Resume Writing

Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

Objectives
Review the purpose of a resume Learn the types of resumes The sole purpose of your resume is to effectively sell your credentials for the purpose of employment, admission to Universities, consideration for a scholarship or fellowship, or other professional purposes.
Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

What Is a Resume?
Personal summary of your professional history Includes anything a person wants to express about:
Career Goals Education Experience Activities Honors
Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

General Guidelines
Length: Limit resume to min 2 typed page Font: Arial or Times New Roman
Between 10 12 point font

Paper: Use 8 1/2 inch x 11 inch paper (A4 size)

White
Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

Preliminary Research
Find Out:
General job information Desired qualifications and skills Key values and key words

Look on:
Company website Job advertisement Any publications about the company (magazines, articles, etc.)
Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

RESUME
Resume is summary of your educational qualification details It highlights your skills and experience relevant to the field It highlights your objective and accomplishments Its purpose is to get you an Interview call A resume should reflect more than just work experience It should consider your extracurricular, and leadership qualities

TYPES OF RESUMES
Chronological resumes Functional resume Combination resumes Curriculum vitae (CVs) Online Resumes
Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

Chronological Resume
Key components of Chronological Resume
Identification Job Objective Key Accomplishments Education Professional Experience Affiliations/Interests References

Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

The Chronological Resume

The most commonly used resume format is the chronological resume. On a chronological resume, your work history is listed by job title beginning with your current or most recent job. The chronological resume works best for job seekers who:
Want to showcase a steady employment history Are looking for a position that matches or logically progresses from previous jobs
Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

The Functional Resume

The functional resume highlights your skills without revealing the dates associated with your job history. The functional resume minimizes specific job titles and eliminates dates of employment, while emphasizing your abilities and skills. The functional resume works well if you:
Have worked many different jobs or possess very diverse skills Have skills that relate to the position, but not a lot of previous work experience in the field
Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

Combination Resume
The hybrid resume balances the functional and chronological approaches
It starts with skills, accomplishments, and qualifications of the job applicant. Second page is reverse chronological ordering of your work experience. This format allows the reader to first match your qualification against job opening. It showcases your work experiences in the most marketable fashion. It highlights your both job skills and accomplishments.

Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

SECTIONS
Your Resume Contact Information

Objective
Qualification Experience Project Details Interests Awards & Achievements Workshop & Seminars attended IT Skills

Key Strength
Personal Details
Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

Contact Information
Include:
Name Permanent and/or campus addresses Permanent and/or campus phone numbers Email address

If you do not include contact information (how to reach you), your resume will most probably be thrown in the trash.
Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

Objective Statements
Two different approaches to objective statements
Brief and to the point Detailed description of desired position and qualifications

You must decide which approach is best!

Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

What is an objective statement?

A short section (usually 1-3 lines), often in the form of a sentence fragment, immediately below your contact information An at a glance picture of you and your career interests Other names: Professional Objective, Resume Capsule, Career Goals, Career Objective etc.

Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

Why write one?

Emphasize key qualifications, skills and/or goals Help your readers find what they need to know quickly Make a good first impression

Q: Is this a good objective statement?

An internship allowing me to utilize my knowledge and expertise in different areas Well-written but raises too many questions For example: What kind of internship? What knowledge? What kinds of expertise? Which areas?

Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

A good objective statement answers questions

What position(s) are you applying for? What are your main qualifications? What are your career goals? What is your professional identity?

The importance of tailoring

Sometimes one size does NOT fit all

Each person and employer is unique in certain ways Aim for a custom fit when possible, but how?

Questions about employers

What qualifications are most desired by employers in your field? What positions are available on the job market? What are they titled? What are some goals of the organizations that interest you? What kinds of organizations are now hiring?
Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

Instant objective statements

For practice, fill in the parts in brackets
To utilize my [qualifications, strengths, or skills] as a [position title] A position as a [position title] for [company name] allowing me to develop my [qualifications, strengths, or skills] An opportunity to [professional goal] in a [type of organization, work environment, or field] [position title] with emphasis in [areas of expertise]
Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

First Approach: Brief

To seek the position of Human resource analyst. Seeking to obtain a position of administrative support To obtain position as a Accountant

Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

Second Approach: Descriptive

To work in an organization where my technical skills will be best utilized and provide my career a rapid and good growth A data entry clerk position where I can utilize my skills and work experience to improve efficiency and profitability of company To obtain a waitress position in the Food and Beverage Industry with a challenging company that offers me the possibility of professional growth and career advancement opportunities
Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

Qualification
Professional & Education Qualification Beginning with the highest level of educational achievement, include:
University / Board School / College Name Majors/Minors Date of program completion

Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

Work Experience
Include positions you have held which are related, in some way, to the job you are seeking.
Can be both paid and volunteer positions

Be creative with this section of your resume by describing and emphasizing your experiences in the most relevant way possible.
Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

What is an experience section?

A section that emphasizes your past and present employment and/or your participation in relevant activities Other common names: Professional Experience, Work History, Field Work, Volunteer Work, etc. Special names: Technical Experience, Supervisory Experience, Aviation Experience, etc.

Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

What goes into this section?

Company or organization and location (city, state) Position title Dates of employment or involvement Descriptions of responsibilities, duties, achievements, etc.

Getting started
List your past and present experiences. Include:
jobs volunteer positions appointments assistantships internships etc.

Developing your descriptions

Use varied action words to describe experiences Answer the journalistic questions: Who?With whom did you work? What? What duties did you perform? Where? Where did your job fit into the organization? Why? What goals were you trying to accomplish? When? What timelines were you working under? How? What procedures did you follow?

Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

Work Experience
HR Specialist Sept 2004 Dec 2005 Company Name, Place. -Role & responsibility Asst. Manager HR May 2003 June 2004 Honeybell, Bangalore -Data banking, short listing of resumes, conducting interviews, laisioning with various departments of the organizations

Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

The

Extras Section

Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

What is an honors and activities section?

A section that emphasizes your participation in relevant activities and any honors you have received Other names: Awards, Memberships, Volunteer Work, Hobbies

White Space
GOOD BAD

Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

Where does this section go?

Usually last section on last page

Sometimes omitted

Extra Tips
Ultimate goal is to get an interview. Employer will only take 15 seconds to glance at a resume. Most resumes are scanned by a computer for keywords, so match the words in advertisement in your resume. Have a copy of your resume in plain text to email to employer. To save in plain text: In Microsoft Word, go to Save As and save the file in text only format.
Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

Extra Tips
Have someone read over your resume for errors that spellcheck doesnt find. Ex: Using their instead of there Confusing two & too Microsoft Word has several resume templates. - We are using Chronological Resume CV (Modern) Have white space in the resume so its not overwhelming to the reader.
Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

Important Tip!
Bad grammar is a terrible issue in many resumes. Here is one of the most frequently misused word combinations.
AN The form of a used before words that begin with a vowel or an u unpronounced consonant such as h in some cases. Example: We had lunch an hour ago. I saw an ostrich at the zoo. AND This word is used to connect words, phrases, or clauses; to create the meaning of together with, along with, as well as, or in addition to. Example: I stuffed envelopes and answered the phones. We fed the dog and the cats. Used together appropriately: An ostrich answered the phones and fed the dog an hour ago.
Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

RESUME WRITING TIPS

List your technical knowledge first, in an organized way. List your qualifications in order of relevance, from most to least. Quantify your experience wherever possible. Begin sentences with action verbs. Highlighting all of your strengths.

Be concise resumes reflecting five years or less experience should

fit on two page Omit needless items. Have a trusted friend review your resume. Proofread. Be sure to catch all spelling errors, grammatical weaknesses.
Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

RESUME DOS
Do send your resume with a cover letter. Do strive to make a good impression. Do make your resume clear, concise and easy to read. Do use BOLD or Underline for section headings. Do emphasize your strongest qualifications. Focus on accomplishments, skills, and results. Do print your resume on high quality 8 by 11 paper. Give contact info like home and office telephone numbers.

Create a resume tailored to the job you are after.

Do keep your resume up-to-date.
Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

RESUME DOS
DO think of your resume as an ad for your qualifications, not an autobiography. DO begin each bullet point with a verb. DO included paid and unpaid experience to demonstrate the range of what youve done.

DO show the reader why youre a good match for a particular job.
DO make several resumes, with each one targeting a particular field. DO look at other resumes to see how they are written.

Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

RESUME DONT
DONT make your reader dig for information.

DONT tell everything youve ever done.

DONT use complete sentences DONT include personal information, such as age, race, marital or health status. DONT make your resume too dense, busy or cute. DONT use a font smaller than 10 point. DONT use fancy fonts that are hard to read.

Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

RESUME DONTS
Don't title your resume as Resume and start with your full name. Dont post or fax if email is an option. Don't use fancy fonts. Dont use personal pronouns "I", "my" or "me". Don't use passive words. Dont use colorful paper white, buff or beige is standard. Dont include a picture or other artwork. Dont say you were laid off or fired from your last position. Dont include references available upon requests. If they want them they will ask.
Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College

Prof. Elizabeth Chacko, Selection Grade Lecturer, Garden City College