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Resumes and Beyond…. What Will a Resume Do For Me?. Ultimate goal: To gain an interview! A marketing tool to answer the employer’s question: What can you do for me?. What do employers look for when reviewing resumes?. RESUME STYLES. Chronological.
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What Will a Resume Do For Me? • Ultimate goal: To gain an interview! • A marketing tool to answer the employer’s question: What can you do for me?
Chronological • Lists work experience beginning with the most recent • Highlights career growth and development • Emphasis placed on duties and responsibilities related to each job
Functional • More focus on qualifications and less on past employers or job progression • True functional resume contains no dates • May be beneficial to someone just entering the job market with little work experience or not wanting to make their age obvious
Combination • Focus is on the skills and abilities that you have gained that would relate to the job you are applying for • Combines the flexibility and strengths of the chronological and functional resume formats
ScannableResumes • Text Based-no bullets or symbols • Employers use a database to quickly and efficiently match job openings with qualified applicants • Employers search by using keywords or phrases that describe the skills and education required for the position
How Do You Paste Your Word Resume Document Into a Website Resume Box for Online Applications? http://www.sutteronestop.com/pdf/ScannableResumeInstructionsSamples.pdf
The Nuts and Bolts of Your Resume • Font: Traditional business style-Arial, Courier, Times New Roman • Point size of letters should be 11 or 12 for most text and 14 or 16 for headings • Bolds, italics, underlines, bullets and capitalizations should not be used often
Content of Your Resume • Name • Phone Numbers • Email • Education
Resume Don’ts • Personal information such as height, weight, age, date of birth, marital status, sex, race, health, or social security number • The word “Resume” at the top of the page • Statement of when available • “I” or “My” statement s • Reasons for leaving previous positions • Photographs • Graphics
More Resume Don’ts • Exaggerations/Lies • Jargon/Slang • Abbreviations not easily identified • Salary History or Salary Expectations • Inaccurate dates of employment • Reference Names • Religion, church affiliations, political affiliations
Transferable Skills • The skills you have acquired throughout your life-jobs, volunteer work, classes, hobbies, sports, parenting-that can be used in your next job • Think of everything you have done in terms of how it is transferable to the job you are applying for • To know what skills to emphasize: • Research the company and the job of interest
Soft Skills • Skills related to your attitudes and behaviors that will show your potential for growth and team work skills (personality and social characteristics) • “People Skills”-not technical skills • Employers want to know: Do you “work and play well with others?”
What is a Summary of Qualifications? • Three or four brief statements that say why you are the right candidate for the job you are applying for • Statements should include experience and skills (transferable and soft) that relate to that particular job expressing your value to the employer
Accomplishment Statement • Highlights experience you have had in your work or volunteer activities where you were successful • Informs an employer of actions you took to handle a situation and the results that you achieved
References • Don’t bother with generic “letters of recommendations” • Never list names of references on your resume • Use good judgment when choosing references • Get permission • Collect all the details for each reference • Keep you references informed • Thank your references
Applications • Read and follow directions carefully • Have your own black ink pen • Always carry a copy of your resume • Fill in all spaces; use N/A if it does not apply • Salary-use “company policy”, “negotiable”, “flexible”
Applications • Be positive on all employment information-include gaps in employment and reasons for seeking employment • Always state specific job title instead of putting “anything” • Always go dressed as if you would be interviewed • Review for accuracy • Do not put “see resume” on employment history section-complete all information requested!
Tips for Ex-Offenders • The first question most often faced on an application form is: “Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If yes, give details.” • Recommended best response: Be truthful by putting “yes” and then follow up by putting “will provide details at the interview.” • Include a reference who can testify to how you have turned your life around-such as a prison minister, education officer, parole officer, psychologist • Seek jobs with employers who are known to work with ex-offenders
Cover Letters • Any time you send your resume to an employer it should be accompanied by a cover letter • Acts as an introduction for your resume • A sample of your writing skills • Should not repeat what is in your resume
Cover Letter Tips • Target the letter to the specific job • Business letter format • Send to appropriate person • Use as a tool to highlight skills • Check spelling and grammar
Tips for Individuals with Disabilities • Volunteer activities can lead to paid employment and can provide good work experience to be included on your resume • Consider staffing agencies to obtain work history and experience • Identify the most critical work-related barriers to employment to assist in deciding what jobs to apply for • Identify your strengths and focus on jobs in which you can use these strengths to benefit the company you are wanting to work for
Career Ready 101 • Keytrain Career Skills : • Effective Resumes (Writing an Electronic Resume) • The Application Process (Applying Online) • Finding Your Career: Writing a Resume www.careerready101.com/
National Career Readiness Certificate • Nationally recognized certificate that allows an individual to show employers that he or she has the basic skills they are seeking • Needs to be referenced on resume in Education section • Three skill areas: • Reading for Information • Applied Mathematics • Locating Information • Skill levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum • Keytrain Practice
Online Resources • www.quintcareers.com • http://owl.english.purdue.edu • www.rileyguide.com • http://careeronestop.org
What’s Next? Developing Your Resume in the Action Lab www.onetcodeconnector.org