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Creating an Effective Technical Resume

Creating an Effective Technical Resume. UWB Career Development Center. Preparing Your Resume . Jamie Shay Career Specialist JShay@uwb.edu. Resume - Purpose. TO GET AN INTERVIEW To sell yourself Present related work experience To represent you when you’re not there.

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Creating an Effective Technical Resume

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  1. Creating an Effective Technical Resume UWB Career Development Center

  2. Preparing Your Resume Jamie Shay Career Specialist JShay@uwb.edu

  3. Resume - Purpose • TO GET AN INTERVIEW • To sell yourself • Present related work experience • To represent you when you’re not there.

  4. Creating an Effective Resume • Market Yourself! • Be concise & focused • Write specific to the purpose • Create a visually appealing piece • REMEMBER YOUR AUDIENCE!

  5. It’s Your First Impression

  6. Who is Your Audience? • Tired, overworked, stressed! • Maybe HR - technical or non-technical • Maybe a recruiter – hopefully technical • Maybe Manager – technical but no time • Maybe a machine - can only make a match • All desperate to find the right person!

  7. Effective Resume- The Basics • Reviewed -10 to 30 seconds • Must make immediate impression • Overall appearance • Organization • Spelling and Grammar • Use strong verbs • Use descriptive terms

  8. Parts of the Resume • Top Portion is critical • Indicates to reviewer that you may be the right person • Includes: • Name • Objectives • Qualifications/Skills/Traits

  9. Parts of the Resume - 2 • Middle Section • Strongest supporting evidence first • Education, maybe GPA and awards • Relevant Job Experience • Technical summary for technical resumes • Certifications • Bottom (if there’s room) • Incidental Information • Affiliations/Clubs • APPROPRIATE hobbies • Languages

  10. Resume – AppearanceDONT GET CUTE!! • Organized & Concise • Light-colored, 8.5 x 11 paper • Single page if possible • Margins and Fonts • Use white space to avoid fatigue • Font- san serif eg Arial, Tahoma, 11 pt.

  11. General Guidelines - Content • Objective • Specific to the position - customize! • Don’t sound selfish Qualifications • What makes you unique? – sell yourself • Tell them why you’re the best – match to job description • Tell them what they want to hear!

  12. Resume Types • Chronological • Functional • Combination

  13. Resume -Chronological • Most common • Shows experience within the same field as the job goal – highlights job progression • Reverse chronological order • Advantage – show career growth if linear • Disadvantage – shows all jobs, whether good or bad

  14. Resume – Sample Chronological

  15. Modified Chronological – Relevant Work Experience • Relevant Work Experience • Software Tester, Microsoft Date • Some description • Backup Operator, Microsoft Date • Some description • Other experience • Barista, Company Date • Tutor, QSC, UWB Date

  16. Resume -Functional • Emphasizes skills • Limited or not relevant work history • Career change • Questioned by some

  17. Resume – Sample Functional

  18. Resume - Combination • Lists both function and work • Highlights projects • Highlights transferable skills • New to field

  19. Resume – Sample Combination

  20. Resume Format- Digital • Send in body of message-not attached • Limit formatting- • Avoid word wrap • Each line 64-70 characters • Send to self to test • Include a cover letter- single screen length

  21. Resume Format- Scannable • Scanned for key words - Use theirs! • Avoid textured papers • Avoid graphics, bold and bullets • Stack contact information • One line for each part of information

  22. Keywords Scanned For • Keywords are the "hard" skills -"soft skills” -second tier of searched words • Developed Oracle 9.0 database for marketing department • Wrote web based sales tracking application in C++ on Linux/Apache platform • Managed customer database (MS SQL 7.0), product updates, and upgrades.

  23. Technical Resumes • Must match skills AND technology • E.g. developer on C++ vs Fortran • Project manager on 727 vs MS Word • Solution: • Use resume descriptive section for activities • Use technical section for technology

  24. Technical Section • Can be a laundry list • Used for • Job Description Match • Database Search • Include important acronyms, abbreviations • Avoids the Boeing or Army resume syndrome

  25. Technical Section parsing • Possible headings: • Operating Systems: Linux/Unix, etc • Languages: C/C++, JAVA, etc. • Applications: MS Office Suite, etc. • Database: Oracle, Access, MySQL • IDEs: Visual Studio, Eclipse • Depends on your experience!

  26. Sample Technical Resumes • Discussion: • On first impression which one looks like you’d want to read it? Why? • Which one is better organized? • Which one would you call for an interview (if skills were equal)?

  27. Cover Letters-Format • Single page- 2-4 paragraphs • Tailored and conversational • Show your personality

  28. Cover Letters- Format First Paragraph • Identifies position & how you learned of it

  29. Cover Letters Middle Paragraph • What do you offer? Describe it! • Mention internships and experience • Indicate the good match you are

  30. Cover Letters • Last Paragraph • Restate your interest • Request interview • Thank you and contact information http://careerlab.com/letters/link002.htm

  31. Follow Up to Interview • Send handwritten Thank You letter, if you can • Get business card from interviewer or get name/address from the receptionist • Make it short and sweet – just to keep your name in front of the interviewer • Do it on the way home – keep cards and stamped envelopes in the car.

  32. Resume Resources • UWB • Career Development Center Website • Additional Websites • Jobs • www.quintcareers.com • www.monsterjobs.com • www.jobstar.org

  33. Technical Resume Wrap UP • To make appointment in career center • www.uwb.edu/career • Select “Schedule Appointments” Career Advising • Questions?

  34. The Career Fair Experience Jamie Shay Career Specialist jshay@uwb.edu

  35. The Career Fair and You • Why attend? • Efficiency • Face-To-Face Contact Opportunity • Variety of companies

  36. Getting Ready for a Career Fair • Your resume • Prepare yourself • Research, research, research!

  37. Getting Yourself Ready • Establish your goals • Your Appearance • Your introduction

  38. Set Your Career Fair Goals What are your goals for this career fair? • Meet potential employers • Face-To-Face contact • Make quality contacts • Get a job • Research job market • Get free stuff

  39. Your Appearance Your dress code will depend on: • Your desired position • Your industry or targeted employers • Type of Career Fair • On campus • Professional/trade fair • You need to “fit in”

  40. Your Appearance (continued) • Be comfortable!!! • Career fairs can be a hostile environment – heat, noise, cement floors. • You can’t be your best if you’re uncomfortable - especially your feet! • Carry as little as possible • Be neat, clean, non-controversial • Dress “one level” up to be safe

  41. Your Company Research • Get participant list from sponsor or website • Research companies • Company websites for background • Job Postings • “Newspaper” www.seattletimes.com • Job websites • Monster, Yahoo, HuskyJobs, etc

  42. Your Personal Introduction • Quick “elevator” speech about you and what you’re looking for. • Name • Degree/School • Brief experience, if appropriate • What you’re looking for • Why you want to work for them • Make sure your handshake is good • PRACTICE your speech!

  43. Career Fair Logistics – The Room • Working “the room” • Get map or layout of the fair • Plan your attack – get to right companies • Budget your time – use it wisely

  44. Career Fair Logistics -The Employer • Why employers attend career fairs • Hiring for open positions • Collect resumes for future • Advertisement/Image

  45. Career Fair Logistics – The Booth • Booth layout – about company culture • Reading the company culture • Attitude of booth workers • Booth design – commercial or amateur?

  46. Career Fair Logistics –The People • Who is in the booth? You never know! • HR • Recruiters, • Managers, • Team Members and • Draftees • How are they interacting with candidates? • How are they handling resumes?

  47. Interacting with the Booth • Who to talk to: • Read the name badge (or no badge)? • Names • Titles • Department Name only badges – managers? • Read the business cards • Talk to people who are talking to others • Look for good conversations to join!

  48. Interacting with the Booth-Part 2 • Talk to them! • Be friendly -- introduce yourself • Ask informed questions about open positions or about the company • Give them a resume and promise electronic copy to follow-get email address! • Take literature and business cards • Shake hands and thank them for their time

  49. After the Career Fair • Follow-up with contacts made - look for an excuse to them contact again • Send email or card thanking them for their time • Express continued interest in the company • Send electronic copy of resume, “as promised”

  50. Questions? Thank you for coming! Missy and Jamie

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