1. Resume Writing

2. Workshop Objectives
Upon completion of this unit of work, participants will have a completed resume to use for job applications. /

3. Resume Guidelines
To make your resume as readable as possible you should:
Type your resume. Use a 12 point font.
Use one page of 8.5 by 11 inch paper. Use a quality heavy grade white, off-white, beige or light gray paper.
Write short, concise sentences.
Avoid being too technical. Use words that the person reading will understand.
Avoid using jargon or slang or acronyms.
Avoid bolding, underlining or italics.
Check your spelling and grammar. Have several people proof-read your resume.
Don’t crowd your resume. Leave lots of white space. /

4. Resume Guidelines
Proofread everything – a resume without errors is very important.
Include volunteer and extra-curricular activities on your resume, especially if they relate to your chosen career, or if they reflect positive personality attributes. This could include activities in your community, or skills that you have demonstrated in your neighborhood or at home (i.e., repairing your neighbor’s heater, installing a dishwasher).
Try to limit your resume to one page. Keep it short and to the point.
Only include an objective if you are very focused in your job search. You might consider using a Summary of Skills or Summary of Qualifications to really highlight your skills.
Include all pertinent information on your resume. For instance, if you drive a tractor-trailer for a living, rather than just talking about your truck driving, make sure you mention that you have a CDL (commercial driver’s license).

5. Resume Guidelines
Ask yourself the following questions when preparing a resume:
Have you had experience speaking to a group? For example: a company meeting/forum, community or social meeting/forum, faith-based meeting/forum, school presentations?
Do you have good writing skills?
Have you had anyone working with you? (e.g., an assistant )
Do you have project management skills? (e.g., organized a school science fair)
What sophisticated equipment/tools do you know how to use? (e.g. volt meter, special gauges, fork-lift, crane, certain power tools, any testing equipment in general)
What experience do you have in computer applications?

6. Resume Guidelines
Ask yourself the following questions when preparing a resume:
Have you been in charge of committees or team projects?
Have you ever organized a function or activity at work? In the community? In a faith-based organization? Recreation center? etc.
What licenses or certifications do you have? (e.g., safety/OSHA, welding, computer applications/programming, boiler seals, National Career Readiness, First Aid/CPR, Commercial Driver’s License)
What organizations do you belong to? (e.g., business, social, educational, faith-based, or community)
What honors/awards have you received (e.g., volunteer work, community work, winning/finishing a marathon, etc.) /

7. Resume Guidelines Research your target job
Look for job postings to get a good idea of the required/desired qualifications employers are looking for
Look for key words that continually appear in different job descriptions
Tailor your resume to the job for which you are applying by reinforcing the skills you have that are in the job description and using the key words
Don’t include skills/experiences that have no relationship to the qualifications or requirements of the job you are seeking /

8. Resume Guidelines Zero in on your achievements
Make sure you resume has an accomplishments-driven focus
Don’t rehash old job descriptions
Detail results and outcomes of your efforts
Example:
Before – Responsible for troubleshooting and maintaining workstations and systems
After – Improved system uptime from 91% to 99.9% for 350 corporate users through expert troubleshooting/maintenance
Use action verbs and phrases to describe your skills and experiences (e.g., solved problems, improved work processes, saved time, cut costs)
Use numbers, percentages, dollar amounts or comparisons to back up your statements /

9. Break
15 minutes
Return at ______

10. Resume Writing Activity
Review sample job descriptions
Write down your skills/accomplishments
Use a word-processing application (i.e., Microsoft Word) to create your resume
Share resumes with the class /

11. Open Discussion
Discussion-Comments to improve the quality of the resumes