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Resume Writing

Suddhodan BaidyaOct 5th, 2011

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What is a Resume?

Resumes are a catalog of your skills, experiences, and education

A honest representation of you A document that shows your qualifications for

the job you are applying for

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Goals of a Resume

Capture the attention of the person looking at the resume, “sell” yourself to the employer– A potential employer takes less than 20 seconds

to choose whether your resume should be considered for further review

– The visual impact of your resume is almost as important as the words written on it

– Give the employer a reason to ask you for an interview

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Effective Resume Writing

Clarity– Accurate Information– Use simple words– Write in point form instead of sentences

and paragraphs– Use 1” borders on Letter size paper

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Effective Resume Writing

Consistent – Use the same font throughout the resume– Use the same size font (12) except for Headings– Use the same tense e.g. present tense for current

jobs, past tense for previous jobs– Arrange information logically and in order

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Effective Resume Writing

Concise – Be focused and truthful– Use specific descriptions of your duties – Highlight information in your resume that best

matches the requirements of the job description– Keep resumes to appropriate length 1-3 pages

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Resume Formats

Chronological (or Time Oriented)– Most recent experience shown first – Use when you can clearly show you can show

growth and development in your career ladder and want to proceed to the next step

– Usually a good first resume to work on– Disadvantage:

More difficult to highlight what you did best

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Resume Formats cont…

Functional (or Relevant Skills)– Identify and highlight specific skills (3 to 6)– Use if you are changing occupations– If there are gaps in your work history– If you worked in the same job for an extended period of

time– A recent graduate with no experience but have

knowledge and skills– Disadvantage:

Difficult to distinguish which skill was obtained at which employer

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Resume Formats cont…

Combination (Functional/Chronological)– Highlight specific skills in a chronological order– If you have a variety of job titles and positions– If you have the same job title for a number of

different employers– Disadvantage:

You may be repeating the same information on your skills and work history sections

Usually results in a longer resume

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Essential Pieces of a Resume

Heading – Full Name, Full Address, Phone Number, Email Address

Skills and Experience (Work/Volunteer) Education & Training

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The Heading

John Smith3615 West 4th AvenueVancouver, BC V6R 1P2

604 – 456 – 7890 jsmith@yahoo.ca

Do not include:

Pictures, SIN, marital status, weight & height, the title RESUME or CV, religion, salary expectations - do not belong on your resume

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An Objective

Job Objective: Should be Clear, Concise & Relevant to the position you are applying for.– Objective: Premier with over 20 years of

community leadership– Objective: Project Manager with 10 years

experience leading innovative ventures

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Highlights/Summary of Qualifications

Your Highlights should include:– 5 to 7 points that clearly and briefly matches your

skills with the employers needs – Pay special attention to the Duties of the job

posting– What makes you unique– Personality qualities that is important for the

opening

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Highlights/Summary

Employers tend to hire people on the following criteria points listed below:

- Attitude – Reliable/Dependable- Communication Skills- Team Player- Flexibility, willing to have an open mind and

learn new skills- Ability to solve problems

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Skills Section

Used for Functional and Combination Resumes Recognize 3 - 6 skill sets for the job (i.e.

management, customer service, technical/computer, organizational, administrative, communication)

List relative points under each skill set Do not use personal pronouns like “I” or “my” Use strong ACTION words like Coordinated,

Organized, Managed, Directed, Conducted

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Transferable Skills

Take inventory of your skills What are transferable skills?

– Any skills that you have gained through any activity in your life that can be moved and applied to a new occupation

Activities include: jobs, education, sports, hobbies, etc

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Work Experience

List your work experiences from most recent to your very first paid job after you left school

Job Title, Company Name, Location, Dates State what you did in that position relevant to

the job applying for in Chronological and Combination resumes:– Increased revenue, projects worked on, customer

satisfaction, reduced costs– Add an accomplishment/achievement section to

highlight something significant

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Education & Training

Formal education up to and including University Degree/Diploma/Certificate/etc and

major/minor/honor, Educational Institution, Location, Date

Any education or training that you took on your own or provided to you by your employer

Any specialized courses that are required by your profession or association

Highlights in coursework relevant to position

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Volunteering

Volunteer experience is work experience without a wage

Arrange experience in chronological order Highlight skills and knowledge relevant to job

posting

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Optional

Awards & Achievements – Related to the job opportunity– Shows your abilities in the industry

Publications Interests & Hobbies

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References

“References are available upon request” – this is understood and may be left out

Ask for reference from your previous (volunteer) supervisor/manager

Make sure they will give you a good reference

Remind your reference after you forward their name to an employer– Avoid surprises!

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Resume Tips

Research the job before writing your resume and target the resume to the job

Use numbers whenever possible (how many staff you supervised, how many computers in the network)

Remove irrelevant information Use tabs whenever possible Do not draw lines – use the border function

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More Tips

Use headers to put your name and page number Make sure you send it in .doc format instead of .docx Print a copy and look at it, is it visually appealing? Proofread Carefully! Get a second person to

proofread, then a third person. Put your resume through Words’ spell-check but do

not rely on it! Check every red/green underline. five common words you don't want on your resume

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Thank You

Thank you for attending this seminar We are requesting your feedback on what we

can do to make this a better seminar We ask you to complete the evaluation sheet

and write any comments

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The Presenter’s Contact Information

Suddhodan BaidyaS.U.C.C.E.S.S. Settlement ServicesE-mail: suddhodan.baidya@success.bc.caPhone: 604-408-7274 ext. 2046Address: 28 West Pender Street Vancouver, BC V6B 1R6