IS YOUR RESUME READY Resume Critique and Evaluation

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IS YOUR RESUME READY? Resume Critique and
Evaluation

• Troy Vaughn Director, Recreational Sports
• Southeast Missouri State University
• One University Plaza, MS 7100
• Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63701
• Phone [phone]
• E-Mail tvaughn_at_semo.edu or link to
• http//www4.semo.edu/recsports/TVsRIVLeadon.asp
  for the presentation on line

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Whats All of This Resume Stuff About Anyway???
Times are a changing!Finding a job is
actually tougher than the job itself!

• Purpose of a resume (vita) a blueprint of you
  (present and past) and its a roadmap to who you
  are and where you want to go!
• Adds better professionals and polished
  individuals to the field of recreation
• How do I keep my resume up-to-date?
• Weekly updates (I usually do each Friday
  afternoon)
• Make the time to keep updated you lose too much
  if you dont!
• What should I put in or leave out of my resume?
  Its a difficult decision!
• Saving to disk (posting on a website?)
• bluefishjobs.com, your own personal website?
  (YES!)

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Participant DemographicsRoss Study - 1997

• Recreational Sports Directors are Looking
• For What from a Candidate? Two studies
• (Dr. Craig Ross, Indiana University - 1997)
• About the Research (older research but still
  very relevant)
• 70 Male, 30 Female respondents
• Over 50 Ages 30-44
• 70 At Least 9 Years of Professional Experience
• New research taking place now more information
  on changes since 1997 coming soon!
• Many aspects are from experience as well
• Jim Jamriska, Ball State University (2004)
  looked at preferences for GA candidates

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Overall Resume ComponentsWhat EACH Resume Should
Include

• Career Objectives (why I dont like to use these)
• Common mistakes made arenot specific enough,
  same one to the previous agency, etc dont take
  chances!
• Educational Record (no high school needed)
• Professional/Related Work Experience
• Non-related Work Experience (waiter, cashier,
  laborer) show work ethic, dedication, skills
  not seen in recreation! (Is this Good?)
• Personal Information (how much is too much?)
• Common mistakes made are
• Professional Development YES! Listing of
  conferences attended NO!
• References many rules here
• Style, font, pages, and much more
• and the cover letter LOA (Letter of
  Application)

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Educational Record

• What I DO Suggest
• All Institutions
• Field of Study
• Major/Minors
• Degree(s) Earned
• Thesis Information (if relevant to the job)
• Certificates earned (related/relevant to the job)

• What I DONT Suggest
• High School Info
• G.P.A. Below 3.5 (or GPA at all?)
• Bragging about your school examples I see
  have been Big 10 Champs The best Rec Center
  in the country The most involved Recreation
  Department in NIRSA

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Professional/Related Work Experience

• Job Function what IS the job you do/did?
• Be descriptive (DESCRIPTORS!) and tell what you
  did, how many, what types, what it involved, and
  more! (1 fault is not telling enough!) WHO,
  WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, WHY, HOW YOU did what you did
  or are doing now?
• Achievements / Accomplishments
• Positions / Exact Titles Held dont make
  upask!
• Actual Dates of Employment (Dont Guess)
• Name and Address of Employer and supervisor
  (website?)
• Location of Employer (street, city, state, zip)
• Concerns / Red Flags Gaps in Dates

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Non-Related Work ExperienceWhy this is important
to add!!!

• Job Function what do/did you do?
• Positions / Exact Titles Held
• Dates of Employment
• Name of Employer
• Name of Immediate Supervisor
• Volunteer Information
• HintTell us about experiences with handling
  money, Leadership skills, labor, etc
• Maybe title this area Related Experiences,
  Customer Service Experiences, etc)

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Relevant Personal Information in the Mast

• What is the Mast of a Resume?
• Current Campus Address
• Current Permanent Address
• Telephone Numbers
• E-mail Addresses in the mast (Be careful!)
• bigsexy69_at_yahoo.com Tinab_at_Iliketodate.com
  cssr1l1_at_seidata.net
• (ones or Ls???) Bloodandguts_at_netzero.com
  pornofan_at_yahoo.com stan_hooper_at_bginet.net (never
  use an underscore in a web address)
• Date Current Information Is No Longer Valid
• DONT Tell too much! being a minister,
  ordained, sexual orientation, political
  preferences, etc
• Dont forget the voicemail messages either(if
  you list a cell phone, make sure it has voicemail
  that only YOU have access to)

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Professional Development and Skills

• Certifications Earned (also list in Descriptors)
• Professional Organization Memberships (as related
  to the position)
• Professional Conferences / Workshops Attended
• Sometimes good and bad just attending may not
  be enough for some people show conferences that
  you were INVOLVED
• Professional Presentations Delivered
• Professional Publications Authored
• Technology Proficiencies (very important today)
• Community/Volunteer Involvement

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Professional References

• What I DO Suggest
• Ask your references if you can list them
• Only ask those that can give OUTSTANDING
  comments why get average comments from
  someone?
• Give references a copy of your updated resume and
  keep them abreast of jobs you are looking at.
• List previous professional references that you
  are comfortable with (and that are OK with you as
  well!)
• Include reference list with complete citations
  (name, title, phone (work and home if possible),
  address, e-mail)
• 5-10 Balanced references (men women)
• Using Student/Peer/Subordinate employees as
  references YES How???
• How to list these (Power References like
  reading a book)

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Professional References

• What I DONT Suggest
• References Available Upon Request
• Family or friends as references
• Listing power people (directors or name people
  in the association you met once, people that
  cannot comment on your actual work quality or
  ethic)
• All of one gender listed (remember balanced)
• Character References let the employer be the
  judge of your character

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Letter of Application LOA(Cover Letter
Information)

• 3-4 paragraphs in length (MAX) stating your
  interest in the position and just a bit of an
  overview of why you are qualified for the
  position.
• Average view is 4.2 seconds for a committee to
  look at a cover letter be brief (but efficient)
• Use power words in your letter same as your
  resume
• DearMr., Dr., Mrs., Ms., Professor, Committee
  Chair, Human Resources Rep, etc (what and to
  whom you address?) DO YOUR RESEARCH on the
  organization dont settle for anything less
  than a name!

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Additional Helpful Information

• Resume Paper Color and weight
• Designs on the resume Lollygags
• Length of Resume (myths) Athletic
  Administration vs. business
• Resume Format - How to List Information
• Chronological
• Paragraph style (not ideal)
• How to Stand Out (hints red paper clip,
  personal business card attached - not a regular
  business card from your current employer,
  follow-up with an e-mailed resume, telephone
  calls etc)
• Use Only Significant Experience
• Page numbering upper right hand corner
  ..VAUGHN, 2
• Using e-mail be careful! Never write what you
  can say directly
• For those looking for graduate assistants, more
  info can be obtained by contacting Jim Jamriska
  at the Ohio State University (jamriska.1_at_osu.edu)
• Abbreviations in a resume? NEVER (including
  states)
• Spelling the mortal error
• Common Mistakes made (which can kill you) Wrong
  info listed (telephone, e-mail, addresses,
  reference info changed, etc), misspellings, bad
  grammar, gaps, flow problems (being choppy),
  not enough information, applying on-line when it
  is stated in the listing NOT to apply on line,
  and much more.
• NEW! Technology is adding much to our field
• Practice makes perfect keep working at it! You
  are NEVER done with your resume its always a
  work in progress!
• Ask yourself Am I qualified to apply for each
  job I am looking at
• Minimum qualifications

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Uh Ohs People in the News

• Relevant stories of lies and deception
  (regardless of intent or not) George OLeary
  -Notre Dame Football Coach and Tim Johnson -
  Toronto Blue Jays Manager, Wally Backman - former
  manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, and several
  college coaches have found themselves in some
  trouble in recent years due to resume Bending
  the Truth
• Be honest and remember your INTEGRITY first and
  foremost. BE ETHICAL!!!
• Small things DO matter with accuracy (coordinated
  vs. directed, square footage of a facility,
  number of personnel supervised, responsible
  for, etc
• Who is at fault when deception occurs? employer
  or candidate?

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Websites to aid in the job search for a
recreation/sports administration position

• There are several websites/contacts that can
  assist you in searching
• for a position in the field of recreation
• Check with your state or city/town for positions
  (Indiana www.state.in.us/jobs, Indianapolis
  http//www6.indygov.org/hr/jobs/)
• Check with university websites, agency websites,
  professional development organizations (like
  NIRSA, NRPA, etc)
• Check with local amusement parks (Kings Island,
  WDW, etc)
• Check with private company websites
  (www.jobs.elililly.com)
• Check with the many listed cruise lines (most
  based in Florida Royal Caribbean
  http//royalcaribbean.hire.com/joblist.html
• www.nrpa.jobcontrolcenter.com (position in parks
  and recreation)
• www.mwrjobs.army.mil (opportunities for civilian
  personnel within US Army bases)
• www.mwr.navy.mil (opportunities for civilian
  personnel within US Naval bases)
• www.iaam.org (International Arena Assembly
  Managers jobs in facility management and
  arenas)
• www.ymca.net (YMCA employment)
• www.jobsingovernment.com (job posting in state,
  local, and federal government)
• www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/resweb/ (opportunities
  for civilian personnel in the Air Force)
• www.sportcareers.com (pay site for jobs in
  sports)
• www.usajobs.com (comprehensive listing of
  positions in all forms of government)
• www.athleticlink.com (partial pay site may
  listings for athletics positions)
• www.flipdog.com (classified ad site enter
  keywords)

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Resume Action WordsExcellent Words to Use in a
Resume and LOA for Descriptors

• Thanks to jobweb.com for this partial listing
• achieved acquired adapted addressed
• administered analyzed anticipated assembled
• assisted audited budgeted calculated
• centralized changed collaborated composed
• condensed conducted constructed contracted
• converted coordinated created cultivated
• demonstrated designed developed devised
• discovered doubled drafted edited
• enforced established evaluated expanded
• explained forecasted formed founded
• generated guided hired implemented
• improved informed insured interpreted
• interviewed launched maintained managed
• marketed minimized motivated negotiated
• obtained operated organized originated
• performed planned prevented produced
• programmed promoted provided publicized

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Resume Critique

• Pick up evaluated resumes after this presentation
• Im ALWAYS available for comments and suggestions
• Remember MY OPINION only other comments will
  vary and be different
• For additional help - See local (school) Career
  Center staff for more info professionals within
  your staff or someone you have met at a
  conference in a LIKE-JOB that you want!
• Stay in touch with me for updates and suggestions
• The role of the professional in your setting
  (mock interviews and career preparation is a
  MUST)
• Try adding a professional development mock
  interview question during EACH staff meeting you
  have!!!