Résumés

1. Résumés Selling Yourself

2. 7 Steps to Building Your Résumé

3. Step 1: Choosing a Format 3 Types of Résumés 1. Chronological – stresses time 2. Functional – stresses skills 3. Combination – incorporates best features of both

4. Chronological When to use & what is included: • No major gaps in your employment history • Work history is related and it reflects growth in the field • Made up of mostly work experience with a couple of other major headings indicating achievements, educations, etc.

5. Functional When to use & what is included: • Have skills that were not attained through your work experience or are not highlighted by using the traditional format • Entering the job market • Re-entering the workforce • Career change • Résumé would focus on skills, detailing how they were developed and accompanied by another sections

6. Combination (Chrono-functional) This is what the rest of this presentation focuses on!

7. Step 2:Personal Information • Use your full name, never a nickname (an initial is optional) • Name should be bolded, biggest thing on the page, and located at the top of page • Include: • contact number • current mailing address • e-mail address if you check it regularly

8. Step 3: Job Objective Indicates: • Position of interest • Relevant information to position • Be specific • general objectives confuse & frustrate employers • If including a cover letter, omit this section

9. Highlights of Qualifications • Emphasizes & summarizes your top selling points • Highlight the skills the employer is looking for (can take directly from a job ad) • Are specific, never general; want info to stand out & speak to the job ad/organization in question • Usually 4-6 points, one line each, in point form • Bad examples: • Good communication skills • Excellent computer skills • Better examples: • Excellent communication skills developed thru 2 + years experience in the customer service industry • Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, HTML, C++ & Java

10. Typical mistake: MUN, 2006 Completed a B.Sc Step 4: Educational Background • State education in reverse chronological order • All education/training is important and should be included. • Only include your GPA if it will help • Bold your degree, spell it out, include your major if you have one & place it above the institution Better: Bachelor of Science Degree (Chemistry) May 2006 Memorial University of NL St. John’s, NL Better: Electronics Engineering TechnologyDiploma May 2006 College of the North Atlantic Corner Brook, NL Typical mistake: CNA, 2006 Elec. Eng. Tech

11. Step 5: Work Experience • List in reverse chronological order stating: Job Title, Start Date-Finish Date, Name of Organization, City • Focus on skills, leadership roles and accomplishments

12. Step 5: Work Experience • Start each phrase with an action word Typical mistake: • I was the individual responsible for coordinating the….. Better: • Coordinated the… • If you have a lot of similar work, you may want to group them together • i.e.. Bartender, Waitress, Cashier, Research Assistant, etc…

13. Step 6: Optional Sections • Volunteer Experience • Awards • Professional Affiliations • Interests • Presentations • Publications • Additional Training

14. Step 7: References References inform prospective employers about: • Trustworthiness • Honesty • Dependability • Work Diligence and Habits • Career Goals • Quality of work performed

15. Tips on References Seek approval beforehand • Give references a copy of résumé and job description of position sought • Keeps them in the loop on what you’ve been doing & what job you are applying to. • References are not required on your résumé but if not included you should indicate “References Available Upon Request” on the bottom of your last page • If included, list on a separate page • Always give your references an out • Let them know you have other people you can ask of they are not comfortable

16. Additional Tips • Include name and page number on each page • Be creative but honest • Avoid Word/WordPerfect templates • Always have someone proof read for errors • Use action verbs to highlight responsibilities and accomplishments • Try not to exceed two pages (excluding references) • Leave some white space • Customize each résumé for every employer

17. Additional Tips • Do not include: - age, height, weight, religious or political affiliations, social insurance number • Avoid paragraphs - use bullet instead • Bold your headings and have a consistent spacing scheme • If you include your email make sure you check it and the address is professional • Invest in an answering machine

18. Contact Information • You are welcome to prepare your resume and submit it electronically for review to: • Jim Pelley: jdpelley@mun.ca (MUN) • UC – 4002A – 737-8690 • Chris Patey: chris.patey@cna.nl.ca (CNA) • Seal Cove Campus – 744-6841

19. Thank you For further assistance: MUN students & alumni can visit or contact the Career Development & Experiential Learning University Centre, UC-4002 (ph)737-2033 cdel@mun.cahttp://www.mun.ca/cdel CNA students & alumni can visit the Career Centre and/or the Student Development Officer on their campus http://ces.cna.nl.ca