Resume Writing

What is a resume? Summary of your skills, education and experiences Highlights your accomplishments to show a potential employer that you are a qualified candidate

What is the purpose of a resume? HINT: It is not to get you a job! Its purpose is to get you an interview The interview provides you the opportunity to provide the necessary detail and elaboration to get the job

How long do employers typically look at a resume? Less than 30 seconds 3 minutes 1 minute CORRECT ANSWER: Less than 30 seconds!

What does this mean for you? PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD, PROOFREAD!!! Employers often receive hundreds of resumes for a single job They are looking for reasons to eliminate applicants…don’t let that be you!

How long should a resume be? Limit your resume to one page One inch margins 10-12 point font

Should I use complete sentences? No Utilize bulleted lists Use action words when describing previous job duties Remember…the key is to highlight important information!

How do I set up my resume? Your resume should be divided into distinct sections Utilize bold or italics to make important details stand out Key to formatting is CONSISTENCY! A clean and concise resume shows off your organizational abilities

Let’s look at an example… https://mrsmccullen.weebly.com/uploads/2/4/1/8/24185449/j._smith_-_sample_resume___ref_list.pdf Sample resume handout

What sections should be included on a resume? Heading Name Address Phone number Email address

What sections should be included on a resume? Objective One sentence explanation of the type of job you are seeking Specific to each job and/or employer Ex: To obtain a position as a Patient Care Technician at Sparrow Hospital For a generic resume, list type of job or job field you are interested in pursuing Ex: To obtain an entry level position in the health care field

What sections should be included on a resume? Education High School Eaton RESA Career Preparation Center at Lansing Community College Specify dates of attendance and/or anticipated graduation Include GPA (typically if it is a 3.0 or higher)

What sections should be included on a resume? Work Experience List employment from current/most recent to least Include the following for each employer: Business name Location (city and state only) Your job title Dates of employment (month and year(s) only) Your job duties (listed as action statements) Action words handout

What sections should be included on a resume? Skills Refer to the checklist that you highlighted at the start of class

What sections should be included on a resume? Activities/Awards/Certifications “Catch all” category List from current/most recent to least Include the following: Name of activity/award/certification Year(s) of participation/earned accomplishment

What are references? Group Activity 1. What are references? 2. Why do we need them? For what purpose(s)? 3. Who makes a good reference? 4. Who would NOT make a good reference? 5. How long should you know a reference?

Let’s look at an example… https://mrsmccullen.weebly.com/uploads/2/4/1/8/24185449/j._smith_-_sample_resume___ref_list.pdf Sample reference list handout

Let’s look at an example…

To sum it all up… Just like Nike spends countless hours (and millions of dollars!) on their latest advertising campaign  you must spend time creating, editing and perfecting your resume Don’t cheat yourself…work hard on it!