Resume Writing 101- Creating a Personal

Marketing PiecePresented By:Erica Woods, Apex SystemsBrandon Berlett, Experis

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Session AbstractThe importance of an effective, well-written and user-friendly resume can’t be overstated. Your resume is usually the first thing a potential employer sees; it’s often the first impression of you as a candidate. Studies have shown that the average employer scans a resume for 15-30 seconds before deciding whether to move forward with a candidate. Resumes should be written to communicate your brand, skills, and interests. They should give an immediate indication of your qualifications, demonstrate your potential as a fit for the employer, and show you’re a candidate worth strong consideration.

In this session, we’ll provide advice on how to really enhance your resume and communicate your brand to help grab the attention of potential employers. Hopefully you’ll walk away with some insight on how to craft a resume that’s a major personal marketing piece.

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Who are we? Erica Woods, Apex Systems

• Manager of Contractor Relations, with 6+ years of

Applications Recruiting (focus on Microsoft Tech

(.NET, SP, SQL))

• Supported 30+ clients in the local area with SQL

Server environments across a variety of industries,

and placed hundreds of IT professionals

• Community Involvement: BSSUG, CMAP,

BaltoMSDN, PMI, GiveCamp, & PARW/CC

• Contact Information:

ewoods@apexsystemsinc.com

Office: 443-539-3320

Brandon Berlett, Experis

• Sr. Technical Recruiter (Microsoft

Technologies)

• Over 6 years with Experis/Comsys

(Recruiting and Business Development)

• Lead National Microsoft Talent

Community

• Lifetime Baltimorean – Go O’s/Ravens

• Community Involvement: BSSUG, IIBA,

CMAP, GiveCamp

• Contact Information:

brandon.berlett@experis.com

Office: 443-703-3840

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Resumes 101• Keep in mind that:• The decision maker will spend 15-30 seconds with each resume

to make a “yes” or “no” decision. • Design plays a key role in the reader’s first impression, followed

by what key information jumps from the page in that short period of time, and whether the information matches the company’s requirements.

• An employer is looking for an indication that the candidate has a documented track record of success.

• Chronologically organized resumes are preferred• The goal of your Objective is to get you to the next step of the

hiring process!

4Communicate. Strengths. Accomplishments. Brand. Interests.

Resume Strategy• Key information should be visible first, to

help capture the attention of the reviewer. • Industry-specific skills tend to carry more

weight than soft skills. • Use industry jargon and appropriate

keywords for the type of positions, companies and industries you’re targeting.

• Ensure all data is accurate, and that misconception of that data is minimalized.

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Resume Strategy (continued)

• Accomplishments define the uniqueness of the candidate and their contributions to the bottom line. Make accomplishments prominent!

• Put data in its proper context. Describe the company in the context of its industry (EX. a $45 million pharmaceutical distribution company with 12 offices in 4 states), describe the scope of responsibilities, use time frames where applicable, and align word choice with status of client.

• Ensure you’re communicating your ‘Unique Brand’ • Proofread, proofread, proofread!

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Prior to Writing Resume• Ask yourself:• What skills/traits do I want to communicate?• What do I want to emphasis?• What do I want the resume reviewer to know about me within 15 seconds?

• Examples:• Strong career progression/promotions • Supported enterprise level environments• Lead a team• Client interfacing experience• Supported environments with multiple instances of SQL Server • Strong SQL BI experience • Custom Development• Certifications

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Do you know your target reaction from the resume reviewer?

Content to Include • Name, Location and Contact Information • Summary• Highlights • Accomplishments• Experience • Education

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Optional Sections • Technical Skills

Summary• Certifications• Awards• Clients / Industry

Experience• Community Service

• Affiliations • Publications• Presentations • Interests• Keywords • URL to LinkedIn Profile,

Social Media, Blog, Portfolio, or Website

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Resume Organization, Presentation, and Formatting• Prioritizing content is vital to getting an interview

request.

• Save formatting enhancements for what you want to

emphasize (i.e. achievements).

• Employers prefer resumes that are reader friendly.

• Have a comfortable mix of white space and words.

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Resume Formatting – Consistency • Ensure consistency in regards to:• Line spacing, horizontal spacing, and

character spacing• Past vs. Present tense• Indentation • Bolding, Italicizing, Underlining, Font

Type/Size - DON’T OVER DO IT• Font (Arial 10 or Times New Roman 11 or

12 are most common)• How content is outlined (paragraphs or

bullet points) – Managers tend to prefer bullet points.

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Resume Best Practices • Adopt a sales and marketing mentality when writing your resume to

ensure you’re advertising yourself, skills, the value you can bring to a team and company, achievements, etc… Your resume should serve as an advertising channel for you!

• Strengths should be prioritized, well pronounced and woven throughout the document like a theme!

• Layout is incredibly important. The initial impression must be inviting, attractive and professional! Avoid a sloppy, crowded, busy or loud resume.

• If a resume extends to a 2nd or 3rd page by only a few lines, the writer might want to reformat the document to fit on 1 or 2 pages.

• Use active verbs and phrases to bring resumes and cover letters to life (EX. “decreased processing time by 22%” is more powerful and concise than “processing time was decreased by 22%”). Start accomplishment phrases with active verbs to strengthen the writing.

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Best Practices: QA Your Resume1. Does it answer “Why should this company hire me?” 2. Does it market skills effectively?3. Are achievements and career progression instantly visible?4. Does it include any personal experience, non-profit or

technical community involvement, memberships/associations, or training that might reinforce my target Brand?

5. Does it include industry and technical jargon that demonstrates my knowledge and sophistication?

6. Is it reader/user friendly? 7. Does it show my successful track record?8. Am I satisfied with the content, layout, 9. formatting, style, mechanics, and marketing? 13

The 7 Deadly Sins

1. Lack of Creativity or Individuality 2. Wrong Tone in Cover Letter 3. Bad Writing Strategy 4. Poor Word Processing Skills5. Repetition of Verbiage 6. Regurgitation of Material 7. Proofreading Errors

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References

• PARW/CC Resume Guide

• CareerBuilder Resource Center

• LinkedIn Articles

• Ere.net – Professional Staffing Resource

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That’s all folks!

Questions?

Comments?

Additional Suggestions?

Contact Information:Erica Woods: ewoods@apexsystemsinc.com / 443-539-3320Brandon Berlett: brandon.berlett@experis.com / 443-703-3840

**Connect with us on LinkedIn!**

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