Resume Writing Presenters: Judy Taylor, Professional Counselor LaWanda Woods, On-Ramp Coordinator On-Ramp Program 2010.

On-Ramp Program 2010

Resume WritingPresenters:Judy Taylor, Professional CounselorLaWanda Woods, On-Ramp Coordinator


Overview Understand the purpose of the resume. Learn the different parts of a resume and

how to build an effective resume. Recognize your transferable skills and how to

use them to overcome common obstacles. Learn how resumes are viewed by employers

and how you can get yours in front of the right people.

Avoid costly mistakes and red flags.


Past, Present, and Futureof the Resume

Standard resume is a 1-2 page document showcasing professional, employment,

and academic history.• Past: 1-2 page word processor document

mailed or faxed to prospective employers.• Present: Pervasiveness of Internet brought

online job boards and other Web tools.• Future: Capabilities of the Internet will

continue to change the way resumes are created, displayed, and transmitted.


The Resume of the Past

• 1-2 page black and white document.

• Emailed, mailed or faxed to employers.

• Emphasized job duties

• Written from perspective of what benefits the employee.


The Resume of the Future

• Created, updated, and distributed online.

• Links to blog, social networks, and company sites.


Anatomy of a Resume

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http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/how-to-write-a-resume/1iojpv4lc?q=resume+writing+video&adlt=strict


Contact Information

• Name should stand out. Ideal: In capital letters and larger font than rest of

document.

• Address Format: Street address, city, state, zip code.

• Home or Mobile Phone 10 digits with area code: 800-363-0307

• Email Address must be professional.


Objective Statement

The first step to creating a high-impact resume is determining what you're trying to accomplish. With a clearly defined career objective, you can write a resume that conveys the experience, skills and training that best serve your overall professional aspirations.


Sample Objectives

Entry-Level Positions

•Seeking an entry-level position in marketing utilizing my strong analytical and communication skills combined with a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing.

•Recent university graduate seeking an internship with an online media company who can utilize my developed skills in communications and multimedia design.


Sample Objectives

Experienced

• To secure a business development position leveraging strong customer service and relationship building skills while utilizing over 11 years of business experience including 7 years of overachieving sales quotas.

•Seasoned manager offering 20 years of progressive experience in functional staff management and consistent staff retention.


Objective Statement: Required or Not?

Career changers and entry-level workers should consider incorporating their objectives into their resumes, because their goals may not be clearly defined by their work history alone.


Career Summary

A career summary is basically a summary of your positive points and aspects, and other attributes that you have, that

would be beneficial to the employer.This gives the prospective employer a chance to glance through your profile in a single stroke and gauge how

relevant your job skills are to the position that they are looking to fill.


Career Summary Tips

Tips for writing winning summary statements:

Emphasize personal brand by summarizing value added skills, experience, and accomplishments.

List 2-3 specific skills that relate to the position. Be specific about your strengths and accomplishments. Show how you saved money, reduced costs, or

increased sales.


Career Summary ExampleProject Manager: Project manager with over 10 years of in-depth experience in the telecom business.Managed projects with a pre-allocated annual budget of 8-10 million and achieved goals.Leader in managing cross company teams efforts through effective and motivating mentoring strategies.Areas of Expertise:• Voice over IP• Telecommunication• Wireless


Career Summary ExampleMarketing Manager:

• An Internet Marketing Manager professional with 15 years’ experience in the Internet industry.• Worked on SEO, SEM, website development.• A proven record of developing new Internet business brands and strategies. Recently, completed a Master of Business Administration degree.


RecapCareer Objective

Career objectives are short statements of interest created by a job applicant about a certain position.

The function of writing a career objective is to help you plan your career and figure out where you want to go professionally.

Career Summary

Your Summary is your initial sales pitch to a prospective employer.

The Summary statement gathers the best elements of your resume – your abilities, skills, experience, accomplishments, and personal characteristics – and condenses them into a brief description of the best reasons for hiring you.


Professional Experience

• List employers, job titles, and dates of employment in reverse chronological order.

• Format: Company, Job Title, Responsibilities and Accomplishments, and Dates.

• Include brief description of responsibilities and scope of job. Keep it within 1-3 sentences.

• Use bulleted format to list job responsibilities.

• Begin each point with a strong action verb.


Education

• Education section covers academic credentials and any education that would apply to job you seek.

• Typically placed below relevant work experience.

• Format: Name of institution, city and state; degree awarded with major and minor; date degree was awarded.

• List degrees in reverse chronological order, with highest degree first.

• Do not include incomplete degree unless you include an expected graduation date.


Optional Categories

• List additional information at bottom of your resume. Only include items relevant to specific position.

• Awards and Honors Format: Award title, date, awarding organization.

• Professional Development Certifications, licenses, and memberships.

• Volunteer Experience Emphasizes key skills not shown in work experience.

• Work Samples and Publications Can help you build portfolio and enhance your personal

brand.


Keywords and Tags

• Keywords are search terms recruiters and hiring managers use to filter resumes. Using the right keywords increases the chances of your

resume getting seen.

• Information employers look for in resume database search: keywords, titles, companies, education, location, compensation.

• Keywords often originate from job description.

• Identify critical keywords. Use them prominently and frequently.


Resume Formats

ChronologicalFunctionalTechnical


Chronological Resume

Chronological resume format provides your work history dating back from the present.

• Briefly describes accomplishments and successes that support your summary statement.

• Stresses responsibilities, skills, and accomplishments.

• The format calls attention to your recent job history and relevant experience.


Who Should Use Chronological?

• You are staying within specific occupation or industry.

• You have steady work history with few gaps.• Your career shows steady growth and

development.• You have relevant work experience to the

position you are applying for.• You are applying to a traditional field

(accounting, law, finance) or organization.

Most job seekers will be using the chronological format.


Functional Resume

Functional resume format stresses qualifications over specific employers and dates.

• Organizes information around specific skill sets and supports skills with accomplishments and experience.

• Directs attention to functional skills, strengths, and qualifications.

• Allows you to customize content to match job position. Not confined by chronological format.


Who Should Use Functional?

• Contract or 1099 workers.• You have a weak employment history.• You have unexplainable gaps in your employment

history.• You are making significant career or job change.• You want to emphasize skills and abilities not

used in recent experience.• You have held numerous positions in a short time

frame.• You have been employed in highly technical

positions.


Technical Resume

Technical resume format is designed to emphasize your technical skills and strengths.

• Lists computer, software, or specialized machinery knowledge early on.

• Emphasizes hard skills over soft skills.• Focuses on Skills and Professional Experience

sections.• Technical/Chronological vs. Technical/Functional

Most technical resumes follow chronological format but include summary of skills at beginning of resume.

Use functional format if you’re a technical worker who’s mainly been hired for project-based or contract work.


Overcoming Obstacles and Objections


Baby Boomers

Overcoming Objections “Older workers are more costly.” “Older workers need re-training and can’t learn new

skills.” “Older workers are over-qualified and will get bored.”

Advantages When writing your resume, emphasize your

knowledge and experience.

Baby Boomers Applying for Jobs


Military

Overcoming Objections “Speak civilian, not military.”

Translate military experience to understandable civilian qualifications.

Advantages Modern and current skills and

training. Ability to work in a team. Ability to adapt to change and handle

pressure.

Military Transitioning to Civilian Workforce


Recent GraduatesCollege or High School Grads without Work Experience

Overcoming Objections “Recent graduates feel entitled in the

work place.” “Recent graduates lack professionalism

and strong work ethic.”

Advantages Bring new ideas: Business thrives on

innovation, so highlight your ability to apply new information and ideas to your work.

Hard working: Younger employees take spirited approach toward work, staying up late or working on weekends to complete tasks.

Affordable: Show value you offer the employer, and what they stand to gain by hiring you over someone more established.


Career ChangersJob Seekers Who Are Changing Careers

Overcoming objections “Has no experience.” Know and articulate

transferable skills. “Why does this person want to leave their current

field?” Advantages

Bring new and fresh perspective to the position. Value added by bringing skills from other

profession.Other helpful tips

Do your research and change your resume accordingly.

Emphasize accomplishments in your previous career and stress your transferable skills.


View from the Inside


How Hiring Managers and Recruiters View Resumes

Location: If address indicates you live too far away—SKIPPED.Stability: Depending on position, if you appear to be a job hopper—SKIPPED. Education: If the job requires a degree, and you don’t have one—SKIPPED.Companies: Previous employers with recognizable names or brands stand out. Make sure company names and subsidiaries are listed prominently.


Submitting a Resume

Emailing your resume• Most effective and common means of submitting

resume to employers and contacts.• Use standard file formats: Word .doc and .pdf• Be direct and clear in your subject line.• Include title of position, word “resume,” and

keywords in email.

Electronic screeners• Crack the code by using keywords highlighted

in job description.• Use keywords throughout your resume.• Prioritize keywords so that those most relevant

to position are at the top.


Posting Your Resume Online

Job boards• Keep resume current and updated.• Avoid posting confidential resume.

Social networks• Make sure information on resume and

public profiles are consistent and professional.

Blogs and Websites• Control your professional presence

online and be conscious of the image you are presenting to potential employers.


Social Networks

Great forums to promote your personal brand.Join LinkedIn, add, and update work experience. Keep profile information and resume consistent across multiple sites.


Blogs and Websites

On your blog or website, have a section about your personal brand.Use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to drive traffic to your profile and resume.


Guidelines for a Well-Written Resume

Use strong and concise language to communicate your skills and accomplishments.

Do not use personal pronouns: “I,” “me,” “my,” “our.”

Use professional language. Remove slang or localized terminology.

Shorten long and complex sentences. Leave out extraneous information.

Check grammar and spelling. Beware of red flags. Avoid other common mistakes.


Beware of Red Flags

Grammatical and spelling errors.Too wordy or too much information.Irrelevant experience.False claims and over-embellishment.Inconsistent work history or unexplained career gaps.Email address is too provocative.


Any Questions?

Resume Writing Presenters: Judy Taylor, Professional Counselor LaWanda Woods, On-Ramp Coordinator On-Ramp Program 2010.

Documents

ramp program

resume standard resume

ramp coordinator

effective resume

resume writing presenters

highimpact resume

career summary

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