen you within a related professional

environment

Key members of your job search team! Keep them informed of your progress.

Professors Dean Supervisors Colleagues

Directors Other Staff

Final Checklist Concise Easy to read Organized Error free Attractive Professional Position-relevant Formatted (PDF) Appropriately named! Targeted

ALWAYS send a targeted cover

letter with your resumé!

Resources • Resumé and Employment Letters Guidebook

wlu.ca/career • Resumé Video • Resumé & Cover Letter critiques: in-person, telephone,

email or Skype • Resumé & Cover Letter proofreading service after a

critique appointment • For quick questions, visit our drop-in (Monday to

Thursdays, 1 – 3 p.m.)

Connect with us!

519.884.0710 x 4495 careercentre@wlu.ca wlu.ca/career facebook.com/lauriercareercentre linkedin.com (Laurier Career Centre Group)

@WLUCareerCentre