Building your Resume

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Building your Resume

• Christopher Merkner w/ thanks to Deb Ray
  Raycomm.com

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Resumes General Goals

• One page (almost always)
• Highlights the needs of the position!
• Effective headings
• Clear and consistent organization patterns
• White space (whole page)
• Bullets (not dashes or informal icons)
• Parallel lists
• Active Verbs
• Error-free! (proofreading, verb usage)
• Paper choices?
• Pleasing visually (density versus scarcity)

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Analyze your Audience

• Who will be reading this document?
• Manager?
• Human Resources (HR)?
• Others in the department?
• Customers?
• Potential Company buyers?

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Types of Resumes

• Chronological
• Functional
• T-Letter

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Resume Types (cont)

• Choosing a Chronological Resume
• Experience-driven
• Name of employer important
• Applying in same field
• Job history shows growth
• Job Titles are impressive

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Resume Types (cont)

• Resisting the Chronological Resume
• Inconsistent work history
• Changing careers or career goals
• Age issues
• Out of job market for long time?
• Looking for first job

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Resume Types (cont)

• Choosing a Functional Resume
• Emphasize skills not used in current job
• Looking for your first job
• Re-entering the workforce
• Contract or volunteer work (primarily)

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Resume Types (cont)

• Resisting the Functional Resume
• You want to emphasize growth pattern
• You performed a limited number of skills or
  functions
• Your previous employers are particularly
  noteworthy

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Resume Design

• The Header
• Include Name, prominently
• Include contact informationphone, address,
  email.
• Consider ruling off from the rest of the resume
• Shall we discuss templates?

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Resume Design (cont)

• Objectives Summary
• Specificity!
• State position title, organization name, specific
  skills and duties (as stated in posted ad)
• Revise for brevity and precision and specificity
• Re-write for every new position

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Resume Design (cont)

• Experience (Chronological Resumes)
• List most recent to least recent
• (roughly) last 3 5 years
• Include
• Positions held
• Employer names
• Locations
• Dates Duties
• Consistency and Clear hierarchy of information

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Resume Design (cont)

• Skills (Functional Resumes)
• List experience as skills (not experiences)
• Skills should be specific to field
• Computer
• Foreign Language
• Communication
• Web Development
• Include skills from previous jobs, formal
  training, volunteer work, internships
• Revise these for clear and consistent hierarchy
  and organization!

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Resume Design (cont)

• Education
• List most recent to least recent
• Include degree sought/earned, university name,
  and date of graduation (Q forthcoming?)
• Remain consistent with organization heading
  patterns

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Resume Design (cont)

• Activities Accomplishments
• Also Special skills, Awards, Distinctions, etc
• School memberships, offices held, honors, other
  skills
• Hobbies?

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Resume Design (cont)

• References
• Simply include a statement like References
  available by request
• Be prepared for 3 5 references
• Why not list them?