RESUME WORKSHOP

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RESUME WORKSHOP
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INTRODUCTION
Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Resumes
• Cover Letters
• Conclusion

Resumes and cover letters get interviews
interviews get jobs
Resume Workshop
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RESUMES
Resume and Interview Workshop
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RESUMES
Overview

• Your resume is the foundation of your initial
  marketing to companies
• Allows you to highlight your
• Competencies
• Qualifications
• Accomplishments
• Future capabilities
• Resumes should be focused and tailored
• Format be straightforward, logical and easy to
  read

Building your resume is the first step in being
able to communicate your story
Resume Workshop
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RESUMES
Format and Presentation

• Limit your resume to one page
• NEVER go onto two pages
• Format the resume to tell your story
• Selectively use bolds, italics, underlines, and
  capitalization
• Left margin format is very common
• Maintain consistency of approach
• Use only professional fonts
• Times New Roman
• 10 point font at a MINIMUM
• 8 ½ x 11 inch piece of white or ivory
  high-quality bond paper
• Try to maintain 1 inch margins all the way
  around
• No graphics do not be unconventional

There is nothing more important than proofreading
and spell-checking your resume for typographic,
spelling and grammatical errors Recruiters will
often reject error-filled resumes out of hand
Resume Workshop
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RESUMES
Organization and Writing

• Best to use reverse chronological order
• Most common format for undergraduates
• List specific positions and education in reverse
  order
• Start with what you are doing now and work
  backwards
• Use either bullets or paragraphs throughout your
  document
• Bullets are easier for a reader to digest quickly
• Be dynamic and concise
• Omit the words I, me, my, a, an, the

Since resumes are seen by busy people who may see
hundreds of resumes per day, your challenge is to
get your message across quickly and easily
Resume Workshop
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RESUMES
Sections

• Mandatory Sections
• Identification
• Education
• Honors/Awards
• Extracurricular Activities
• Experience
• Interests
• Optional Sections
• Technical/Computer Skills
• Language Competencies
• Community Activities
• Registration/Licensing/Certifications
• Publications
• Professional Affiliations

Remember, your resume is just a framework for
telling YOUR story Dont be afraid to
combine/re-organize sections as necessary
Resume Workshop
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RESUMES
Content

• As you go through each of your jobs/activities,
  think about two things
• What soft skills did you develop that can be
  applied elsewhere?
• Communication skills
• Customer service
• Organizational abilities
• How were you better at your job than your peers?
• Tasks above and beyond the scope of your position
• Measurable results or rankings
• Meaningful/lasting contributions to your company
  or organization
• When writing your bullet points, provide extra
  details where you can
• Quantifiable results are more powerful than
  simple claims
• Page size of reports
• Length of presentations
• Number of people taught/supervised
• Amount of money saved

Thinking about your soft skills and providing
quantifiable results will make even mundane jobs
stand out
Resume Workshop
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RESUMES
Action Words

• Planning Words
• Conceived
• Directing Words
• Supervised
• Responsibility Words
• Established
• Service Words
• Delivered
• Interactive Words
• Participated
• Investigative Words
• Calculated

Use strong action words to describe your
accomplishments The first word of EVERY bullet
should be a strong, active-voice verb
Resume Workshop
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RESUMES
Common Mistakes

• DO NOT use an un-professional email address
• john.smith_at_gmail.com, NOT partyhard74_at_gmail.com
• DO NOT include an Objective section
• DO NOT use technical jargon
• Avoid specific industry terms
• Write so a lay person can understand what you
  have done
• DO NOT say References available upon request
• DO NOT include salary history or requirements
• DO NOT include reasons for previous terminations
• DO NOT include age, sex, race, ethnic background,
  etc.
• DO NOT include politics, unless it is a major
  activity for you

The absolute biggest mistake you can make is not
proofreading your resume thoroughly enough Your
resume should be a reflection of your
best-possible work product
Resume Workshop
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COVER LETTERS
Resume Workshop
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COVER LETTERS
Overview

• Cover letters should draw attention to the
  highlights of your resume
• Cover letters are a great way to provide
  additional information
• Name of the person who referred you
• Explanation of something unusual
• Companies request cover letters for a variety of
  reasons
• To see if you are well-informed on the position
• To asses your professionalism and manners
• To assess your writing skills
• See the included hand-out for additional
  information on structure/style

Always proofread your cover letter for find and
replace mistakes!
Resume Workshop
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CONCLUSION
Resume Workshop
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CONCLUSION
Questions

• Any questions?

Please check your hand-outs for additional
information including sample resumes and
interview questions
Resume Workshop