KEYS TO A WINNING RESUME!

KEYS TO A WINNING RESUME! Career Services Department ITT Technical Institute Albany, NY

The Resume is: A tool to market yourself so that you can get the interview! An expression of you (showcases your skills/qualifications & accomplishments) The first thing a recruiter or hiring manager looks at in the hiring process ( usually for maximum of 30-60 seconds) What will truly make a difference in the type of job you will get What is a Resume? YOUR TICKET TO AN INTERVIEW!

RESUME FORMATS • CHRONOLOGICAL- ( preferred format to use) • FUNCTIONAL– ( May be used by some people if appropriate) • Scannable – ( Every job seeker needs to have a scannable version)

CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME • Organized by your employment history in reverse chronological order covering the past 5-10 years. • Start with skills and education

CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME • The chronological resume is preferred by the widest variety of employers, as well as by recruiters and many of the Internet job boards. • It is “Reader Friendly” • Clearly demonstrates your job history and career advancement/growth.

FUNCTIONAL RESUME • For job seekers with limited work experience, a checkered job history, or a job history in a different career field • Organized by skills and functions clusters • communication skills • leadership skills • technical skills • customer service skills • Works best for homemakers returning to the workforce, new graduates without any prior work experience, or individuals with wide employment gaps

SCANNABLE RESUME • You should use a machine scannable resume only if the employer requests one • Also known as a text or scannable resume • Highlights keywords – words relevant to a specific job or field. May include specific skills, software, hardware, industry specific tolls, certifications, etc. • Useful because many employers now utilize applicant tracking systems to store candidate information and resumes. Search later for open positions. Database scans key words. • FORMATTING • KEEP IT SIMPLE! • No italics, no underlining, no shading, or other unusual enhancements. No bold or ALL CAPS. It's unnecessary; the scanner does not differentiate between this and other font styles.

Heading Objective/Profile Education Skills/Qualifications Work Experience Others (i.e. professional associations, training, certifications, volunteer experience, military experience) Leave references off (should be in a separate document) RESUME SECTIONS

Name Address Phone Number(s) E-mail Address (should be professional) HEADING NEVER include personal information such as photos, height, weight, gender, marital status, nationality, or religion (illegal for employers to use this information in hiring decision). BE CREATIVE. This is an advertisement for you.You want your resume to stand out from the rest.

OBJECTIVE • The objective tells the employer what you want to do and what you have to offer. • The objective should be general yet geared towards the job you are seeking. • Should not be self-centered – employers want to know what you can do for them!

EDUCATION • Begin with your current or most recent educational experience. • Your anticipated graduation date • Include grade point average (3.0 or higher), academic honors, and any other awards. • Also include relevant courses/projects ( ex. Capstone, Techfest) • Include any certificates completed or concentrated coursework.

SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS/SPECIAL PROJECTS • Separate into categories: • Computer Skills • Technical Skills • Leadership Skills • Customer Service Skills

WORK EXPERIENCE • Begin with your most recent employer • Entries should include: • Company Name, City, State • Dates of Employment ( Month and Year) • Position Title ( Bullet and Can Italicize) • Description of job duties (3-4) • Use bullet form • Use ACTION/POWER words (i.e. developed, trained, converted, reduced, increased, assisted, provided, coordinated, implemented, achieved) • If you’re no longer employed at a certain organization make sure that the position description is in the past tense

Internship Experience • Internship Experience will be under Work Experience Heading • Same format as the work experience • Company Name, City, State • Dates of Employment • Position Title ( Ex. Network Administrator Intern) • Description of job duties

VOLUNTEER WORK COMMUNITY SERVICE • Use experiences you may have in the following: • Volunteer work for local community center, clubs, organizations, etc. • Good to use if work experience is limited.

REFERENCES • Do NOT include references on your resume. Use a separate a reference page. • References available upon request on the bottom of your resume • Three types of references: • Educational (teachers, coaches, etc.) • Professional (previous managers or supervisors from jobs held) • Personal (NO family members – do not list personal references unless specifically requested to do so.)

KEYS TO A GOOD RESUME • Short and Concise • Visually Appealing • Error Free (proof read for grammar, punctuation and spelling) • Quality paper and printing ( Resume Paper) • Honesty Source: Employment Techniques in the 21st Century

EMPLOYERS USE OF RESUMES • Scan quickly to determine whether or not to interview • Look at education, skills, experience • Develop interview questions • Assess communication skills • Transferable skills (i.e. initiative, high energy, communication and time management skills, leadership ability, ability to multi-task, team player, work under pressure, analytical skills, etc.)

FINAL POINTERS • Ensure that your resume is error free – proofread, proofread, proofread! Be sure to catch all spelling errors, grammatical weaknesses, unusual punctuation, and inconsistent capitalizations. • Make appointment with career services or a professor to review resume/offer suggestions. • Do not lie! • Update resume as you acquire new skills/experience. • Save a backup copy of your resume. • Use one font type. • Highlight accomplishments.

Your Resume is a self-promotional document that presents you in the best possible light, for the purpose of getting invited to a job interview.

KEYS TO A WINNING RESUME!