*Resume Writing: How to make your resume more effective for 21 st Century hiring practices

Transcription

1 *Resume Writing: How to make your resume more effective for 21 st Century hiring practices

2 *Rethinking your resume Have you sent out dozens of resumes with no response? Have you been using the same resume for several years? Are you using the same resume for every job application? If you answered yes to any of these questions It s time for a resume overhaul!

3 * Things to consider before starting your resume 1) Decide on the style of resume that best matches your experience and the types of jobs you are applying for 2) Customizing your resume for every job you apply for 3) Assess yourself and be realistic 4) Don t just tell it, SELL IT!

4 *Resume Formats Chronological Highlights your work history, dates of employments, education and achievements Typically starts with most recent work experience and proceeds backwards Use this style if you have little-to-no gaps in work history Functional Emphasizes the skills of the individual and their achievements Use this style if you have gaps in work history, have had many jobs with no clear pattern of progression or do not have the directly related work experience they re looking for a career change Combines best of both styles Hybrid Maintains focus on skills and achievements (functional style) while also including work history (chronological resume)

5 F U N C T I O N A L R E S U M E

6 *Important to remember No matter which style you go with, make sure you follow these 4 rules: 1) Keep it simple 2) Keep it structured 3) Keep it clear and concise 4) Keep it relevant Always refer back to the job advertisement to ensure you re remaining relevant to what they are looking for. Customizing is key!

7 *Resume Format Include in the following order: 1. Name & contact information 2. Career objective statement/summary 3. Work history & accomplishments 4. Education details 5. Professional associations, clubs, organizations and volunteer work

8 *Name 1)Start off with including your name at the top of your resume (or the name you want to be known by) 2) Center your name at the top of the page * You may italicize or bold your name 3) Use a reasonable font size * Around size 16, possibly larger depending on how much space you have 4) Use a professional font * Times New Roman, Arial, Tahoma, Palatino * Keep it conservative 5) Always use black font color

9 *Contact Information Formatting options: 1. Left-align address & right-align telephone and a stacked look 2. Center information and space over 2 lines 3. Center information and use 1 line A weighted line separating your contact information and the rest of your resume can also be used Remove any ringtone songs and record a professional voic greeting Keep professional Use student or personal For example: john.smith@gmail.com Keep it simple! Hello, you ve reached Mr. John Smith. I m unavailable to take your call right now so please leave your name, phone number and a short message and I will return your call as soon as possible. Thank you and have a nice day.

10 Career Objectives & Summary Statements 1) Not required, but can increase your likelihood of an interview *..but only if they are done well! * Better to not have one than use a weak statement * They can be over the top, so keep it relevant and simple 2) Thoroughly read job advertisement and have a complete understanding of what the employer is looking for * If your objective is not relevant to what they are looking for then the objective is pointless * Don t just tell it, SELL IT! * Focus on what you can offer the employer 3) Customize for every job you apply * Why? Because every job is unique!

11 *Career Objective 1) Place directly below your contact information 2) Use heading Career Objective or just Objective 3) Keep to 1 2 sentences long 4) Best for those with less work experience or students 5) Ask yourself: Does the objective match the job description? Bad example To obtain a position in cost-estimating Better example A highly-detailed, strong communicator seeking a Cost-Estimating position with Builders Source utilizing strong applied mathematics, sharp criticalthinking skills and effective problem-solving abilities. A basic format to follow: To obtain (position title) with (company name) utilizing (knowledge, skills, attitude, and abilities).

12 1) Place directly below name & contact info *Career Summary 2) Use heading Career Summary, Summary of Qualifications, or Professional Profile 3) Keep to 3-5 sentences long or 4-6 bullet points 4) Best for those with well-established career or when applying for advanced positions Bad example -Demonstrated knowledge of the construction industry -Diligent worker who meets project goals -Strong communicator and leader Better example -Dedicated professional with over 10 years of experience in construction industry -Committed to organizational/project goals with proven ability to complete complex projects with budgets exceeding $500,000 -Solid analytical skills and the ability to assess and solve problems in a timely manner resulting in increasing revenue by 15% in Viewed as a valued team player with proven leadership characteristics by overseeing a staff of 25 members

13 *Why do they work? 1. You are picking up on the attributes the employer thinks are important and addressing them up-front. 2. You are making it easier for the employer to see the fit between you and the job. 3. It makes you stand out because it shows you have thought more deeply about the job and have taken the time to point out why you are a great fit for the job & company.

14 *Work History 1) Wording is flexible Work history, employment history or professional experience 2) Use subheadings Company name Company location Title Dates employed 3) List your achievements Use bullet points or full sentences Make sure your achievements highlight your knowledge, skills, abilities and attitude you possess

15 *Writing Effective Achievements 1) A professional-looking resume can be rejected if these statements are weak *Does this candidate have the knowledge, skills, attitude and abilities? 2) Bullet vs. sentences? Bullets * Make sure your bullets are easy to read * Keeps bullets meaningful and don t go overboard Complete sentences * Allows you to show off communication skills, spelling and grammar 3) Employers will judge on how well you communicate, so choose words wisely 4) Remember to sell yourself!

16 *Useful selling verbs overcame achieved developed controlled managed delivered reorganized applied eliminated engineered overhauled presented founded instigated created directed attracted led initiated created directed established succeeded contributed modified specialized expanded repaired improved analyzed coordinated trained organized guided conducted implemented built designed persuaded helped proved utilized simplified investigated completed compiled demonstrated accomplished transformed introduced finalized headed supervised monitored

17 *Using Adverbs quickly successfully rapidly carefully decisively competently resourcefully capably efficiently consistently effectively positively cooperatively selectively creatively assertively energetically enthusiastically responsibly flexibly Use adverbs to boost the power of your selling verbs and prove communication skills. Good example Resourcefully implemented new cost-estimating software that increased bid productivity and sales by 20%

18 Other ways to maximize accomplishments 1) Quantify as much as possible *Dollar amounts * Increased sales by $25,000 *Percentages * Reduced spending by %10 * Increased monthly productivity by 7% *Numerical values * Oversaw a staff of 50 associates * Designed 5,000 sq. ft. custom home * Completed over70 lab hours in AutoCAD 2D/3D 2) Write positively! 3) Use industry lingo *As long as you know the lingo *Don t go overboard Attitude is everything!

19 *Other ways to maximize accomplishments *Always emphasize promotions, big or small! Example ABC Industries, Inc. Conway, SC Foreman May 2011 Present Rapidly promoted due to effective leadership style and communication skills Oversee a crew of 12 employees Laborer May 2009 May 2011 Consistently demonstrated a desire to learn and progress and energetic work ethic Rework accomplishments to match keywords and attributes employers use in job description.

20 *Gaps in employment *How to handle 1) These are still not seen favorably by employers even though they are common * Unless they are filled with full-time academic work 2) What you ll need to do: * Make up for gaps by working hard to target resume to job advertisement, thus giving employer a reason to overlook gaps * Explain gaps briefly * provided you have a good enough reason * Don t reveal negative reasons, i.e. imprisonment * Avoid sharing personal information as best as possible * Don t dwell on negative events * Emphasized you ve moved past event 3) Quickly move on to paint a positive picture of where you see yourself going and how you can contribute to the company 4) Consider a functional resume if there are many gaps in your work history

21 *How to handle *Career change 1) Common in today s economy 2) Making transition can be easy, if you put in the work *Spend extra time looking into your past and pulling out all the knowledge, skills, abilities and attitudes that relate *Called transferable skills * taking something you learned in one place and using it successfully in another *Stress how these enable you to make a contribution to your new career 3) Must be strategic and flexible 4) Reshape past work and shed new light on experience 5) Thoroughly read job description and research company

22 *Education 1) Include college or institution name * Make sure it s spelled correctly 2) Name of degree, certificate, diploma * Use official name * Associates of Applied Science in * Include specialization, if applicable 3) Completion date * May 2011 * Anticipated graduation date: May ) Unrelated degrees or certificates may not be included * Unless they cover gap in work history

23 Professional associations, clubs, organizations, and volunteer work 1) Professional associations *Include any conferences you presented at or attended *List any committee positions held *Emphasize transferable skills if entering a new field 2) Clubs & organizations *Emphasize leadership experience gained - Especially for students with less work experience 3) Volunteer work *Employers like to see their employees making a contribution, so relate these experiences to what you ll do for their company 4) Understand possible negative consequences. *.if affiliations don t match their values *Political and religious affiliations

24 *Perfecting your format 1) Consistency *Differentiate subheadings from headings *Use same spacing guidelines *Stick to one font *Use one bullet style *Avoid underlining 2) The importance of white space *If there s not enough on the page, your resume will be hard to read *Adjust margins and spacing to ensure readability 3) Stick with 1 page if work history is under 10 years. Keep it simple, structured, concise and relevant!

25 *For more information * 21 st century hiring criteria on * How to read a job advertisement and adjust your resume * Cover letters * Reference list * Electronic resumes * Tips from recruiters * Keep your search moving forward & positive * Internet sites and other resources. Catch our Online Job Search workshop

26 *Questions, Comments, Concerns? Reference: Amazing Resumes, 2 nd Edition. Jim Bright, Ph.D., and Joanne Earl, Ph.D. Jist Works, 2009.