“Righting” your Résumé Central Piedmont Community College Career Services

1. “Righting” your RésuméCentral Piedmont Community CollegeCareer Services

2. What this workshop will cover • Purpose of a Résumé • Targeting Your Résumé • Specific Sections of the Résumé • Résumé Format

3. What isThe Function of a Résumé? • A summary of your qualifications • An advertisement or a form of persuasive writing that intends to evoke interest and action • Its most important function is to get an employer to grant you an interview

4. TARGET YOUR RESUME • Tailor your resume to the specific position that you are applying to. • Match the employer’s needs. • Create several editions for different positions. “In a recent study by Career Masters Institute, employers wanted resumes to show a clear match between the applicant and a particular job's requirements.”

5. Job Description Barnett & Falls Location: North Carolina-Charlotte Job Title: Legal Secretary Description:  Legal secretary needed for small criminal defense law firm. Communication and computer skills a must. Job includes answering phone, scheduling, writing checks and updating accounts with Quickbooks, letters, file creation and closing. Fluent in Spanish preferred but will consider all. Prior experience in law firm a plus, but not required. WHAT ARE THE EMPLOYER’S NEEDS?

6. Job Description Barnett & Falls Location: North Carolina-Charlotte Job Title: Legal Secretary Description:  Legal secretary needed for small criminal defense law firm. Communication and computer skills a must. Job includes answering phone, scheduling, writing checks and updating accounts with Quickbooks, letters, file creation and closing. Fluent in Spanish preferred but will consider all. Prior experience in law firm a plus, but not required.

7. JILL EHLI235 West Thayer AvenueCharlotte, NC 28203(704) 354-7982  JillEhli@yahoo.comObjective: To secure a legal secretary position with a criminal defense law firm where I can utilize my education and administrative experience.Summary of Qualifications:  Excellent interpersonal and communication skills  Fluent in Spanish  Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint; and Quickbooks  Attention to detail, follow-through and time managementEducationCentral Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, NCAssociate of Arts, Paralegal Technology, May 2007Relevant Coursework: Legal Research and Writing I&II, Criminal Litigation I&II, Spanish III&IVExperienceIntern, January 2004 – presentSmith Law Firm, Charlotte, NC Performed general office duties including letter composition, word processing, filing, telephones, and other duties as required  Interviewed clients, open files, draft petitions and letters, and file petitions at courthouse. Researched legal issues.Receptionist, December 1997- August 2004Charlotte Family Medicine, Charlotte, NC Scheduled Patient Appointments Translated for Spanish speaking students Prepared and filed invoices and compiled payments using computerized system.

8. A. Basic Categories for a Résumé • Contact Information • Objective • Education • Experience • References

9. Contact Information • Your Name • Street Address • City, State Zip Code • Telephone Number • Email Address Name is in a larger/bold font Appropriate answering machine Appropriate Email Address

10. Objectives • Objectives should include: • 1. The type of position you are seeking • 2. What setting (financial institution) • 3. Skills, Education, Experience that you will bring to the position

11. Objective Examples • “Seeking a Legal Secretary Position” • "Position as as Legal Secretary with Barnett & Falls” • “Seeking a Legal Secretary Position utilizing my communication and computer skills”

12. Education • Include degree, major, institution, actual or expected graduation date • Information on GPA is optional (3.0 or higher) • A subcategory of Relevant Coursework is optional (3-6 courses) • Academic Honors, Academic Clubs & Associations

13. EDUCATION Associate of Arts, Paralegal Technology, May 2004 Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, NC Relevant Coursework: Legal Research/Writing I&II Civil Litigation I&II Spanish IV

14. Experience • Include: position, employer, location of employer, dates of employment, and accomplishments • Focus on accomplishments that set you apart from other job candidates • Use a bulleted style to make your resume more reader-friendly • Do not limit yourself to paid experiences … volunteer work, lab work, clinicals, co-ops, leadership roles

15. Experience Formats • You will first need to determine a format: how the résumé is organized. • Chronological Format • List past employment in reverse chronological order by dates, with most recent experience listed first • Functional Format • Experience is summarized in skill categories rather than chronological order • Combination Format • Combination of the Chronological and Functional Format

16. Chronological Format EXPERIENCE • Intern, Smith Law Firm, Charlotte, NC August 2003 - present • Interview clients, open files, draft petitions and letters, and file petitions at the courthouse • Perform legal research • Administrative Assistant, Wachovia, Charlotte, NC May 1996 – August 2002 • Performed various office duties including letter composition, word processing, filing, telephones, and other duties • Verify accuracy of bills received and submit payment • Utilized computer system programs for scheduling appointments and inventory

17. Advantages of the Chronological Format • It’s the most common and traditional style. • Employers find it easy to understand. • It’s generally easier to write. • It emphasizes career laddering.

18. Disadvantages of the Chronological Format • Your most recent experiences may not be your most important or relevant experiences • Some students have little or no work experience • Some students feel that their work experience is unimpressive

19. Functional Format SKILLS • Communication • Fluent in Spanish • Communicated verbally and in written form to students, parents, teachers and administrators • Interviewed clients to obtain pre-trial information • Computer • Microsoft Office: Word, PowerPoint & Excel • Implemented Computerized Bookkeeping system • Proficient in Quickbooks WORK HISTORY • Intern, Smith Law Firm, Charlotte, NC, 08/03-present • Teaching Assistant, Bell School, Charlotte, NC, 02/99-08/02

20. Advantages of the Functional Format • Its useful when you want to emphasize abilities not used in recent work experience • Its useful when you are changing careers • May be useful when entering the job market for the first time • May be useful when you have had a variety of different, relatively unconnected work experiences

21. Disadvantages of the Functional Format • It may be more difficult to write • It may be confusing to the employer or create skepticism due to lack of context

22. References • Never list specific references directly on your resume. List them on a separate sheet, and even then, submit them only when specifically requested by an employer. • Indicate that they are available upon request • Three references are generally sufficient • Former Supervisors or CPCC Faculty • Ask permission and inform your references about your pending applications. Give them a copy of your resume for their reference. • Thank your references for their assistance

23. Additional Optional Categories • Summary of Qualifications • Computer Skills • Activities • Community Service • Languages • Honors • Affiliations or Memberships • Interests

24. Irrelevant and Controversial Information • Age or birth date • Picture • Marital status • Social security number • Complete addresses for past employers • Salary received from present or past employers • Health • Religious or political affiliations

25. Résumé Language • Résumés do not use complete sentences • Résumés avoid the use of personal pronouns • Descriptions should be concise and clear • Avoid acronyms, excessive adjectives, and cumbersome sequences • Do use action verbs (Consult the list of action verbs in the Career Guide) • Do use numbers

26. Layout • Résumés must be easy to read • Use eye relief techniques (capitalize category headings, underline or italicize job titles, indent, double space between entries, bullets) • Avoid fonts that are difficult to read • Don't use too many fonts or styles • Be consistent • Quality Paper • Uniform Margins • Length

27. Scannable Resume • Key Words • Left Align • Do Not Italicize, bold, or underline anything • Use asterisks in place of bullets

28. Reminders • Have a clear job target before writing your resume. • Tailor your resume to each specific position. • Limit your resume to 1-2 pages. • Do not allow any misspelled words or typographical errors on your resume. • Make sure the resume looks neat and attractive. • Avoid technical jargon or abbreviations. • Begin sentences with power verbs. • Have your resume critiqued by a career counselor.

29. Additional Resources and Assistance • Obtain a critique from a career advisor • Consult examples from books in Career Services • Resume Tutorial http://www.quintcareers.com/resume_tutorial/resume_tutorial_map.html • Resume Resource for Job Seekers http://www.quintcareers.com/resres.html