Career Services presents

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Career Services presents Recipe for a Winning
Resume LEAD Program Requirement - Spring
2009 Facilitated by Daphne Walker
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Workshop Preview

• Review of packet
• General DOs and DONTs resume tips
• Tools Internet, Resume Templates, OptimalResume
  
• Hands-on step-by-step resume creation
• Guidelines for follow-up assignment
• Wrap-up and evaluation

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Purpose of a Resume

• Resume is a brochure promoting a productYOU.
• As your first contact with the employer, it must
  create a good first impression
• Used by employers as a screening tool.
• Highlight relevant qualifications and
  accomplishments
• Should be well-organized, factual, clear,
  eye-catching, easy to read, and truthful
• GOAL Get an interview!!!!!

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What a Resume Tells an Employer

• Type of opportunity you seek
• Who you are
• What you know
• What you have done
• It helps the employer get a sense of your
  potential as an employee.

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RESUME LAYOUT 30 Second Testorganized,
concise, consistent, eye-catching, and truthful

• 1 - 2 pages in length
• Use easy-to-read fonts, white space and bolding
  for emphasis
• Use bullet statements or short paragraphs
• Start sentences with vivid action verbs
• Use descriptive adjectives and accomplishment
  statements
• Begin with most important material first
• Quantify your experience
• Avoid personal pronouns

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RESUME LAYOUT

• Be neat and error free
• Proofread for grammar, punctuation, spelling
• Be consistent in formatting/similar treatment
  for like information
• - numbers and dates
• - uniform margins
• - align text and dates
• - grammatically parallel
• - Business names/titles
• Use quality printer and neutral bond paper
• Coordinate color paper for your resume, cover
  letter, envelopes

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What Categories do Employers Expect to See on a
Resume?
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Key Resume Categories

• Personal contact information
• Career Objective (optional)
• Qualifications summary, special
  competencies/skills (optional)
• Education (degree, major, special training)
• Study abroad
• Relevant paid or unpaid work experience
• Other work experience
• Community service
• Professional affiliations
• Interests/hobbies (optional)
• References/portfolio

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Resume Critique

• Pretend that you are the employer and critique
  the resume in your packet looking at such areas
  as Main categories, career objective, education
  and experience highlights, dates, layout,
  grammar, spelling, tenses, order of the resume,
  consistency, fonts, content

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What are the reasons that a resume would get
Screened out?
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Reasons Resumes Get Screened Out

• Categories missing
• Unclear objective
• Wrong job target
• Generic and unfocused
• Lacks relevant experience/education
• Explains job descriptions not accomplishments
• Hard to understand
• Irrelevant information
• Time gaps

• Boastful or dishonest
• Slick, gimmicky
• Poor physical layout
• Too long, short, or condensed
• Wordy, misspellings, poor grammar
• Lengthy phrases, sentences, and paragraphs
• Poorly reproduced

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AVOID IN LAYOUT

• Too many fonts, fancy fonts, wordiness, long
  paragraphs
• Personal data
• Abbreviations except States
• Full justification option for text
• Too many UPPERCASE LETTERS, underlining, and
  italics
• Empty words various, duties included
• Emphasizing what does not exist (in other words,
  be truthful!)

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Sample Resume Headings
John A. Smith
John.Smith_at_mymail.champlain.edu 123 Main Street,
Burlington, VT 05401
(Website URL) 802/999-9999 (IM
Address)
John A. Smith 123 Main Street Burlington, VT
05401 [phone] John.Smith_at_mymail.champlain.e
du (Website URL, IM address)
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Career Objective A Resume without a Job Target
is like a book without a title!

• Beginning of the resume or in cover letter
• Target it to a specific job or employer if
  possible
• Keep it concise, avoid unnecessary words
• Avoid the all purpose type of objective

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Sample Objectives

• Enthusiastic candidate for summer Graphic Design
  internship offered by Gardeners Supply Company.
• Seek a Network Administrator position with
  Champlain College.
• 2009 Bachelors Degree Graduate eager to be
  considered for full-time Restaurant Manager
  position with Applebees International.
• Secondary or middle school position in science or
  math. Qualified and interested in coaching track,
  volleyball, or swimming.
• Candidate for a Police Officer position at
  Burlington Police Department.

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Summary of Qualifications May Include

• Functional specialty/title
• Overall picture of your qualifications
• Years of experience in the field
• Certifications, licenses
• Accomplishments/recognitions/results
• Key talents/special knowledge related to target
  job
• Language skills
• Technical and special skills

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Examples of Qualifications

• Effective communication and customer service
  skills
• Skill-set(s) related to your career concentration
• Computer expertise (including industry software)
• Willingness to work as part of a team
• Project management and problem-solving skills
• Financial savvy (PL, cost control, budgeting)
• Multi-tasking ability and flexibility
• Organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to meet deadlines and work under pressure
• Networking ability (to cultivate new business,
  for example)
• Leadership or supervisory experience

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Items under Education

• Take just a minute to
• List education-related pieces of information that
  an employer might like to see.
• What are the selling points that would
  differentiate you from other students?

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Education

• Before work experience for recent graduates in
  reverse chronological order
• Institution name, location (city, ST), graduation
  date
• Dates (month/year, i.e., 1/09 - 5/09)
• Degrees, major(s)
• Licensures, certification, endorsements
• Include special training, relevant workshops
• High school Include high school only if lots of
  relevant accomplishments or going back to your
  home town

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Educational Accomplishments

• Honors Graduated Cum Laude or Summa Cum Laude,
  GPA above 3.0 class rank above 3.5, scholarships,
  awards
• Relevant academic projects, special training,
  study-abroad
• Extra-curricular, athletic and leadership
  activities
• Club memberships and committee work
• Number of hours worked to help finance your
  education

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Presentation of Your Education Credentials,
Campus Involvement and Academic Achievements

• Champlain College, Burlington, VT
  
• Bachelors Degree, Hospitality Industry
  Management Anticipated May 2010
• Maintain a 3.5 GPA (4.0 scale) while working
  15-20 hours a week.
• Deans List all semesters.
• Admissions Tour Guide for prospective students
  and parents.
• Nominated by faculty and competitively
  selected to serve as a Peer Tutor.
• Organize extra-curricular activities for the
  Student Government Association.
• Participated in a Study Abroad semester in
  Rennes, France, to expand my
• knowledge and develop an appreciation for
  the culture of another country.
• Study abroad may be under its own category.

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Internet Research for Resume Prep

• Google a Job Description for a (put in a job
  title) and copy and paste into word.
• Google ONET or go to ONETcenter.org
• - Under find occupations, type in key word
  search for a (put in job title)
• Google Indeed or go to http//Indeed.com
• - What Put in a (job title). Where
  Boston, MA

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RELEVANT EXPERIENCE BEFORE NON-RELEVANT
EXPERIENCE

• Job title, employer, location (city, state),
  dates
• Reverse order/relevant before non-relevant
• Include relevant paid and volunteer experience
  (FT, PT, summer) retail sales, administrative
  assistant, home childcare, camp counselor, tutor,
  Special Olympics Volunteer
• Group similar jobs with one job description
• Use action verbs/industry jargon to describe
  experience in specific achievement oriented terms

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Evidence of Achievements

• Not just job descriptions, but rather your skills
  and contributions

• Advancements
• Bonuses
• Performance Evaluations
• Recognitions
• Awards/accomplishments

• Emphasize achievements with concrete, measurable
  examples
• Use quotations and testimonials to demonstrate
  accomplishments

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Sample Description for Campus Job

• Front Desk Associate
• Champlain College Career Services, Burlington, VT
  1/09 - 5/09, 15 hrs/wk
• Promoted to Technical Assistant after six months
  due to hard work and proven ability.
• Serve as primary point of contact for students,
  alumni, and business recruiters.
• Trusted to manage the office alone daily
  constantly relied upon to assist advisors with
  personal projects.
• Used Adobe products to create and coordinate all
  marketing materials for campus-wide Graduate
  School Fair, Grad Chat, Career Services Logo, and
  the annual Job Fair. These included student
  communications and mailing materials. 
• Created career campaign bulletin boards each
  semester for four locations around campus.
• Tracked evaluations and assessment results using
  both Microsoft Excel and Access database systems.
•  

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Sample Description for Campus Job

• Champlain College, Burlington, VT
• Phonathon Ambassador
  January-March 2008
• Developed communications and public relations
  skills during three-month participation in
  College fundraising effort.
• Informed alumni and friends of the College about
  options for making donations to the Annual
  Support-a-Student Campaign and actively solicited
  contributions.
• Received special recognition at the end of the
  campaign with a College commendation and pay
  bonus for excellent attendance and for achieving
  the highest number of individual donations.

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Non-Relevant Experience

• Include non-related jobs and volunteer work if
  they help create a picture of stability, but
  dont describe in detail
• Concentrate on skills you developed that could
  relate to your career objective
• Include promotions, management and supervisory
  responsibilities, customer service, etc.
• Omit jobs that were very brief

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Professional Affiliations, Interests, or
Community Service

• List memberships and responsibilities that relate
  to your career objective
• Demonstrates that you are keeping up to date in
  your profession
• Include organizations that show community
  involvement
• Special interests, travel

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Testimonials Who might be on your reference
list?
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Ideal References

• Get a minimum of 3 references - people who can
  attest to your work habits, skills, and
  accomplishments
• Current or past employer(s)/supervisor(s)
• Inform reference of your career objective and
  give them a copy of your resume
• Professors
• Advisors
• Coaches
• Internship, field experience, or community
  service supervisor

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May Include on the Bottom of Resume or Attach
Reference Contacts with Your Resume

• Name, title, company, address, phone
• Or indicate at the bottom of the resume that
• References are Available on Request References
  Available References will be Furnished upon
  Request (optional)

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Sample Presentation ofReference Information

• John A. Smith
  John.Smith_at_mymail.champlain.edu
• 123 Main Street, Burlington, VT 05401
  802/999-9999
• References
• Mr. Charles Amey, III
• Instructor, Hospitality Industry Management
  Program
• Champlain College
• P.O. Box 670
  Amey_at_champlain.edu
• Burlington, VT 05402-0670
  [phone]
• Mr. Milton Smith
• Field Experience Supervisor
• ABC Conference Center
• 208 Main Street
  MSmith_at_ABCConferences.org
• Burlington, VT 05401
  [phone]

As a general rule, have at least three references.
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Top Tips to Remember Clear, Consistent, and
Concise

• Proof proof proof!
• Write your own resume! Speak to your audience
• Easy to read
• Well organized
• Honest
• Dynamic word choice
• Flawless
• Update frequently

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Resumealways changing Be Strategic in Enhancing
your Resume!!!!

• Resume development is on ongoing process.
• As a second-year student, you are just beginning
  the process.
• Enhance your experience, qualifications, and
  leadership qualities over the next two years.
• Keep a folder of your accomplishments.
• Update your resume regularly.

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REMINDER for Next Steps

• Thoroughly review workshop handouts.
• Prepare a rough draft of your resume following
  resume content checklist utilizing a template
  from the workshop or OptimalResume.
• Once you have completed your resume check off
  each required section against the LEAD Resume
  Assessment to make sure you have fulfilled all
  the criteria.
• E-mail your resume and completed LEAD Resume
  Assessment to Sealey_at_champlain.edu by April 20th
  for review by a Career Advisor
• Make your final edits based on feedback and
  resubmit to Career Advisor.

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Build your resume as an investment in your future

• !

Your LEAD Peer Advisor and Career Services will
support you on your journey to success!