1. Résumés How to craft your personal marketing tool How to craft your personal marketing tool

2. Before you start writing... Résumés are personal marketing tools so know your market Highlight skills, experience, and qualifications Research, Research, Research Get a job description Do some informational interviews Research the Internet (company site, Monster etc., America’s Career Info.net) It’s not about you... it’s about the employer

3. Grabbing their attention Focus on their needs Prioritize your information Utilize formatting “tricks” Bold, underline, ALL CAPS, bullets, white space

4. Résumé Types Reverse Chronological Experience focused Employer preferred Ideal for candidates with related experience Functional Skill focused Best for people lacking experience OR career changers

5. Skills Job Specific Employers like these because it means less training Transferrable Portable skills (communication, organization, leadership, etc.) Self-management Natural abilities (personable, hard- working, reliable

6. Professional Appearance Balance of text and white space Font’s size and style Size- ideally 11-12 pt. Style- choose one that is easy to read Aim for clean lines (tabs and tab stops)

7. Sections & content Contact Information Name (16-18 pt. bold) Full street address (Street spelled out, City, State (CA not Ca), ZIP Phone # email

8. Sections & Content (Cont.) Objective Keep it simple and mention two key elements: Position name and company name Summary of Qualifications (AKA- profile, summary, qualifications, highlights) Focus on job specific skills Should leave the impression that you are qualified

9. Sections & Content (Cont.) Education Name of the school Name of your major/degree Attendance dates if within past 10 years Other Components: Related classes training, GPA, clubs, sports, elected office, etc.

10. Sections & Content Reverse Chronological Experience (AKA Related Experience, Work History, Career Profile) Four main parts Job title Company name Dates of employment Listing of accomplishments, skills, and duties

11. Describing Accomplishments Many people focus on the basic duties of their former positions For instance: Customer Service, Cash Register, Cleaning Try focusing on your accomplishments instead “Provided exceptional customer service by utilizing proven active listening skills to address each customer’s individual needs.”

12. Sections & Content Functional Skills Focus on transferrable or self-management skills Utilize a variety of experiences and try to make universal DON’T list basic duties Experience List job, company and dates

13. Sections and Content (Cont.) Miscellaneous Volunteering Clubs or Professional activities Training Certificates Sports

14. Finally... Be sure you’ve avoided using personal pronouns (I, me, my) Ensure you’ve cherry picked keywords from the job announcement Be sure you’ve avoided: Focusing on race, giving marital status, giving away your age, or detailing your world view Double check your résumé for typos or grammatical errors

15. Cover Letters Sometimes called letters of introduction Useful in showing some personality AND your motivation for applying

16. Josh Woodward Phone: 895-2334 Email: woodwardjo@butte.eduwoodwardjo@butte.edu