F. H. LAGUARDIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE EMPLOYMENT

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F. H. LAGUARDIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE EMPLOYMENT
CAREER SERVICES CENTERPresents

• Resume Writing

Written and Created by Edwin Roman
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Welcome to THE Employment Career ServiceS
Center!

• Questions are encouraged If something on this
  presentation is not clear, be certain to visit
  Employment Career Service Center in C-102.

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What is a resume?

• A personal, individual summary of your
  background, experience, training and skills.
• An opportunity to present your best qualities to
  an employer in the way you want to be seen.
• A way for employers to compare your specific
  qualifications to those of other candidates.
• A calling card to remind the interviewer or
  employer who you are.

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Why is a resume so important?

• Resumes lead to interviews and interviews lead to
  jobs.
• Resumes serve as a focus for and will help you
  improve your interview.
• Resumes allow you to have all the facts at your
  fingertips One thing many students do is forget
  facts regarding when and where they worked
  somewhere-it looks terrible to say, during an
  interview, that you forgot when you worked
  somewhere.

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The Employers Bottom Line about Resumes
(The following information will be elaborated on
in the next few slides)

• Your resume has to sell the reader in the top
  half.
• The resume should be written with the employer in
  mind.
• Your accomplishments should stand out.
• Your resume should have eye appeal.

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Your resume has to sell the reader in the top
half

• Your strongest skills should be listed in the
  beginning.
• If education is a strong asset, list it first
  otherwise wait.
• The position titles and companies should be easy
  to pick out remember, your resume is not the
  only one being read (an employer may have 25 or
  more resumes to read), so be certain that you
  have made it easy for the employer to find
  information. Be mindful of using several font
  variations to make finding information easier and
  dont use a font that is too small (Times New
  Roman, Sizes 11-12 are recommended.)

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The resume should be written with the employer in
mind

• Tailor your resume to the kind of job you are
  looking for.
• If possible, match your qualifications to those
  listed in the ad or job description.
• Be certain to use as many words from the job
  description as possible.
• Avoid using long paragraphs and explore using
  bulleted lists to make it easier to read (again,
  an employer may have 25 or more resumes to read.)

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Your accomplishments should stand out

• The employer should be able to determine your
  accomplishments easily when reading work history.
  
• If you have ever been promoted or are on the
  Deans List, be certain to note that information.

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Your resume should have eye appeal

• It should look clean and professional (be sure to
  check for fingerprints, smudges, and dirt.)
• NO misspelled words! Misspelled words on a resume
  are literally the kiss of death
• It should look uniformed USE ONLY ONE FONT (you
  can do variations with bold and italics, but you
  should only use ONE font.)
• Times New Roman is the most recommended font
  because you can do a lot with it (bold, italic,
  etc.) and it is always legible.

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What employers look for when reading a resume

• Is the resume neat and orderly?
• Maintain the reverse chronological format in each
  section of your resume.
• Does the applicant have transferable skills?
• Make sure skills are clearly listed.
• How does the applicant compare with others under
  consideration?
• Be sure to list specific experience or skills you
  have that are listed in the job posting.
• Is work experience appropriate?
• List positions that gave you valuable work
  experience.

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Resume Dos

• Use action verbs.
• Make it one page if possible and never more than
  two pages.
• Use direct, simple English.
• Do it yourself. Get input, but you know yourself
  best!

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Resume Donts

• Dont give reasons for leaving old jobs.
• Dont list personal information such as age,
  weight, sex, etc.
• Dont attach photos.
• Dont list references.

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Any questions?Be SURE TO visit THE EMPLOYMENT
Career Services Center IN C-102 for answers.
Edwin Roman, 2004