Writing a Winning Resume

The University of Minnesota’s Broadband Access Project

© 2010 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All Rights Reserved. Public Computer Centers and Sustainable Broadband Adoption - Broadband Access Project (BAP)The Broadband Access Project (BAP) is a $3.6M initiative of the University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center, funded in part by a $2.86M grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce (Award #27-42-B10003), and $740,000 of in-kind support from the University of Minnesota and community partners.

By the End of this Lesson

Why a resume is important.

The differences between chronological, functional, and combination resumes.

What is included on a resume.

How to write a resume that produces results!

You Will Know:

Why do I need a resume?

Introduces you to employers

Demonstrates how your skills and qualifications suit you for

a specific position

Gets you an interview!

Types of Resumes

Chronological

Functional

Combination

Chronological Resume

Starts with your most recent job and works backwards.

Best for people with a clear career path and a strong work history.

Preferred by employers.

www.gradview.com/careers/chrono.html

Functional Resume

Highlights skills and abilities placing little emphasis on where you have worked and when.

Good for people with limited work experience.

www.resume-resource.com/exfunctional.html

Combination Resume

Showcases your skills and experiences first and lists your detailed work history second.

Allows you to customize your experiences while still providing the chronological format that employers prefer.

www.powerful-sample-resume-formats.com/resume-example.html

Process

Brainstorm Write Review

Starting Out

Resumes should be specific to the industry or position you are applying, so grab a job description!

Start out by making a list of all items that could be important to your resume.

Ideas:Job

Descriptions

Performance Reviews

Education/ Certificate

s

Volunteer Experience

s

Awards

Parts of a Resume

Contact Information Objective Work

Experience Education

ActivitiesSpecial

SkillsReferences Projects

Decide what to include:What skills do I want to use in my

next job?What do I do best?What work experiences have I

liked?If I am looking at a specific job

description, what skills and experiences are identified?

What is important about my education?

Are there unique experiences or talents I want to share?

Contact Information

Full Name

Current Address

Professional Email Address

Working Phone

Number that has a profession

al voice mail

Objective, Profile, or Qualifications SummaryState your skills, values and

interests to gain the attention of the reader.

Show how your experiences relate to requirements in the job description.

Written in sentences or bullet points and is 3 -4 sentences.

Examples:

Work HistoryPresented in chronological order,

starting with your current or most recent job.

Unless you are using a functional resume format, you should list a set of skills, duties, and achievements alongside each position.

Make sure to keep the format consistent. Every listing in your work history should look the same!

Getting Ideas:To get ideas, try using the job descriptions on

I-Seek. Click here to see a quick tutorial on

determining what skills to put for a customer service job:

http://www.bced.umn.edu/forms/ISEEKRESUMEFINAL.exe

Examples:

EducationList all education and course work

relevant to the position.Keep the formatting the same

throughout your list.If you have graduated more than

20 years ago, you may want to leave off the graduation date.

Example:Lifetrack Resources, Saint Paul, MN 2010Certified Nursing Assistant Certificate

ExtrasDecide what other

accomplishments to include and add sections accordingly.

If you are volunteering or serving on a committee of a smaller organization, make sure to include some background information for the reader.

Additional sections can include Volunteer Work, Computer Skills, Languages Spoken, and Awards Received.

Reminders:

Resumes should be written specifically for a job or position.

Have at least two separate people check over your resumes. Spelling or grammar errors can get your resume tossed!

If your resume is not producing positive results, change it!

Additional ResourcesWhat Resume Type is Best for You?http://www.quintcareers.com/best_resume_f

ormat.htmlWords to get Hired Byhttp://www.quintcareers.com/Quintessential

_Careers_Press/Words_Hired_By/Ten Ways to get your resume tossed!http://www.careerbuilder.com/Article/CB-

597-Cover-Letters-and-Resumes-10-Ways-to-Get-Your-R%C3%A9sum%C3%A9-Tossed/

Additional Resources (continued)

Ten Tips for Successful Resume Writing

http://www.allbusiness.com/human-resources/careers-resumes/11115-1.html

How to Fix a Spotty Employment Historyhttp://www.employmentspot.com/emplo

yment-articles/how-to-fix-a-spotty-employment-history/

Resume Writing for people with a background

http://career-advice.monster.com/resumes-cover-letters/resume-writing-tips/resume-dilemma-criminal-record/article.aspx

Additional Resources (continued)• How to Upload Your Resume Online

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1831795/how_to_upload_your_resume_online.html

• Free Resume Writing Classeshttp://uroc.umn.edu/programs/bap.html

Works Cited

Bales, Patty. “Resume Tutor.” The University of Minnesota. No creation date. August 31st, 2010. http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/careerdev/resources/resume/

“Job Search.” GCF Learn Free. 2008-2010. August 31st,2010.<http://www.gcflearnfree.org/computer/topic.aspx?id=159>