10/13/20151 How To Write A Resume…

10/13/20152 What is a Resume A resume is your calling card A resume highlights your experience, skills and accomplishments A resume motivates an employer to interview you A resume communicates your value to an employer The interview gets you the job, the resume gets you the interview!

10/13/20153 The 20 Second Test… In about 20 seconds, a perspective employer will quickly scan your resume… If your resume makes a positive first impression, s/he will read the rest of your resume…

10/13/20154 Critical Categories Contact information Education Skills/Qualifications Employment History

10/13/20155 Contact Information Name (largest font) Address, City and Province Telephone Number Cell Number Address

10/13/20156 Education State current grade and school State graduation date or anticipated graduation date If you have attended more than one school, list most recent education first Academic honours

10/13/20157 Skills and Accomplishments Describe accomplishments or skills acquired through work, school or other activities Should be relevant to the job you are seeking  Computer programs  Languages  Communication Skills  Interpersonal Skills  Organizational Skills

10/13/20158 Skills and Accomplishments Example for Entry Level Position Computer literacy with knowledge of MS Word Ability to type 30 words per minute Excellent communication skills and able to get along well with peers and co- workers

10/13/20159 Skills and Accomplishments Bilingual in English and Spanish Good organizational and planning skills Prompt, dependable and responsible Quick learner and enthusiastic worker

10/13/ Computer Skills List software programs and level of expertise List number of words typed per minute for keyboarding

10/13/ Employment History Reverse chronological order (most recent first) Include  Job title  Name of company and city & province  Do not list address or telephone number  Dates of employment (month/year) Duties and responsibilities  Think ACCOMPLISHMENTS not just job duties  Use bullet points  Tie in skills required for the position that you are seeking

10/13/ Special Abilities Special abilities  Are you bilingual?  Do you know sign language?  If yes, list under skills.

10/13/ Volunteer or Professional Affiliations Extracurricular activities or Volunteer work  Only use if relevant to the job you are seeking  Ex: Vet Tech applicant who volunteered for an animal shelter  Ex: Management applicant who was president of his class or school group

10/13/ Do’s of Resume Writing Format One page – VERY IMPORTANT!!!! Short phrases, not complete sentences – easy to read and understand Indented or bulleted statements Bolding, different size fonts Your name - largest font

10/13/ Do’s of Resume Writing Content Uses action words to define the responsibilities of your job-related experience Must always be 100% truthful Typed NOT Handwritten Proofread for grammar and spelling

10/13/ Resume Don'ts Don’t list references Don’t list gender or personal information Don’t include salary information Don’t use “I”, “My”, or “Me”

10/13/ Resume Pitfalls Poor layout or appearance Poorly typed and reproduced Misspellings, bad grammar, poor punctuation and wordiness Lengthy phrases, sentences Too boastful or dishonest

10/13/ Resume Pitfalls Irrelevant information Critical categories missing (ex: education) Hard to understand Unexplained time gaps