Successful Resume Strategies

What is a resume? A personal summary of your professional history and qualifications. Career Goals Education Work Experience Activities and Honors Special Skills

Purpose of a Resume To get you selected for an interview Employers get their first impression of your professional standards and talents from the resume. What information would you most like to see on a resume if you were on a hiring committee?

Preliminary Research Find out Check with General job information Desired qualifications and skills Key values and words Check with One-stop Career Centers Internet Trade journals, magazines, and newsletters Directories Company literature

Identifying Information Put your name, address, phone number, and email address prominently at the top of your resume. Avoid using a nickname to identify yourself. Consider including your URL address or fax number if you have one. Use this heading on resume, cover letter, and reference page. KIMBERLY ANN HURST 1305 Palmer Drive, #1276 West Point, NE 68888 (402) 555 – 1706 khurst@server.com

Objective An “at a glance” picture of you and your career objective A good objective statement answers the following questions: What position are you applying for? What are your main qualifications for this position? How will these benefit the employer?

Examples of Objectives For practice, complete the Focusing Your Resume and Cover Letter worksheet: To utilize my [top two or three qualifications, strengths, skills] as a [position title] at [company name] Seeking a [position title] at [company name] using my [top two or three skills, strengths, qualifications]

Work Experience What goes in this section? Company or organization Location (City, State) Position title Dates of employment/involvement Descriptions of skills, knowledge or accomplishments

Example Cabinetmaker May 2002 – June 2005 Woodshop USA Anywhere, NE Set up and operated machines, including power saws, jointers, mortisers, tenoners, molders, and shapers, to cut and shape woodstock Built 15 furniture pieces, Queen Anne to Contemporary Designed, built and installed custom cabinets Delivered outstanding customer service Employee of the Month: August 2003, January 2005

Getting Started Using the Work Experience worksheet list the provide the following information starting with your most recent position. Position Company Dates

Describing Experiences Use Action Verbs which are more descriptive and powerful. Using the Action verb/Skills lists, go through and place a checkmarks next to all those words that apply to you. Now go back through and place a checkmarks next to words you think employers in your field would want see. Words with 2 checkmark should definitely be included on your resume! .

Developing your descriptions Answer the journalistic questions: Who?...With whom did you work? What?...What duties did you perform? Where?... Where did your job fit into the organization? Why?..What goals were you trying to accomplish? When?...What timelines were you working under? How?...What procedures did you follow?

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Guidelines Keep statements brief (under 12 words). Provide examples, quantify when possible. Avoid unnecessary repetition of action verbs.

Developing your descriptions Sample Before: Planned activities Questions asked: What kinds?, How?, When?, For Whom? After: Planned arts, crafts, activities, and exercises weekly for physically-challenged children

Making your descriptions match Column B Recorded OSHA regulated documents Conducted material purchasing and expediting Prepared weekly payroll Processed charge orders Column A Recording OSHA regulated documents Material purchasing and expediting Prepared weekly field payroll Responsible for charge orders .

Selling Your Skills Understated Answered phone Wiped tables Professional Acted as liaison between clients and legal staff Created healthy environment for customers and maintained positive public image

Education and Training Section Shows that you are capable of learning Includes: Apprenticeship training On-the-job training Special workshops and seminars Vocational schools Colleges

Example A College in Nebraska Anywhere, NE Associates in Applied Science Degree: Office Skills Technology (May 2005) Project Management Business Presentations Document Processing

Skills and Abilities Include skills that make you unique, such as computer skills, foreign language skills Be specific in describing your special skills; name computer programs you know, how long you studied a foreign language

General Resume Guidelines Limit your resume to one page. Keep a one-inch margin on all four sides. Do not write in paragraphs, use bullets. Use fonts between 10 point and12 point, and avoid fancy fonts. Use 8 1/2” x 11” resume paper in a light color (white, ivory, tan, gray). Print on laser or high quality ink-jet printer.

Resume Writing Tips Use simple, everyday language. Give examples. Be positive and enthusiastic. Be honest, don’t exaggerate. Don’t mention salary or wages. Don’t list personal references. Double space between sections, and single space within sections.

Electronic Resumes Email attachment, entered online, or scanned Use a “plain text” format Eliminate all text formatting Left justify all text Important to use key words

References Mary Delinsky Position title XYZ Company 123 Millard Avenue Include the names, addresses, and phone numbers of your references. Always ask permission before you include any information on your reference sheet. Give your references a copy of your resume so they will be prepared to talk to employers. This is a separate page. Mary Delinsky Position title XYZ Company 123 Millard Avenue Omaha, NE 67907 (402) 494 – 3723

What Is a Cover Letter? A cover letter expresses your interest in and qualifications for a position to a prospective employer.

What Should My Cover Letter Accomplish? Your cover letter should introduce the main points of your resume. It should also help you to “sell” your qualifications to the prospective employer.

Inside Address Address your letter to a specific person who is hiring. If unknown, send to a specific position, such as Director of Human Resources. Date Emma Markley Human Resources Director St. Luke's Medical Center 729 South Paulina Somewhere, NE 68612 Dear Ms. Markley:

Introductory Paragraph Your first paragraph should: Get the reader’s attention, stimulate interest, and be appropriate for the job you are seeking. Make your goal clear to readers. Preview the rest of your letter. Highlight the qualifications you will discuss throughout the letter.

Example My knowledge of public relations and proven communication and leadership skills make me a strong candidate for the position of Media Relations Coordinator that was posted on http://nejoblink.dol.state.ne.us/.

Goals of the Body Paragraphs Highlight your strongest qualifications for the position for which you are applying. Demonstrate how these qualifications will benefit the employer. Refer employers to your enclosed resume.

Detailing Your Experience Show (don’t tell) employers your qualifications. Include specific, credible examples of your qualifications for the position. Use numbers, names of equipment you've used, or features of a project that may apply to the job you want.

Example As a banking representative at Bank One, I provided quality customer service while promoting the sale of products to customers. I also handled upwards of $20,000 a day and was responsible for balancing the bank’s ATM machine.

Using Active Language—Don’ts Don’t be vague in your descriptions. Don’t use weak verbs such as endeavored, tried, hoped, and attempted. Don’t use sexist language such as chairman and manpower. Vague: I worked as a ramp agent at AirOne. Weak: I attempted to attract customers.

Using Active Language—Do’s Use concrete words to describe your experience. Use present tense to discuss current activities and past tense for previous job duties or accomplishments. Be as specific as possible in descriptions; list dollar amounts and figures when you can. Vague: I worked as a ramp agent for AirOne.  Specific: As a ramp agent, I assisted in loading baggage, oversaw fueling the aircraft, and stocked commissary items on the aircraft. Weak: I attempted to attract customers. Strong: I initiated a program to attract customers to Pizza Hut, which resulted in a 5% increase in sales for the month of June.

Concluding Your Letter Conclude by asking for a personal interview. Be flexible regarding a date and time for the interview. Be specific about how the interviewer should contact you. Include a thank you. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss these and other qualifications with you. If you are interested, please contact me at (317) 555 - 0118 any morning before 11:00 a.m., or feel free to leave a message.

Organizing Your Letter In general, cover letters should be no longer than one typed page. Organize your body paragraphs to emphasize your strongest and most relevant qualifications. Only include the two or three strongest qualifications from your resume. Make it easy for readers to scan your letter by beginning each paragraph with a topic sentence.

Mailing Your Letter With Your Resume Coordinate the design of your letter with the design of your resume. Be sure to send both to prospective employers; they both reveal different kinds of information about you.

Key Points to Remember Appeal to company values, attitudes, goals, projects, etc. Elaborate on the information in your resume. Provide evidence of your qualifications. Proofread carefully for grammatical and typographical errors. The cover letter and resume should be error-free.

QUESTIONS For further assistance contact: NE Workforce Development or your local college/university