Professional resumes Preparation of self-marketing tools

1. Professional resumesPreparation of self-marketing tools

2. Objectives • Understand the purpose of Resumes as self-marketing tools • Prepare a professional resume that best markets your unique skills • Consider how to tailor a Resume to suit different position requirements

3. Stand out from the crowd • Professional and effective resumes will help secure interviews. • Important it contains everything you want to say about yourself in the most concise and remarkable manner • Preparing your resume an excellent opportunity for you to conduct a skills audit

4. Resume always a “work in progress” • Don’t put off writing, or updating, resume • Resumes only one part of application • If kept constantly updated more time to dedicate to other aspects of application • Tailored to position will increase chances of getting an interview • Worth putting in the time and effort • Know what you can offer

5. Difference between CV and Résumé • Terms résumé and Curriculum Vitae (CV) often used interchangeably • Résumé a convincing introduction and summary of skills and experience with respect to specific field, industry, vacancy • CV is an in-depth record of your academic performance and credentials as well as your accomplishments to date

6. CV is your ‘master resume’ • Update continuously as career develops • Full history of education and career • Reference for preparing job applications – particularly for selection criteria • Resume succinct document that you provide to prospective employers • Take information from ‘master resume’, to prepare a resume tailored for the particular position

8. Competitive self-marketing documents • Employer may get dozens of resumes • Resume first thing employer sees of you • Important to market yourself correctly • Each application will get only a brief scan, as they look for the few candidates to call for interview

9. Quality document • Professional resume different to basic resume used when applying for casual and part time work • Professional resume requires more information on professional skills • Careful consideration of structure and content in order to represent you well to a potential employer

10. Important to keep résumé current • A lot of people will leave writing, or updating, resume until they have to apply for a job because they think it: - A fairly mundane task (it can be) - Can be completed easily (usually can’t) • Applications require a variety of documents – resume not the only one

11. Where to Start? • Like a good assignment, resume needs planning and thought put into the content • Your life is made up of significant events and from each event you have learnt something new that will be of interest to an employer • Need to examine your life

12. Transferable skills • Consider significant areas in your life • Put under headings like: academic life, work experience, travel, leisure and voluntary activities • Many students do part-time work while they undertake study • Don’t under estimate what you have done • Learn to identify and communicate what you have learnt from this • Knowledge and generic skills can be transferable between occupations

13. Resume structure and content Summary of skills and abilities from: • Personal details • Education qualifications • Work history (paid, unpaid, self employment and volunteer) • Professional associations and development • Extra-curricular activities • Community, sport and leisure interests

14. Headings • Personal Details • Career objective or professional summary • Qualifications (Tertiary & Secondary) • Professional Associations/ Licenses • Employment History • Achievements (not already listed) CQUni STUDENT SUPPOORT CENTRE, Careers and Employment Service

15. Headings cont… • Interests & Hobbies (relevant) • Skills/attributes summary (matrix) • Referees Others sections include: • IT Skills • Publications • Community involvement CQUni STUDENT SUPPOORT CENTRE, Careers and Employment Service

16. Personal details • Name, mailing address, contact numbers and email address • No personal details such as: DOB; marital status; number of dependants; gender • Australian citizenship or PR status may be required if applying for a government position

17. Career Objective or professional summary ? Career Objective - when seeking a Career change or a position different from your most recent job professional summary - if you are seeking a similar position to your most recent one CQUni STUDENT SUPPOORT CENTRE, Careers and Employment Service

18. Career objective • Approximately 100 words • Can be customised for each application • Include descriptive position title and your targeted industry • Can make brief reference to qualifications, unique attributes, character or work ethic • Should be meaningful and succinct • Should align with the role CQUni STUDENT SUPPOORT CENTRE, Careers and Employment Service

19. Example - Ineffective: "To gain employment in a company where my experience and knowledge can be used effectively”. Thisstatementdoes not communicate anything meaningful to the reader. CQUni STUDENT SUPPOORT CENTRE, Careers and Employment Service

20. Example - Effective: “Seeking a position as an international business management professional focusing on business development within the export industry. Ability to speak Indian, Chinese, Spanish and English will facilitate liaison with staff in subsidiary companies”. Tells position and industry you are targeting and defines a particular skill that might be required CQUni STUDENT SUPPOORT CENTRE, Careers and Employment Service

21. Educational qualifications • List in reverse chronological order with the dates on the left hand side • Show qualification you are enrolled in now as current and provide an expected graduation date • May provide Grade Point Average (GPA) or highlight three or four key subjects relevant to the position

22. Page one • Fit personal details, career objective (or professional summary), and qualifications on first page • Do not list of every subject/course - these are listed on your Academic Transcript • No secondary education if over five years ago

23. Employment History • Always start ‘employment history’ at the top of the send page • list in reverse chronological order using the same format as education • Most detail about your current job or one that is similar

24. Listing positions • Not obliged to list every small job • May list date of employment, position and company for less relevant positions • Don’t leave any blanks! If you have been out of the workforce then list those years and explain (eg: studying, child rearing, caring for elderly parents, etc).

25. Positions with similar duties • Don’t keep repeating long lists of dot points – particularly for hospitality • List the dates, position titles and organisations and then provide a single list of duties/responsibilities/skills • Employment history should take up two pages at most

26. Professional Associations/ Licenses • List professional associations and clubs • List any licenses you may have (eg: Blue card, Drivers licence, First aid certificate) • Could be useful to the position you are applying for – if current • If you have been personally invited to join associations like Golden Key, you should state this

27. Achievements • Can be extensive list of achievements as far back as secondary school • Way to personally market yourself as being an achiever • Two categories - personal and academic • Many people omit items they don’t consider important enough • Is important –your achievement

28. Interests & Hobbies • Interests, sports or hobbies may indicate that you are a team player • Don’t simply list - explain how you express those interests • Consider transferable skills • Think about your interests - what do they convey about you?

29. Interests example: • Athletics - Member of Gymnastics Club from 1999 to 2005 with regular attendance at training and district competitions.2001 District State Champion. • Conveys the message that the person can be disciplined, set goals, and strive to achieve.

30. Referees??? • List at least three referees – best if they are mentor teachers, LLMs, Principals, past employers (if relevant) • Inform referees in advance about positions you are applying for • Provide: Name, position title, Company, phone, email CQUni STUDENT SUPPOORT CENTRE, Careers and Employment Service

31. Referee example Professional: Joe Bloggs, Manager ABC Incorporated Melbourne 3000 Ph: (03) 2121 1212 Email: j.bloggs@abc.com.au

32. Titles Mr Mrs, Miss, Ms • Gender titles not required • Indicating marital status a very old fashioned and outdated concept, in Australian working environment • If name that could be interpreted either masculine or feminine, could consider Mr or Ms in front of it [eg: (Mr) Summer Rodriguez or eg: Ms Terry Ford].

33. If sending electronic files - File names • One resume mistake even the savviest of job seekers often make • Obvious, yet so easily overlooked • The filename you give your resume • Such a simple thing - can either support or detract from the first impression you're making on a prospective employer

34. Attachments names • Should be professional showing attention to detail (eg: MaryJones-MarketingAssistant.doc) • Attachments names ResumeVersion14.doc gives an impression of "Ho-hum, here we go again for the 14th time

35. Resume realities • Employers aren’t interested in what will make you happy • Employers want to know how you will make them happy • Should persuade reader it’s worth taking time to interview you • Layout should be visually pleasing, but clean enough to be readable when copied, faxed, or e-mailed

36. PRESENTATION • Presentation is critical • Should be clearly and neatly set out so that it can be scanned at a glance • Highlight your accomplishments, credentials and/or qualifications • It should be typed • Should not have any spelling or grammatical errors • Short & succinct • Be relevant and honest CQUni STUDENT SUPPOORT CENTRE, Careers and Employment Service

37. Don’t use….. • Coloured fonts, graphics or pictures unless the employer requests them. • In general best not to just use templates that you can find on Word or other programs (may adapt though)

38. Be consistent with your format and style Aim for visual appeal by using: • Clear headings bolded • Bold job titles and qualification titles • A footer containing your name and page number • Wide spaces between categories • Point format • Large margins CQUni STUDENT SUPPOORT CENTRE, Careers and Employment Service

39. Sections format (examples only) CQUni STUDENT SUPPOORT CENTRE, Careers and Employment Service

40. Be correct with spelling and grammar • Use ‘third person’ reducing ‘I’ and ‘me’ • Use A4, good quality white paper for a professional image • No fancy fonts, coloured or textured paper, extraneous swirls, curls, graphics • No folder - Just staple in the left corner • PDF for email CQUni STUDENT SUPPOORT CENTRE, Careers and Employment Service

41. Safe sites • Graduate Careers Australia • Hobsons GradCareers • Neither site provides templates or standardised resumes • Prefer applicants to display uniqueness with resume

42. Resume Summary…cont… • Keep a General Resume saved on your PC at all times – improve and update regularly • Remember to tailor the resume (particularly Career Objective) to the position • Consult your referees before listing – every time! • Make sure every word counts! CQUni STUDENT SUPPOORT CENTRE, Careers and Employment Service