Title: HOW TO WRITE A RESUME
1HOW TO WRITE A RESUME
-
- Presented By
- Dinorah Rodriguez
2HOW TO WRITE A RESUME
- As you approach writing your résumé, it is
important to know that this is a marketing piece,
an advertisement, for your unique set of skills,
abilities and experience. It is a tool that you
use to gain an interview. Employers today want to
know What can you do for me? It is up to you
to do the research and discover what employers in
your field seek in a prospective employee. - A résumé today is not the "historical" document
it was 5-10 years ago, with the availability of
personal computers, it has become a fluid and
changing document which must be personalized and
targeted whenever possible. - In marketing terms, we'd like you to think of
your résumé as a billboard. It is not going to be
possible to list every single item of interest
about yourself in this document - you need to
identify what will be of interest to your target
audience and highlight that information. - We invite you to go through this workshop from
start to finish - it will take less than an hour.
After doing so, if you are a current student or
alumni of Texas AM University- Kingsville feel
free to contact our office if you have any
questions. We look forward to working with you!
3What Will a Resume Do For Me?
- Enable you to assess your strengths, skills,
abilities and experience - thereby preparing you
for the interview process
- Act as a reminder of you to the
employer/interviewer after you're done
interviewing
- Be a basis for the interviewer to justify your
hiring
- The ultimate goal of a resume is to gain you an
interview!
4Are There Any Absolute Rules of Resume Writing?
- Yes, but only a few! Almost every rule you have
ever heard can be broken, if you have a very good
reason. Some rules, however, are absolutes,
including - No typing errors
- No errors in spelling
- No lying or grandiose embellishments
5Are There Any Absolute Rules of Resume Writing?
- No negative information should be included
- Include only relevant information
- Never be more than two pages long
6What Are the Other (Sometimes Breakable) Rules of
Resume Writing?
- While most recently graduated college-student
resumes are one page, this is not an absolute
rule,
- IF you have the right combination of experience
and education.
- Your resume must be long enough to detail what
you have to offer a potential employer, BUT short
enough to entice that employer to want to know
more (that is, invite you for an interview.) - As a general guideline, you should keep your
resume to one page until you have 5-10 years of
experience, then go to two.
- If you cannot fill two entire pages, you should
condense it to one page.
7Will I Have More Than One Version of My Resume?
- YES!
- Employers today want to know what you can do for
them, so it is imperative that you create a
targeted resume each time you apply for an
opportunity. - You will also develop a 'generic' resume to use
in online databases, such as ours.
- You may also need a scan able or web-based
resume, depending on your field more on these
later.
8Are There Different Styles of Resumes?
- Yes, there are three resumes styles. The
chronological and functional styles have been
around for a long time. Employers today are
requesting the targeted style. Click on the
resume type to see an example. Our workshop
focuses on developing a targeted resume. We are
not recommending that you follow these examples.
It is important that your resume be unique
9Which Style is Recommended for College Students?
- Texas AM- University Kingsville Career
Counseling Services recommends doing a TARGETED
resume, although some circumstances dictate a
more generic approach. - Types of Resume
- Chronological
- Functional
- Targeted
10How Do I Get Started?
- Get a job announcement or description for the
job, or type of job, you are seeking, if
possible.
- Make a list of all co-curricular activities you
are involved in (clubs, Greek organizations,
honor organizations, major-specific fraternities,
intramurals, etc.) - Compile a list of all community activities of
which you are a part (PTA, church committees,
social clubs, volunteer work, etc.)
- Gather together job descriptions from your past
positions. If you havent saved copies of these,
you should from now on!
- List what things friends/relatives/peers come to
you for help with. This may assist you in
identifying strengths you would not otherwise
recognize in yourself.
11What Must I Have on My
Resume?
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
- Objective
- Education
- Profile or Summary of Qualifications
- Experience
12 What Else Can Be Included on My Resume?
- Licenses/Certifications
- Accomplishments/Achievements
- Affiliations/Memberships
- Activities and Honors
13What Should Never Be on My Resume?
- Height, weight, age, date of birth, place of
birth, marital status, sex, race, health (some of
these items may be necessary on an International
Resume) or social security number (NEVER!) - The word "Resume" at the top!
- Any statement that begins with "I" or "My"
- Reasons for leaving previous job(s)
- Picture of yourself
- Salary Information for previous positions or
Salary Expectations
- Reference names
- Religion, church affiliations, political
affiliations
14How Do I List My Name?
- Use your "go-by" name. That is, if everyone knows
you by a nickname or your middle name, use it.
- For example, Katherine Elaine Johnson if
everyone calls you Kate just put KATE JOHNSON
on the top of your resume, if everyone calls you
Elaine use ELAINE JOHNSON or K. ELAINE
JOHNSON. - List any professional credentials (M.D., CPA,
Ph.D.) that are appropriate for the job sought.
15What About Phone Numbers or Email addresses?
- By all means, list your current phone (and
permanent phone if you plan to move soon) then
get an answering machine hooked up to it and make
sure you have a professional sounding message on
it! Think about who is going to be calling and
what image you are trying to project. - We dont recommend including any mobile phone s,
mainly because you want to be as prepared as you
can for a phone call from a prospective employer.
You dont want to be caught at the gym or putting
gas in your car. With your home phone and an
answering machine you can check remotely, you
will be in touch.
16What About Phone Numbers or Email addresses?
- If you must use your cellular phone - be sure
not to answer it every time it rings. If you are
not in a position to have a professional
conversation and consult your calendar to make an
appointment - DON'T answer rather, let your
voicemail pick it up and you can return the call
when you are ready. - Email is a great way to communicate. However,
only include yours if you check it on a regular
basis (everyday!) Employers who use this method
will expect to hear back from you soon. Also, be
sure your email address projects your
professional image as well addresses like
2hot2handle_at_mail.com or braindeadat21_at_hottie.org
would not be appropriate! Use common sense.
17Do I need an OBJECTIVE?
- YES, it tells the reader why you are sending the
resume, i.e., what position or type of position
you are seeking.
- It should be very brief, does not need to be a
complete sentence.
- An objective is like the thesis statement of your
resume. Everything you include after it should
support it!
- Ideally target your objective to include job
title desired, position level, field, industry,
and/or company name. If you are sending this
resume for a specific position at a specific
company - SAY IT HERE!
18Do I need an OBJECTIVE?
- Use the objective to tell what you can do for the
company, NOT what you want the company to do for
you no statements like to gain valuable
experience, etc. - Avoid the words "entry level" we recommend
"professional" instead.
- All post-secondary institutions from which you
(a) have a degree or (b) expect to receive a
degree
- College name, city, and state
- Major - be sure to get the exact name of your
degree and list it here! If you dont know, check
your degree plan or check with your advisor or
deans office. - Graduation date (or expected graduation)
Month/Year
19Should I put my GPA on my resume?
- Yes, if it is 3.0 or higher
- If your overall GPA is lower than 3.0, but your
GPA within your major is 3.0 or above, you can
isolate your major GPA.
- If you list your GPA for one degree, you must
list it for all.
- Licenses and Certifications
Do I include them?
- Yes, if they are relevant to the job you are
seeking. Otherwise, no.
20Does Coursework Belong on my Resume?
- Typically you use this section only if you are
seeking a co-op or intern position, in which
case, you will have a section under Education
where you list your Related Courses. However,
some disciplines utilize a relevant coursework
section. When in doubt, check with our office or
ask a trusted professor. - If you took a course that is one which other
students with your major would not take and it
would be advantageous for a particular position,
list it (probably under your qualifications area.)
21What About High School?
- Don't include high school on your resume, as a
college student, it is understood that you
completed high school.
- Exceptional activities and honors from high
school may be included IF (1) the honor is one
that very few receive (i.e., valedictorian, Eagle
Scout, etc.) or (2) the award shows an early
interest in your career
22What About Junior College?
- Include it under education only if you received a
degree.
- By all means, include any campus
organizations/honors you received (whether or not
you graduated) IN THE HONORS and ACTIVITIES
section at the bottom of the resume, NOT under
education. - Space issue If you are having difficulty getting
your resume to fit on one page and your junior
college major was unrelated to your current
career objective, omit it.
23Where do I list Academic Awards, Honors, and
Recognition?
- We suggest using the Honors and Activities
section at the end of the resume.
24Summary of Qualifications / Profile / Skills
Section
- This is where you showcase for the employer what
you have to offer - keeping in mind what the job
entails.
- You won't put every single skill, experience, or
attribute you possess here, focus on what you can
do to successfully perform the job.
- Tailor this section to reflect what the employer
is seeking, different positions will warrant that
you create different qualifications sections.
- These are brief statements of your experience,
training and/or personal abilities which
summarize your skills, abilities and experience.
- Qualifications are more experience-based whereas
Profiles are more personal attributes
- Complete a Job Duty/Task Analysis worksheet for
each job you've held and activity you are
involved with. Refer to the lists you prepared
earlier in the workshop from past jobs and
activities.
25Developing a Summary of Qualifications / Skills /
Profile - STEP ONE
- Begin by identifying your strengths, skills,
abilities gained through past employment or
campus organization or classroom experience.
- List job duties, one at a time, from past jobs
and from campus involvement, etc. using the Job
Duty/Task Analysis Form like this, if you've
already done so. Are you getting the idea that
this is an important step? - From these duties, identify what transferable
skills you developed and write these in the
middle column of the worksheet. Remember,
typically an employer doesn't want to know what
you did for someone else. S/he wants to know what
you can do for his/her organization. - If there was a result (an accomplishment) related
to the job duty, put it in. This information may
or may not be included in the Summary area, but
would probably be used under the specific job to
illustrate your on-the-job success in the Work
History section of the resume.
26Developing a Summary of Qualifications / Skills /
Profile - STEP TWO
- Now that you know what you can do, it is time to
identify what the employer needs
- This can typically be determined by thoroughly
reading the job description and/or position
vacancy announcement. Look at job duties,
position requirements and preferences, desired
traits, knowledge/skills/abilities (also called
KSAs on governmental announcements), etc. - If you are developing your resume for a database
or a class, not for a specific job, this step can
be accomplished by gathering job
descriptions/vacancy notices from various
websites. Get 5-10 different notices or job
descriptions and note the common traits and
experiences sought. Don't worry about where these
jobs are located. You're not really applying for
them - you're just trying to get a feel for what
employers are looking for in a successful
candidate!
27Developing a Summary of Qualifications / Skills /
Profile - STEP THREE
- Employer Skills Match - develop your
Qualifications or Skills section by matching up
what the employer needs with what you can
provide. Sounds simple enough! - These are brief statements of your experience,
training and/or personal abilities.
- They should highlight what you have to offer an
employer (based on what the position requires.)
- Begin each with an action verb or number, being
sure to choose different words to begin each
statement - click for sample verb lists.
- Subheadings can be used, if appropriate, i.e.,
computer skills, customer service skills, etc.
- Note that "Qualifications" or "Skills" are more
experience-based or quantifiable whereas "Profile
statements" are more personal attributes.
28How Do I List Jobs Within the Experience Section?
- Job listing should be in reverse chronological
order (that is, your most recent job is listed
first.)
- Listing must include name of company, city and
state. Do not list street addresses, supervisors,
telephone numbers or reason for leaving.
- Dates of employment are required. Be sure to
include month (or term) and year, i.e., Fall 2004
or June 2003-present.
- There is no rule about which jobs you must
include. Use your discretion and include
everything needed for the employer to make a good
decision about whether or not to interview you.
You might list every job you've ever held or you
might just list your last 3 positions. - Another approach might be to only include the
relevant positions you've had and name the
section Related Experience or Relevant Work
History or something similar.
29How Do I List Jobs Within the Experience Section?
- Another option is to isolate the related
experience (including internships) in one section
(titled Related Experience or Internships or ??)
then follow with the unrelated (but still
valuable) experience in a Work History section. - List a job title so the employer has an idea of
the work you performed. If you didnt have an
official title, choose one that best describes
what you actually did at this job. - Typically job duties should not be included here
unless they are highly
- Relevant to your objective. Even then do not
include duties which are
- Implied by your job title or alluded to in the
Summary of Qualifications or a Profile section.
However, job accomplishments SHOULD be listed as
bullet statements under each position as
applicable. This is where - you get to use the information identified as
"results" from the
30Where Do I Put My Activities and Honors?
- We recommend that you put this section after your
Employment History.
- Include scholarships, honors, organizations, and
memberships.
- Community work, volunteer work, is also
appropriate to list here.
- You don't have to include everything you've been
involved with if it is overwhelming. Keep your
goal in mind (getting that interview) and give
enough information to allow the reader (i.e.,
potential employer) what s/he needs to make that
decision. - Remember, dont include anything from before
college unless it is truly an exceptional feat.
- Rank these items from 'most impressive' or 'most
relevant' to 'least impressive' or 'least
relevant' as it relates to your job target.
- Name this section what it is. If it is all
community work Community Involvement would be
a good name if it is all clubs and organizations
call it Activities if it is all honors call
it Honors.
31Are There Activities That I Shouldnt List?
- Some activities we are involved in may be
controversial. For example political affiliated
groups or volunteer work or church activities. We
call these "hot buttons" and our advice is - IF that activity or membership is SO important to
you that you would not want to work somewhere
that it wasnt ok then include it on the
resume, but - IF you are more interested in the opportunity and
would just as soon wait to let them know that you
are a Democrat or a Baptist, leave it off or list
it generically, for example Sunday School
Teacher
32What About Hobbies and Interests?
- As a general rule, we dont recommend that you
list hobbies or interests unless they are
- (1) organized, i.e., you belong to a club or
- (2) relevant to the type of position you are
seeking
- Who Can I Use As a Reference and How Do I Format
the Reference Page?
- As stated earlier, reference names dont go on
the resume itself. They are a separate document,
using the same header you did on your resume.
Then list the reference names and contact
information in block (envelope) style. Do not
send to employer unless they request it.
33What About Hobbies and Interests?
- We recommend between 3 and 5 references.
They should all be individuals who have direct
knowledge of your job abilities (supervisor,
etc.) or a professor who teaches a major-related
class. - They should all be individuals who have direct
knowledge of your job abilities (supervisor,
etc.) or a professor who teaches a major-related
class. - Ask the references permission before you use
them. Also ask them if they will give you a good
reference. You dont want to list folks who wont
sing your praises! Make sure to ask where they
would like to be contacted, i.e., home or work
and get the correct contact information for each
person. Afterward, follow up with your references
by sending them a copy of your completed resume.
This will help them if/when they get a call on
you. - Be sure to take copies of your references to all
interviews. Most employers will request them at
that time.
34When Why Do I Need a Cover Letter?
- Any time you send your resume to an employer it
should be accompanied by a cover letter.
- A cover letter acts as an introduction for your
resume.
- A cover letter also stands as a sample of your
writing skills, so be sure to make it the best
possible sample you can.
- If you are sending your resume via email - the
cover letter is the email message itself. Then
attach the resume following the employer's
instructions (i.e., MSWord document, text
document, etc.)
35I Need My Resume to Distinguish Me From Everyone
Else, How Do I Do That?
- Spend some time up front to determine what you
have to offer and what you are worth to an
employer.
- DON'T use the resume wizard or template from your
word processing software or copy the samples from
this workshop! This document needs to be uniquely
you - you don't want to look like anyone else's. - Answer the question, "Why am I more qualified
than the next guy?" Then develop your resume to
reflect that.
- DONT try to distinguish yourself by fancy fonts,
clipart or non-traditional papers. That is not
the interest you want to capture!
36What Is Focus In a Resume and Why Should Mine Be
Sharp?
- It is imperative that you catch a prospective
employers attention within the first few seconds
of reading your resume.
- People today are busy and often dont spend more
than a minute or two scanning resumes, so you
have to sell yourself quickly and concisely.
- Be sure when you are crafting your Summary of
Qualifications / Profile area to highlight those
skills that apply to your job objective.
- Remember that your objective is your "thesis
statement" proceed from there.
37What Are the Type/Design Details I Most Need to
Know and Follow?
- Make use of your word-processor's style elements.
Use bold, italics, different font sizes,
upper-case and small capitals lettering for
emphasis and to direct the reader's eye. - Type should be between 10 12 pt. We suggest
using a professional, readily-available font such
as Times New Roman, Arial, Bookman, Trebuchet,
Lucida Sans, Garamond, Verdana or Courier. You
can use a different font for the headers of your
resume as well as your contact information but
don't use more than 2 types. As noted above,
however, you can vary the size, style, etc. - Make sure your resume looks good! Dont have all
the text on the left side of the page and lots of
blank space on the right. Use white space, but
also spread out your information in an
aesthetically pleasing way. - Use bullets to draw the readers eye. But dont
bullet everything! Use them to highlight the
strong points of your resume such as the
Qualifications or Profile statements. - Be consistent with headings (size, boldness,
etc.) and body text (indented, not indented, tabs
right-justified, tabs left-justified, etc.)
38What About Paper?
- Use resume paper. This can be purchased by the
sheet at a print shop or by the box at any office
supply or discount store.
- Dont get fancy plain white or off-white
(cream, ecru, etc.) is your best bet.
- As noted earlier, dont go with any bordered or
themed paper. You want the attention on your
resume content not on its vehicle!
39What About Mailing?
- Dont fold and stuff your resume in an envelope
(even the nice ones you can buy to match your
resume paper!)
- Buy envelopes that are the same size as your
resume and slip your cover letter on top, then
your resume. Type an address label and return
address label (or stamp if you have it) and mail
flat.
40GOOD LUCK WRITING YOUR RESUME
- AND DONT FORGET TO VISIT OUR CENTER