Selling You! Resumes That Sizzle Patty Kirkley Career Counselor , ext. 212

Purpose  Your Resume:  Should sell you…  Tell potential employers what you can do  Share your knowledge, skills, and abilities  Win you an interview  Your Resume Should Not Be:  Your life story

Where to Start  Research jobs and learn what employers are looking for – use the web, newspapers, and other resources to learn about jobs, qualifications, and employers  Analyze your strengths and your skills, knowledge, and capabilities  Review sample resumes for ideas and formatting (Google).

The Basics  Resume Styles  Chronological: focuses on job history, most recent first  Functional: focuses on skills and accomplishments  Combination  Length of Resume  Long enough to sell your skills  Recent college grad: 1 page  Experienced professional: 2 pages  Senior manager or executive with lengthy experience: 3 pages or more

Nuts and Bolts for Resume  Main Heading  Objective  Summary of Accomplishments  Education  Work Experience  Skills and Abilities  Honors and Awards (Later, Professional Memberships)

Putting the Resume Together  Main Heading  Name  Address  Telephone Number (including area code)  Address (professional)  Objective (Optional)  Identify job you want, area of specialization, and type of company  Example: Entry level position as a Medical Sonographer in a mid-sized hospital where I make a contribution to quality health care

Putting Resume Together  Summary of Qualifications  Briefly and concisely present primary skills and accomplishments  Examples: “Care-giving professional with excellent interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and strong work ethic.”, or “Strong accounting and managerial skills with extensive knowledge of statistical processes.”  Education  Degree, date of graduation, and college/ university

Putting the Resume Together  Experience  If extensive and relevant experience, experience should be placed before education  Start with most recent employer  Include:  Employer’s name  Dates of employment (month/year)  Most significant title  Summarize your accomplishments and skills relevant to job you are targeting (use action verbs)  Try to quantify skills and accomplishments

Putting Resume Together  Skills and Capabilities  Examples: Computer literate, proficient with the Internet or other technology  Highlight exceptional talents such as customer service, team work, conscientious work, reliability, leadership  Awards, Honors, Activities  List separately if three or more  Include school, community, professional activities

Tips for Getting Get Past the 10 Second Glance  Make It Perfect  Proofread and carefully check spelling, grammar, and professional tone (clear and concise presentation of qualifications)  Focus on Readability  Select an easily readable font – Arial/Times New Roman  Leave white space (1 inch margins all four sides)  Choose good quality white or ecru paper (standard size, 24-pound)

How to Get Past the 10 Second Glance  Layout for visual appeal and ease of reading  If 2 pages, put name on both pages  Make headlines stand out (bold or cap) Use italics sparingly  Use bullets  Be brief, clear, and concise  Single space within sections  Double space between sections  Avoid art work or photos

Sell Yourself  Use action verbs to describe your skills, abilities, and qualifications  Translate your experience into what a prospective employer wants  Show that you have done research about the company and the job  Toot your own horn, but never exaggerate or lie (be honest and ethical)

Don’t…  Overdo use of caps, bold, or italics  Use personal pronouns or abbreviations  Include personal information(age, health, marital status, etc.)  Send out resume without a cover letter  List references on your resume (ask references and have on a separate sheet to take to your interview)  List salary history unless required on application

Optimizing for Technology  Many employers prefer submission of resumes via or online  Databases may be used to quickly and efficiently match job openings with qualified job seekers  Be sure to use keywords

Scannable Resumes o Use point font o Use standard typefaces and avoid underlining, italics, and bold o Put your name on first line o List each telephone number on separate line o Use smooth white paper with black ink and quality printing o Avoid double columns o Don’t staple or fold your resume

Maximizing Hits  Use industry or job-related keywords  Incorporate words from the job ad  Use typical headings (objective, education)  Watch abbreviations and use only common ones (BS for bachelor of science) or industry jargon (CAD for computer- assisted design)  Describe interpersonal skills  Use more than one page if necessary

Embedded Resume to  Follow tips for scannable resumes  Move all text to the left  Spruce up your resume by using horizontal lines to separate sections – leave adequate space  Save your resume in plain txt (.txt) or rich text format (.rtf)  Test your resume before sending

Three Essential Tools  Resume with Separate List of References  Cover Letter  Thank You Letter

Cover Letters  Use to tell employers who you are, why you are contacting them, why they should consider you  Ground Rules  Don’t repeat your resume  Carefully craft words (more subjective so more can go wrong than on resume)  Use good grammar and spelling  Always say “thank you”

Thank You Letters  Send immediately following an informational interview or a job interview  Send even if you do not receive a position for which you applied  Shows your command of business etiquette & graciousness