1. Communicating your Career on Paper Teresa Evans, PhD, Director of the Office of Career Development & Brigitta Glick, SPHR, Founder and CEO, Provenir

2. What is a Resume? 1-2 page document. An account of work experience, education, qualifications, objectives, personal qualities and special skills. It is usually the first item a potential employer sees about you and therefore is very important! The resume’s main purpose is to get you an interview!

3. Resume Writing Guidelines

4. Formatting Tips, Part I Length – 1-2 pages Use two font throughout Section in 1 and text in another. Use BOLD to emphasize only the most important features of your resume Acceptable type sizes are 10, 11 and 12 pt. Be consistent with tabs, dates and other formatting features

5. Formatting Tips, Part 2 Decide on an overall design scheme – bullets or paragraphs? Aim for neatness and readability Is the resume professional-looking and inviting to read?

6. Common Resume Sections 1. Personal Info 2. Objective 3. Summary 4. Education 5. Work Experience 6. Special Skills 7. Memberships/Honors/A wards 8. Volunteer Experience

7. Name should stand out. Can vary the placement of name, address, phone number, email address. List only one phone number. Professional-sounding voice message Professional email address Common Resume Sections 1. Personal Info 2. Objective 3. Summary 4. Education 5. Work Experience 6. Special Skills 7. Memberships/Honors/A wards 8. Volunteer Experience

8. Short and sweet is preferred. Example: “Seeking position as elementary school teacher.” Specific vs. general objective Can be phrase or sentence. 1. Personal Info 2. Objective 3. Summary 4. Education 5. Work Experience 6. Special Skills 7. Memberships/Honors/A wards 8. Volunteer Experience Common Resume Sections

9. Could also be called: Profile, Qualifications, Highlights Should be tailored to the job in question via the job description Example: “Extensive knowledge of computer hardware, computer communications, and systems engineering. Strong team- building, multitasking and communication skills due to four years sales experience. Quick learner and effective decision-maker.” Common Resume Sections 1. Personal Info 2. Objective 3. Summary 4. Education 5. Work Experience 6. Special Skills 7. Memberships/Honors/A wards 8. Volunteer Experience

10. List graduation with honors or high GPA Most recent degree or current study first List expected date of graduation. List options, minors and certificates. Common Resume Sections 1. Personal Info 2. Objective 3. Summary 4. Education 5. Work Experience 6. Special Skills 7. Memberships/Honors/A wards 8. Volunteer Experience

11. Current or most recent job experience first Not all jobs need to be listed-Be sure there are no gaps. If there are you must explain them. List job title first. Include employer’s name and city. Use bullets or paragraphs to detail job duties. Each descriptive phrase should begin with an action verb. If using bullet format, no more than 5 bullets items per job. Common Resume Sections 1. Personal Info 2. Objective 3. Summary 4. Education 5. Work Experience 6. Special Skills 7. Memberships/Honors/A wards 8. Volunteer Experience

12. Work Experience/Work History Part 2 Prioritize the order in which you describe job duties, with the most relevant ones listed first. Remember to list all internships. It doesn’t matter if you were paid or not – good experience is good experience! Put those at the top most related to job applying for.

13. Skills could be featured in the Summary section, or in a separate section that highlights special areas, most usually Language skills Example: “Bilingual: English/Korean” Computer skills, listing known computer programs 1. Personal Info 2. Objective 3. Summary 4. Education 5. Work Experience 6. Special Skills 7. Memberships/Honors/A wards 8. Volunteer Experience Common Resume Sections

14. Include memberships in campus and community organizations. Make special note if you held an office. Include dates. If listing a scholarship, indicate its name and who awarded it to you. Don’t forget to list national associations. Common Resume Sections 1. Personal Info 2. Objective 3. Summary 4. Education 5. Work Experience 6. Special Skills 7. Memberships/Honor s/Awards 8. Volunteer Experience

15. Volunteer experience can be listed. This indicates roundedness of interest and character. Include dates. 1. Personal Info 2. Objective 3. Summary 4. Education 5. Work Experience 6. Special Skills 7. Memberships/Honors/A wards 8. Volunteer Experience Common Resume Sections

16. Key to Creating a Successful Resume TAILOR IT!

17. Tailor your resume Your resume should be targeted to the specific job you are applying for. The job description helps you customize your resume to the employer’s needs. Make sure the employer doesn’t miss out on your most marketable assets: put them in priority order in the top half or top two-thirds of the resume.

18. Example Job Description

19. Tailored Resume

20. Summary of Qualifications

21. Questions?