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TRANSCRIPT
How to Build a Résumé
IT-191
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Four simple rules of résumés
• 1. There are NO ABSOLUTES in résumé
writing
o Discard old rigid rules of format & content
o Follow general guidelines with individual
modifications
o Design to showcase your talents & achievements
o Different employers may want different things
Career Center can help tailor a resume to specific
employers they work with
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Four simple rules of résumés
• 2. Market yourself !!
o Convince prospective employer that you are a
valuable commodity they want to spend money on
o Identify the traits/skills they are seeking for that
specific job and match yourself up
Just like market research
Red Frog Events
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Four simple rules of résumés
• 3. Do not hold back
o No place for modesty
Let them see how good you are
If you can do it and do it well, let them know
o But, don’t “embellish” achievements
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Four simple rules of résumés
• 4. DO NOT tell a lie
o Note – this is the exception to rule #1 (above)
o Generally grounds for dismissal if discovered –
even years later – regardless of accomplishments
MIT Dean resignation
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Goals of a résumé
What do we want to accomplish with
our resume?
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Goals of a résumé
• What do we want to accomplish with our
resume?
Get a first interview
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Goals of a résumé
• What do we want to accomplish with our
resume?
• Get a first interview
How does our resume do that?
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Goals of a résumé
• Get a first interview
• How does our resume do that?
oDistinguish yourself from the rest as a good fit for this positionStand out from the herd!
Red Frog – how many resumes?
Need to make the right impression
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Goals of a résumé
• Get a first interview
• How does our resume do that?
oResumes are reviewed briefly, so you want your best points to jump outYour selling points that match what they are
looking to buy
Assignment #1!
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Why aren’t there more goals?
• The proverbial “foot in the door”o Only a few may get in the door for an interview
50, 75 or More resumes = 5 – 6 interviews
• Once the interview process starts, you can expound or explain issueso Opportunity to dazzle them with your face-to-face
presence, personality, communication skills, etc
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Why aren’t there more goals?
• Without that first interview, there won’t be an opportunity to dazzle them, and there won’t be a job offer
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Résumés- a question of style
• Two primary style formats – different strategies
o Chronological - we will focus on this one now.
o Functional – you may want this one at some point.
• Which style to use depends on the author’s
background and history
o We will concentrate on Chronological style
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Chronological
• List most recent items first within sectionso Actually reverse chronological
o Reader sees most current info first
o Most recent info generally considered most relevant
• Most common styleo Generally used unless resume writer has specific
issues
o For our purposes chronological is our choice
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Chronological
• Advantages
o Easy to organize
o Focus is on job history
o Show a pattern of growth
or improvement
• “Reverse-chronological”
structure shows most
recent info first
o Most recent = most
relevant
• Disadvantages
o Highlights job “gaps” in
your employment history
My resume – “student”
o Multiple “lateral” moves
become emphasized in
listing
Why is it perceived as a
negative?
• Chronological
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Functional
• Focuses on professional achievements and skills
• More suitable after you have accumulated some experience in the fieldo May be more suitable later in career when you are applying
for upper level positions
o Employers are looking for different qualities for experienced vs entry level positions
Job experience and achievements in field vs minimum qualifications and aptitude
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Functional
• Advantages
o Allows the author to focus on their skills and achievements - later in career vs entry
o Focuses the reader’s attention on your selling points
o Provides a method to obscure employment history
Why?
Dismissal
Lateral moves
Fresh start
• Disadvantageso Some readers like to be
able to “re-construct” a person’s career
Pattern of advancement?
o Reception is based on the reader’s interpretation
• Functional
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Life expectancy of a résumé
• How much time do we have?
o What is the life expectancy of a resume when it
hits the hiring manager’s desk?
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Life expectancy of a résumé
• EXTREMELY SHORT
o 30 to 45 seconds for first review
Keep for review or trash
Points have to jump out to get to next review
o Maybe two to five minutes for next review
More detailed read
Probably start to select interviewees
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Attributes of effective résumés
• Ease of digestion for the reader
o Well organized - logical
Info grouped – education, work, activities, etc.
Reader can find what he’s looking for
Related items reinforce your message, not disjointed
o Clear and concise wording – not verbose prose
“Resume & Narrative Statement of Key Qualifications,
Life Work – It’s Cumulative Personal Result”
May take some minor liberties with English
o Avoid overly ornate fonts20
Attributes of effective résumés
• Control the eye of the reader (scanner).
o Use your formatting choices to guide the reader to
what you wish to emphasize
Layout
Similar to outline with major points followed by supporting
information
Bolding & italics of headers and sub-headers
Make major points stand out on initial scan
Supporting info follows for second review
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Attributes of effective résumés
• Control the eye of the reader (scanner).
o Use lists, bullets to your benefit
Can get lots of info in little space – tech skills, certifications
Be mindful of document scanning issues
Will discuss specifics later
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How to survive the cut
• Need to make a good first impressiono What are my most desirable qualifications
Education?
GPA, relevant course work (technical skills)
Activities?
Student/campus organizations, public service
Experience?
Summer jobs, campus jobs, internships
Personal skills?
Group projects – plays well with others
Accomplishments, awards
o Make them stand out!23
How to start a résumé
• Evaluate job description
o Identify key elements of job description
Assignment 1
o What are they looking for
Identify all key elements
Look in all sections of listing for clues
• Job/Intership Fair – no specific job
o What you think are key elements for type of job
you would like to have24
How to start a résumé
• Evaluate yourself
o Identify your skills / education / experience that
match up with identified key elements
o If you don’t have a direct match for a key element,
try to identify something you do have that
demonstrates the aptitude to learn/perform
Demonstrate it, don’t just say it
Projects, activities, student organizations, work experience
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How to start a résumé
• Construct a résumé to showcase your
education/skills/experience that match up
o Prioritize items
Education, activities, experience, skills, etc.
Organize your resume to present the items you feel are
most important to prospective employer or that present
you in the best light
For our purposes – Education always first section
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How to start a résumé
• Remember – the need for a résumé begins
with a specific position that needs filled
o Showcase your attributes that make you a good fit
for that specific position
o Your resume may look different for different
positions
Career Center can help tailor your resume to specific
companies they work with
o Career fairs are special case – not specific
position – do focus on type of work27
QR Code???
• QR Code on Resume? Yes/No?
o We are technology – yes?
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QR Code???
• QR Code on Resume?
o Take to what?
Personal website?
Portfolio of work?
Links to examples of work?
o Make sure content is appropriate
o Make sure it works – first time, every time!
http://youtu.be/IW7Rqwwth84
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The sections of a résumé
• The heading – name and contact information
o Make it stand out
Position on page – top, name centered & prominent
Format – “tandem” addresses or single centered
Bold type
Enlarged stylized font – but not ornate
Set off by horizontal rule – draws the eye – like business
letterhead
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The sections of a résumé
Susan A. Whitfield86-93 188th Street, Hollis, NY 11365
Phone: (718) 483-9823 E-Mail: [email protected]
___________________________________________________________________
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The heading
• Your name – issues for presentation
o Do you list a nickname?
Wilbert A. “Bert” Dingelhoffer
Duane “Sam” Jones
Personal preference
o What about gender identification?
Carroll Irwin
Kerry Hale
Depends on the career and environment – generally no
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The heading
• Your Address
o School/permanent
o Change date?
• Phone
o School, home, cell?
• Email address
o Appropriate for business communications?
Can use [email protected]
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The heading – contact information
• Include contact info (phone, cell) where you
can be reached during business hours
o Or where someone will answer – appropriately-
take a message and get it to you.
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The heading – contact information
• Make sure info is accurate
• If your information is date sensitive – tell them when it expires
• Make sure info is accurate
• Provide multiple contact avenues
• Make sure info is accurate
• Provide it in an organized manner
• Make sure info is accurate
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The Body – Organization
• Make sure you leave some white space
o 1 page is strongly preferred
o 1 page required for our assignment
• Make sure you have a logical organization
o Group info in sections
o Arrangement of sections – education 1st
• Use formatting structures such as tables to
help organize the layout
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The Body – Organization
Good place for table?
Separate individual items – Bullets?
Good professional phrasing
Good info –
shows organizational skills,
teamwork, etc.
Good use of font, bolding, italics,
to make things stand out
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The sections of a résumé
• The body
o Readability – sections (education, experience, etc)
Well defined – make sure they are separated to the eye when
reader scans the page
Bold text section titles
Justification/indentation, white space, horizontal rule
Consistent organization within sections and item
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The Body – Organization
Good place for table?
Separate individual items – Bullets?
Good professional phrasing
Good info –
shows organizational skills,
teamwork, etc.
Good use of font, bolding, italics,
to make things stand out
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The sections of a résumé
02/97 – 04/99 Information Systems Administrator.
Central Illinois Trucks Inc. , Normal, IL
Responsibilities: Supervision and development of
Computerized Information Systems in support of
Management, Sales, Parts and Service functions of
multi location Heavy Duty Truck and Trailer
Dealership. Installation and Maintenance of Hardware
and Software for LAN/WAN and AS400 platform.
Application configuration. User support and training.
Management of Year 2000 compliance efforts.
Would it be better with bullets? Unused space?
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The sections of a résumé
Information Systems Administrator 02/97 – 04/99
Central Illinois Trucks Inc. , Normal, IL
Responsibilities: o Supervision and development of Computerized Information Systems in support of
Management, Sales, Parts and Service functions of multi location Heavy Duty Truck and
Trailer Dealership.
o Installation and Maintenance of Hardware and Software for LAN/WAN and AS400 platform.
o Application configuration, user support and training.
o Management of Year 2000 compliance efforts.
Same info as previous slide – presented better??
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The sections of a résumé
• The body
o Lists / tables
Things like programming languages, applications, etc
Good way to get lots of info in small space
Maintains readability
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The sections of a résumé
• Courses taken included:
Managerial Accounting, Corporate Audit, Intermediate Accounting I & II,
Financial Management, Sarbanes Oxley requirements, Internal Audit,
Accounting for Not-For-Profits, Managerial Economics
•Organize info with lists & tables
• Relevant course work:
Managerial Accounting
Intermediate Accounting I
Intermediate Accounting II
Accounting - Not-for-Profits
Corporate Audit
Internal Audit
Sarbanes Oxley
Managerial Economics
Financial Management
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What else do you include?
• Career objective?
o Be careful how you word it
o Consider employer’s viewpoint – your
contribution
o Assigned reading in Resources section of
ReggieNet
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What else do you include?
• Interests?
o Depends on what they are and spacing issues
Don’t eliminate other elements to include this
Recognize that the acceptance of your interests by an
employer may not be the same as your own
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My Resume
• Let’s evaluate it
• Some others
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