RESUMES THAT STAND OUT Karolina Rachtan Career Advisor, Experiential Learning Hub
Welcome & thanks for being here today!
➢Karolina Rachtan
➢Career Advisor at U of G for
OAC
➢BA in Media, Information &
Technoculture
➢Career Development
Practitioner post-grad
certificate
➢Excited for longer/brighter days
ahead!
LEARNING OUTCOMES
After completing this workshop, you should understand:
✓ The intent of resumes
✓ Formatting considerations
✓ Things to avoid putting on your resume
✓ How to create content that sells, including WHO bullets
✓ Resume sections, and when/how to use them
✓ How to leverage your academic experience
✓ Helpful resources
DID YOU KNOW?
Recruiters spend an average of 6 secondsinitially scanning a resume to determine
whether there is fit
Source: https://www.theladders.com/career-advice/you-only-get-6-seconds-of-fame-make-it-count
RESUMES
• Summarize your skills, abilities, knowledge and
achievements that relate to the target job or field
• Demonstrate insight into what the employer needs
• Are a marketing tool designed to get you the interview
• NOT your life story
FORMATTING YOUR RESUME
Maximum 2 pagesName and contact info is complete, professional, and stands out
Section headings stand out, and are in a thoughtful order (what is most relevant to the job?)
Use bullet points and past-tense action verbs
Dates in each section are reverse chronological
Formatting is consistent, makes good use of space, and looks attractive
• Add pictures, personal information (such as date of birth, SIN number, marital status), or speak of personal issues
• Use personal pronouns (I, me, my)
• Add salary information or requests
• Provide reasons for leaving previous jobs
• Provide references (unless requested)
• Use the exact same resume for different positions
RESUME DEVELOPMENT: CREATE WHO BULLETS
WHO = What you did + How you did it + Outcome/Result
What you did?
• What was the task, problem or opportunity?
How did you do it?
• What steps did you take to meet the challenge?
• What skills/ strengths/ tools/knowledge did you use?
Outcome/Result?
• What happened? What was accomplished?
• Quantify (#’s) or Qualify your statements often
IDENTIFYING YOUR OUTCOMES/RESULTS
Thinking about Results & Impacts:
• Problem you solved
• Something you created or initiated
• Need you identified and met
• Service you provided
• Level of ability or expertise you gained
• Time or money that you saved
• Process you improved
• Challenge you overcame
• Recognition/awards/compliments you received
Find more ideas at https://www.brandman.edu/news-and-events/blog/writing-
an-accomplishment-statement
DEVELOPING WHO STATEMENTS
Poor: Served customers
Better: Addressed customer concerns quickly with tact and
professionalism, ensured that each customer left the store
satisfied with their shopping experience
Poor: Graded assignments and midterms
Better: Graded 60+ final papers in one week by utilizing
effective time management skills, submitting grades ahead
of expected deadline
RESUME DEVELOPMENT: EFFECTIVE BULLETS
• Start with strong Action Verbs: supervised, delivered, presented,
interacted, communicated, created, developed, wrote, trained, lead,
collaborated, etc.
• Find the perfect action verb using this resource:
https://www.recruitguelph.ca/cecs/sites/uoguelph.ca.cecs/files/public
/files/Action%20Verbs.pdf
RESUME SECTIONS
Name & Contact Info. (required)
Highlights of Qualifications / Summary of Skills (optional)
• Approx. 4-6 bullets listing your top selling features as per the job ad
Education (required)
• Use bold for degree (not the school)
• May include GPA, relevant courses, awards
• Subheadings that highlight important course content, projects, papers
Work Experience / Volunteer Experience (required**)
• Bold position title (not employer)
• Approx. 2-8 bullets per position – ask yourself, is it clearly relevant?
• Use action verbs that focus on skills NOT duties
• Tip: you can be creative with the name of these sections ie. Agriculture Experience, Related Experience, etc.
OPTIONAL, BUT MIGHTY: THE HIGHLIGHTS OF
QUALIFICATIONS SECTION
Also known as a Skills Summary, Professional Profile, or Highlights of Skills
• 4-6 bullets, in order of importance, listing your top selling features, using the job ad to guide you
• “…can help employers quickly identify whether you are a possible fit for a position.”
• Move beyond fluffy, nice words (team player, hard working) using language such as “developed through” to prove your point.
• Tip: Imagine you are on an elevator and the hiring manager steps in…
Find more tips at: https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/resumes-cover-letters/summary-of-qualifications
OPTIONAL, BUT MIGHTY: THE HIGHLIGHTS OF
QUALIFICATIONS SECTION
An Example:
• Thorough competence in environmental research and data collection, demonstrated through lab and field work activities such as GPS mapping, soil moisture analysis, and bird surveys
• Work proficiently in aseptic lab environments with 1400+ hours of lab work experience
• Attained programming experience in R and Python, as well as GIS experience in ArcGIS
• Strong presentation and analytical skills enhanced through scientific report writing regarding avian diversity, climate change and air, water, and land pollution
• Knowledgeable using the internet, computer spreadsheets, statistical analysis software, and word processing software such as Office, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Teams
• Valid class “G” Ontario driver’s licence and pleasure craft operator card as of 2017
LEVERAGE YOUR ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
Read course syllabi and rubrics to remind you of the skills
you used such as:
• Written and Oral Communication (Public Speaking)
• Teamwork & Leadership Skills (Collaboration)
• Time Management (Self-Discipline)
• Project Management
• Problem Solving
• Data Analysis & Evaluation
WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT:
EMPLOYER NOT ACADEMIC LANGUAGE
Academic Language Employer Language
Written Assignment Document findings, record data
and prepare a variety of
documents
Group Presentation Project management
Lab Work Develop recommendations for
environmental projects
Class presentation Presented team research
findings
Remember to use the language/keywords in the job ad!
WHAT EMPLOYERS WANT:
SAY WHAT YOU MEAN & DON’T ASSUME
If an employer must think about/infer why a bullet point you
wrote is relevant to their needs, you are not being clear
enough. Re-work and rewrite!
IN THE PAST, HAVE YOU TAILORED YOUR
RESUME TO EVERY JOB YOU APPLIED FOR?
Type your answer in the chat box
RESUME DEVELOPMENT SUMMARY: WRITING
EFFECTIVELY ABOUT YOUR SKILLS
• Know your audience
• Speak the language of the job ad – if it asks for
“relationship management”, don’t call it “group dynamics”
• Be concise, specific and provide proof
• Quantify (#’s) and qualify (skills/tools/techniques used)
statements
• Speak about what YOU did – not what your team/group
members did
• Start with strong Action Verbs and create WHO bullets
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Includes visible, non-visible and mental health
Resources available regarding employment rights and
responsibilities, accommodations and talking to employers
about disability:
• https://www.recruitguelph.ca/cecs/students-
alumni/students-disabilities
• http://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/ontario-human-rights-code
• One-on-one appointments with a Career Advisor
RESOURCES TO HELP YOU
• Resume Development: Tell your Story (recorded
workshop):
https://youtu.be/i_A2sPMRPAs
• 39 Resume Accomplishments Examples to
Demonstrate Your Value (article):
https://www.jobscan.co/blog/resume-accomplishments-
examples/
• Access more resources at the Online Learning with
Career Advisors page (or visit https://www.recruitguelph.ca/cecs/virtual-learning-with-CareerAdvisors).
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Thank you!
If you have any questions, please contact us:
The Experiential Learning Hub
Book an appointment at www.experienceguelph.ca