Resume power point

Build a Better RésuméJenn Martin

What is the Purpose of a Resume?

• Speak for you when you are not present• Convey your accomplishments• Market you and your professional skills

Your goal:

GET AN INTERVIEW!

Preparation: Targeting key words

Step 1: Go through the job announcement or the O-Net skills sheets for the job you want and highlight the keywords (action verbs and adjectives) that describe what they are looking for in terms of skills, qualifications, and experience.

Step 2: Determine how you will use this information to target your resume.

For ExampleIf my current job is as a waitress, and I want to work in reception at a law office:

I will not focus skills that do not pertain to my future law office job, like rolling the silverware and re-filling the water glasses.

I will focus on skills that are common to both to jobs, like: Customer Service Creating a pleasant atmosphere for clientele (setting the table at my

waitressing job OR fluffing the pillows and fanning the magazines at the law office)

Creating documents Excellent communication skills

In this way, I show that I have utilized the skills that my new job will require me to have before they will hire me.

Approved Fonts

• Tahoma• Ariel• Times New Roman• Verdana

• Utilize Bold, Italics, CAPITALIZATION, and Underlining to draw the reader’s eye where you want it to go.

Contact Information

Paragraph FormJanis Jenkins

123 Pearl StreetRockville, Maryland 12345

Home: (301)[email protected]_LinkedIn

*Note: no spaces in between

Line FormJanis Jenkins

123 Pearl Street Rockville, MD 12345 (301)555-1111 [email protected]_LinkedIn

BASIC RULES1. Resumes are written in the present and/or past tense, in the first person, omitting the I (NO personal pronouns, “I”, “we”, “he”, “she”, “they”, etc.)

ANYWHERE in your resume!

Example: Led a team of four personnel to victory.

4. Never use the words “Responsible for”

5. Awards are the RESULT of something else that you did. Lead with the ACTION that resulted in the achievement.Example: Navigated and drove in excess of 12K miles on rough terrain and in hostile territory without incident, leading to being hand-selected to drive the Colonel while meetings were being conducted within the region.

Objective Statement

Well-written objectives statements are: Clear, Concise, Short Answers the question “What

job would you like to have?” May list the type of company

you prefer to work forExamples: Seeking a position as an armed security guard Obtain a position as a Registered Nurse for a

large hospital with a critical care unit Seeking a position as a pharmaceutical

representative in a large company that will provide opportunities for advancement

When to use: You are uploading your resume to a job board, where many companies/recruiters may see it and will not automatically know what type of job you are seeking.

When NOT to use: Any time you are submitting a resume to a targeted company for a specific job for which you are also submitting a cover letter.

Summary (can also be called Professional Summary)

Includes: Specific knowledge, talent, or

education that “ties” you to your career interest

Self-management skills Work attributes Intangible skills

Is written in paragraph form Should include your professional

identity, number of years’ experience, and serve as an “appetizer” to your Experience section

Examples Transitioning service member with 12

years’ experience building and training small teams. Skilled in problem-solving, innovative thinking, and leadership with a knowledge of how to motivate and maintain a positive attitude in the face of adversity.

Education student with 2 years’ experience in a classroom environment. Dedicated to helping students to achieve their potential inside as well as outside of the traditional classroom. Skills include carrying out lesson plans, conducting individual tutoring, and acting as a classroom aide. Excited for the opportunity to work on a collaborative team while finishing Master’s Degree.

Areas of Expertise

AREAS OF EXPERTISE• Leadership• Project Management• Cross-Cultural Competence• Secret Security Clearance• Bi-lingual English/Spanish

*Consider putting this area into columns to make it appear more balanced (To do this, make a long, bulleted list, then highlight the whole thing and click columns)

**Whatever you include in this section should be demonstrated in your Experience section

This section lists 3-9 of your skills using bullets

Highlights your key skills areas

Draws attention to specific skills you can offer the company

Utilizes key words from the job announcement

Lists certifications and licensures

Lists security clearance, if required for the position

STAR method • Situation

• Task

• Action

• Result

• The context that you were/are working in

• What is/was being done

• What you did/are doing to achieve the goal

• What was/will be achieved

STAR method Example

• Situation: In charge of personnel programs• Task: To support personnel• Action: Managed a team of 4 to reach 84 locations,

worldwide• Result: Allowing personnel to be trained effectively• Customize: add quantifiable data

Directed personnel programs in support of more than 1,800 personnel in 84 locations worldwide by managing a team of 4, allowing personnel to be trained effectively.

Building Accomplishment StatementsAction verb + what you did + how you did it = your result/accomplishment

Step 1: Action verb + what you did• Processed shipments of personal property and household goods

Step 2: How you did it• As a part of a small team of personnel

Step 3: Your result/accomplishment• Ensuring that families’ goods were transported in a safe, timely, efficient

manner.

Step 4: Include quantifiable information• Processed more than 700 annual shipments of personal property and

household goods, valued in excess of $30M, as a part of a small team of 13 personnel, ensuring that families’ goods were transported in a safe, timely, efficient manner.

4 Levels of Accomplishment Statements

• Level 1: What you did/can do Repaired vehicles

• Level 2:Your range of abilities Repaired brakes, replaced radiators, and completed oil changes on a variety of

vehicle models, both foreign and domestic

• Level 3:What you accomplished Repaired brakes, replaced radiators, and completed oil changes on a variety of

vehicle models, both foreign and domestic in a timely way, ensuring the safety and satisfaction of customers while adhering to the company’s mandates and directives

• Level 4: Added Value Repaired brakes, replaced radiators, and completed oil changes on a variety of

vehicle models, both foreign and domestic, ensuring the safety and satisfaction of customers while adhering to the company’s mandates and directives, leading to an increase in repeat-customers of 8% over a period of 3 years

Action verb + what you did + how you did it = your result/accomplishment

• Directed personnel programs in support of over 1,800 personnel in 84 locations worldwide by utilizing a computer-base data system

• Reduced motor pool service turnaround time by 25% by creating a “fast track” team for easy repair jobs and routine services

• Restructured program for purchasing department supplies, which resulted in 28% cost reduction per year

• Led 46 convoys in Iraq to resupply outlying areas with critical supplies, totaling in excess of $30K with zero losses

Education VS. TrainingEducation (formal & transferable)Masters in Education, Union College 2009 Schenectady, NY

Bachelor of Arts in English, SUNY Albany 2008Albany, NY• Minor in Spanish

Diploma, Sweet Valley High 2004Sweet Valley, Idaho

If you have any degree of higher education, you do not need to add your HS diploma, as it is a pre-requisite for higher education to have a GED or diploma.

Training (job specific and usually not transferable)Marksmanship 2009

Officer Candidate S 2006• Knowledge of how to

supervise and manage subordinates

Field Artillery School 2003• Proper technical

procedures for utilizing field artillery

Certifications and LicensesCPR 2014EMT-B 2012Airport Firefighter I and II 2011Hazardous Material Awareness 2010Hazardous Materials Operations 2010Hazardous Materials Technician 2010

Volunteer ActivitiesWhy Include These?• Fill in your missing skills• Develop new skills• Fill a time-hole in your

resume• Meet new contacts who

may become your next job lead

• Show your employer that you are active in the community

How To do this effectivelyFollow the same format as in your Experience section

Example:

Phlebotomist 2003-2004 American Red CrossLas Vegas, Nevada• Drew blood from blood donors, totaling

roughly X pints daily, while following proper ARC guidelines to ensure donor and blood supply safety

Wrap it Up• Add a footer that has your last name and the

page number for each page• Proofread for spelling, grammar, punctuation• Consistency is key!• Ensure whole resume is in the same font style• Is your resume visually appealing? Does it

have balance and white space for readability?• Get as many proofreaders as you can!

COMMON ERRORS Comma usage (the Oxford Comma)

black, red and orange VS. black, red, and orange Typical Resulting Error: no comma in a compound sentenceI went to the store. She stayed home. = I went to the store, and she stayed home.

Semicolon usage Use in a complex list when the verb changes Provided support to troops, airmen, and soldiers; stabilized the area; directed

personnel. OR Use in place of a comma and coordinating conjunctionI went to the store, and she stayed home. = I went to the store; she stayed home.

Over VS. more than Over is a preposition (tells the relationship between the noun or pronoun and an

object). The light is over the table. More than is a quantitative value. I read more than 300 pages of my book last

night. (in excess of, approximately, roughly, exceeding, 500+)

CONSISTENCY = CHOOSINGNUMBERSLed a team of sixty personnelLed at team of 60 personnel

We use numbers to draw attention, so numerical is best.

Saved in excess of 30,000,000 dollarsSaved in excess of $30,000,000Saved in excess of $30M

It needs to be immediately recognizable, so use the shortest, substituting the M for K or B as necessary.

THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK!