Writing your Resume

By Wilmer Arellano

References

� The resume.com guide to writing unbeatable resumes

� http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/681/01/1/01/

Disclaimer

� The materials and research discussed in the followingpresentation were found in the internet links or in the booksreferenced in this presentation. We use that material here inaccordance to the Fair Use doctrine.

� § 107. Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use� Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair� Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 106 and 106A, the fair

use of a copyrighted work, including such use by reproduction incopies or phonorecords or by any other means specified by thatsection, for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting,teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use),scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright.

Important steps to building a resume

� 1. Use the Right Point of View

� Create a direct relationship with the employer

� Use the first person but with the silent I

� Manage 10 sale associates responsible for generating � Manage 10 sale associates responsible for generating 80% of company revenue

Important steps to building a resume

� 2. Use Action Verbs as the first word in

� accomplishment statements

� responsibility statements

� Examples:� Examples:

� Achieved, built, calculated, awarded, facilitated, saved, etc

� Awarded “Engineer of the Year Award,” by the Injection Molding Division, Society of Plastics Engineers, 2001

� Defined the scope of the joint venture

Important steps to building a resume

� 3. Use a Headline to Hook Hirers

� Tell what you can offer not what you want

� Talented Executive Assistant with strong management and administration background

Important steps to building a resume

� 4. Don’t use articles (save time to the reader)

� Managed a team of three employees and directed benefits administration for major accounting firm.

� Instead of:

� Managed a team of three employees and directed the benefits administration for a major accounting firm

Important steps to building a resume

� 5. Use Numbers and Symbols Effectively

� Spell out numbers from one to nine but for monetary amounts use the numeral.

� Directed seven employees and oversaw $1 million budgetbudget

� 6. Don’t forget the header:

� Name, address, phone number and e-mail

Important steps to building a resume

� Avoid topics that can exclude you:

� Height, weight, sexual orientation, religion, race, ethnicity, national origin, physical disabilities, etc.

Types of Resume

� 1. Chronological Resume

� 2. Functional Resume

� 3. Combination Resume

Chronological Resume

� You have a steady work history

� You can demonstrate upward mobility

� You are applying for a job similar to your current or last positioncurrent or last position

Functional Resume

� 1. You are changing careers

� 2. You are returning to the workforce after a long break

� The information is organized into two to four � The information is organized into two to four sections that show a wide range of attractive skills

� It allows you to highlight information not directly related to your current position

Combination Resume

� Good for applicants with a steady work history who whish to emphasize their functional skills

The Student/Entry-Level Resume

� Built primarily on academics and skills

� The essential elements of this type of resume include:

� Relevant coursework, � Relevant coursework,

� extracurricular activities,

� internships, and

� memberships,

� highlighting specialized information to emphasize an applicant’s potential.

STEP 1: THE HEADER

STEP 2: THE HEADLINE

� Start your headline with a powerful adjective that modifies your title� Talented,”“successful,”“experienced,”“efficient,” and “dedicated” are

great adjectives for starting a headline.

� After you’ve picked out your adjective, add the function that defines your position. For example,� “marketing,”“journalism,”“finance,”“sales,” or“public relations” would go

next.

� Then add a word that indicates level of experience, such as:� “manager,”“associate,” or “assistant.” A great word that can apply to

practically any applicant is “professional.”

� Talented marketing professional� Award-winning art director� Accomplished financial associate� Top-producing sales professional� Dedicated financial analyst

STEP 3: SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

� Employers typically spend only 10 seconds reviewing a resume

� Your most attractive skills and accomplishments should be listed in the Summary of Qualifications section. section.

� Under a clear header create a list of five to eight bullets highlighting the experiences and abilities that would make you an ideal candidate

� Use your work history, coursework, and extracurricular activities as a guide.

STEP 4: EDUCATION

� The education section is usually the most substantial section in a student resume.

� Begin this section with the college, location, degrees, and GPA if 3.0 or better.

� Next, in subcategories, list

� relevant coursework,

� scholarships,

� awards,

� activities, and memberships.

STEP 5: PAID/UNPAID

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

� List internships and professional jobs in this section, including company name, city and state, job title, and dates.

� Write your daily job responsibilities in paragraph � Write your daily job responsibilities in paragraph form below your job title.

� Next, write any achievements or honors you earned at this position in bullet form below the responsibility statement and discuss the skills you used to achieve a specific result.

STEP 6: COMPUTER SKILLS

� This includes experience with the Internet, e-mail, software programs, hardware, operating systems, and programming languages.

STEP 7: ADDITIONAL SECTIONS

� Add additional sections if they relate directly to the position for which you are applying.

� If you know a foreign language, include your level of proficiency. level of proficiency.

STEP 8: KEYWORDS

� Keywords are essential to Internet resumes as a way of listing:

� alternative job titles or

� industry-specific words not already mentioned in � industry-specific words not already mentioned in the body of the resume