Resumes Class Workbook

What is a Resume? o Resumes are job search tools that show potential employers who are you. o They summarize your knowledge, skills and abilities. o The goal of your resume is to lead you to a job interview.

Why Write a Resume? o Most employers require applicants to submit a resume. o Without one you may not get considered. o The average amount of time an employer spends skimming a resume is 20 seconds. o Make sure you design a resume that looks great and grabs your reader’s attention.

Creating a winning resume can make the difference between ending up in an employer’s “to be interviewed” pile or the “not interested” pile.

Resume Types o Four different types of resume styles. o You will be creating a combination style (which combines chronological and functional). o You will highlight and sort all of your work experience, education, and skills with the most recent first. o You will also incorporate unpaid experience, such as volunteer work.

Resume Headings o You use headings to organize your resume. o Headings should reflect the information that the reader will find in that section.

Contact Information Although “Contact Information” isn’t included as an actual heading, clearly that information must be included on your resume.

Contact Information o Includes your name, address, phone number(s) and . o Could be formatted creatively as a personal letterhead. ** Remember: Always be professional. Don’t include inappropriate addresses. If your current isn’t professional, create a new one.

Examples

Job Objective

o This is a short statement about your career goal or employment objective. o It can help focus readers by letting them know what kind of work you are looking for. o Try to avoid wordy job objectives, stick to the position you are applying for.

Examples

Skills & Qualifications

Skills o You need to make your skills stand out if you want to catch the employer’s attention. o The most effective resumes contain skill headings with three to five bullets that provide solid examples of your accomplishments. o To add strength to your skills, begin the sentence with an action verb. (See action verb hand-out sheet).

Skills o Some sample skill headings are as follows: o Communication Skills o Customer Service Skills o Administrative Skills o Construction Skills o Health and Safety Skills

Example

Qualifications o Should provide an employer with a picture of your most important and relevant qualifications. o You want to highlight key qualifications that make you a good candidate for the position. o Usually includes three-to-five key points you want an employer to know.

Qualifications o It is very similar to skills, which is why we are combining them. o You might have awards and accomplishments that you want to include in your resume. o These will be included in a more appropriate section under “Certificates and Awards”.

Example

Education

o List your education, including formal schooling (high school) and informal education (workshops, seminars). o You do not need to include your elementary or junior high schools. o List in date order, with the most recent first. o List any special courses that might relate to the job. o Avoid listing grades on your resume.

Examples

Work & Volunteer Experience Work Experience and Volunteer Experience should be separated, but both are formatted in the same way.

Work Experience o Summarizes all of your work experience with the most recent position first, then in date order going back in time. o Make sure the formatting is consistent. o Work Experience should include information such as: o Job title o Company Name o Company location (city, province) o Dates of employment o Duties/description of what you did o Major accomplishments

Example

Volunteer Experience o Outlines skills or abilities that have come from volunteer activities. o Try to keep it organized based on most recent date.

Example

Extracurricular Activities

o This is whatever hobby, interest, or club you are interested in outside of the classroom. o Play sports? List the teams you play for. In the school play? List the production information. Sing in the choir? List the concerts you performed at. o Try to include the dates of participation.

Example

Certificates & Awards

Hobbies & Interests

o When listing interests, you should make sure that they relate to the job you are applying for. o If you are applying for a job as a mechanic’s helper and you enjoy working on cars then that would be an appropriate interest to list.

Example

References

o Your references always appear last on your resume. o You can either include them at the very end, or you can create a separate sheet just for your references. o You should have three (3) references.

References o Remember: o You cannot use family members. o You must ask your references for permission before using them. o Choose good references. Make sure the people you choose are going to say good things about you.

References o Information to Include: o Full name o Job title or relationship to you o Company they work for o Address of company o Home number o Work number is possible

Example

Resume Tips  Proofread!  Use clear fonts with font size between points.  Use white space.  Be clear and concise.  Keep your resume up to date.  Keep your resume brief enough to fit on one-two pages.

DO NOT… o Include experience from too far back. o Make your margins and font size too small. o Include personal pronouns (e.g. I, me, we) o Include personal information, physical characteristics, or photographs on your resume. o Include experience from too far back. o Make your margins and font size too small. o Include personal pronouns (e.g. I, me, we) o Include personal information, physical characteristics, or photographs on your resume.

Final Words  Now that you have gathered the information needed to do your resume, you can get on the computer and make one!  Remember, you will have to choose a FORMAT once you start typing. Whatever you choose, maintain consistency throughout.  Check for spelling and grammar !  Now that you have gathered the information needed to do your resume, you can get on the computer and make one!  Remember, you will have to choose a FORMAT once you start typing. Whatever you choose, maintain consistency throughout.  Check for spelling and grammar !