PRESENTED BY: BILL MINNICK, DIRECTOR NW CAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTER Résumé Writing 101

WHAT IS A RÉSUMÉ? The resume is a selling tool… Your resume has to sell you in short order… The most effective résumés are clearly focused and address the employer’s stated requirements for the position… You will need INFORMATION to write a good résumé…

POINTS TO CONSIDER  People don’t read résumés  Use action verbs  Don’t worry about punctuation  Emphasize skills  Résumés should be one page  Expand on relevant experience  Slant your résumé to the type of job you are applying

Recruiter Pet Peeves about Resumes  Spelling errors, typos and poor grammar  Too duty oriented – reads like a job description and fails to explain what the job seeker’s accomplishments  Missing or inaccurate dates  Missing contact Info, inaccurate, or unprofessional addresses  Poor formatting – boxes, templates, tables  Long resumes – over 2 pages  Long, dense paragraphs – no bullet-points  Personal info not relevant to the job  Misleading Information- especially in terms of education, dates and inflated titles

Recruiter Pet Peeves about Resumes  Poor font choice or style  Pictures, graphics or URL links  Not easy-to-follow  Resumes written with 1st or 3 rd person references  Burying important info in the resume

TYPES OF RÉSUMÉS CHRONOLOGICAL RÉSUMÉ

CHRONOLOGICAL RÉSUMÉS Lists your experiences in reverse chronological order with most recent first! Major categories include: Education Special Skills Related or Relevant Experience Awards/Activities References

CHRONOLOGICAL RÉSUMÉ  Most Commonly Used  Preferred by Employers  Highlights Positions, Jobs, Leadership Roles  Employers can “track” your record

Sections of the Résumé Heading Body Extra-Information

Heading Name and contact information 2 addresses are fine Do not use labels: “phone” and “ ” Make it look balanced Use a professional address

Examples of Good Headings

Examples of some not so good headings

Body The most significant/relevant information should be listed on the top half of resume Categories: Education, Skills, Related Experience Do not use paragraphs Use bullet points with action verbs Related experience should have: Title, dates of service, organization, city and state

Examples of Good Body Content

Some not so good examples

Extra-Information  Work History  References-Available upon Request

The purpose of a cover letter

Explain why you are sending a résumé Don’t send a résumé without a cover letter (unless you are explicitly asked to do so.) Don’t make the reader guess what you are asking for; be specific: Do you want a summer internship opportunity or a permanent position at graduation? Are you inquiring about future employment possibilities?

Tell specifically how you learned about the position or the organization Through a flier posted in your department, a specific directory in the Career Development Center, or their website A family friend who works at the organization It is appropriate to mention the name of someone who suggested that you write.

Convince the reader to look at your résumé The cover letter will be seen first. Therefore, it must be very well written and targeted to that employer

Call attention to elements of your background Education Leadership Experience—that are all relevant to the position you are seeking. Be as specific as possible, using examples

The Cover letter Reflects: Attitude Personality Motivation Enthusiasm Communication skills

Provide or refer to any information specifically requested in job advertisement availability date Special skills

Cover letter writing tips Personalize the letter Be natural Be specific and get to the point Be positive Be confident, but not arrogant Be efficient Type and sign your letter Be available-Indicate how you will follow up Proofread -Don’t depend entirely on the spell-check function of your computer

Generic cover letter example

Avoid I-I-I Focus less on you (I) and more on the results you can deliver. If you do nothing else, try replacing the words "I", "me" and "my" with "you" wherever possible. This will put the emphasis back where it belongs -- on the employer and his/her problems. Note the number of times "I" and "my“ appear: "I am enclosing my resume for your review because I am very interested in obtaining a full-time position as an Investment Banking Analyst at Ace Financial. I am well qualified for this position. In addition to the strong quantitative and analytical skills I have developed as an undergraduate economics major and in my work experience, I have a proven ability to stay focused for long hours under pressure." There are five instances of "I" and two of "my.“

Now, here’s that same cover letter, revised to focus more on the reader: "I am applying for the position of Investment Banking Analyst where my combination of economics training and high-tech experience will add value to your operations. You will gain from my strong financial background, which includes a recent bachelor’s degree in economics, coupled with experience researching and trading securities as a successful investor resulting in returns of 200%.“ Just one "I" and two "mys" -- a 57% reduction. With "you" and "your" thrown in twice for good measure.

Cover Letter with “I”

Corrected Cover Letter

Now What??? Develop a first draft of a résumé MyNWC-Career Development Contact the CDC and make an appointment to review your résumé your résumé prior to the appointment