How to write a winning Resumé

What is a resumé?

A résumé is an advertisement of your self, disguised as a story of your life

It is not a history of your past or a personal statement

It has only one purpose, to make sure that you get called for the interview

The ‘killer’ edge

Depending on the level of the job

1 interview is granted for every 300-500 resumes received by an average employer

10-20 seconds is all the time you have to persuade an employer to read further

Top half of the first page either makes or breaks you

What's the difference between a resume and a CV?

Primary differences are the length, the content and the purpose. A resume is a one or two page summary of your skills, experience and education.A CV, is a longer (two or more pages), more detailed synopsis. It includes a summary of your educational and academic backgrounds as well as teaching and research experience, publications, presentations, awards, honors, affiliations and other details

What's the difference between a resume and a CV?

CV is used primarily when applying for academic, education, scientific or research positions. It is also applicable when applying for fellowships or grantsIn addition to the basics, a CV includes research and teaching experiencePublications, grants and fellowshipsProfessional associations and licensesAwards and other information relevant to the position you are applying for

John Smith Street, City, State, ZipPhone: 555-555-5555

Cell: 555-666-6666email@email.com

Objective:

Assistant Professor, Psychology

Education:

Ph.D., Psychology, University of Minnesota, 2006Concentrations: Psychology, Community Psychology

Dissertation: A Study of Learning Disabled Children in a Low Income Community M.A., Psychology, University at Albany, 2003

Concentrations: Psychology, Special EducationThesis: Communication Skills of Learning Disabled Children

B.A, Psychology, California State University, Long Beach, CA, 2000Experience:

Instructor, 2004 - 2006University of Minnesota

Course: Psychology in the Classroom

Teaching Assistant, 2002 - 2003University at Albany

Courses: Special Education, Learning DisabilitiesResearch Skills:

Extensive knowledge of SPSSX and SAS statistical programs.

Presentations:

Smith John (2006). The behavior of learning disabled adolescents in the classrooms. Paper presented at the Psychology Conference at the University of Minnesota.

Publications:

Smith, John (2005). The behavior of learning disabled adolescents in the classroom. Journal of Educational Psychology, 120 - 125.

Grants and Fellowships:•RDB Grant (University of Minnesota Research Grant, 2005), $2000

•Workshop Grant (for ASPA meeting in New York, 2004), $1500 Awards and Honors:

•Treldar Scholar, 2005

•Academic Excellent Award, 2003

Skills and Qualifications: •Microsoft Office, Internet

•Programming ability in C++ and PHP

•Fluent in German, French and Spanish References:

Excellent references available upon request.

Preparation

Brainstorm Write your answer to, ‘What would

make someone the perfect candidate for the job?’

‘What is your USP?” Cover all the possible ways of thinking about and communicating what you do well

What does the employer really want?

Qualities employers seek1.Communication skills

2.Honesty, Integrity

3.Team skills

4.Interpersonal skills

5.Motivation/Initiative

6.Strong work ethics

7.Analytical skills

8.Flexibility/Adaptability

9.Computer skills

10. Self-confidence

Formats

There are two kinds – One is the the familiar ‘tombstone’

that lists where you went to school and where you’ve worked in chronological order

The other is what is called the ‘functional’ résumé – descriptive, fun to read , unique to you and much more likely to land you an interview

Chronological format

Name HeaderObjectiveSummary of skills/qualificationsWork ExperienceEducationMemberships/Activities/Honors

Chronological format

When listing positions include – Name of Employer Employer’s location Your dates of employment Your position or job title Summary of your responsibilities Your major accomplishments

Functional format

Name headerObjectiveSummary of skills, qualificationSkillsEducationMemberships/Interests/Honours

Objective

Objectives are the simplest, quickest way to target a specific positionObjective should be tailored to the prospective employer’s needsUse the objective to establish why you are the perfect candidate for the job Eg: An XXX position in an organisation where YYY and

ZZZ would be needed

Objective

Objective should be simple, specific and brief -- no more than two or three lines. It should highlight what you have to offer the company, such as a specific skill or experience. A recruiter is more interested in what you can give the company than what you hope to get from it.

Eg: To obtain an entry-level account management position in financial services utilizing my strong analytical and interpersonal skills.

Skills for the functional resumé

1. Communication skills

2. Organizational skills

3. Management skills

4. Administrative skills

5. Interpersonal skills

6. Teaching skills

7. Team/Competitive skills

8. Leadership skills

9. Financial skills

10. Money management skills

1. Computer skills

2. Event management skills

3. Creative skills

4. Child management skills

5. Analytical skills

6. Motivational skills

7. Training skills

8. Mentoring skills

Exercise

Decide which points should be included

Attended university ,left after a year Studied business administration at night school 20 years raising children Co-ordinated charity fund raising in town Chairperson of son’s school parent teacher association Sung in Church choir Have run 5 marathons Raised money for local social project

Exercise

Helped salesman husband reorganize his filing system by installing a micro-computer

Worked for 3 years as secretary to the manager of sales division,ABC company

Hated secretarial work Promoted to administrative assistant Like flower arranging Look after family budget and save 10% of yearly

income Like working in a team 42 years and only 5 years of salaried income

Words count

Use of language is extremely importantAvoid large paragraphs (five or six lines). Use action verbs. Verbs such as "developed", "managed", and "designed" Don't use declarative sentences like "I developed the ..." or "I assisted in ...", leave out the "I" ". Avoid passive constructions, such as "was responsible for managing". Just say, "managed":

Background checks

You have to have done what you claim on your resumeBackground checks can include: reference checkscriminal background checkspast employment verification education verification

Words Every Resume Should Include

'Teamwork‘

'Flexibility‘

'Detail-Oriented‘

'Self-Motivated'

Words That Weaken Your Resume

'Assist,' 'Contribute' and 'Support' 'Successfully''Responsible For'Avoid buzzwords that have become cliché and words that are unnecessarily sophisticated. "Synergy" and "liaise" are examples of buzzwords that have been overused and abused.

Remember

Put yourself firstSell what you can do not who you areToot your own hornNever apologizeAdd punch with action words – completed, managed, operated, supervised..Be specific, concrete, brief

Forget!

Heading ‘resumé’

Job referencesSalary informationPersonal statisticsPhotosPersonality profiles (attributes)Testimonials

TipsLimit to 1 or 2 pagesDon’t cram, EditUse easy to read font size – Times…Select a readable size 10-12Don’t mix type facesHighlight with bold type facesUse all-caps and underlying for section heads onlyDon’t overuse capitalization, italics, underlines or other emphasizing features

Tips

Use bullets to highlight accomplishmentsPlay Match GameKeep paragraph length to not more than 4-5 linesUse short line lengthKeep it simpleDon’t mix design styleDon’t photocopySelect ivory Bond paperPrint on one side of the paper only

Formatting

Top margin 1”Sides ½”Ragged right margin (Right justified)Double space between sectionsSingle space between linesIf 2 pages, add ‘continued’..Write Pg 2 on the 2nd page

Action Phrases

Analyzed problems and developed solutionsExcellent interpersonal and people management skillsAble to exercise good judgment and sound reasoningGood interpersonal skillsAble to concentrate and pay attention to detailCan work well on own initiativeA good communicatorExperienced, self motivated and energeticA good planner