Resume Writing Workshop

1. Resume Writing Workshop

2. The Purpose of a Resume is… GET THE INTERVIEW! • Marketing yourself • What makes you unique • Answer the question “Why should the employer want to talk to you?” • Customize, Customize, Customize • Only give enough information that 100% qualifies you for the job and “NO MORE, NO LESS.”

3. What is a Resume? • It is one part of a set of documents you need when searching for any job: • Cover letter • Resume • Reference list • Thank you note • These are your personal ADVERTISING kit

4. Resume “Rules of Thumb” • Keep it to no more than two pages • Tailor it as much as possible to the job description • Use language that is in the job description • KISS the physical layout (Keep It Simple Silly) • REMEMBER:The resume represents you in your absence!

5. Key Content Components • Your Contact Information • Who you are and how you can be reached • Your Job or Professional Objective • What kind of work you are looking for • Your Accomplishment Statements • Successes you have achieved • Problem, Solution, Results (PSRs) • Your Skills or Qualification Summary • What makes you the ideal candidate

6. Resume Types: Chronological Source: The Perfect Resume, Tom Jackson, 1990

7. Resume Types: Functional Source: The Perfect Resume, Tom Jackson, 1990

8. Resume Types: Targeted Source: The Perfect Resume, Tom Jackson, 1990

9. Writing Guidelines • Top-Left Rule • Use “active” v. “passive” language • Use present tense to describe what you are looking for now • Use past tense to describe what you have done before • Incomplete sentences are acceptable • Take job description and using “white” letters paste job description is small font below first page of resume so can only be read by scanner.

10. Physical Appearance • Make it easy to to look at and easy to read WHITE SPACE • Use at least 10 point type (12 is the best) • tiny type is hard to read! • Use a simple typeface (a.k.a. “font”) • A “sans serif” font such as this is clean • A “serif” font such as this is easier to read • Don’t mix fonts on a page

11. Overview • Does the resume “Paint a Clear Picture?” • Does the resume “Tell your Story?” • Does the resume let the employer make a quick assessment to go further with an interview? • Is it a good advertisement?

12. Impact of the Internet • Makes it easy to distribute your resume very quickly to lots of companies • Quickly becoming a preferred means of receiving resumes by employers • Presents opportunities for abuse • Consider setting up a Hotmail or Yahoo email address to protect yourself from spam

13. Ways to Submit Electronically • As an attachment via email • Attachments are falling out of favor due to viruses, worms, etc. • Only use if job description says to do so • Embedded in email • You will need a text-only file for this • Submitted on-line through a web site • You will need a text-only file for this

14. Emailing a Resume • Save Document as “text only with line breaks” (60 characters per line) • Open the document, edit again and save. • Highlight all and copy onto clipboard. • Go to internet service screen and paste the copied resume into the e-mail preceded by a cover letter. • Keep the margins at 6 1/2” to prevent wrap-around • Send it to yourself so you can preview it.

15. Plain-Text Resume • Ugly but necessary • Companies are wary of computer viruses in attachments • HR clerks, not hiring managers, are tasked with printing out emails • Simple format • 60 characters per line (with a CR at the end) • Use ALL CAPS for headers • Add line spaces to separate blocks of text

16. The Electronic “Scannable” Resume • Software “reads” your resume for keywords • Most popular system is Resumix(now owned by Hotjobs.com) • Will score and rank resumes by number of hits • Sample list of companies using it: • AMD, Amdahl, Apple, Bank of America, Cadence, Intel, GE, National Semiconductor, Sun Microsystems, AT&T

17. The Evil Scan Software

18. Cover Letters • First Paragraph - Opening Tells why you are writing in a way that arouses interest. Displays your knowledge of the reader’s company or group. • Second Paragraph - Accomplishments Briefly describes your qualifications and identifies the relevant job title. • Third Paragraph - Answers the question: Why should I hire you? • Fourth Paragraph - Takes the initiative Requests action, asks for an interview, suggests a time to meet. • Close - Always thank the employer for time and consideration.

19. Your References • Ask permission to use your references’ name. • Send your references a copy of your resume. • Ask you references what they think your strengths and weaknesses are. • Call your references once you have provided their names to a company. Coach your references on what skills to highlight when called. • Ask them to tell you when they are called for a reference.

20. Incidentals • Cover letters • Keep them brief and aligned with what is written in your resume • Reference lists • Don’t send them with your resume, but have them with you at the interview • Thank you note • A nice (and rare) personal touch