RESUMES

Capturing and Marketing Yourself on Paper

Kim Ballard, Liza Brockway, Jen Clyde, Jo Doran, Katie Howard, Kristen LeClair, DiFei Li, Juwan Watson

Resume Principles

Resumes… Are tailored for a specific job/purpose Present focused image of your background,

experience and abilities Match your background to readers’ needs Offer most relevant information first Are formatted for left to right reading

Resume Segments

Header Opening Body Other Elements

Header Purpose

Provide complete, correct contact information to resume reader

Header Samples

Opening Purposes

Forecasts what readers will find in resume Begins marketing writer’s abilities Encourages readers to review rest of resume

Opening Parts

Objective OR Qualifications

»» Do not include Do not include bothboth an an objective and a qualifications objective and a qualifications section.section.

Objective/Qualifications

Objective states your goal and highlights your abilities

Qualifications section summarizes resume

Sample Objective

Campaign staff position requiring my political experience, knowledge of Michigan politics, people skills and computer literacy

(Skills objective–promotes skills)

Part-time campaign staff position

(Functional objective–only details position)

Avoid Me-Based Objectives

Campaign staff position allowing me to learn more about politics

Part-time campaign staff position from which I can advance my career in politics

Sample Qualifications Section

Experience campaigning for state government offices, ranging from senate to governor; deal well with constituents and officials; extremely knowledgeable about Michigan politics and districts; computer skills include Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and data entry.

Choosing Objective OR Qualifications Section

Ask…

Will mentioning a specific goal best market me?

Yes? Use Objective.

Does summary best tell my story?

Yes? Use Qualifications Section.

Body Purpose

Details image you offer in resume opening and want to project

Resume Body Types

Experience–Highlights your experiences

Skills–Highlights skills you want to offer

Project/Class–Highlights skills you learned in specific projects or classes

Experience Resume Sample

TRAINING EXPERIENCE

Intern, Duke Center, Durham, NC, Aug-Oct 2004

      Taught exercise classes to fit clients’ medical needs

      Designed lesson plans for water exercise classes

Intern, Zen Martial Arts, Chicago, IL, Oct-Nov 2004

     Taught karate classes to special needs clients

Skills Resume Sample

RELATED SKILLSAcademic Abilities Acquired math reasoning in four math classes Learned scientific principles in science class

Musical Talent Played tuba in band; first chair four years Played sousaphone in band four years

Project/Class Resume Sample

PRODUCTION EXPERIENCEProduction Class Rice College, Smith, TX Spring 2005Produced half-hour news packages to air on Fox’s WXMI

“Ride Along” Royal Oak, MI Fall 2004Used digital effects in short musical montage

Education Section Purpose

Offers selected aspects of education experiences key to resume purpose

Education Categories

Schools (name and location) Related Classes Degrees Major, Minor, Specialization, Program Honors GPA Special Projects

Choosing Education Categories

Ask… What will enhance my academic image?

Sample Education Section

EDUCATION Bachelor of Arts, Peace College, Spark, NC Dec 2004Major: Finance Minor: French

Professional ClassesRetail Marketing Business LawRetirement Planning Business Writing

Special Projects: Designed marketing strategy for large electronics company using real demographics and market data for Retail Marketing class.

Other Elements Purpose

Allow you to market experiences and skills that do not fit in other resume categories

Possible Other Elements

Activities Honors Technical Abilities Presentations Volunteer Experience Publications

Possible Other Elements

Memberships Certifications Workshops Attended Language Skills References or Reference Line

Choosing Other Elements

Ask… What else will promote the image I want to

market?

Sample Other Elements

CERTIFICATIONS

Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist

First Aid (For Aerobics

CPR (adult, child, and infant) Instructor)

MEMBERSHIPS

National Strength & Conditioning Association

Aerobics & Fitness Association of America

American College of Sports Medicine

Sample Other Elements

LANGUAGE/ SKILLSLANGUAGE/ SKILLS

English, Hindi and Bengali (fluent in all three)

Microsoft Office and Internet

  (For Sales Internship)

HONORS/ACTIVITIESHONORS/ACTIVITIES

Dean’s List, Western Michigan University, Fall 2004

Indian Student Association, Member, WMU, Fall 2004

Sample Other Elements

SELECTED ACTIVITIES

Kalamazoo Civic Theater, Volunteer, 2005

Kalamazoo Ballet Academy, Board Member, 2003–2004

Red Cross, Volunteer, 2002 (For Graduate

Assistantship)

RELATED CONFERENCE/WORKSHOPS

Counseling Workshop, Detroit, MI, Jan 2004

MI-MAEOPP TRiO Summit, Troy, MI, Feb 2004