Academic & Career Advising

Resume Basics

Eastern Oregon University Online Tutorial

Up-to-date inform ation on w hat you need to know before you start Let’s begin…

What is a resume?  

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A self-promotional document It presents YOU in the best possible light to a prospective employer or graduate program A good resume gets you an interview A good interview gets you the job offer NEXT SCREEN

A resume is used to….  

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Initiate contact with an employer Facilitate an interview – Some interviewers start at the top and work their way through the document. (Think about it, you could be scripting your own interview. Arrange information so you get to discuss all the things that make you a terrific candidate!)

Serve as a record to leave with an employer Share information with the people who are assisting you with your job search Attach to a job application- Some forms don’t allow us to express our skills and abilities very well NEXT SCREEN

In constructing a resume 

Answer the question the reader is asking:

“What can this candidate do for our organization?” 

Envision the ideal candidate and arrange your information to match those qualities. NEXT SCREEN

Make no mistake Employers want to know you will represent them well. Spelling errors, poor grammar, smeared ink, crumpled corners… will send your resume right to the trash. Small Typos That Can Change the Meaning: Dealing with customers’ conflicts that arouse Develop and recommend annual operating expense fudget I’m a rabid typist Instrumental in ruining entire operation for regional service organization

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Have others review your job search documents Check spelling, pull out the dictionary Read document backwards, word for word NEXT SCREEN

Tell the Truth! There have been many examples in the news recently of people who have, shall we say, s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d the truth on their resumes. Don’t be one of them. It will catch up to you. Tell the truth… but it is okay to tell the best side of the truth Claim the highest level of skill you can legitimately claim helped vs. assisted monitored vs. supervised Small differences perhaps, but they may make a difference Be positive - Say what you can do, not what you cannot do NEXT SCREEN

Several Different Formats   

Chronological Functional Targeted

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Chronological Resume Chronological resumes are the easiest to prepare and thus appear to be the more popular style of resume used. In this style, you identify information in descending order, with the most recent events listed first under each heading. Chronological resumes require selective wording in order to minimize the amount of interpretation an employer will have to do. Use action verbs in describing your experiences, and highlight transferable skills. A great way to emphasize continuous employment. This style may not highlight your skills and abilities as well as another format. Nowadays, people move more frequently between employment situations. A chronological layout will highlight short stays of employment. Avoid cluttering up the resume with personal data and names of references.

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Functional Resume The functional resume enables the candidate to focus on skills, aptitudes, and qualities that can be applied to a number of situations. This style of resume deemphasizes chronological listings and emphasizes qualifications, skills, and related accomplishments. Skills are organized into categories that tell employers what you will be able to do for them. The functional resume is especially valuable for candidates who lack direct jobrelated field experience; who want to work in fields not related to their academic background; or for those whose education is so general that they must find a way of bridging the gap between their education and the job requirements. This type of resume is also well-suited for those candidates who have considerable work experience, because it allows them to portray the skills they will be able to put to immediate use.

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Targeted Resume A resume is not one's life history. It is a summary of the knowledge, skills and abilities one brings to a particular employer/situation. In a targeted resume, include only the information that specifically relates to that position. Given today's access to word processors, it is relatively easy to cut and paste documents and tailor resumes to specific jobs. Someone looking at a variety of employment opportunities might have three to five different resumes. The content is basically the same but it has been reorganized to highlight different strengths for each different industry or field.

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Special Types of Resumes 

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State & Federal government agencies have templates and sample formats.  Read directions and follow instructions  You will likely be asked for your social security number and your citizenship This information belongs on this type of resume but not on others Curricula Vitae are a specific style of resume preferred for medical, academic and research positions.  They contain more publications, papers, abstracts, book reviews, and presentations - Tend to be longer  Because of the academic emphasis, education is featured first  Usually there is no objective or profile statement  More understated than business resume  They look rather plain - Save the bells and whistles but make sure it is neatly organized Internet and scannable resumes The basic premise is: These days you’ll need a paper version, a scannable version and a text-only version of your resume.

WE HAVE EXAMPLES IN THE ACADEMIC & CAREER ADVISING OFFICE NEXT SCREEN

Tips to keep in mind 

Be consistent - Demonstrate your detail skills Ex. Dates can be listed 1/5/11 or January 5, 2011 or Jan. ’11, or… PICK ONE and stick with it.

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Resumes are scanned – You’ve got 30 seconds to make a positive impression  

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In general, all info goes in order of most important to least important 

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To facilitate scanning, put detail and dates on the right side of page Use short, crisp descriptive statements

The job description is the place to find clues about what to emphasize

Be concise, one page to 1 ½ pages in length NEXT SCREEN

Power Words & Phrases

Add these and you look like a person of action Accomplished Acquired Adapted Advised Arranged Capable Clarified Coached Communicated Created Designed

Developed Directed Edited Expanded Formulated Guided Improved Influenced Knowledgeable Managed Motivated Negotiated

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Organized Participated Persuaded Proficient Promoted Qualified Revised Scheduled Sensitive Strengthened Structured Successful

What goes at the top?  Name – address – reliable phone – e-mail  

No nicknames – make your gender clear- Be Christopher or Christine but not Chris What will I hear when I get your answering machine? Does it sound professional?

 If you will be moving soon, but you’re applying now, put two sets of contact information up top Im a Graduate Until June 15,2013 503 Main St., Apt. 3 La Grande, OR 97850 541-962-0022

Permanent 123 Harmony Lane Hometown, OR 12345 503-566-7890

 Consider establishing a separate e-mail account for job search  

Responses won’t get lost among other correspondence What you choose as an e-mail account name makes a difference hotcoed @ hotmail sends the wrong message to a prospective employer

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Profile vs. Objective 

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The resume is a marketing tool. Hook the reader’s interest with your expertise, strengths, skills, knowledge and interests. Use a profile statement to say, “Here’s what I have to offer….” A profile replaces an objective which says “Here’s what I want…” Move forward to see the difference

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Which sounds better? Here’s what I have to offer

Here’s what I want

Background of proven success in recreational and social programming with young adults. Able to coordinate all aspects of large-scale events from concept to completion. Three years service on University event planning commission including primary coordination of several major music events.

Seeking an entry-level position in event planning, primary interest in music venues located in a large metropolitan area. It is really best to avoid the term, “entry-level.” You might be qualified for something higher in the organization but by using that term, you’ll be channeled to that pile of resumes.

The prospective employer doesn’t really care about what we want. He or she has no investment in us until after we become a member of the team. The question he or she is asking is: “What can this candidate do for me?” Answer the question by using a profile statement and place it right up at the top under your contact information. NEXT SCREEN

Resume Headings Organizing the information in a logical way can help the reader navigate the document. You can personalize your resume by considering which headings best describe your experiences.

Profile Highlights Objective Teaching Objectives

Relevant Courses Professional Skills Career Highlights

Achievements Capabilities Employment Other Work Experience

Professional Experience Summer Work Experience Student Teaching Experience Education Community Activities Practicum Experience Educational Background Teaching Experience Volunteer Activities Special Training Related Activities Coaching Experience Licensure Professional Activities Related Experience Knowledge NEXT SCREEN

What comes first Education or Experience? 

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There is no hard and fast rule. Employers are looking for both. Check the position description for clues about what might be more important. If you have related experience and want to stand out of a pool of recent college grads, consider leading with your experience and not with your degree. NEXT SCREEN

Put it this way… Education 

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Bachelor of Science, Eastern Oregon University, La Grande OR Liberal Studies Minors: Business and Psychology Cumulative GPA: 3.26 Anticipated June 2013 Bachelor of Science, Rangeland Resources, Oregon State University at Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, OR Dec. 2013 Bachelor of Science with Honors, Eastern Oregon University La Grande, Oregon June 2013 Major: Multidisciplinary Studies Minor: Biology

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Put it this way 2

Work, Community Service, & Experiences

Job title, organization, location, dates Assistant Manager, Hometown Books, Baker City, OR Supervise day-to-day operations in absence of manager

3/10 – present

Volunteer, Start Making a Reader Today (SMART), La Grande Public Schools Mentor first-grader weekly to establish healthy reading habits 9-08 - current Tutor, Learning Center, Eastern Oregon University Sept. 2005 – June 2010 Assisted students in evaluating first-drafts and improving writing skills Universitat Karlsruhe, Study Abroad Program, Karlsruhe, Germany ’02 – ’04 Studied computer science, acquired IT related vocabulary

* Note verb tense. If you are currently involved write in present tense, past experiences are described in the past tense. NEXT SCREEN

Put it this way 3 List accomplishments, problems solved, special projects, capstone, training, travel, awards… Avoid describing job duties: Responsible for opening & closing, hired and trained new staff Instead, cite the fact you made a difference: Designed and implemented new orientation program for first-time employees, resulted in 20% higher employee retention

Situation – Action – Result Describe accomplishments this way: Recognized new employee retention problems, assessed reasons for leaving, designed and implemented orientation program for new hires. Program resulted in 20% increase in summer employee retention in first year of implementation.

What to do with unrelated experience?

Use keywords and jargon from your field

You can’t fit your life story on a one page resume. Include skills, experiences and interests that relate to the target position. Pick the ones that demonstrate your qualifications and why you’d be a good candidate. If you can’t make the experience relate to the target, consider leaving it off.

You want to appear to be an insider. Pepper your resume with the terminology of your target career field. Use keywords. Ex: In banking, mention your experience with credit analysis, building a deposit base, generating fee income, negotiating letters of credit…

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Punctuation Avoid using complete sentences to facilitate readability Instead, use short, crisp descriptive phrases Question the use of periods 

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String phrases together with commas Scheduled firefighter crews, oriented new crew members, ensured accuracy of time sheets Use a keyboard symbol to do the same Scheduled firefighter crews / Oriented new crew members / Ensured accuracy of time sheets Bullet phrases  Scheduled firefighter crews  Oriented new crew members  Ensured accuracy of time sheets

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Factoids  “La Grande” is two words - Avoid breaking up the two: La    

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Grande (They stay together on the same line) Use the postal abbreviations for states: OR or Oregon, not Ore. Spell out the first reference of an acronym: American Psychological Association (APA) Spell out the full name of the degree you are earning Bachelor of Science sure sounds/looks better than B.S. Once you’ve established a location it is not necessary to repeat it throughout the document Ex. Your degree is from Eastern Oregon University, La Grande, OR Subsequent references to the university do not need its location Your GPA belongs on your resume if it is a 3.0 or above If it isn’t you can calculate your major GPA or your GPA in the last two years - If your GPA does not appear on your resume, be prepared to explain the circumstances NEXT SCREEN

Your Final Product   

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Print out your paper version using a high quality printer Use a high quality bond paper, not the standard printer paper Choose paper colors that are conservative – white, off-white or light pastels (Keep in mind your document may be copied. Gray is not advised as it does not copy well) As much as you want to stand out, avoid clip art, graphics and a flashy presentation – this is a business document (Exceptions might be made for those in creative fields) It bears repeating – no errors, no smudges, no wrinkles If you’ve gone onto two pages, don’t staple together - Make sure your name is on the top of page two, just in case the two pages get separated - (Ex. Joe Smith resume, page 2)

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References

Singing your praises Resumes contain the information we choose to highlight. Employers will want to hear from those who can speak to your skills, abilities & work ethic before they make an investment in you. 

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No need to say “References available upon request” on the bottom of your resume – it is assumed that you will have them when they are requested. You’ll need three to five people to write or speak on your behalf. Submit reference list with your resume on separate sheet. Use same style & font – it should match other documents in your application materials. Ask permission before you use someone’s name. Ask this way, “Do you feel com fortable writing me a strong recommendation? Engage in a conversation about what the reference giver might say about you. Give the reference writer (or speaker) a copy of your resume and share a position description. They’ll be able to target their comments to the requirements of the position. NEXT SCREEN

Sample reference list CJ Palmer Associate Professor of History Eastern Oregon University One University Blvd. La Grande, OR 97850 541-962-2222 [email protected]

Hilary Logan Manager Target Stores 123 Hwy 22 Salem, OR 97824 503-768-0943 [email protected]

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Kelsey Davis Director YMCA Portland 45789 Barbur Blvd. Portland, OR 97204 503-924-0014 [email protected]

Cover/Application Letters 

Always send a cover letter with a resume “Sending a resume without a cover letter is like starting an interview without a handshake.”

 Cover letters are based on a formula, four paragraphs in length  

1- reason for writing, specific position, how you learned of opening; 2- why you are interested 3- Refer reader to enclosed resume; 4- Indicate desire for a personal interview. Close letter with wording that encourages a response.

 Good cover letters are about the target organization, not about you  Reflect the fact that you’ve done your research & you know what the organization does  Demonstrate that your skills and experiences would help the organization meet its goals 

Personalize the letter – 

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Do everything you can to find out the name and title of the recipient. Avoid “To Whom it May Concern” –or- “Dear Sir or Madam”

Use the same high quality paper for resume & letter. Keep copy.