RESUME WRITING

RESUME WRITING Tutorial This tutorial will assist you in preparing a resume for your job search. A resume is a marketing tool It should be a professional and concise document that summarizes information about your background, education, and experience that is most relevant for the career field you want to pursue. It is your first contact with a prospective employer and it must “stand out” and provide a positive impression. A resume is a flexible tool unique to your experience and goals There is not a universal format, only guidelines. Remember, the purpose of a resume is to get an interview, not the job! Know what career field you plan to target A “general” resume won’t get you very far. Target your resume to the career field that you are pursuing – and be sure to showcase the accomplishments, skills, courses, and experiences that relate to the kinds of things that employers in your field of interest are looking for. Figure out what you have to “sell” to employers First, write down information about ALL your college experiences – paid and unpaid – internships, volunteer work, courses, study abroad, college activities, independent research, honors, awards, summer and parttime jobs, skills you gained along the way. You will need dates, duties, titles, leadership roles, accomplishments, promotions, etc. Select your strongest selling points: most relevant to your job target Now, go back and highlight the parts of your experience MOST relevant to the field that you want to enter. NOTE which ones are your strongest examples. Remember, to do this you must have some clue about what employers in your field want. Organize your information Now you can begin to put the information into a generally accepted resume format. Parts of a Resume Contact Information Education Experience / Work History Technical Skills Optional Categories Contact Information NAME STREET ADDRESS CITY, STATE, ZIP PHONE NUMBER E-MAIL ADDRESS This information comes first at the top of the page. Education Name and location of institutions you’ve received degrees or certificates from Type of degree (no abbreviations) Major(s) / Minor(s) / Concentration(s) Date of graduation (month and year) GPA (if 3.5 or above) Relevant coursework (optional) Academic honors (optional) Education McDaniel College Maryland Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice May 2007 3.8 GPA …OR… McDaniel College Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts Carroll Community College Associate of Arts in General Studies Westminster, Maryland May 2007 Westminster, Maryland May 2005 Relevant Coursework Sample Social Psychology Group Dynamics Family Counseling Aging: The Individual and Society *These courses should be related to the position for which you are seeking Experience Can include: paid / non-paid jobs internships volunteer work community service military part-time / full-time work temporary positions Experience Include: Name of Organization Organization’s Location (city and/or state) Position Title Dates of Employment Duties performed / Skills used / Responsibilities / Accomplishments / Results Action Verbs For a more powerful resume, use action verbs when describing specific job duties and accomplishments For jobs you are currently in, use the present tense of the verb For past jobs, use the past tense of the verb * see Resume Writing Made Easy guide for a complete list of Action Verbs Technical Skills List all computer hardware and software skills and knowledge you have Example: MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, E-Mail, People Soft, and the Internet Optional Categories For a list of optional categories, please refer to our Resume Writing Made Easy guide. Copies can be picked up at Career Services located in Smith House. REFERENCES Do not indicate: “References Available Upon Request” Experts say this only takes up space. Instead: List your references on a separate sheet Sample References Mr. Sam Jones Assistant Director of Marketing D & J Marketing, Inc. 4405 Parkway Drive Annapolis, MD 21061 410-766-0000 Sjones@djm.com Pick a style that showcases your best selling points Chronological Functional Career Track Chronological Resume Emphasizes specific highlights of each position List jobs in order from most recent to past Best used when job target matches your work experience Functional Resume Emphasizes relevant skills and accomplishments Best used when: ~person has varied work history ~specific experience is required for the job ~education or current position is not relevant to the job target Career Track Resume Emphasizes the fast track promotion and notable achievements Best used when a person has worked for the same company, but has held different positions within that company Common Resume Mistakes Too long Disorganized Poorly Typed Too sparse Not results oriented Irrelevancies Misspellings, Typos Doesn’t match career objective Written in paragraph form Need More Help? For additional information, visit Career Services in Smith House. To speak with a career counselor, complete the Talk to a Career Counselor form on our website.