Resume Workshop

A presentation brought to you by the MBA Department

What is a resume?
A resume is a personal summary of your professional history and qualifications. It includes information about your career goals, education, work experience, activities, honors, and any special skills you might have.

What is a CV?
A Curriculum Vitae (CV) resembles a resume in many ways, but is more specifically focused on academic achievements. A CV summarizes educational and academic history, and may include details about teaching experience, publications (books, articles, research papers, unpublished manuscripts, or book chapters), and academic honors and awards. Use a CV rather than a resume for teaching or research opportunities, applying for fellowships or for further academic training

A Resume
is the first meeting between you and the employer. tells a great deal about you. gets you the interview. is your calling card, so remember that First impressions are lasting ones.

What an employer looks for?

What are they looking for? Quantifiable results. Present your results effectively. Be a S.T.A.R! Situation Task Action Results

What should I put on my resume?

Follow the three tenets of resume writing:

Every resume has a purpose Everything on your resume supports that purpose The items that best support your purpose come first.

Be sure to include some attitude in your resume

Team Player Involved with Contributed to Served on Volunteered to

Resume Categories Identification

Name Biggest thing on the resume Full Address May need current & permanent Phone number with area code Email (Make it professional!) One that sounds professional! Website If you have a personal one to share

Resume Principles
Convince employer that you are worth an interview Keep as brief as possible without sacrificing essential qualities and qualifications

General Guidelines
Length: It is best to limit an entry-level resume to one/two typed page. Be as concise as possible in stating information in each section of your resume. Font: Avoid fonts smaller than 10 point and larger than 12 point. Paper: Use 8 1/2 x 11 20 lb paper. Print your resume with a laser or high quality inkjet printer.

Objective Statement
One to three sentence summary of your area of expertise and career interest. Write as complete sentences or as descriptive phrases with minimal punctuation. Relate your existing skills directly to the job you are seeking. Demonstrate what you can do for the company rather than what they can do for you.

Objective - Be specific
To obtain a responsible position as a chemical laboratory technician with a progressive company that encourages the professional development of its employees.

Objective Statement
Avoid over generalized statements: A position allowing me to utilize my knowledge and expertise in different areas. Avoid statements that focus only on what a company can do for you: A position where I gain experience in working on biological problems. Make the statement as specific as possible: A position which allows me to apply my background in engineering and high performance computing to biological problems.

Presentation Overview
Prep Steps What to Include Types of Resumes Resume Categories Writing the Details Putting It All Together
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Prep Step 1: Know what you have to offer

Think functional skills & personal qualities
SAMPLE FUNCTIONAL SKILLS
Advising people Analyzing data Auditing financial records Budgeting expenses Compiling statistics Coordinating events Corresponding with others Creating new ideas Delegating responsibility Designing data systems Editing publications Handling complaints Interpreting languages Interviewing people Investigating problems Listening to others Managing projects Mediating between people Motivating others Negotiating contracts Organizing people & tasks Persuading others Planning agendas Programming computers Promoting events Recruiting people Reviewing programs Running meetings Selling products & services Speaking in public Supervising others Teaching classes Writing for publication

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Prep Step 1: Know what you have to offer

Think functional skills & personal qualities
SAMPLE PERSONAL QUALITIES Assertive Attention to detail Authentic Candid Committed to growth Cooperative Curious Dynamic Empathic Enthusiastic Expressive Firm Flexible Generous Hard working Honest Loyal Open-minded Optimistic Patient Persistent Perform well under stress Poised Resourceful Respectful Sense of Humor Sincere Spontaneous Tolerant Versatile

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Prep Step 1: Know what you have to offer

Think functional skills & personal qualities Build your list of
work experience academics volunteer work classes course projects activities clubs languages technical skills and so on

Try it now! List at least five activities / experiences.

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Basic Principles
No ugly resume format. must be pleasing to the eye. Do not lie, exaggerate or use words that the interviewer has to look up in a dictionary. Focus on strengths and accomplishments.

Education
This is an important section for recent college graduates or students seeking internships or summer jobs. Beginning with the highest level of educational achievement, include information such as university attended, degrees earned, major, minors, grade point average, date of program completion, and so forth.

Employment Experience
Include positions you have held which are related, in some way, to the job you are seeking. These might be both paid and volunteer positions. Be creative with this section of your resume by describing and emphasizing your experiences in the most relevant way possible.

Action Phrases
Hospitality Intern (May 1999-August 1999) Mountain Jacks, Lafayette, IN * Oversaw the planning, production, preparation and prompt delivery of food * Assisted in training and retaining new and experienced employees * Created a positive and healthy atmosphere in the restaurant

Action phrases will help you avoid being too brief and from understating your qualifications. Think about your qualifications as a professional would.

Activities and Honors

Include relevant activities and honors that you could discuss with your prospective employer or that have given you valuable experience or skills.

Specialized Skills
Include skills that make you unique, such as computer skills, foreign language skills, or military service. Be specific in describing your special skills; name computer programs you know, how long you studied a foreign language, or your dates of military service.

References
In general, do not include the names and addresses of your own relations as references on your resume. Choose professional references rather than character references. Employers and professors who know you and your work are the best references.

Reference Sheet
Dr. Mary Delinsky Heavilon Hall, Room 226 Purdue University West Lafayette, IN 47907 (765) 494-3723 Dr. Delinsky is my current academic advisor in the Creative Writing and Science Fiction Program.

Include the names, addresses, and phone numbers of your references. Always ask permission before you include any information on your reference sheet. Consider giving your references a copy of your resume so they will be prepared to talk to employers.

Organizing Your Resume

Organize your resume to highlight your unique skills and strengths. Use whatever combination of organizational styles you think best highlight your individual qualifications. The most common resume styles are: reverse chronological functional skills imaginative

Reverse Chronological Resume Style

Present your education and work experience in chronological order, beginning with your most recent experiences.

This style is best for

people whose job experiences closely parallel the positions for which they are applying or for those who have not had periods of unemployment time between jobs.

The Functional Resume

When would you use this type?
When you dont have a lot of experience in the specific area of work for which you are applying

What is the general outline of this type?

Group your skills and qualities into 3 or 4 functional areas Strengthen your skills and qualities by listing where you acquired them

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Functional Resume Style

Organize experience by type of function performed. Under each, give specific examples. Highlight experiences that directly relate to the job you are seeking. Ignore experiences that do not relate to the job for which you are applying. Place things in order of importance rather than chronological order.

The Hybrid Resume

When would you use this type?
Your most related experience is not your most recent, OR You have related experience and want to add special emphasis to your skills and qualities

What is the general outline of this type?

Resume is organized by skill categories Under each category, experiences are in chronological order
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Resume Categories - Other

Qualifications Highlights Summary Work Experience Management Experience Research Experience Leadership Experience Other Experience

Relevant Courses Course Projects Honors & Awards

Computer Skills Professional Associations / Memberships Languages Community Service
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Skills Resume Style

Emphasize what you can do rather than where you have worked. Try to match your skills to the position for which you are applying. This style is ideal for people who have gained valuable skills from a variety of unrelated experiences.

Imaginative Resume Style

Acts like a mini-portfolio because it demonstrates a combination of layout, graphics, text integration, and audience selection. Make sure a company is open to this type of resume before submitting it. This style is ideal for people looking for a job that demands creativity, such as graphic design or landscape architecture It is appropriate to use color graphics on an imaginative resume, but the cost of duplicating will be increased.

Miscellaneous Information
Take advantage of the on-campus Career Services department to seek advice on other information to add to your resume. Special skills or competencies. Leadership experience in volunteer organizations. Participation in athletics

Putting It All Together Things to Remember

There is no perfect resume only great works in progress There is no cookbook only traditions & guidelines Keep your language concise, crisp & clear Provide concrete evidence (#, %, $) When in doubt, ask does it support my purpose?

Putting It All Together Things to Avoid

Avoid stating salary requirements Avoid providing reasons for leaving past employers Avoid limiting geographical considerations (unless necessary) Avoid expounding on philosophy or values Avoid offering any negative information
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Putting It All Together Formatting

Attract & hold your readers attention
Combinations of capital lettering, underlining, bold face type, and indentations can jazz up your paper (yet, watch for employers who scan resumes) Well placed white space can help the readers eye move across the paper Whatever format you choose, be sure to be consistent
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Putting It All Together Final Details

Check for grammatical, spelling & typing errors Laser print on resume paper Third Party Review Once you complete your resume have it critiqued by family, friends, co-workers, instructors.. The more people that review your resume, the more likely that misspelled words and awkward phrases will be identified and corrected. Beware of errors and DONT rely on spell check. Seek out an English instructor to review your resume for grammatical errors.
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Remember
A resume does not get you a job A resume does get you an interview. And, putting time and consideration into your resume is one of the best ways to prepare for your interviews!
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