Bryant & Stratton College

1. Help improve and construct an effective resume

2. Provide tools to properly format your document

3. Suggest tips on making your content stand out, and assist you in customizing your resume to each job for which you apply.

4. To discuss resources available on the Career Services‘ and Optimal Resume websites that will support you as you work on your resume.

What is a resume…

A resume is a short summary of skills, experiences and education related to

a very specific position.

When to use a resume…

Almost all business, non-profit, and government jobs require a resume

when applying.

The resume is a SELLING document

The purpose of the resume is to get the INTERVIEW

The resume is NOT the story of your life

IT must be EXCEPTIONAL, powerful & focused on accomplishments & performance

Select the proper format◦ Chronological◦ Functional◦ Combination

Base resume on…◦ EXPERIENCE ◦ QUANTIFIABLE ACCOMPLISHMENT◦ SKILLS◦ COMPETENCIES

Focus on your STRENGHTS

Critically and honestly evaluate your strengths, skills and work history

Major Course Assessments

Strength Quest – Strengths as identified in this assessment

Meyers Briggs or other standard skills assessment output

Self Assessment & Career Information

Occupational Outlook Handbook – career information

O*Net – Great source of career information

NO spelling errors – Resumes with Typos go into the trash

Select one of the three resume styles based on your experience

Be consistent with the layout, be neat and clean with appropriate spacing

Margins 1” x 1”, font size 12 or 14 for headings and 11 or 12 points for content

Select professional simple easy to read fonts such as, Arial, Times Roman, Courier, Lucida Sans, Calibri, don’t get fancy or artsy with the fonts

Base the resume on skills and quantifiable accomplishments

Use action words, Use strategic career/industry KEYWORDS

Keep your language simple, omit “I”, “me”, “my”, “a”, “an” and “the”

Include those valuable soft skills such as, communications, teamwork, ability to multi-task, etc.

Use bullets and bold fonts appropriately to draw attention to action words

Be consistent with date formats

Organize the employment in reverse chronological order

Do not include anything pertaining to; religion, race, gender, age, marital status, family, hobbies or political affiliation

Save resume as “resume lastname firstname position title” (Brown Sara Medical Assistant)

Laser print on a high quality bond fiber paper, use a conservative color

Resume MUST be typed using Microsoft Word or if other software save as Rich Text Format (RTF)

Make sure all information is accurate – never lie or exaggerate

Do not use a template as they do not store easily in electronic file management systems

Do not put “References Furnished On Demand” it is assumed you will do this

Resume should be limited to one page unless you have many years of experience in your field

Keep resume up to date with changes in your career

PROOF READ – PROOF READ- PROOF READ- PROOF READ

Use the job posting as a guide for your document. Pay particular attention to the specific requirements for the job, including education and number of years of experience, and make it easy for the employer to see that you meet those requirements. You can customize your summary statement to quickly show that you are qualified for the job.

  Look at the job duties listed on the posting, and re-order your bullet points

based on what looks like important duties of the job. If giving presentations is listed in the job duties, but is buried in on a long list of bullet points on your resume, move that to the top of the list.

  Consider putting your Education section first if that is most relevant to the

job, especially if you are changing careers.  If you have experience in two areas, consider using two experience

sections on your resume, such as “Education Experience” and “Other Work History” to highlight your most relevant skills first on your document.

JOB DESCRIPTION APPLICANT’S RESUME

Triage InvestigatorQualifications:

Entry level opportunity that requires:

◦ A Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice, Business, or a related field

◦ A minimum of 1 year of proven success working in a related field or business

◦ Experience or education in the financial fraud investigations discipline

◦ Proficiency in the utilization of Microsoft Products.

◦ Strong relationship building skills

SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONMotivated self-starter with education in Criminal investigations and Security Administration. Currently pursuing a BS in Criminal Justice. Proven ability to work with difficult situations and provide a high level of service to clients.

RELATED COURSE WORKIntroduction to Criminal JusticeCriminologyCriminal InvestigationCriminal Justice Administration

INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCESouth Pointe Hospital 2011Security Assistant (Internship)

Provided effective safety and security for patients, physicians, employees, and visitors by patrolling and policing the hospital facility and grounds to prevent fire, theft, vandalism and illegal entry. Demonstrated a strong focus on providing services to internal and external customers

In the past, many resumes began with an Objective statement; however now it is recommended you use a Summary Statement. You can talk about your objective more clearly in your cover letter.

The Summary Statement can be used to quickly show the employer that you meet the qualifications of the specific job you are applying for.

It should be relatively short, 3-4 sentences, or you can use bullet points in a Highlights of Qualifications section instead of writing in paragraph form.

Motivated self-starter with experience in Information Technology and Customer Relations. Currently pursuing a BS in Business Administration in Information Technology. Proven ability to work with difficult situations and provide a high level of service to clients.

Recent graduate and certified Medical Administrative Assistant interested in medical billing and coding. Demonstrated ability to easily develop rapport with patients, families, doctors, and staff.

ALL majors EXCEPT Criminal Justice & Medical Assistants

Associate of Applied Business – Networking Technology ( GPA 3.75)Bryant & Stratton College, Cleveland, Ohio 12/2012

For Criminal Justice & Medical Assistants

Associate of Applied Science – Criminal JusticeBryant & Stratton College, Cleveland, Ohio 12/2012

HELPFUL TIPS:

• DO NOT list High School or GED

• If a double major list in chronological order based on graduation date

• If you earn an advanced degree the Associate degree comes off

• Only list a college if you have graduated

• Recommend including GPA if 3.0 or better

1. Student with experience multiple jobs with same company

2. Student changing careers

3. Medical Assisting student with No experience in field

4. Accounting students with No accounting experience

5. Student with experience in field

6. Business student with limited experience

7. Medical Assisting student with some experience in field

Heading 12 or 14 pt all CAPS & BOLD

Formal Name ALL CAPS & BOLD 14 pts

Use Ariel or Times New Roman Font 11 or 12 points in body

Margins 1” X 1”

List Work History most current job first

Use ACTION and KEY words

Include at least THREE ways you can be reached Make sure email

address is professional and appropriate

Use Bullets to highlight information

Be consistent with date formats

Student with experience multiple jobs with same company

List classes in your major if lacking experience or changing careers

Student Changing Careers

Use spaces between major sections to give clean look

Medical Assisting Student with No Experience in Field

Focus on skills, abilities and accomplishment

Accounting Student with No accounting Experience

Student with Experience in Field

Business Student with Limited Experience

Medical Assisting Student With Some Experience in Field

Keep an updated resume (name, address, email address, phone numbers, educational and work experience, professional reference information, etc.)

Add your Internship experience Keep more than one copy of your resume (electronic copy, email a copy to

yourself, hard copy, send Career Services a copy) Keep in touch with Career Services once you have graduated Ask for help when needed Utilize Bryant & Stratton Library resources (www.bryantstratton.edu

Student Services>Virtual Library > Career Planning) Utilize Optimal Resume

50 Resume Objective Statements - http://blog.palladiancr.com/2008/07/50-resume-objective-statements/