Resume Writing

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Resume Writing
The Good, the Bad, the
Career Connection The Ohio State University 1640
Neil Avenue, Second Floor Younkin Success
Center Columbus, OH 43201-2333 (614)
688-3898 http//www.careerconnection.osu.edu
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Excerpts from Actual Resumes

• Received a plague for leadership skills of the
  Year

• Personal Interests Donating blood. Fourteen
  gallons so far.

• Instrumental in ruining entire operation for a
  Midwest child care center.

• Marital Status Often

• Attended The Ohio State University from 1895
  1999

• Am a perfectionist and rarely if if ever forget
  details.

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Parts of a Resume
I. Identifying Information - This first section
of your resume should tell who you are and help
prospective employers reach you quickly.
Brutus Buckeye Steeb Hall, Box 356 70 West 11th
Avenue Columbus, OH 43210 (614)
555-1212 brutus.2_at_osu.edu
BRUTUS BUCKEYE CAMPUS ADDRESS PERMANENT
ADDRESS Steeb Hall, Box 356 1500 Cool
Street 70 West 11th Avenue Anytown, Ohio
43210 Columbus, Ohio 43210 (555)
555-1212 [phone] brutus.2_at_osu.edu
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Parts of a Resume
II. Job Objective -This section summarizes the
type of work you want to do, and the career field
in which you are interested.
Based on the above definition which one of the
following do you think is the best job objective?
1. An exciting position within any state
government agency doing interesting things.
2. To obtain a sales management position with a
highly visible, multi-billion dollar,
international, food distribution company located
in the northeastern part of the United States,
preferably New England.
3. Entry-level human services position where I
can be promoted to a supervisory position.
4. To obtain a social work assistant position
within a state government agency.
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Parts of a Resume
III. Education - For most graduates, the most
important qualification they have to offer
employers is their education. Therefore this
section should be listed on your resume directly
below your objective statement.

• List the names and dates of degrees conferred in
  reverse chronological order along with the names
  of the degree granting institutions.
• It is advisable to specify major and minor fields
  of study, and to list courses of particular
  relevance to your job objective.
• Special achievements or honors can be included in
  this section or in a separate section (usually
  titled, Honors Awards)
• If you have a strong G.P.A., list it. At least
  above a 3.25

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Parts of a Resume
III. Education - Samples
EDUCATION The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH B.S.
in Family Studies
Expected June 20XX Area of Expertise
Child Development G.P.A. 3.5
EDUCATION B.S.B.A. in Finance, minor in
Accounting August 200X The Ohio State University
Columbus,
Ohio Related Course Work Corporate Finance,
Financial Management, Effective Business Writing,
Financial Accounting
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Parts of a Resume
IV. Experience - For each work experience, list
your position title, the name of the organization
your worked for, and the dates you worked. Then
follow with a description of the work performed.
Winning Formula action object
outcomes

• The more that a past experiences is related to
  the work you are seeking the more space you
  should allot to its description.
• When possible, note any achievements or key
  lessons learned from your experiences.
• Highlight what you have done in a concise,
  powerful, action-oriented way.
• Since position titles usually do not do justice
  to the work performed, it is advisable to
  highlight the functions for which you were
  responsible.

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Parts of a Resume
IV. Experience -Samples

• Social Service Work Experience
• Franklin County Children Services
  Columbus, OH
• Social Service Assistant
  Summer 200X
• Assessed families needs establishing their
  eligibility for benefits and services such as
  food stamps, Medicaid, Welfare and
  transportation.
• Monitored and kept case records on clients from
  different ethnic backgrounds, reporting progress
  to supervisor and case manager.
• Visited clients homes providing emotional
  support and making sure their services were being
  received.
• Assisted children ages 5-8 in need of counseling
  or crisis intervention, making successful
  referrals.

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Study Abroad Experience

• IES Business and Economics Program
  Dijon, France
  Exchange Student
  Winter
  200X
• -Examined the business and finance environments
  in Europe while studying
• the French language and culture.
• -Developed awareness of global economic,
  political issues and realities of
• European Community Countries.
• -Lived with French family enhancing cultural
  awareness and sensitivity to
• customs and cultural differences.
• -Adapted to new environment working with students
  in cross-cultural teams.
• -Increased initiative and independence while
  dealing with uncertainty,
• ambiguity and traveling.

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• East of Chicago Pizza Company
  Columbus, OH
• customer Service Representative
  April 200X- June 200X
• Sold Italian dishes to diverse customers on a
  daily basis increasing sales in 2 annually.
• Managed 1000 daily balancing drawer at the end
  of the day.
• Advertised, marketed, and recommended menus to
  customers resulting in a 100 customer
  satisfaction.
• Communicated product knowledge to customers
  facilitating decision making.
• Created a welcoming environment to customers
  providing a pleasure dining experience.
• Trained and supervised 5 new employees on gourmet
  mission and goals to enhance customer
  satisfaction.
• Assisted manager in daily operation dealing with
  customer complaints creating alternatives
  solutions and problem solving their needs.

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Parts of a Resume
V. Additional Skills -Summarize your academic
skills, along with any related work skills in a
Skills section on your resume. This will
quickly show an employer a qualitative summary of
the skills and experience you have to offer.
COMPUTER SKILLS Microsoft Word, Excel, Access,
HTML, Dream Weaver, SPSS

• Additional Skills
• Research skills, collect and analyze data
  utilizing SPSS for various Departmental child
  development research projects
• Foreign Language skills, Intermediate level in
  Spanish
• Computer skills, proficient in Microsoft Word,
  Excel, Front page.

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Parts of a Resume

• VI. Additional Section Headings
• Community Outreach
• Civic Engagement
• Honors Awards
• Campus Activities Awards
• Awards Activities

• Honors Activities
• Americorps, Volunteer, Summer 200X
• Tau Beta Pi - Women Honor Society, inducted 200X
• Volunteered at the Red Cross Blood Campaign
  Program, 200X

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Parts of a Resume
VII. References

• References are individuals who can attest to your
  qualifications for a particular position, people
  who can discuss your skills and attributes.
• Create a separate page to use for listing your
  references.
• You should select 3 to 5 people to serve as your
  references and list them in the order you want
  them to be contacted.

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TIPS for a Successful Resume

• Print your resume on quality bonded paper (best
  colors are lighter shades of white, ivory,
  off-white, and/or cream).

• Use a readable font and print from a laser
  printer (best fonts are Arial or Times New
  Roman).

• Proofread, make sure grammar and punctuation are
  correct.

• Keep your resume to one page if you have limited
  work experiences.

• Do not embellish, be truthful about your
  accomplishments.

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Cover Letters
Career Connection The Ohio State University 1640
Neil Avenue, Second Floor Columbus, OH
43201-2333 [phone] http//www.careerconnect
ion.osu.edu
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Cover Letters

• The purpose of a cover letter is to tell a
  prospective employer what you can do and why you
  feel you are qualified.
• It is an opportunity to demonstrate your writing
  skills and it opens a window to your personality.
• A good-well planned cover letter is just as
  important as an impressive resume, and together
  they form an important resource in your job
  campaign.

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Keys to Effective Cover Letters

• Tell the employers what you can do for the
  company, instead of what the company can do for
  you.
• Find out about the employers needs, then
  emphasize what you can do to meet their needs.
• Consider how your work experience, education,
  and/or personal qualities would be helpful to the
  employer.

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Cover Letters

• Application Letters
• Used to get your resume read and generate
  interviews.
• Used to respond to job advertisements and
  demonstrate that your qualifications fit the
  position.
• Link major job dimensions with your related past
  performance, experience, interests, and
  education.
• RESPONDS TO COMPANYS NEEDS

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Writing Style- Cover Letter

• Its addressed to a specific individual.
• Its grabs the readers attention in the first
  paragraph.
• It sounds confident without being arrogant.
• Its no longer than one page.
• It answers the question Why should we hire
  you?
• Its action oriented.
• It uses the first person (I) sparingly.

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Cover Letter Format

• Your Street Address
• City, State, Zip Code
• Date
• Name of Person
• Job Title
• Company/Organization
• Street Address
• City, State, Zip Code
• Dear Mr./Dr./Ms../Mrs. XXXXXXXXX
• Dear Hiring Representative

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7007 Chestnut Street Columbus, OH
43210   February 4, 200X   Dr. Rose Smith Villa
Rosa 56 Northeast Avenue Dublin, OH 43444   Dear
Dr. Smith
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FIRST PARAGRAPH The beginning of your letter
should catch the readers attention, but avoid
catchy phrases and gimmicks. Also, tell why you
are writing (e.g., name the specific position or
type of work for which you are applying) and
mention the resource used in finding out about
the opening or company/organization. Introduce
your second paragraph Education, Experiences,
Personality traits
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It is with great interest that I am applying for
the position of Volunteer Management within Villa
Rosa. I learned about this opportunity from
Kristen Hall, of your Volunteer Program, who
highly encouraged me to apply. I believe that my
educational background in Child and Family
Development combined with my extensive experience
at the Columbus YWCA and my excellent
interpersonal skills make me a strong candidate
for the position.  
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SECOND PARAGRAPH (May break in two) Flirt a
little, show them that you have done your
research on them. Paraphrase their mission at a
minimum. Explain why you are interested in
working for that employer or in that field of
work, and most importantly, what your
qualifications are (e.g., academic
background/training, work experience, personal
skills). Point out achievements that relate to
the field in which you are applying, without
duplicating exactly what is included in your
resume. Connect them to the companys needs and
show them you have researched them. (Kiss it)
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What appeals to me about Villa Rosa is your wide
range of vital services to young mothers and
expectant mothers including a prenatal
residential program and the Postnatal House. As
you can see in my enclosed resume I have
developed the skills that will make us a good
fit. My Bachelor s degree in Child and Family
Development and my Volunteer Management course
taken at the Volunteer Center of Columbus have
acquainted me with the principles of volunteer
recruitment, training, motivation, supervision,
and evaluation. I have considerable experience in
working with young women in a helping capacity,
both through my position as a peer counselor at
the Columbus YWCA, and as a camp counselor at a
camp for behaviorally troubled adolescents. I can
also offer you my experience in individual
counseling, facilitating discussion groups, and
teaching young people about health issues all
of which relate directly to the services which I
would be training volunteers to provide within
your organization. I enjoy working with youth and
possess a strong desire to facilitate positive
development in both the young women directly
served by your programs, as well as their
children. I believe firmly in the value of your
services, and would like the opportunity to share
my knowledge and experience with your
organization.
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THIRD PARAGRAPH Refer the reader to the
enclosed resume or other application instrument.
Indicate that your resume summarizes your
qualifications and background. Include any
additional information you think is relevant for
your future employer to know.
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In addition to my related experiences in the
field I also possess strong computer skills as
well as proficiency in Spanish that may be very
useful in your workplace and may add diversity to
your work environment.  
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  CLOSING PARAGRAPH Indicate your desire for an
interview. State that you will call on a
specific day to see if an interview can be
arranged at this persons convenience. If you
will be in the geographic vicinity on a certain
day, stress the importance of setting up an
interview on that day.   Sincerely,    Signature Y
our Name  Enclosure(s)  
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  I will welcome the opportunity to discuss with
you my suitability for this position. You can
contact me at [phone] or by e-mail to
burckeye.1_at_osu.edu at your convenience. Thank you
very much for your time and consideration.    Resp
ectfully yours,     Brutus Buckeye   Enclosure