Resume Writing

1. Resume Writing Presenters: Judy Taylor, Professional Counselor LaWanda Woods, On-Ramp Coordinator On-Ramp Program 2010

2. On-Ramp Program 2010 Overview • Understand the purpose of the resume. • Learn the different parts of a resume and how to build an effective resume. • Recognize your transferable skills and how to use them to overcome common obstacles. • Learn how resumes are viewed by employersand how you can get yours in front of the right people. • Avoid costly mistakes and red flags.

3. On-Ramp Program 2010 Past, Present, and Futureof the Resume • Standard resume is a 1-2 page document showcasing professional, employment, and academic history. • Past: 1-2 page word processor document mailed or faxed to prospective employers. • Present: Pervasiveness of Internet brought online job boards and other Web tools. • Future: Capabilities of the Internet will continue to change the way resumes are created, displayed, and transmitted.

4. On-Ramp Program 2010 The Resume of the Past • 1-2 page black and white document. • Emailed, mailed or faxed to employers. • Emphasized job duties • Written from perspective of what benefits the employee.

5. On-Ramp Program 2010 The Resume of the Future • Created, updated, and distributed online. • Links to blog, social networks, and company sites.

6. On-Ramp Program 2010 Anatomy of a Resume Video

7. On-Ramp Program 2010 Contact Information • Name should stand out. • Ideal: In capital letters and larger font than rest of document. • Address • Format: Street address, city, state, zip code. • Home or Mobile Phone • 10 digits with area code: 800-363-0307 • Email Address must be professional.

8. On-Ramp Program 2010 Objective Statement • The first step to creating a high-impact resume is determining what you're trying to accomplish. With a clearly defined career objective, you can write a resume that conveys the experience, skills and training that best serve your overall professional aspirations.

9. On-Ramp Program 2010 Sample Objectives Entry-Level Positions • Seeking an entry-level position in marketing utilizing my strong analytical and communication skills combined with a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing. • Recent university graduate seeking an internship with an online media company who can utilize my developed skills in communications and multimedia design.

10. On-Ramp Program 2010 Sample Objectives Experienced • To secure a business development position leveraging strong customer service and relationship building skills while utilizing over 11 years of business experience including 7 years of overachieving sales quotas. • Seasoned manager offering 20 years of progressive experience in functional staff management and consistent staff retention.

11. On-Ramp Program 2010 Objective Statement: Required or Not? Career changers and entry-level workers should consider incorporating their objectives into their resumes, because their goals may not be clearly defined by their work history alone.

12. On-Ramp Program 2010 Career Summary • A career summary is basically a summary of your positive points and aspects, and other attributes that you have, that would be beneficial to the employer.This gives the prospective employer a chance to glance through your profile in a single stroke and gauge how relevant your job skills are to the position that they are looking to fill.

13. On-Ramp Program 2010 Career Summary Tips • Tips for writing winning summary statements: • Emphasize personal brand by summarizing value added skills, experience, and accomplishments. • List 2-3 specific skills that relate to the position. • Be specific about your strengths and accomplishments. • Show how you saved money, reduced costs, or increased sales.

14. On-Ramp Program 2010 Career Summary Example • Project Manager: • Project manager with over 10 years of in-depth experience in the telecom business.Managed projects with a pre-allocated annual budget of 8-10 million and achieved goals.Leader in managing cross company teams efforts through effective and motivating mentoring strategies. • Areas of Expertise:• Voice over IP• Telecommunication• Wireless

15. On-Ramp Program 2010 Career Summary Example • Marketing Manager: • • An Internet Marketing Manager professional with 15 years’ experience in the Internet industry.• Worked on SEO, SEM, website development.• A proven record of developing new Internet business brands and strategies. Recently, completed a Master of Business Administration degree.

16. On-Ramp Program 2010 Recap Career Objective • Career objectives are short statements of interest created by a job applicant about a certain position. • The function of writing a career objective is to help you plan your career and figure out where you want to go professionally. Career Summary • Your Summary is your initial sales pitch to a prospective employer. • The Summary statement gathers the best elements of your resume – your abilities, skills, experience, accomplishments, and personal characteristics – and condenses them into a brief description of the best reasons for hiring you.

17. On-Ramp Program 2010 Professional Experience • List employers, job titles, and dates of employment in reverse chronological order. • Format: Company, Job Title, Responsibilities and Accomplishments, and Dates. • Include brief description of responsibilities and scope of job. Keep it within 1-3 sentences. • Use bulleted format to list job responsibilities. • Begin each point with a strong action verb.

18. On-Ramp Program 2010 Education • Education section covers academic credentials and any education that would apply to job you seek. • Typically placed below relevant work experience. • Format: Name of institution, city and state; degree awarded with major and minor; date degree was awarded. • List degrees in reverse chronological order, with highest degree first. • Do not include incomplete degree unless you include an expected graduation date.

19. On-Ramp Program 2010 Optional Categories • List additional information at bottom of your resume. Only include items relevant to specific position. • Awards and Honors • Format: Award title, date, awarding organization. • Professional Development • Certifications, licenses, and memberships. • Volunteer Experience • Emphasizes key skills not shown in work experience. • Work Samples and Publications • Can help you build portfolio and enhance your personal brand.

20. On-Ramp Program 2010 Keywords and Tags • Keywords are search terms recruiters and hiring managers use to filter resumes. • Using the right keywords increases the chances of your resume getting seen. • Information employers look for in resume database search: keywords, titles, companies, education, location, compensation. • Keywords often originate from job description. • Identify critical keywords. Use them prominently and frequently.

21. On-Ramp Program 2010 Resume Formats • Chronological • Functional • Technical

22. On-Ramp Program 2010 Chronological Resume Chronological resume format provides your work history dating back from the present. • Briefly describes accomplishments and successes that support your summary statement. • Stresses responsibilities, skills, and accomplishments. • The format calls attention to your recent job history and relevant experience.

23. On-Ramp Program 2010 Who Should Use Chronological? • Most job seekers will be using the chronological format. • You are staying within specific occupation or industry. • You have steady work history with few gaps. • Your career shows steady growth and development. • You have relevant work experience to the position you are applying for. • You are applying to a traditional field (accounting, law, finance) or organization.

24. On-Ramp Program 2010 Functional Resume Functional resume format stresses qualifications over specific employers and dates. • Organizes information around specific skill sets and supports skills with accomplishments and experience. • Directs attention to functional skills, strengths, and qualifications. • Allows you to customize content to match job position. Not confined by chronological format.

25. On-Ramp Program 2010 Who Should Use Functional? • Contract or 1099 workers. • You have a weak employment history. • You have unexplainable gaps in your employment history. • You are making significant career or job change. • You want to emphasize skills and abilities not used in recent experience. • You have held numerous positions in a short time frame. • You have been employed in highly technical positions.

26. On-Ramp Program 2010 Technical Resume Technical resume format is designed to emphasize your technical skills and strengths. • Lists computer, software, or specialized machinery knowledge early on. • Emphasizes hard skills over soft skills. • Focuses on Skills and Professional Experience sections. • Technical/Chronological vs. Technical/Functional • Most technical resumes follow chronological format but include summary of skills at beginning of resume. • Use functional format if you’re a technical worker who’s mainly been hired for project-based or contract work.

27. Overcoming Obstacles and Objections On-Ramp Program 2010

28. On-Ramp Program 2010 Baby Boomers Baby Boomers Applying for Jobs • Overcoming Objections • “Older workers are more costly.” • “Older workers need re-training and can’t learn new skills.” • “Older workers are over-qualified and will get bored.” • Advantages • When writing your resume, emphasize your knowledge and experience.

29. On-Ramp Program 2010 Military Military Transitioning to Civilian Workforce • Overcoming Objections • “Speak civilian, not military.” Translate military experience to understandable civilian qualifications. • Advantages • Modern and current skills and training. • Ability to work in a team. • Ability to adapt to change and handle pressure.

30. On-Ramp Program 2010 Recent Graduates College or High School Grads without Work Experience • Overcoming Objections • “Recent graduates feel entitled in the work place.” • “Recent graduates lack professionalism and strong work ethic.” • Advantages • Bring new ideas: Business thrives on innovation, so highlight your ability to apply new information and ideas to your work. • Hard working: Younger employees take spirited approach toward work, staying up late or working on weekends to complete tasks. • Affordable: Show value you offer the employer, and what they stand to gain by hiring you over someone more established.

31. On-Ramp Program 2010 Career Changers Job Seekers Who Are Changing Careers • Overcoming objections • “Has no experience.” Know and articulate transferable skills. • “Why does this person want to leave their current field?” • Advantages • Bring new and fresh perspective to the position. • Value added by bringing skills from other profession. • Other helpful tips • Do your research and change your resume accordingly. • Emphasize accomplishments in your previous career and stress your transferable skills.

32. On-Ramp Program 2010 View from the Inside

33. On-Ramp Program 2010 How Hiring Managers and Recruiters View Resumes • Location: If address indicates you live too far away—SKIPPED. • Stability: Depending on position, if you appear to be a job hopper—SKIPPED. • Education: If the job requires a degree, and you don’t have one—SKIPPED. • Companies: Previous employers with recognizable names or brands stand out. Make sure company names and subsidiaries are listed prominently.

34. On-Ramp Program 2010 Submitting a Resume • Emailing your resume • Most effective and common means of submitting resume to employers and contacts. • Use standard file formats: Word .doc and .pdf • Be direct and clear in your subject line. • Include title of position, word “resume,” and keywords in email. • Electronic screeners • Crack the code by using keywords highlighted in job description. • Use keywords throughout your resume. • Prioritize keywords so that those most relevant to position are at the top.

35. On-Ramp Program 2010 Posting Your Resume Online • Job boards • Keep resume current and updated. • Avoid posting confidential resume. • Social networks • Make sure information on resume and public profiles are consistent and professional. • Blogs and Websites • Control your professional presence online and be conscious of the image you are presenting to potential employers.

36. On-Ramp Program 2010 Social Networks • Great forums to promote your personal brand. • Join LinkedIn, add, and update work experience. • Keep profile information and resume consistent across multiple sites.

37. On-Ramp Program 2010 Blogs and Websites • On your blog or website, have a section about your personal brand. • Use Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to drive traffic to your profile and resume.

38. On-Ramp Program 2010 Guidelines for a Well-Written Resume • Use strong and concise language to communicate your skills and accomplishments. • Do not use personal pronouns: “I,” “me,” “my,” “our.” • Use professional language. Remove slang or localized terminology. • Shorten long and complex sentences. Leave out extraneous information. • Check grammar and spelling. • Beware of red flags. • Avoid other common mistakes.

39. On-Ramp Program 2010 Beware of RedFlags • Grammatical and spelling errors. • Too wordy or too much information. • Irrelevant experience. • False claims and over-embellishment. • Inconsistent work history or unexplained career gaps. • Email address is too provocative.

40. On-Ramp Program 2010 Any Questions?