Résumés

Why do I need a résumé?

•Marketing tool to sell your skills to an employer

•On average, only one interview is granted per 200 applicants

•Not a legal document, but honesty is important• No plagiarism!!!

Where do I start?

•Previous employment• Dates• Addresses• Managers• Phone numbers• Contributions

•All skills• Examples

•Attributes• Examples

•Education• Dates• GPA• Honors• Scholarships• Courses• Projects

•Organizations• Contributions

•Certifications

What is the employer looking

for in an applicant?

Skills Employers are Wanting

•Communication skills•Strong work ethic•Team work•Initiative•Analytical skills•Computer skills•Flexibility/adaptability

•Interpersonal skills•Problem-solving •Technical skills•Detail-oriented•Organization•Self-confidence•Leadership

Source: Job Outlook 2009, National Association of Colleges and Employers

Research

• The Company– What is their focus?– Any new initiatives?

• The Position– What are the responsibilities?– What skills are needed

• Yourself– What skills do you have? – How does your experience qualify you for this position?– Where are you lacking?

• How can you develop those skills?

Transferable Skills

Identify how you have acquired those skills in past work experience, coursework/projects, or activities

Make a list of the skills needed for job you want

If you do not have a skill set, now is the time to find a way to develop those skills before you graduate

• 1 full page for up to 7-10 years of experience– 2nd page must have full name and page 2 in

header• .7”-1” Margins

• 11-12 point professional font

• Use bullets, bold, italics, & CAPITALIZATION

• Begin with most recent information and work backwards

• White or Ivory résumé paper

• Print with a high quality printer

Appearance/ Format

Do not use a

template!

•Name•Employer/ School •Positions•Accomplishments•Most Relevant Information

•Dates•Locations•Least Relevant Information

CHRONOLOGICAL

•Most general format

•List all experience in reverse chronological order

•Accomplishment statements included in experience section

FUNCTIONAL

•For those changing career paths

•Focus on skill sets instead of experience

•Experience is listed but does not include accomplishment statements

COMBINATION

•Focus on skill sets and detailed experience

ELIZABETH EXAMPLE910 University Drive

Springfield, MO 65897

417.555.994

Example@live.missouristate.edu

Samuel Sample1234 Main Street 567 Elm AvenueSpringfield, MO 65897 St. Louis, MO 63119314-962-1234 Sample@live.missouristate.edu

Jane Doe222 South National*Springfield, MO 65897* 417-555-9898* jane@live.missouristate.edu

Portray a Professional Image

HotStuff@hotmail.com

OBJECTIVE STATEMENTTo obtain an internship in marketing requiring interpersonal communication skills and sales experience

EDUCATIONBachelor of Science in Accounting Expected Graduation: May 20xxMissouri State University, Springfield, MOGPA 3.5/4.0, Major GPA 3.8/4.0

• Admitted into Accelerated Master of Accountancy program• Financed 100% of costs of education and living• Dean’s List Fall 2009

Associate of Arts in General Studies May 20xxOzark Technical Community College, Springfield, MOGPA 3.3/4.0

RELEVANT EXPERIENCESales Associate Spring 2007-PresentBanana Republic; Kansas City, MO

• Assist diverse customer base to assess options based on individual style and price range

Optional Headings

• Computer Skills• Language Skills• Accomplishments• Community Service• Military Service• Managerial Skills• Professional

Accomplishments

• Leadership Ability• Professional

Organizations• Publications• Certifications• Coaching Experience• Awards• Communication Skills

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENTPhilanthropy Chair Spring 2007-PresentDelta Delta Delta; Springfield, MO

• Led a team of 150 peers to raise over $15,000 for children’s cancer research

COMPUTER SKILLS• Designed web pages using FrontPage and Dreamweaver• Created spreadsheets and analyzed reports utilizing

Microsoft Excel

Accomplishment/Contributions

Development•Begin each statement with an ACTION VERB

•Focus on skills and abilities required for the position

•Describe what you did and how it benefitted the organization

•Never use personal pronouns• “I,” “My,” “Me,” or “We”

•Write detailed yet concise statements• limit to 1-2 lines

•Use past tense verbs for previous experiences and present tense for current positions

Finalize•Customize to specific job

•Include keywords and industry specific terminology

•Quantify your accomplishments using #, %, $ values

• Never include personal information – gender, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, political

affiliation, salary requirements, social security number, disabilities, reasons for leaving past jobs, photograph, or height/weight

• References belong on a separate page and should not be included with your résumé unless specifically requested

Accuracy

Have résumé reviewed by multiple people to get different perspectives and catch any grammatical errors

1 Misspelled Word or Grammatical Error= NO PASS!

Accomplishments/ Contributions Pass

Fail

Yes No Comments

No personal pronouns

Start with an action verb

Appropriate verb tense

Quantifiable Information (#, $, %)

Skills listed are relevant to position in which you are applying

Student Course Section Instructor Semester Year

Appropriate Information Pass Fail

Contact Information Yes No Comments

Name and address

One phone number and email

Education

Official title of degree with major/minor

Date of graduation or anticipated graduation and GPA

Name of school and city/state

Employment

Job title, company name, & location

Month/Year of employment range

Detailed contributions

Optional Sections

Use at least one additional section

List dates and contributions

No personal information

Date of Evaluation Evaluator Pass Fail

Date of Re-evaluation Evaluator Pass Fail Résumé meets minimum requirements, but a follow-up consultation is highly recommended

Accuracy Pass Fail Yes No Comments No Spelling Mistakes

No Grammatical Errors Appropriate Punctuation Accurate Information No Plagiarism

Appearance/Format Pass Fail

Yes No Comments

Professional font style-11-12 Point

Use of Bold, Italics, & ALL CAPS

Consistent formatting with .7”-1” margins

1 page for up to 7-10 years of experience

List most recent experience first and work backwards

List most relevant bullets first and progress to least relevant

NOT A MICROSOFT TEMPLATE!

QUESTIONS?