Resume Workshop

Actuarial Career Fair October 4 from 3-6pm at Michigan League 21 Employers Internships, Full-Time Jobs ALL STUDENTS are strongly encouraged to attend, regardless of class standing

6 Sections of Resume 1 2 3 Personal Information Education Actuarial Exams 3

Work/ Leadership Experience 6 Sections of Resume Work/ Leadership Experience 4

6 Sections of Resume Technical Skills 5 Additional 6

Personal Information Technical Skills Additional Information Education Actuarial Exams Work/ Leadership Experience Technical Skills Additional Information

Section 1: Personal Information Use full name with preferred name in parenthesis International students may elect to use “American name” in parenthesis Street address, city, STATE ABBREV., Zip code Use permanent address, NOT University of Michigan address Use cell phone (or skype, if out of country) 888.888.8888 is also an acceptable format Umich email OR professional email Ex: Don’t use baseballstar1@aol.com

Education Technical Skills Additional Information Personal Information Actuarial Exams Work/ Leadership Experience Technical Skills Additional Information

Section 2: Education Part 1 First line same for everyone except class College of Literature, Science, and the Arts Spell out major next to it Minors/ other majors listed below No degree granted for minor so don’t include “Bachelor of...”

Section 2: Education Part 2 Include GPA if over 3.00 Rounding to 2 decimal places is fine just be consistent DON’T write 3.80/4 DO write 3.80/4.00 Include any awards Include club involvement in education section if not heavily involved/ don’t hold leadership positions

Actuarial Exams Technical Skills Additional Information Personal Information Education Work/ Leadership Experience Technical Skills Additional Information

Section 3: Actuarial Exams Format: Exam name (month and year of pass) Don’t need to list grades on exams Include VEEs If you have applied for all VEEs and received credit, write “obtained” (as shown above) If haven’t applied for all VEEs and/or have credit for 1 or 2, write “eligible for” Ex: Eligible for VEE credit in Economics and Corporate Finance Include course preparation for next actuarial exam and planned sitting date Illustrates to recruiter that you are still pursuing exams while in college Same goes for VEEs

Work/ Leadership Experience Personal Information Education Actuarial Exams Technical Skills Additional Information

Section 4: Experience Section Overview Most important section Experiences: internships, jobs, leadership positions in clubs, heavy involvement in clubs, etc. Focus on American experiences for International students Structure: Reverse chronological order, allocating more bullet points (2-3) to most significant experiences Format: ACR format, each bullet point fills 2-3 lines with final line filling 50% Focus: Include skills utilized/learned/developed that translate well to the actuarial profession and then explain how those skills made an impact on the company, community, etc.

Section 4: ACR Format Stands for Action, Context, Result Action Start with an action verb Use past tense unless it is a current task Avoid result verbs, such as improved, until the end of the bullet Recommended Verbs: Administered, Advised, Analyzed, Assessed, Calculated, Collaborated, Composed, Coordinated, Created, Demonstrated, Designed, Developed, Evaluated, Identified, Implemented, Instructed, Interpreted, Led, Managed, Organized, Planned, Prepared, Presented, Programmed, Projected, Researched, Solved, Standardized, Streamlined, Summarized, Trained, Verified

Section 4: ACR Format Stands for Action, Context, Result Context What was the situation? Recruiters need some background knowledge

Section 4: ACR Format Stands for Action, Context, Result Result Show impact Either quantitative or qualitative Make sure results are accurate May include expected results if activity is still occurring Be prepared to support your claims (recruiter may question it)

Section 4: Actuarial Work Experience Example Structure: Bullet was 2-3 lines and last line filled 50% Use numbers whenever possible Include title, company, location, and time of employment First bullet point ACR: Action: Utilized Excel Context: to prepare feasibility studies for 50 profit sharing plan sponsors Result: identifying appropriateness of adding defined benefit pension plans for 15 prospects Second bullet point ACR: Exercise!

Section 4: Non-Actuarial Work Experience Example IMPORTANT!!!! YOU DO NOT NECESSARILY NEED TO HAVE AN ACTUARIAL INTERNSHIP! RECRUITERS LOOK FOR SKILLS First bullet point skill: ability to communicate effectively with customers transfers well to consulting with clients Second bullet point skill: shows ability to handle conflict Both follow ACR format Source: Ross School of Business

Section 4: Club Leadership Example Follows ACR format Don’t necessarily need to be in a leadership position to include in experience section

Section 4: “Beginner Job” Example Follows ACR format Identify transferable skills First bullet point illustrates responsibility Second bullet point highlights organization skills

Section 4: Are high school experiences okay? For freshmen, absolutely! You are not expected to have significant experiences within your first week on campus For everyone else, try to avoid unless significant Ex: If you started a business in high school, include it Ex: If you were just a member of the debate team, try and avoid Remember, you can always include high school experiences in your additional section

Technical Skills Personal Information Education Actuarial Exams Work/Leadership Experience Additional Information

Section 5: Technical Skills Can divide into software and languages if you’d like Proficient indicates you are an expert. Safer choice is writing “Working knowledge in ____” Shouldn’t you list projects completed rather than listing skills? YES….but each resume is different In this example, John Doe identified Excel and Alteryx in his experience section so further information is not needed On the other hand, a computer science major will definitely want to elaborate Excel: Utilized several features (pivot tables, index-match, charts etc) to complete projects such as Project A and Project B at Company C

Additional Information Personal Information Education Actuarial Exams Work/Leadership Experience Technical Skills

Section 6: Additional Information Additionals should highlight specific, unique skills/interests that make you stand out Provides opportunity to share information outside of school, professional development, etc. Provides opportunity to connect with recruiter Can include high school information DON’T just list hobbies, elaborate! Include 2-5 additionals, it’s okay if they are only one line long

Additional Resume Tips Must-Haves Information must be ACCURATE Be prepared to explain/elaborate every single bullet point No grammar errors/misspellings - have friends, faculty, family proofread Be clear, concise yet easy to read Avoid personal pronouns (I, my, we) Resume should fill 2/3 - 1 page Limit white space Avoid periods at the end of bullets Nitpicky Avoid articles (a, the) Avoid subjective words, such as “effectively” and “successfully” Show you did it effectively, don’t say it

Sample Resumes Freshman: https://sam.math.lsa.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/SAM-Sample-Freshman-Resume.pdf Sophomore:https://sam.math.lsa.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/SAM-Sample-Sophomore-Resume.pdf Junior: https://sam.math.lsa.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/SAM-Sample-Junior-Resume.pdf Senior: https://sam.math.lsa.umich.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/SAM-Sample-Senior-Resume.pdf

Questions?