PREPARING A RÉSUMÉ

2 What is a résumé? A résumé is a summary of your employment history, education, and accomplishments. The purpose of a résumé is to present aspects of your life that are relevant to an employer. It is a marketing tool, as you are marketing yourself

3 Purposes of a résumé … An inventory of your experiences Helps you clarify your value as an employee Provides a summary for potential employer so they can evaluate whether you should be interviewed Used as a reference for questions by an interviewer Filed for future reference by a potential employer

4 Résumés at a glance … A résumé has one specific function: to get an interview! Employers need a quick way to reduce the number of résumés they need to read How? A 5-second glance can give an employer reasons to keep it or not

5 Will your résumé make the short list … Handwritten? Corners curled, paper wrinkled? Smudges, coffee stains, etc.? Design difficult to read? Spelling/grammar errors No postal codes, no telephone numbers? Definitely a NO! Into the basket! Not a chance! Haven’t the time! Pitch this one! Not wanted here.

6 Types of résumés … There are three main ways to organize the information on your résumé: Chronological Functional Combination Each type serves a purpose How do you know which one is best?

7 Chronological Résumé Use this format if you can show steady progress in your education and employment This is the best method to use when: The name of your last employer is important You want to find a job in the same area as your previous one Your job history or education shows growth and development

8 Chronological Résumé Structure Job objective or a personal profile Education, work and volunteer experiences (in reverse chronological order) Awards and accomplishments Information on interests References

9 CHRONOLOGICAL RÉSUMÉ

10 Functional Résumé Use this format when you have little or no actual work experience in the area in which you’re looking for work This is the best format to use when: You haven’t worked before You want to emphasize talents and skills you haven’t used in a particular job You’ve had a variety of jobs in the past which aren’t connected You’ve done mostly temporary work in the past

11 Functional Résumé Structure Job objective Skills and/or achievements Education, work and volunteer experiences (in reverse chronological order) Interests References

12 FUNCTIONAL RÉSUMÉ

13 Combination Résumé It is best to use this format when: Your education is an important part of your skills and your practical skills are limited Your background shows a wide range of unrelated skills Your work history isn’t reflective of you as a stable worker—you’ve held a lot of different jobs Your work history shows more time in other work areas

14 COMBINATION RÉSUMÉ

15 Parts of a Résumé NAME Do not use nicknames Highlight so it stands out: bold, larger font ADDRESS Use complete address Don’t use abbreviations except for the 2-letter abbreviations for provinces (i.e. NS, NB, PE) Put the postal code on a line by itself

16 Parts of a Résumé TELEPHONE/CELL NUMBERS Include area code Two acceptable styles are: (902) or ADDRESS Include it if you have one, giving the message you are computer literate Do not use an address that is inappropriate (i.e.

17 Parts of a Résumé OBJECTIVE An objective gives focus, direction and support to the body of the résumé It is an attention grabber Use an objective only if it makes sense; otherwise use a cover letter If you are “shopping for work”, you might use a Career Profile focusing on skills, achievements and character attributes

18 Parts of a Résumé EDUCATION List your most recent education first Include the name of the school and dates of attendance Include courses studied, particularly if your résumé is short Additional training courses and certificates should be included It is not necessary to include your junior high

19 Parts of a Résumé WORK EXPERIENCE List your most recent work experience first and work backwards Include dates, job title, employer, job responsibilities Try to think like an employer—what would you want to see as the reader of your résumé Use action verbs to tell what you have doneaction verbs Include volunteer work experience

20 Parts of a Résumé AWARDS AND ACTIVITIES List academic honours or certificates you received Stress extra-curricular activities and special achievements in sports, clubs, or other school activities These offer employers evidence of leadership, dedication and initiative

21 Parts of a Résumé SPECIAL SKILLS AND ATTITUDES Highlight the skills you have that relate directly to the position for which you are applying These may include specific computer applications, fluency in a foreign language, or special abilities you possess that are not necessarily part of your formal education Highlight attributes such as honesty, enthusiasm, and maturity—qualities that make you indispensable in the work place

22 Parts of a Résumé REFERENCES Think carefully about who can act as your references. Type the name, title, company, address, and phone/fax number of three to four references. Prior permission to use any individual’s name as a reference is a must and as a courtesy, inform your references that they may be contacted.

23 Who can you ask to be a reference? Someone from your school (teacher, guidance counsellor, coach, administrator). Someone you've worked for (summer, part-time or full-time employer). Someone you've worked for on a casual basis (babysitting, shoveling snow, delivering papers). Someone you've helped (as a volunteer or as a friend). Someone whose opinion is respected (community leader). You cannot use a relative!!

24 Résumé Dos and Don’ts DO Use only one font size (12 pt) and one font style (Times New Roman, Arial) Be consistent when using bold, italics, underlining Leave 2-3 blank lines between sections Use a good-quality paper Use white, off-white, ivory or cream-coloured paper DO Use power words (action verbs) Use a header including your name and page number on the second page Staple the pages with one staple in the top left corner PROOFREAD!!!

25 Résumé Dos and Don’ts DON’T INCLUDE YOUR … Age/birthdate Race Religion Marital status Sexual preference Social Insurance Number

26 Employer’s Pet Peeves About Résumés More than two pages long Coloured paper Spelling errors Handwritten corrections Old jobs that are not relevant Repetition Attempts to inflate responsibilities Fancy graphics Poor quality paper A photocopy of a photocopy

LET’S GET STARTED!!