Winning Resumes Pages

What is the purpose of a resume?

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

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

Name and Contact Information Objective Education Relevant (Fieldwork) Experience Work Experience Community Involvement & Accomplishments Computer/Technical Skills References Standard Resume Headers Making custom headers is appropriate and sometimes a great thing to do! The order of your headers may change based on RELEVANCE

Coop Cardinal 7400 Bay Road University Center, MI (989) (Cell) (989) (Home) *cell only is appropriate Name and Contact Information

Be aware of any “ring back” tones that callers may hear before you answer. Many jobs are lost because “cool” ring back tones are not set properly. Don’t “Rick Roll” away a chance your dream job!

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 police officer.”  Really? Study the Job Description to see what qualities they are looking for and accentuate those aspects of your professional capabilities

Objective/Personal Summary “To apply my exceptional leadership, interpersonal, and teamwork skills as a court services liaison with the Underground Railroad.” Being very specific in an objective statement is helpful when resumes go into a CENTRALIZED HR office with DECENTRALIZED hiring managers

It’s not always required. If you use one, make it count. Objective

Standard format College Preparatory Coursework Anticipated: May 2017 Garber High School, Essexville, MI GPA: 3.55 / 4.0 Education

Standard format for skill center Multiple degrees earned (from other schools) Computer Graphic Design Anticipated: May 2017 Bay Arenac ISD, Bay City, MI College Preparatory Coursework Anticipated: May 2017 Garber High School, Essexville, MI GPA: 3.55 / 4.0 Education

Importance of Effective Bullet Statements (Page 10)  “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 high school freshmen”

If this is what you have on your resume, you have work to do! Fry Cook McDonald’s Restaurant  Helped customers  Stocked shelves  Used cash register  Cleaned store  Dealt with complaints  Not very impressive  Tasks implied by the title  Add no value to resume These are known as: “Level ONE” and should never be used on your resume

This is a little better, but still not great - Crew Member McDonald’s Restaurant  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 satisfaction These are known as: “Level TWO” and should be used occasionally on your resume Don’t rely on these to earn you an interview

“Say More with Less”  Describe accomplishments and achievements  Increase something good or decrease something bad?  Employers want individuals who will make a difference Crew Member McDonald’s Restaurant  Earned Crew Member of the Month in June 2014 for consistently providing outstanding service These are called “Level THREE” and should be used as often as possible!

Writing Level Three Bullet Statements  How are the things you have done been measured?  What were the outcomes of projects?  Think cause & effect  Use words like “increased” and “decreased”: Any Position Any Location, City, MI  Created _______ that led to ________ over a _____ period of time  Oversaw the development of _________ that resulted in ___________  Managed a team of ____ co-workers that _______  Processed over $___ worth of transactions over a ___ hour shift with a 100% accuracy rate

HONORS / AWARDS / ACTIVITIES Volunteer, Big Brothers / Big Sisters of MidlandMay 2006 – Present Member, Delta Sigma Pi Business FraternitySept – Present Recipient, SVSU Award for Excellence Scholarship Aug – May 2012 Marketing Project, Saginaw Valley State Tennis Jan – May 2012 Other Activities

Volunteer, Big Brothers / Big Sisters of MidlandMay 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 college Member, Delta Sigma Pi Business FraternitySept – Present * Served as treasurer for an on-campus organization of over 50 members and $10,000 in resources Recipient, SVSU Award for Excellence Scholarship Aug – May 2012 Marketing Project, Saginaw Valley State Tennis Jan – May 2012 Marketing 331 Course, Saginaw Valley State University * Created a brochure using Adobe InDesign to advertise a series of summer tennis fundraising tournaments generating a total ROI of more than $2,000 * Organized a bowling-event fundraiser that generated over $600 in revenue Other Activities

Custom Headings are Appropriate: Intercollegiate Varsity Athletic Experience On Campus Leadership Experience Volunteer Activities Study Abroad Experience Research and Publications Independent Study Field Work Observations

It is important to note: Do not need to have all these headings You can be creative to get your resume to a full page Custom headings highlight extra-curricular activities

INTERCOLLEGIATE VARSITY ATHLETIC EXPERIENCE Men’s Varsity Basketball Team2012-Present Saginaw Valley State University Devoted 20 hours per week to athletics while carrying full course load of 30 credits per year Earned all-conference defensive team honors NCAA Academic All-American CAMPUS LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE Recruitment Chair, Delta Sigma Pi 2012-Present Mu Phi Chapter, Saginaw Valley State University Led four recruitment activities that increased membership from 25 to 40 members for a co-ed, professional business fraternity Coordinated the Relay For Life booth and organized 15 volunteers for 24 continuous hours, raising $6,954 for charity

Additional examples for a RSO  Participant in a national service fraternity in which I perform over ## hours of community service per year  Mentored new members on the culture and traditions of an organization with a rich history dating back to YEAR  Served as volunteer coordinator and successfully arranged over ## service hours in support of over ## events  Hosted team building exercises for ## members that fostered a closer bond among fraternity members  Completed leadership courses that covered topics including effective problem solving, conflict negotiation, ethics/moral implications and project management strategies  Many more examples possible based on YOUR experiences!

Depending on your skillset, this section may be one of the HIGHEST priorities, above “Work Experience” COMPUTER / TECHNICAL SKILLS Programming Languages: C++, Java, C, ASP.NET, SQL Applications: MS Visual Studio, Eclipse Business Applications: Microsoft Excel Certified Professional Application Server: JBoss, Tomcat Graphic Design: Adobe Creative Suite (all packages) Database Systems: SQL Server, MySQL Certifications: CCNA, Unicenter Certified Engineer Computer / Technical Skills

Ask permission!! Choose wisely Keep your references informed of your job search Dr. Someone Who-knowsyouwell, Professor Department of Accounting Saginaw Valley State University 308 Curtiss Hall 7400 Bay Road University Center, MI (989) (Office) References

DASH INCONSISTENCIES / DATES NOT LINING UP / SPELLING OUT SOME MONTHS BUT NOT ALL Volunteer, Big Brothers / Big Sisters of Midland May 2006-Present Member, Delta Sigma Pi Business Fraternity Sept – Present Recipient, SVSU Award for Excellence Scholarship Aug May 2012 Marketing Project, Saginaw Valley State Tennis Jan –May 2012 Volunteer, Sparky Stec Charities Jan to December 2012 Common Resume Errors PERIODS USED WITH SOME (BUT NOT ALL BULLETS) / DIFFERENT FONT STYLE / COLOR / SIZES ON RESUMES Men’s Varsity Basketball Team2012 thru Present Saginaw Valley State University Devoted 20 hours per week to athletics while carrying full course load of 30 credits per year. Earned all-conference defensive team honors

Not listing an actual SVSU major/degree Not listing anticipated graduation date Putting SVSU in “Saginaw” Bachelor of History 2011 – Present Bachelor of Accountancy Saginaw Valley State University, Saginaw, MI Minor: Political Science President’s List: Eight semesters Deans’ List: Fall 2013, Winter 2014 GPA: 3.55 More Common Errors

Resources available from Career Services Resume and cover letter building and critiques Online Tutorials Resume, Cover Letter, Interviewing, Job Search Strategies Mock interviews and interview coaching Network development Career fairs on campus exclusively for SVSU students to network with potential employers Internship/Co-op advising Job search strategies Developing personal brand On-campus student employment

Cardinal Career Network (page 3)

Career Services Cardinal Career Network Activity Summary (MAY 7, 2013 – MAY 4, 2014) Total Employers4,818 (+38%) New Employers*1,329 Total Contacts8,074 (+36%) New Contacts*2,137 Total External Jobs Posted*7,098 (+65%) Unique Student/Alumni Logins*7,958 (+13%) Total External Job Views*247,296 As of 8/25/14 we have 5,030 employers

Career Services Jobs by Position Type FrequencyPercent Career/Degreed 0-5 yrs experience3, % Career/Degreed 5+ yrs experience1, % Co-op1932.7% Full Time4, % Internship / Externship4576.4% On-Campus Student Employment2803.9% Part Time1, % Seasonal / Temporary3234.6% Volunteer410.6% *Jobs posted between 5/7/13-5/4/14 #Unique jobs posted = 7,098

Login at Cardinal Job Postings Recruited / posted exclusively for SVSU NACElink Extended Job Search National Association of Colleges & Employers Create Job Search Agents Personalize resumes/cover letters for positions that accept them in CCN Cardinal Career Network Tips

Internships Through Career Services Opportunities for all majors are posted for students the Cardinal Career Network Over 600 paid co-op/internship opportunities eachyear Pay ranges from minimum wage to over $20/hour Students interested in apply for co- ops/internships through Career Services must register with the office

Source: 2013 NACE Salary Survey

The Value of Internships Overall first-job offer to new college graduates with NO internship experience: $37,621 Overall first-job offer to new college graduates with an internship experience: $41,580 Difference of $3,959 Source: 2013 NACE Salary Survey

Career Services hosts seven Accounting & Finance (September) Fall University-Wide (October) Health & Human Services (November) Summer Job & Internship (January) Manufacturing / IT (February) Spring University-Wide (March) Education Fair (June) Increased employer registration by 60% in compared to Employers report “interpersonal skills” as #1 lacking skill If SVSU students gain a reputation for coming to employment fairs, MORE employers will come! SVSU Employment Fairs Brewing Issue: Last year, we had 340 employers visit and 1,380 students/alumni attend National best practice is 1:8 – we should have had 2,720 attendees

T H A N K Y O U Wickes Hall