Creating Resumes for A successful Job Search

1. Creating Resumes for A successful Job Search Kathleen M. Vranos, Associate Professor Co-Chair, Business & Information Technology Greenfield Community College January, 2013

2. Agenda: • Review contemporary recruitment practices • Discuss impact on resume preparation • Distribute • Resume Worksheet • Resume Samples • Resume Power Words • Identify resume types • Identify and begin to draft resume sections • Move to Computer Labs for resume preparation

3. Role of the Resume: • Effective resumes are designed to let employers know how YOU can meet THEIR needs. • Effective resumes highlight the RESULTS you’ve delivered in other environments. • Effective resumes DIFFERENTIATE you, leaving the reviewer with a sense of your unique abilities. • Effective resumes GET YOU AN INTERVIEW, not a job. http://www.asianjobportal.com/2010/09/job-interview-how-to-conduct-properly/ Image source: http://www.asianjobportal.com/2010/09/job-interview-how-to-conduct-properly/

4. Understanding Current Job Search Practices • Millions of resumes and job openings are currently posted online. • Monster.com • Massachusetts Career Information System - Job Search - Online Searches • Careerbuilder.com Recruiters and employers post approximately 70% of their openings online! (Source: http://www.hrmreport.com/article/Evolution-of-the-Job-Search-From-Paper-Resume-to-Online-Career-Portfolio/)

5. Understanding Current Resume Screening Practices • Advances in technology allow candidates to electronically submit documents to a company’s recruiting inbox. • Human Resources | How to apply • Most HR departments receive far more resumes today than ever before. • Screening is more difficult than ever. • Organizations developing explicit evaluation criteria for job applicants.

6. Employer Expectations for Resumes • Applicants will: • Customize resume to the job for which you are applying • Research on organization and job to inform customization • Include relevant keywords for the job within the resume while demonstrating where and when the skills were used to achieve results in the past. • Use perfect grammar, punctuation, and spellingSource:Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3997604

7. Trend: Customized Applications for Each Job Opportunity • Companies creating objective, standardized methodologies for evaluating candidates • Applications seen as a more efficient and engaging task for applicants • Applications constructed so that applicants who do not possess minimum qualifications do not proceed through the entire questionnaire • Example: Kelloggs Careers - Professional Career

8. Two Resume Screening Practices Human Electronic Scanned into a job-applicant tracking system. First cuts done by computer Employer specifies keywords (knowledge, skills, abilities, personal characteristics required) Employer receives resumes, arranged by most “hits” first. Then, employer decides on those to be interviewed. • Two piles: “Reject” and “Maybe” • Screeners may decide in as little as 2.9 seconds (Locker) during first screen. • “Maybe” then examined again, with 10-30 seconds given at this stage. (Locker) • Final culling identified candidates to be invited for interviews.

9. Implication: Create Paper Resume Create Scanable Resume Use standard typefaces (Helvetica, Times New Roman, Courier, etc.) Use 12 or 14-point type Use ragged right margin rather than full justification Don’t italicize or underline or boldface Don’t use lines, boxes, script, leader dots or borders Don’t use 2-column format or indented or centered text. Put each phone number on a separate line Use plenty of white space Don’t fold, stable, or handwrite on resume Send a laser copy. Stray marks defeat scanners. Put list of up to 60 keywords at top Don’t worry about length • Make this attractive to the human eye • Print onto high quality, 81/2”x11” inch paper with a laser printer. • Don’t use templates. • Play with layout and design to create an attractive resume. • Consider creating a letterhead for resume and cover letter. • Use white space to make resume easy to read • Center name in 14-point type or larger. • Use 12-point headings, 11-point text. • Proofread for: spelling, parallelism, consistency, dates, phone numbers, email addresses, links.

10. Action Step 1: Customization • Screen desired job description for: • Minimum Qualifications • Preferred Qualifications • Related Keywords Jot these down in relevant sections within your Resume Worksheet

11. Two Structures for Resumes: Chronological Skills-based https://masscis.intocareers.org/materials/EdWorkHistory/Functional-Skills%20Resume.pdf • https://masscis.intocareers.org/materials/EdWorkHistory/Chronological%20Resume.pdf

12. Action Step 2: Structure Decision • Decision time – What’s best for you? • Chronological Resume • Functional/Skills-based Resume

13. Developing Resume Content • Tell what you want to do, what level of responsibility you want to hold. • Should sound like job description • Using employer’s name is a nice touch. • Ex.: Recent college graduate with a Diploma in Engineering seeks an entry-level position in civil engineering Career Objective:

14. Action Step 3: Career Objective • Determine your Career Objective • Should let the employer know that you WANT the job! • It’s OK to say, “Seeking growth opportunity…”

15. Developing Resume Content - Summary of Qualifications: • Established THEMES for your superior ability to meet employer’s needs vs. other job applicants. • Shows knowledge of specialized terminology in your field. • Offers specific, quantifiable achievements. • Weak: Strong presentation skills. • Better: Delivered 10 presentations to CEO-level audiences with positive feedback on value. • Weak: Strong work ethic. • Better: Achieved zero sick days in four years, with recognition awards for superior contributions to department. • Weak: Intelligent • Better: Earned merit-based honors and scholarships throughout higher education experience, graduating with 3.8 GPA.

16. Action Step 4: Summary of Qualifications • Based on the job description, develop 3-4 qualifications which separate you from other candidates.

17. Developing Resume Content • Can be first major category if relevant to the job. • Can follow if not relevant to the job. • Include degrees, certifications, and professional development. • Include GPA if excellent. • List earned degree, field of study, date, school, city, state. • Develop highlights • Achievements in related courses, Honors and Awards, Activities, • Ex: Lead student group in developing and presenting high-impact marketing plan for local business. Education:

18. Education - Example • A.S.,Greenfield Community College, Greenfield, MA, May 2012Major: Computer ScienceOverall GPA 3.875; Honors each semesterInformation Technology Intern, Spring, 2012 semester • Successfully networked computers for Human Resources Department of Greenfield Community College.

19. Action Step 5: Education • Draft your Education section to demonstrate that you were PRESENT while earning your degree.

20. Chronological Resume– • The traditional format • Use when you can demonstrate timeline for a clear career progression leading to the job for which you are applying • Most recent jobs go first • Includes: • Position or job title • Organization • City and state • Dates of employment • Full- or part-time status • Job duties – lead with power verbs • Achievements and/or results (use data)

21. Action Step 6: Professional Experience • List jobs in chronological order, most recent first. • Develop descriptions which highlight achievements. • Use power words.

22. Skills-based Resume • Emphasizes skills you’ve used, rather than jobs in which you’ve used them. • Use when: • You took an atypical route to the job to which you are applying • You’re changing fields • You want to highlight skills gained from a combination of experiences • You have gaps, job-hopping, or a demotion which would stand out in chronological resume. Include:

23. Skills Based Resume (cont.): • Include: • At least three headings designed to highlight skills (hint: they should be “keywords” for job applications) • Most important heading first • Jargon specific to the job for which you are applying, i.e. logistics rather than planning for a technical job • Paid jobs under Employment History at the end of the resume. • List only job title, employer, city, state, dates.

24. Accomplishment Resume • https://masscis.intocareers.org/materials/EdWorkHistory/Accomplishment%20Resume.pdf

25. http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=skills+based+resume+sample&id=79AF5A3A89D15FB06D7F98418449323E2C78B4EF&FORM=IQFRBA#view=detail&id=79AF5A3A89D15FB06D7F98418449323E2C78B4EF&selectedIndex=0http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=skills+based+resume+sample&id=79AF5A3A89D15FB06D7F98418449323E2C78B4EF&FORM=IQFRBA#view=detail&id=79AF5A3A89D15FB06D7F98418449323E2C78B4EF&selectedIndex=0

26. Action Step 6: Functional/Skills Highlights • Draft description of skills which highlight achievements you’ve delivered for past employers. • Skills should be related to position you seek.

27. In all cases, use Power Verbs: Enacted Engineered Integrated Wrote Progressed Pioneered Commanded Led Analyzed • Attained • Applied • Developed • Installed • Implemented • Sold • Served • Reported • Achieved

28. Both resumes should have… • Career Objective • Summary of Qualifications • Education • Honors • References - optional • Keyword Section with up to 60 related keywords in small type – optional • Perfect Grammar

29. Understanding Your Online “Brand” • There’s no debating it, your online reputation will impact your ability to get a job. The facts: • 83 percent of hiring managers and recruiters research candidates online. [Execunet, 2007] • 70 percent of recruiters have eliminated candidates based on information they found online. [Microsoft 2009 — US, UK, France, Germany] • volume, relevance, purity and diversity — and ask yourself, “What perceptions would searchers form from reading my Google results?” • http://blog.resumebear.com/changing-careers/job-seekers-getting-googled-volume-and-relevance/

30. Let’s Hit the Lab!!!!!!!!!! • Avoid templates • Use attractive layout • White space is your friend • No pressure to stay on one-page if you have SUBSTANTIVE content. • Remember criteria for resumes which will be delivered electronically.