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Resume Writing

Resume Writing. Career Development Center. Museum Building Room 440 8-5 Monday-Friday208-282-2380 www.isu.edu/departments/career/career.htm Career Counseling available Idaho Falls. What is a Resume?. First piece of “advertising” employers see about you

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Resume Writing

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  1. Resume Writing

  2. Career Development Center • Museum Building Room 440 • 8-5 Monday-Friday208-282-2380 • www.isu.edu/departments/career/career.htm • Career Counseling available Idaho Falls

  3. What is a Resume? • First piece of “advertising” employers see about you • Condensed summary of education and experience • Showcases skills learned in educational and work settings that are of value to employer • Sends messages regarding written communication skills, attention to detail, critical thinking, professionalism • HOW you describe skills and experiences often as important as the skills and experiences themselves • No “right” way to write a resume

  4. Types of Resumes • (REVERSE) CHRONOLOGICAL • Most commonly used method • Be sure to arrange resume placing most related experience first • FUNCTIONAL OR SKILLS • Emphasizes related skills • Actual positions held less important • SCANNABLE • Newer form of resume writing • Often used by larger companies to screen resumes • “No frills”, use of keywords, different formats apply

  5. Sections of a Resume • Contact Information • Objective • Education • Related and non-related Experience • Activities/Honors/Memberships, etc

  6. Contact Information • Include name, address, phone, e-mail • If you have campus and permanent address, be sure to include both and indicate dates at each address • Can include Web address if applicable • Be sure to have professional answering machine message and make other household members aware of your job search

  7. Objective • One to two lines, sometimes optional • Clarifies and connects skills on resume to targeted career path • Appropriate to leave objective off if resume and/or cover letter clearly reflects specific occupation • Components of Objective: • type of position being applied for • preferred work environment • skills you’d like to utilize in position • Example: “A position as a financial analyst with an international company using French speaking abilities”

  8. Education • Main information to include: • All degrees in reverse chronological order including name and location of institution, graduation date • Major, Minor, Emphasis, GPA if above 2.5 • Additional information • Related coursework if supplemental to experience • Applicable skills including computer, technical, or foreign languages (may also be separate section) • Academic honors, scholarships, or awards

  9. A Note on Job Search Ethics • RULE #1: DON’T LIE • Inaccurate or misleading information on resumes, cover letters, or in interviews is dishonest and often grounds for employment termination • Background/employment/transcript check can occur after hiring • O.K. to have gaps in employment, low GPA, or poor employment record: have resume reflect strengths and be prepared to discuss weaknesses in interview

  10. Experience • “Experience”: Any opportunity to develop skills related to professional world of work; can be paid, internship, or volunteer experience • May want to divide into separate sections indicating experience related and not related to professional goal • No subject words (I, me, we, etc); start sentences with action verbs • “Frontload”: employer may only look at top 2/3 of resume and first 2 bullets, place most important information where most likely to be read. • Utilize jargon of field, state outcome/results of role • Include position title, organization, location, date

  11. Activities,Memberships,etc • List activity in school or community organizations • NOTE: if held leadership role in activity, might be considered “related experience” • Memberships in professional organizations • Academic honors, special certifications, interests that apply to professional goal or might make you more interesting to employers • Include dates of membership, positions held

  12. The Cover Letter • Explains in detail why you are applying for position • Opportunity to further develop and explain work-related qualifications • Don’t describe experiences in cover letter that aren’t on resume • Resume is key to interview, cover letter is key to resume • Should be written in standard business letter format

  13. Parts of a Cover Letter • 3 basic parts to cover letter: • Introductory paragraph explaining how you heard of position, why you are applying • Body paragraph or two highlights experiences you feel especially qualify you for position and explains interest in that employer: refer to job description to target skills desired by employer • Right and Wrong reasons to desire employment with particular employer • Closing paragraph: state confidence of applicable skills, thank employer for time, state interest in follow-up, leave contact information (phone, e-mail)

  14. References • 3-5 references preferred • Good references: professors, past employers and supervisors • Poor references: family members, any individuals who know you in non-academic or non-professional roles • Ask permission from references, give them copy of resume • Include name of reference, position held, organization, work phone number and address • Education majors: Credential file

  15. Resume Mechanics • High rag-content (linen) resume paper • readily available fromTotal Copy Center, Kinko’s • white, light grey or blue, off-white (conservative) • can bring printer copy or disk to have resumes copied in desired quantities • resume, cover letter, references all same paper • 11-12 point fonts, Ariel or Times Roman best, using laser printer • Avoid underlines, italics, or folding resume if scanned • Consistent margins and format, balance of white and dark space • Most resumes 1 page only

  16. General Resume “Do’s” • Limit description of experiences to 4-6 sentences, in bullet or paragraph format • Have 2-3 people proofread for typos and spelling errors • Have resume critiqued by Career Development Center staff before multiple copies made • Allow sufficient time in job search for revision of resume as needed • Be patient and open minded: most people inexperienced in writing resumes will need to revise a few times

  17. General Resume “Don’ts” • Include personal information including age, marital status, number of children, religious affiliation, etc. or include a photo • Print resume using dot-matrix or ink-jet printer, or use non-black ink • Attempt to personalize your resume using fancy fonts, logos, etc • Use short, non-descriptive statements or repeat sentences verbatim throughout resume • Include references on resume • Wait until last minute to have resume critiqued

  18. How the CDC can help • Can make appointment with Career Counselor for resume review or help “getting started” • Extensive paper and internet resources available • “Job Choices”: free publication covering all aspects of job search • Walk-in Hours for resume, cover letter critiques and other quick questions: 11-1 Monday-Friday, 5-7 Tuesday • Career Connections resume template

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