Resume Writing 101

1. Resume Writing 101 • Tips for writing an effective resume • Goals • Objective • Chronological • Work History • Education • Skills • Volunteer activity • What to avoid

2. Fonts • http://career-advice.monster.ca/resumes-cover-letters/resume-writing-tips/the-proper-use-of-fonts-in-your-resume/article.aspx?WT.mc_n=Ycanada_YToday

3. Goals • The goal of your resume is to personally market yourself • You need to differentiate yourself from the competition, be creative, and illustrate the value and contribution you will make to an employer

4. Definition of an Objective • The objective will articulate what your job search goal is. It is targeted and should demonstrate what you are looking to gain from your position

5. Chronological • Put most recent events first! • What are my professional strengths? Think about feedback you have received from colleagues, and how you would describe yourself. Create a list, and then narrow it down to include the most persuasive selling points. • What qualities have made you successful in past positions? • What are you looking to gain from your next opportunity? • What contribution can you make to a company?

6. Education • List each qualification or certification, including the institution's name, date award was received, and honours if applicable. • If a diploma is in process, you can say "anticipated graduation date". • List additional training if relevant.

7. Work History • Outline your employment starting with most the recent position. • Focus on your accomplishments and contributions. Do not list every duty in your role, unless it is directly relevant to the job you are applying for. Mention awards and recognition. • Highlightleadership opportunities. • Be sure all dates are accurate. Some recruiters suggest including the months of employment; others say the years only are sufficient.

8. Volunteer • Include all volunteer activity; clubs, teams, associations

9. What to Avoid • Personal information such as age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, and health details. These are not relevant to the skills needed to do a job, and it is not legal for a hiring manager to ask specifics about these topics. • Religious, political or gender-related affiliations. Would this information make you more qualified for a job? Again, it is also not legal for a potential employer to inquire about these affiliations.

10. What to Avoid • References. This should be a separate document, provided to employers upon request. • Do not use the first person ("I" or "me"). • Resume templates. Although these forms often do not allow for too much creativity, I do like them, as they are well thought out and organized and designed by professionals

11. Formatting Tips: • Typically, a resume is 1-2 pages in length. Do not feel obligated to use an entire second page if you have extra space. • Be consistent with formatting throughout the resume. Check every indentation, bullet, header, font, and all capitalization.

12. After Your Resume is Complete • Proofread, proofread, and proofread! • Ask someone to review the document. A second set of eyes may pick up errors you didn't see. • Go through every line, and test yourself to see if you can back up the information. If you can't give a real example that justifies what you wrote, take it out! • Double-check the formatting. Email the resume to yourself to see how it looks on the receiving end.

13. Deal Breakers • In the eyes of a recruiter, the following can often guarantee a rejection letter: • Typos. • Grammatical errors. • Untruthful comments.

14. Finally • Sell yourself, truthful and positively • Make sure resume is in chronological order (most recent events first) • Be clear and concise • Avoid: personal info, religious info. Marital status, health info. Etc. (it is illegal to ask for this) • One to two pages in length, no errors, or typos, proofread and have someone else critique it

15. To Do • Open class folder and open document “Resume Reading 101 with questions”. • Read the material and answer the questions in the assignment

16. To Do • Create a resume following the rules established in the slideshows • Make sure you have a peer read it over and correct the resume before submitting for evaluation. • Save it and e-mail to a friend have them read it over and correct any errors. • Do not submituntil it is well proof read and corrected.