Preparing World-Class Resumes

1. Preparing World-Class Resumes

2. This Is Your Ad for an INTERVIEW!

3. The resume should market you to a targeted reader.

4. A resume is not… • Personal autobiography • An exhaustive list of experiences (exclude irrelevant details) • Designed to be “read”…rather it is quickly scanned • The place for mistakes, wacky formatting, poor grammar or rambling prose

5. A resume is … • Concise personal statement of your “value proposition” • Basic chronology of your work experience • Key to getting you noticed • Powerful tool for shaping the outcome of an interview! • Your interview “Cheat sheet” • …polished representation of you!

6. 1 More Is Not Better, Enough Is Needed

7. You Need to Provide Enough Detail, but. . .

8. This is the way to present far too much and to over load the recruiter with more than needed in the resume. Long paragraphs and lengthily information discussions will over whelm the reader’s ability to absorb all that the writer wants to convey. As the reader attempts to understand everything that is written, discouragement sets in and the reader tires and quits reading. The details tend to become a negative and the reader, in trying to interpret the underlying message it is assumed that there is a certain irresponsibility in that the writer is unable to write concise and brief descriptions of performed activities. The more likely direct answer or quick provision of information is diluted by the failure to be precise and exacting in the presentation. Further the reader is confused by the pontification involved and might assume that the writer is less talented and more prone to puffery than to directing with simple and easy to understand language. The ultimate result is that the candidate is not looked at with more than a quickly assumed and potentially incorrect assumption of incompetence. This is of course not the impression that any good writer wishes to convey. Eventually there will be considerable frustration and the result will be that neither the writer or reader will achieve what they are seeking, primarily that another interview takes place or ultimately that there will be a job offer extended. We hope that the lesson learned here is that too much writing and too many details will interrupt the legitimate job seeker and may reflect poorly on the other graduates of the Marriott School. We want to avoid this potential disaster by having you all write more easily and precisely to the point without overly exhausting the recruiter or the HR staff with the enormous detail that you would like them to know. Save it for the twenty interviews you will get from a well written resume and for the technical assessment that may come. It is then that you will have to produce the details that you feel are so important to write about, but that are just exercises in jargon and excess verbiage. If you do not follow this wise advice you may never get a chance to tell all of these things because the interviewer and resume reviewer have already discarded your wonderful treatise. When you feel that you just need to get something off your chest use it to impress your professors and hope that they grade by volume and not by content. Excess in almost anything is very annoying and will again possibly result in a negative reaction. Save yourself some grief and considerable pain by making a smart and short duty of writing for the points in your resume. There is even very little opportunity to be verbose in scanned and computer written resumes. While having more key words in the resume is an attempt to have the scanner read something that it is searching, at some point someone will have to read the resume and the end result will likely be the same disappointed turndown and rejection. Write well. Avoid Data Dump!!

9. Sample 1 • Original: Assumed leadership role in assessing variances to target and provided financial evaluation of strategic initiatives and supported ad hoc projects. • Rev. 1: Led variance assessments to target, provided financial evaluation of strategic initiatives, and supported ad hoc projects • Rev. 2: • Benchmarked performance against industry targets and evaluated strategic initiative financials • Supported analysis for six ad-hoc projects

10. Sample 2 • Original: Reduced lab error rate • Rev. 1: Streamlined error rate to reduce client rejections • Rev. 2: Reduced production costs by lowering lab error rate and generated savings of $80,000 per year • Rev. 3: Reduced lab error rate 20%, saving $80,000 annually by cutting process steps and streamlining production

11. No Experience—Get Some! • Did you mow lawns or even sell lemonade? • Did it require forming a business? • What did you accomplish? • What business lessons did you learn? • Work for parent’s organization? • What did you do? • How can you apply this to the job? • Find an internship

12. Get an internship! Experience is almost mandatory in today’s job market. Employers can choose experienced candidates for most positions.

13. Demonstrate Your Accomplishments

14. Focus on Results • Show them what you have achieved • Provide context with numbers and comparisons • Demonstrate how they win with you as an employee

15. Resume Help Matrix

16. 2 Remember the Reader

17. You Must Get Attention in 10–15 Seconds

18. What Makes the Reader Want to See More?

19. A Focus on the Reader’s Needs!

20. Lead with What Sells You to Them • Strengths the employer wants/needs • Education • Experience

21. Consider an Opening Section • Summary Statement • Statement of Qualifications • Strengths • Core Strengths (or Skills) • Areas of Contribution • Areas of Expertise

22. Core Strength(examples) STRENGTHS • Strategic financial planning and analysis • Regulatory compliance assurance • Expense control; cash flow analysis • Staff training and supervision • Quality control • Customer service/client management • Detailed problem solving

23. My Resume Anywhere, HI, 88888 222-222-2222 Summary Able to work small miracles through the application of education principles and intern experiences. Understand the value of good finance applications. Can motivate teams and build strong client rapport. Able to leap small buildings in a single bound. More powerful than a locomotive. Faster than a bullet. Education My University 2005 Great Classes and Scholarships, Business Italian Experience Super Employer 2001-2003 Good Stuff about that experience Super Employer 2 2000-2001 More good stuff about the experience Other Mission, Italy 1998-2000 Ski, Volleyball, Eagle Scout, Read, Study Hard Summary Statement Example

24. Your Experience Advantage:Who Have You Worked for and What Did You Do?

26. Intern Analyst Supervisor Manager Director Specialist Advisor CIO CFO CEO What Did You Do?

27. Employer improvement consulting, $10b annual revenue, productivity growth factors, training & development, retirement & health benefits Super Employer, Fin. Analyst/Proj. Mgr, 2001-2003 • Assessed cost factors and identified $8m saving for mid-sized manufacturing company • Developed web tool for consolidating division financials in multinational energy firm • Awarded Top Analyst recognition last three quarters • Promoted to Project Finance Manager, supervising four analysts on $12m benefits plan engagement

28. 3 The Appearance Attracts The Content Holds

29. A Good Resume • Has some white space • Is readable • Avoids unusual or exotic fonts • Targets the reader

30. Most Recruiters . . . • Scan for key words • Want to see info quickly • Read longer if you give them a reason • Know what they want

31. 4 Objectives are Objectionable Without Meaning

32. Objective Example Bad Seeking a job that allows me to utilize the knowledge gained in my studies and pays well. Who doesn’t? Tell me something I don’t know! Get specific!

33. Seeking position as . . . INTERN With Corporate Finance/Treasury Organization Using Outstanding Analytical and Operational Proficiency Solid Communications and Interpersonal Skills Consider Using A Seeking Position Statement:

34. Seeking position as… Intern Other good stuff about me. Things hat are of note or significant and that need special attention, a quality list My Resume Annywhere, HI, 88888 222-222-2222 Education My University 2005 Great Classes and Scholarships, Business Italian Experience Super Employer 2001-2003 Good Stuff about that experience Super Employer 2 2000-2001 More good stuff about the experience Other Mission, Italy 1998-2000 Ski, Volleyball, Eagle Scout, Read, Study Hard

35. 5 Education is What You Are Selling

36. EDUCATION • Normally highest degree first • Bachelor of . . . (no “s”) • BA or BS (periods are not needed) • Show grad date, April 2005, don’t say “anticipated,” “projected,” “expected” or “planned”

37. Education Sample Education Marriott School of Management, Brigham Young University Master of Accountancy, Tax April 2005 • GPA 4.0 Magna Cum Laude • Marriott Partners Scholarship – full academic costs • Beta Alpha Psi – Activity Chair Bachelor of Science, Finance April 2004 • GPA 3.96 Dean’s List 2000-2003 • President, Management Finance Association Kennedy International Center • Three Month Study Abroad – Kiev, Ukraine Experience

38. 6 Experience Sells You

39. Relate Your Experience to: • Employer’s Key Job Skills • (Shows You Know the Job) • Attributes the Employer Seeks • (Shows You Know the Organization) • Articulating Your Skills • (Shows You Know Yourself)

40. 7 Focus On Accomplishments and Results

41. Use Action to Get ACTION

42. Use An Action Verb List Accomplished Administered Advanced Built Broadened Coached Created Developed Directed Established Expanded Forecasted Generated Hired Implemented Increased Launched Maintained Negotiated Organized Performed Projected Quantified Resolved Revised Structured Simplified Trained Updated Widened

43. Avoid “Responsible for”It’s Your Resume and Responsibility Is Assumed

44. Avoid Declarative Sentences I developed. . . I assisted. . . leave out the “I, Me & My”

45. Self-Motivation Training Interpersonal Skills Leadership Time Management Planning Cultural Understanding Dedication Hard Work Adaptability Perseverance Mission & Extra-Curricular Experience

46. Example: Volunteer Representative, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Tokyo, Japan 1998-2000 Rendered welfare service and taught principles of faith and responsibility Managed the activities of 35 representatives and cultivated language, cultural, & teaching skills Appointed Assistant to the President, provided leadership support, organization development and training Mission Experience Don’t misrepresent responsibilities – Mission finance clerk ≠ Mission CFO

47. 8 No Formatting Option Is Any Better Than Another

48. John Doe Address Education: MBA BYU April 2005 BA Indiana June 2001 Experience: Ford 2001- Present Finance Anaylst Denny’s Rest. 1999-2000 Waiter Skills: Many, Multi-talented Computer Expertise Left Aligned Is Easier to Read

49. The Golden Triangle • Name Address • Statement of Qualifications & position desires • Employer No 1, job one, 200x- • Accomplishment number one • Big skill number one • Special work award • Employer No 2, job two, 19xx-200x • Important skill number two • Accomplishment two • Promotion • Other • Mission, Computer Skills • What I like to do in spare time Use a golden triangle to guide the reader down the page.

50. Experience in Reverse Chronological Order Is Preferred