who is your competition? career services
TRANSCRIPT
Resume Prep for the CS / CIS Professional
Prepared for ACM
Mike Major, SPHRDirector
Career Services
Resume Prep for the CS / CIS Professional
Prepared for ACM
Mike Major, SPHRDirector
Career Services
Who is your competition?
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Career Services
Winning Résumés
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What is the purpose of a resume?
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What will you bring to the organization?
Do you have the skills necessary to do the work?
Do you have the experience that the organization desires?
Value Proposition
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Layout Primer Eyes tracing
Down From left to right
Use of bold Use of italics White space Clear headings No large text blocks Use of bullets
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Name and Contact Information Objective Education Relevant (Fieldwork) Experience Computer & Technical Skills Work Experience Community Involvement &
Accomplishments References
Standard Resume Headers
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Susan Student7400 Bay Road
University Center, MI 48710(989) 222-2222 (Cell) (989) 555-5555 (Home)
*if you’re not staying at home or don’t trust your roommates to take messages, cell only is
appropriate
Name and Contact Information
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Objective/Personal Summary Be sure that it is customized specifically for each job that you are applying for “To apply my exceptional interpersonal,
creative and teamwork skills as a computer programmer.” Too Vague
Study the Job Description to see what qualities they are looking for and accentuate those aspects of your professional capabilities www.svsu.edu/careers
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Objective/Personal Summary “To apply my exceptional leadership,
interpersonal, and technical skills as an information technology intern with the Dow Corning Corporation.”
Being very specific in an objective statement is helpful when resumes go into a CENTRALIZED HR office with DECENTRALIZED hiring managers
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It’s not always required. If you use one, make it count.
Objective
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What is most important? Standard format
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science Anticipated: May 2015
Saginaw Valley State University, University Center, MIMinor: Criminal JusticePresident’s List: Eight semestersDeans’ List: Fall 2008, Winter 2009GPA: 3.55 (list if above a 3.0)
Education
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For CS / CIS majors, this section is usually one of the HIGHEST priorities, above “Work Experience”
COMPUTER / TECHNICAL SKILLS
Programming Languages: C++, Java, C, ASP.NET, SQLApplications: MS Visual Studio, EclipseApplication Server: JBoss, TomcatOperating Systems: Windows, Unix, LinuxDatabase Systems: SQL Server, MySQLCertifications: CCNA, Unicenter Certified Engineer
Computer / Technical Skills
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Related Experience
Previous positions that are relevant to the one you want
Acceptable format:Networking Student Employee Sept. 2012–May 2013
Saginaw Valley State University, University Center, MI Installed over 2,200 feet of network cable during the
renovation of the campus administration building Provided trouble shooting support on Multi-Protocol
Label Switching (MPLS), Voice over IP (VoIP), Firewall PIX, Cisco Call Manager and routing protocol BGP
Use Action Words for Bullets
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Importance of Effective Bullet Statements “A picture is worth 1,000 words”
Paint a picture in the employer’s mind
Statements should be clear, concise and detailed
“Presented to a group of students” vs.“Presented to a group of 35 college freshmen”
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Three Levels of Bullet Statements Level One
Lists duties, tasks and responsibilities Helped customers Stocked shelves Used cash register Cleaned store Dealt with students
Not very impressive
Tasks implied by the title
Add no value to résumé
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It is our recommendation that you do not use Level One bullet statements at any time on your résumé.
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Three Levels of Bullet Statements Level Two
Explain how or in what way you perform level one tasks exceptionally well
Additional duties that you initiated?
Assisted customers in a warm and friendly manner
Stocked shelves during down times to ensure a professional environment
Processed financial transactions through the cash register in a fast and efficient manner
Cleaned store to maintain an appealing atmosphere to enhance customer satisfactionwww.svsu.edu/careers
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While it is acceptable to use Level Two bullet statements from time to time, you will not want to rely on these to earn you an interview.
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Three Levels of Bullet Statements Level Three
Describe accomplishments and achievements
Increase something good or decrease something bad?
Employers want individuals who will make a difference
Earned Associate of the Month honors for outstanding service in June 2012
Created effective displays which increased monthly sales by 200% in a two-month period
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Work Experience Match skill sets with new position Example:
Crew Member May 2010 – April 2013
McDonald’s Restaurant, Bay City, MI• Prepared 500 orders during the daily lunch hour • Effectively dealt with stressful situations in a team
environment
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Highlight appropriate accomplishments Example:
HONORS / AWARDS / ACTIVITIESVolunteer, Big Brothers / Big Sisters of Midland May 2006 – Present* Received ultimate brother award by successfully logging over 1,000 hours of volunteer service, assisting four youths who all went on to attend collegeMember, SVSU ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) Sept. 2008 – Present* Served as treasurer for an on-campus organization of over 50 members and $10,000 in resourcesRecipient, SVSU Award for Excellence Scholarship Aug. 2007 – May 2008
Other Activities
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Resumes – Two pages max (“old school” philosophers still say 1 page)
CVs – Longer, more elaborate, used in higher education and graduate school Use the additional space with purpose Accomplishments / Achievements Do NOT include “tasks” that don’t add
value
Resumes vs. CVs
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Ask permission!! Choose wisely Keep your references informed of your job
search
Dr. Someone Who-knowsyouwell, ProfessorDepartment of Computer Science and Information
SystemsSaginaw Valley State University308 Science East7400 Bay RoadUniversity Center, MI 48710(989) 964-4000 (Office)[email protected]
References
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Will be read after résumé Emphasize characteristics that are
supported in résumé Keep it short and simple
Cover Letters
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Review, review, review! Career Services
[email protected] 964-4954 Appointments with staff for review SVSU Writing Center
Guidelines and Tutorials available: http://www.svsu.edu/careers
Finally…
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