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RESUMES. Joseph J. O’Hare Career Services Montgomery College-Takoma Park Campus 06/24/2013 for JobAssist.org. A R É SUM É IS …. A clear and professional summary of skills, education, and work experience, designed to get you an interview
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RESUMES Joseph J. O’Hare Career Services Montgomery College-Takoma Park Campus 06/24/2013 for JobAssist.org RESUME WORKSHOP: 06/24/2013
A RÉSUMÉ IS … A clear and professional summary of skills, education, and work experience, designed to get you an interview BUT NOT … A Biography ● An Application Form ● A Cover Letter (where you use personal pronouns like “I” or “We”) RESUME WORKSHOP: 06/24/2013
FORMAT …? • Prioritize readability: stick to font sizes of 11 or 12, not less. Be generous with space for a reader-friendly setup. Use bullets (●) to list duties and accomplishments • How long should it be? • Chronological Presentation? • Functional Presentation? • A Job OBJECTIVE can introduce the document: it shows the type of work you seek, and the skills, education, and work experience you have to offer: Seeking a staff management position where leadership skills, experience, and training can be applied. • A Job Objective would not be necessary for a career professional seeking to move within the same general industry. RESUME WORKSHOP: 06/24/2013
YOUR AUDIENCE • DIRECT YOUR RESUME TO THE SPECIFIC AUDIENCE – HIGHLIGHT THE RELEVANT QUALIFICATIONS. • BE PREPARED TO WRITE A SEPARATE RESUME FOR EACH POSITION YOU SEEK: THE MORE TARGETED YOUR DOCUMENT, THE MORE LIKELY IT IS TO RECEIVE ATTENTION. RESUME WORKSHOP: 06/24/2013
JOB SKILLS … Your SKILLS section can be a useful introduction, like the Table of Contents in a book HARD SKILLS … ● Microsoft Office, not “Computer Literate” ● Bilingual (English and Italian) ● Staff Recruitment, Training, and Evaluation Personality traits or SOFT SKILLS (like, dependable, hard-working, quick learner, able to work in a team or independently) may not be necessary. Your work history may already verify these qualities. RESUME WORKSHOP: 06/24/2013
CONTENT … For Work History … Job title, with name of the company/city and state location/dates of employment Office Assistant – XYZ Company, Olney, MD, 02/2010 – 08/2011 • You do not need to list the street address, office phone number, or name of your supervisor. • References are not included on the resume, but kept on a separate document. It is not necessary to say “References available upon request” –the resume indicates that you already have references. RESUME WORKSHOP: 06/24/2013
SUCCESS IS A SELLING POINT • Avoid listing routine tasks that would be associated with your profession. These are a given. • Instead, emphasize RESULTS: they get attention. Use the resume to show the outcomes for your work or activities: ● Increased customer satisfaction by 30%. ● Consistently achieved performance goals for sales and new accounts. RESUME WORKSHOP: 06/24/2013
WHAT ABOUT UNPAID WORK? • If you have useful experience as a volunteer, include it with your WORK HISTORY. • Provide job title/company/location. • Don’t mention that you were unpaid – just describe the duties and accomplishments. RESUME WORKSHOP: 06/24/2013
VOLUNTEER WORK • Keep volunteer experience recent: Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce, Silver Spring, MD – Business Recruitment Project, 2012 • Volunteer Activities from long ago do not add value: Six-Hour Red Cross Thanksgiving Drive, Derwood, MD, 2001 RESUME WORKSHOP: 06/24/2013
A NOTE ABOUT HISTORY… • You can leave out dates of college graduation if they go back more than 15 years or so. • It is sufficient to identify your accomplishment without dates: BA (History) – Temple University, Philadelphia, PA • If you have many years of employment history, you can go back just 10-15 years … you do not need to list every job. RESUME WORKSHOP: 06/24/2013
AND REMEMBER … • The resume is designed to get you an interview. It’s about what the employer needs – not just about you. • Show clearly what skills, education, and professional experience you have to offer -- reasons why you should be considered for the job. • Once you get hired, there’ll be opportunities to talk further about your needs, and where you want to go in your career. RESUME WORKSHOP: 06/24/2013
SOCIAL MEDIA • Social Media is increasingly the way that professionals network and post their resumes. • The value of “Social Resumes,” like LinkedIn profiles, are they serve as living documents, not static presentations. Through updates they allow personality and skills to shine through. • As online video becomes widespread, video resumes and screening will further transform the landscape. RESUME WORKSHOP: 06/24/2013
SITES • LinkedIn is currently the most popular site for professionals when it comes to social media resumes. • But other sites include: • WordPress, Tumblr, ResumeSocial.com, Razume.com, Ziggs.com or VisualCV.com. Pinterest can also be a good way to showcase qualifications and accomplishments. • Resumes cannot be set up readily on Twitter or Facebook, but it is important to maintain them as well. RESUME WORKSHOP: 06/24/2013
On-Line Formatting for resumes • Use the simple formatting. This may sacrifice some features such as tables, borders, or custom fonts. • Use fonts such as Courier so that each full line of text appears as the same width on the page. • Avoid tabs or indents; keep the document left-justified. • To emphasize words, use ALL CAPS rather than bold, or surround the text with ***asterisks*** or #other characters#. RESUME WORKSHOP: 06/24/2013
ARE COVER LETTERS NECESSARY? • While there is discussion about the continuing need for a cover letter, most experts see the value. • A well-written and targeted cover letter sets the candidate apart, and offers a sample of written communication. It is an excellent way to make a good impression on a prospective employer and illustrate qualifications for the job. RESUME WORKSHOP: 06/24/2013
HOW TO HIRE A RESUME WRITER • Careful choosing is essential if seeking help from a resume professional. Expect to pay for the quality of service you receive. • Choose a Professional Resume Writing Service, such as www.parw.com or www.thenrwa.com; you can also consult professionals in the field, HR, or industry associations. • Ensure a good fit with your needs – does the writer understand your particular requirements and goals? • Ask About Years of Paid Resume Writing Experience • Ask about Guarantees • Check Testimonials • Ensure social media aptitude. RESUME WORKSHOP: 06/24/2013