Writing The Effective Resume

1. Writing The Effective Resume The First Step Toward A Successful Career

2. Writing An Effective Resume • What information should be in a resume? • A resume is a personal summary of your professional history, qualifications, and education. • Before you get started, outline your skills and abilities • Critical thinking • Problem solving • Decision making What do you or others think you are an expert at?

3. Identify Yourself Education Work or Professional Experience Volunteer Experience Professional Associations Optional Sections Objective Special Skills and Abilities Reference Statement What Information Should Be In A Resume? This is your opportunity to stand out among all of the other applicants!

4. Characteristics Of A Successful Resume • Focus on skills. Use action words (power verbs) to define the responsibilities of your job-related experience. • Easy to read and understand. • Visually powerful and free of gimmicks. • One or two pages long. • Equal margins on all sides. • Layout makes reading easy. Use of white space is effective.

5. Characteristics Of A Successful Resume Cont. • Language is grammatically correct. • Spelling has been checked and re-checked. • Formal Style. • Contains no inappropriate personal information. • Produced on a computer. • Data presented in chronological order (unless functional). • Be 100% truthful.

6. Identify Yourself • Name • Email should be professional & permanent. • HPU email is deactivated after graduation. • Mailing address should be complete & permanent. • Does your voicemail sound professional?

7. Career Objective • Optional statement • A well written goal statement can identify what you have to offer quickly. • A new goal statement should be written for each job you are applying for. • No more than 2-3 sentences.

8. Education • Academic experiences should be listed in reverse chronological order. • Your most recent degree or experience will appear first in the list. • Include the institution, location, graduation date, degree type (spelled out), and area of study. • Include minors or concentrations. • You may choose to include your GPA. • GPA should be carried out to two decimal places and not rounded up.

9. Work/Professional Experience… • Organization name • List city and state (full address is not needed) • Job title • Dates of employment • Duties/Responsibilities • Use bulleted lists incorporating Power Verbs • Never use paragraph form • List jobs in reverse chronological order

10. Volunteer Experience,Honors & Awards,Certifications, Associations • Volunteer Experience • Habitat for Humanity, Project S.W.E.A.T., Big Brothers Big Sisters, etc. • Honors & Awards • Academic, athletic, community, etc. • Certifications • List certifications and date (or expected date). • Professional Associations • List dates of involvement

11. Skills • Foreign languages • Computer operation & programming • Technical writing • Any other areas of specialization

12. Do NOT include… *Religiously affiliated organizations such as Christian schools, churches, etc. maintain the right to ask about religious affiliation and may even require it. Review relevant laws and statutes if in doubt about an organization that requires this or any other information listed here.

13. References • Get their permission first. • List on separate page. • Consider giving each reference a copy of your resume. • Allow ample time for recommendation letters. • Use the same heading as your resume. • Organize alphabetically by last name • Give a brief explanation to identify the relationship. • Current Supervisor, Undergraduate Advisor, etc.

14. Other Important Information • Keywords • Make sure your words are in line with the job you are applying for. • Ensures your resume will get through electronic/online screening. • Use bullet points when possible • Types of resumes • Functional: Focuses on skills & experience • Chronological: Most recent position first (all listed in reverse order by date) • Be careful when using a template (or avoid them).

15. Questions & Answers