1 RESUMES American Corner Volgograd, Russia August 10, 2003

2 Purpose of Resume  Summarize personal accomplishments  Sell yourself  Spark enough interest to gain an interview

3 Resume Format Chronological Resume (not skill based)  Individual Identification  Education  Experience  Additional Data

4 Identification  Name use common name  Address  Phone number  Personal address

5 Education  Degrees in reverse chronological order Major or Concentration Clubs and activities; leadership roles Ranking in class, if applicable Scholarship if significant - include basis for scholarship, # selected out of # of applicants, and % of tuition Academic honors, awards Volunteer work Sports

6 Experience  Reverse chronological order  Name of company and division, title, city, state, dates of employment (years, not months)  General overview statement, sentences, of job (basic responsibilities found in a job description) and also of company (a $3M manufacturer of paper clips), if necessary, before accomplishment bullets  Accomplishment bullets - Detailed, action oriented, results focused statements (may omit for less recent jobs to conserve space; must have at least two bullets)

7 Example TEXAS WINE AND GRAPE GROWERS ASSOCIATION Executive Director. Directed marketing, education and legislative strategy for a trade organization, representing an industry with $118M annual economic impact for the state. Improved member services through participation in the design and launch of web page to disseminate time sensitive information in cost effective method. Redesigned turnkey production of marketing collateral, resulting in cost savings of 56%.

8 Experience: Accomplishment Bullets  Project or accomplishment specific with action and result  Action Focus on business language and tasks that are meaningful to reader  Avoid company specific/military terminology, acronyms and jargon  Use terms familiar to that industry Accurate representation of individual responsibilities Use specifics - client names if appropriate, # of people supervised, size of budget, titles of those presented to, etc.); however, avoid unnecessary specifics (don’t list the 20 products you managed or the specific names of the 5 events that you organized rather focus on the tasks required to complete those activities)

9 Experience: Accomplishment Bullets  Results Quantify results where possible: increased revenue, decreased costs, cycle time reductions; if not quantifiable, list intended goal of project (“in order to increase customer satisfaction”)  Begin with powerful, past tense verb(s) -s, facilitated Avoid vague words such as “Responsible for” or “Duties included” Verb(s) should comprehensively articulate scope (Implement versus conceptualize and implement) and should accurately articulate responsibilities (coordinate versus manage)  Keep most bullets to one sentence  Refrain from using pronouns (I, we, my)  List bullets in order of importance or in chronology if necessary for logic (ex. 5 steps to a deal - list them in order)  Overall, does your resume sell skills  Language should convey leadership and teamwork simultaneously

10 Experience: Accomplishment Bullets

11 Experience: Skills Worth Highlighting  Leadership  Working in teams and coordinating between departments (“cross-functional”)  Problem solving/analytical  Interpersonal and communication  Pattern of accomplishments  Strategic thinking and planning abilities  Global (cross-cultural) orientation  Results orientation

12 Additional Data  Activities, clubs, volunteer work unrelated to education/prior jobs  Professional affiliations and accreditations  Include computer skills if asset but do not include basic Word, Excel, PowerPoint (example: Argus in real estate industry)  Include interests but avoid controversial material such as political or religious affiliation or other issues of contention  Foreign language - include fluency level  Dual citizenships; include citizenship status if U.S. Citizen and if work experience or undergraduate institution is non-U.S.  Current, up-to-date information is best  Nothing too “cute”

13 Guidelines for Resumes  One page only, ample white space  Minimum of 11-pt. Font  Minimum of.8 margins (1” on the left for binding in book)  Perfect spelling and grammar (there are errors that spell check misses)  Do not abbreviate  Consistent use of punctuation  Not necessarily comprehensive - stress recent  Use action verb phrases, not complete sentences (start with verb, omit “the, a”)

14 Additional Information  Can have different resumes for different functional interests; attach specific resume to position in software system during ‘drop’; cover letter optional in software system  Always include cover letter when sending resumes independently  Can include ‘Accomplishments’ section before Education  Scannable resumes - limit use of bold, italics, underline, bullets, tabs, tables; include keywords for searches

15 Process  Write down all of your accomplishments and activities during your career What is quantifiable? What skills does each demonstrate?  Analyze the job or program What skills are they looking for?  Structure your Resume to sell.