How To Write A Resume 1142020 1 What

How To Write A Resume… 11/4/2020 1

What is a Resume A resume is your calling card A resume highlights your experience, skills and accomplishments A resume motivates an employer to interview you A resume communicates your value to an employer The interview gets you the job, the resume gets you the interview! 11/4/2020 2

The 20 Second Test… In about 20 seconds, a perspective employer will quickly scan your resume… If your resume makes a positive first impression, s/he will read the rest of your resume… 11/4/2020 3

Critical Categories Contact information Education Skills/Qualifications Employment History 11/4/2020 4

Contact Information 11/4/2020 n Name (largest font) n Address, City and Province n Telephone Number n Cell Number n Email Address 5

Education n n 11/4/2020 State current grade and school State graduation date or anticipated graduation date If you have attended more than one school, list most recent education first Academic honours 6

Skills and Accomplishments n n Describe accomplishments or skills acquired through work, school or other activities Should be relevant to the job you are seeking u u u 11/4/2020 Computer programs Languages Communication Skills Interpersonal Skills Organizational Skills 7

Skills and Accomplishments Example for Entry Level Position n 11/4/2020 Computer literacy with knowledge of MS Word Ability to type 30 words per minute Excellent communication skills and able to get along well with peers and coworkers 8

Skills and Accomplishments 11/4/2020 n Bilingual in English and Spanish n Good organizational and planning skills n Prompt, dependable and responsible n Quick learner and enthusiastic worker 9

Computer Skills n n 11/4/2020 List software programs and level of expertise List number of words typed per minute for keyboarding 10

Employment History n n n 11/4/2020 Reverse chronological order (most recent first) Include u Job title u Name of company and city & province u Do not list address or telephone number u Dates of employment (month/year) Duties and responsibilities u Think ACCOMPLISHMENTS not just job duties u Use bullet points u Tie in skills required for the position that you are seeking 11

Special Abilities n 11/4/2020 Special abilities u Are you bilingual? u Do you know sign language? u If yes, list under skills. 12

Volunteer or Professional Affiliations n 11/4/2020 Extracurricular activities or Volunteer work u Only use if relevant to the job you are seeking u Ex: Vet Tech applicant who volunteered for an animal shelter u Ex: Management applicant who was president of his class or school group 13

Do’s of Resume Writing Format n n n 11/4/2020 One page – VERY IMPORTANT!!!! Short phrases, not complete sentences – easy to read and understand Indented or bulleted statements Bolding, different size fonts Your name - largest font 14

Do’s of Resume Writing Content n n 11/4/2020 Uses action words to define the responsibilities of your job-related experience Must always be 100% truthful Typed NOT Handwritten Proofread for grammar and spelling 15

Resume Don'ts n n 11/4/2020 Don’t list references Don’t list gender or personal information n Don’t include salary information n Don’t use “I”, “My”, or “Me” 16

Resume Pitfalls n n n 11/4/2020 Poor layout or appearance Poorly typed and reproduced Misspellings, bad grammar, poor punctuation and wordiness Lengthy phrases, sentences Too boastful or dishonest 17

Resume Pitfalls n n 11/4/2020 Irrelevant information Critical categories missing (ex: education) Hard to understand Unexplained time gaps 18