Selling You! Resumes That Sizzle

1. Selling You!Resumes That Sizzle Patty Kirkley Career Counselor 586-4091, ext. 212

2. Purpose • Your Resume: • Should sell you… • Tell potential employers what you can do • Share your knowledge, skills, and abilities • Win you an interview • Your Resume Should Not Be: • Your life story

3. Where to Start • Research jobs and learn what employers are looking for – use the web, newspapers, and other resources to learn about jobs, qualifications, and employers • Analyze your strengths and your skills, knowledge, and capabilities • Review sample resumes for ideas and formatting (Google).

4. The Basics • Resume Styles • Chronological: focuses on job history, most recent first • Functional: focuses on skills and accomplishments • Combination • Length of Resume • Long enough to sell your skills • Recent college grad: 1 page • Experienced professional: 2 pages • Senior manager or executive with lengthy experience: 3 pages or more

5. Nuts and Bolts for Resume • Main Heading • Objective • Summary of Accomplishments • Education • Work Experience • Skills and Abilities • Honors and Awards (Later, Professional Memberships)

6. Putting the Resume Together • Main Heading • Name • Address • Telephone Number (including area code) • E-mail Address (professional) • Objective (Optional) • Identify job you want, area of specialization, and type of company • Example: Entry level position as a Medical Sonographer in a mid-sized hospital where I make a contribution to quality health care

7. Putting Resume Together • Summary of Qualifications • Briefly and concisely present primary skills and accomplishments • Examples: “Care-giving professional with excellent interpersonal skills, attention to detail, and strong work ethic.”, or “Strong accounting and managerial skills with extensive knowledge of statistical processes.” • Education • Degree, date of graduation, and college/ university

8. Putting the Resume Together • Experience • If extensive and relevant experience, experience should be placed before education • Start with most recent employer • Include: • Employer’s name • Dates of employment (month/year) • Most significant title • Summarize your accomplishments and skills relevant to job you are targeting (use action verbs) • Try to quantify skills and accomplishments

9. Putting Resume Together • Skills and Capabilities • Examples: Computer literate, proficient with the Internet or other technology • Highlight exceptional talents such as customer service, team work, conscientious work, reliability, leadership • Awards, Honors, Activities • List separately if three or more • Include school, community, professional activities

10. Tips for Getting Get Past the 10 Second Glance • Make It Perfect • Proofread and carefully check spelling, grammar, and professional tone (clear and concise presentation of qualifications) • Focus on Readability • Select an easily readable font – Arial/Times New Roman • Leave white space (1 inch margins all four sides) • Choose good quality white or ecru paper (standard size, 24-pound)

11. How to Get Past the 10 Second Glance • Layout for visual appeal and ease of reading • If 2 pages, put name on both pages • Make headlines stand out (bold or cap) • Use italics sparingly • Use bullets • Be brief, clear, and concise • Single space within sections • Double space between sections • Avoid art work or photos

12. Sell Yourself • Use action verbs to describe your skills, abilities, and qualifications • Translate your experience into what a prospective employer wants • Show that you have done research about the company and the job • Toot your own horn, but never exaggerate or lie (be honest and ethical)

13. Don’t… • Overdo use of caps, bold, or italics • Use personal pronouns or abbreviations • Include personal information(age, health, marital status, etc.) • Send out resume without a cover letter • List references on your resume (ask references and have on a separate sheet to take to your interview) • List salary history unless required on application

14. Optimizing for Technology • Many employers prefer submission of resumes via e-mail or online • Databases may be used to quickly and efficiently match job openings with qualified job seekers • Be sure to use keywords

15. Scannable Resumes • Use 10-14 point font • Use standard typefaces and avoid underlining, italics, and bold • Put your name on first line • List each telephone number on separate line • Use smooth white paper with black ink and quality printing • Avoid double columns • Don’t staple or fold your resume

16. Maximizing Hits • Use industry or job-related keywords • Incorporate words from the job ad • Use typical headings (objective, education) • Watch abbreviations and use only common ones (BS for bachelor of science) or industry jargon (CAD for computer-assisted design) • Describe interpersonal skills • Use more than one page if necessary

17. Embedded Resume to E-mail • Follow tips for scannable resumes • Move all text to the left • Spruce up your resume by using horizontal lines to separate sections – leave adequate space • Save your resume in plain txt (.txt) or rich text format (.rtf) • Test your resume before sending

18. Three Essential Tools • Resume with Separate List of References • Cover Letter • Thank You Letter

19. Cover Letters • Use to tell employers who you are, why you are contacting them, why they should consider you • Ground Rules • Don’t repeat your resume • Carefully craft words (more subjective so more can go wrong than on resume) • Use good grammar and spelling • Always say “thank you”

20. Thank You Letters • Send immediately following an informational interview or a job interview • Send even if you do not receive a position for which you applied • Shows your command of business etiquette & graciousness