Copyright © 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved Part 5. Introduction to Managing Your Career.

Copyright © 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved

Part 5.

Introduction to Managing

Your Career


Managing Your Career

Chapter 14. Write Up Your Resume Chapter 15. Put Together a Job Search Portfolio Chapter 16. Beyond the Want Ads: How to Locate and Contact Prospective Employers Chapter 17. Three-Step Interviewing Chapter 18. Advancing Your Career


Chapter 14. Write Up Your Resume Learning Objectives

1. Give two reasons why a good resume is so important.

2. Explain when to use each of these types of resumes: chronological, function, and combination.

3. Describe three techniques to use to write up an outstanding resume.

4. List sections to include in a resume. 5. Identify items that should be omitted from a

resume.


Learning Objectives (cont’d.)

6. Use the Resume Worksheet to write up your contact information, profile, professional experience, education and certifications, professional affiliations. and other sections as relevant.

7. Use the resume guidelines to type up your resume. 8. Edit and proofread your resume.9. Go through the proper steps to make a scannable

resume.10. Explain how to choose references and type up a

reference list.


You need a good resume because:

Your resume is the only impression you make on a potential employer before you hopefully are asked to make a personal impression in an interview.

Most resumes are only glanced at for less than one minute.

A good resume provides a competitive edge. A good resume is an advertising tool: it sells your talents

and skills. A good resume gets you to the next step in the process.


Three Types of Resumes

Chronological Resume

Functional Resume

Combination Resume


Chronological Resume

When to use: You have recent and continuous work experience in

the field you are looking for a job in. You have progressed up a clearly defined career

ladder and are looking for advancement. When not to use:

If you are just starting out in the field. If you are trying to switch fields. If you have large gaps in employment


Example Figure 14-1


Functional resume: Begins with a summary of your skills and accomplishments,

then includes your work experience and education.

When to use: You are applying for a job that is quite different

from your current or past job. You have little to no work experience in this field. You are reentering the job market after a break.


Example Figure 14-2


Combination Resume

Showcases your skills and achievements in a Profile section, then describes your jobs and education.

When to use:Almost anyone can use.


Example Fig 14-3



Techniques to write up an outstanding resume:

Choose and highlight the parts of your background that position you for the type of job you are currently seeking.

Discuss what you did in other jobs, especially how well you did it.

Include measurable achievements and accomplishments.


Sections of a Resume

1. Contact information (including a business-like email address)

2. Profile 3. Professional experience4. Education and certifications5. Professional affiliations/memberships6. Additional sections as applicable (You might also include a Job Objective.)


Omit these from your resume:

Reference information Availability Salary history Diversity issues Photographs


Resume Worksheet: 1. Contact Information

Mailing address including telephone numbers Use postal abbreviation for state such as CT. Give college and home addresses/phone numbers

and note when to use each. Include your area code with your phone number. Identify each telephone number. Professional sounding email address.


Resume Worksheet2. Profile

Other possible names for this section: Career Profile Professional Profile Summary Qualifications Areas of Expertise

Key Strengths Core Competencies Professional Highlights Achievements Highlights of Skill and

Experience Highlights of

Qualifications


Profile

Use a bulleted list, a paragraph, or both.Make this section brief and focused. Highlight your experience, accomplishments,

and skills.Answer the question, “If I had only 30

seconds to get someone to hire me, what would I say?”


Example

PROFILE Hard-working and reliable culinary student

distinguished by: Over two year’s experience as a preparation cook

promoted to line cook at La Brasserie. Earned Silver Medal in ACF sanctioned hot food

competition, category K. Named to the President’s Honor Roll every semester. Strong interpersonal and organizational skills.


Resume Worksheet:3. Professional Experience

Other possible names for this section:Professional BackgroundEmployment HistoryWork HistoryWork ExperienceExperienceCareer Track (Path)Career History


Professional Experience

Start with your current or most recent job. Don’t just discuss what you did; also include how

well you did it. Employers want to see measurable achievements.

You can state your broad responsibilities, then present a bullet list of important duties and notable accomplishments for each responsibility using precise action verbs.


Example

EXECUTIVE CHEF June 2000 – July 2004Big Oak Café, Troy, NYSupervised and coordinated the food purchasing and production for kitchen producing 1,000 meals/day.

Purchased over $1 million of food and supplies yearly. Saved $25,000 in the first year after improving bid system and updating

purchase specifications. Developed & instituted regular seasonal menu changes. Reduced kitchen labor cost by 5%. Quality of food consistently rated as “Good” or higher. Conducted formal monthly training sessions and daily coaching of

employees.


Example Using Paragraph and Bullets of Accomplishments

EXECUTIVE CHEF June 2000 – July 2004

Big Oak Café, Troy, NYSupervised and coordinated the food purchasing and production forkitchen producing 1,000 meals/day. Purchased over $1 million of foodand supplies yearly. Developed and instituted regular seasonal menuchanges. Conducted formal monthly training sessions and dailycoaching of employees. Performance Highlights:

Saved $25,000/year after improving bid system and updating purchase specifications.

Reduced kitchen labor cost by 5%. Quality of food consistently rated as “Good” or higher.


Tips

Do not use complete sentences – use a phase that begins with a specific, descriptive verb (see list in Table 14-1).

Avoid phases such as “Responsible for,” and instead, find an appropriate verb.

Once you’ve climbed the career ladder, it is assumed you can cook – so talk about how many people you supervise, and so on.


When thinking of your achievements, ask yourself if you ever:

Saved your employer money – if so, how much? Increased sales – if so, how much? Increased profitability – if so, how much? Brought in new business – if so, how much? Increased employee retention - if so, how much? Decreased payroll costs – if so, how much? Increased check average – if so, how much? And so on.


Resume Worksheet:4. Education and Certifications

You can divide this into the following categories: College - If you are in college, or have graduated

college, you probably do not need to include high school information.

Continuing education - Mention relevant continuing education classes you have taken and when (just the year).

Certifications – Include the certifying organization and when you received it.


For college, include:

Type of degree received, your major, and date of graduation – Always put your degree before you mention your college or university.

If you have graduated, you could use this type of format.

Bachelor of Professional Studies in Culinary Arts, 2003,

Culinary University, Denver, CO.


Other Formats

If you are still in school, give the month and year when you anticipate getting your degree. For example:

Associate in Occupational Studies in Culinary Arts anticipated May 2006, Culinary University, Denver, CO.

If you are not that close to finishing your degree, you could say this.

Currently pursuing Associate in Occupational Studies in Culinary Arts, Culinary University, Denver, CO.


Resume Worksheet:5. Professional Affiliations

Mention memberships in appropriate professional associations such as:The American Culinary FederationWomen Chefs and RestaurateursNational Restaurant AssociationNational Ice Carving Association


Resume Worksheet:6. Additional Sections &References Computer skills Foreign language skills Volunteer work Awards/honors Military service Publications Presentations References – “References available on request.”


Resume Guidelines:Length

If you have over 10 years of experience, a two-page resume is common.

Make each page a full page.


Fonts and Formatting

One-inch margins. Double-space between sections and

entries. Single-space paragraphs and bullet. Short paragraphs – 5 to 6 sentences at

most.



Pick out a font that is up-to-date and crisp.

Arial Bookman Century Schoolbook Franklin Gothic Garamond Palatino Tahoma

Serif fonts are usually easier to read than sans serif fonts.

Best font size is 10, 11, or 12, although headings and your name should be taller.



Use white space. Use underlining

sparingly. Try boldface for

section titles and job titles.

Don’t type words with all capital letters – hard to read.

Use round, square, or diamond-shaped bullets instead of a hyphen.

Use a horizontal line to separate contact information from rest of resume.

Be consistent.


Format: Number of Columns Figure 14-6


Format: Number of Columns Figure 14-3



Use Keywords

Keywords are nouns or noun phrases that state job titles, skills, duties, and accomplishments.

When employers scan resumes into a database, keywords help them identify suitable applicants.

Use Table 14-2.

Examples Banquet sales Budget administration Catering operations

Club management

Corporate dining room Customer retention Customer service Employee training


Voice and Tense

The subject is “I.”Use past tense of verbs when talking about

past jobs and events. Use present tense when describing what you

do in your current job.


Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar

Capitalize job titles, department name, company name, and towns/cities. Capitalize first world of each bulleted item.

Do not use abbreviations, except for state abbreviations and certifications such as CEC.

Spell out numbers one through nine. Write the numbers 10 and above as numerals.

It’s = It is. Put one space between a

period and the first letter of the next sentence.

Put a comma between a job title, the company name, and the location.

Always put a comma between the name of a town or city and the state.


Be honest.


Paper

White or conservative colors such as ivory and light gray are best.

Use paper at least 20# weight.

Use watermarked paper properly.


Edit & Proofread Your Resume

Have several people proofread your resume.

Use Resume Checklist (Table 14-3).


To make a scannable resume,

1. Use nontextured white or very light paper with black letters.

2. Choose a plain, well-known font such as Helvetica, Arial, or Times New Roman.

3. Pick a font size of 12 points for all body text and 14 points for all headings.

4. Do not underline or italicize print, and do not use asterisks or parentheses. Modern systems can understand bold, but older systems might not. You can still distinguish headings by using capital letters.

5. Use a one-column format.6. Bulleted lists are okay.7. Avoid boxes, graphics, columns,

and horizontal or vertical lines8. Put your name on its own line at

the top of each page. Also, give each piece of your contact information (address, phone number, email address) its own line.

9. Use round solid bullets.10. Do not staple or fold your resume.


Example Figure 14-8


References

The people you ask to be references should be familiar with your abilities. Supervisors from either paid or unpaid jobs, teachers, advisors, coaches, and coworkers are all good choices for references. Select the most willing, articulate people you can.

Always ask permission of the people you ask to be references before including their names on your reference list.


References

After choosing and contacting references, type a list providing their names, addresses, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, and relationship to you. Bring copies of this list, along with your resume, to interviews.

When people agree to be references, help them to help you. Provide a copy of your resume or application to remind them of your important accomplishments.

Copyright © 2006 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved Part 5. Introduction to Managing Your Career.

Documents

john wiley sons

good resume

scannable resume

resume worksheet

resume guidelines

outstanding resume

rights reservedexamplefigure

rights reservedcopyright