1. careers
2. resume writing and advice

Resume Writing
Presenters:
Judy Taylor, Professional Counselor
LaWanda Woods, On-Ramp Coordinator
On-Ramp Program 2010
On-Ramp Program 2010
Overview
 Understand the purpose of the resume.
 Learn the different parts of a resume and how to
build an effective resume.
 Recognize your transferable skills and how to use
them to overcome common obstacles.
 Learn how resumes are viewed by employers and
how you can get yours in front of the right people.
 Avoid costly mistakes and red flags.
On-Ramp Program 2010
Past, Present, and Future
of the Resume
Standard resume is a 1-2 page document
showcasing professional, employment, and
academic history.
• Past: 1-2 page word processor document mailed or
faxed to prospective employers.
• Present: Pervasiveness of Internet brought online
job boards and other Web tools.
• Future: Capabilities of the Internet will continue to
change the way resumes are created, displayed, and
transmitted.
On-Ramp Program 2010
The Resume of the Past
• 1-2 page black and white
document.
• Emailed, mailed or
faxed to employers.
• Emphasized job duties
• Written from
perspective of what
benefits the employee.
On-Ramp Program 2010
The Resume of the Future
• Created, updated, and
distributed online.
• Links to blog, social
networks, and company
sites.
On-Ramp Program 2010
Anatomy of a Resume
Contact Information
On-Ramp Program 2010
• Name should stand out.
 Ideal: In capital letters and larger font than rest of document.
• Address
 Format: Street address, city, state, zip code.
• Home or Mobile Phone
 10 digits with area code: 800-363-0307
• Email Address must be professional.
Objective Statement
On-Ramp Program 2010
The first step to creating a high-impact
resume is determining what you're trying
to accomplish. With a clearly defined
career objective, you can write a resume
that conveys the experience, skills and
training that best serve your overall
professional aspirations.
Sample Objectives
On-Ramp Program 2010
Entry-Level Positions
• Seeking an entry-level position in marketing
utilizing my strong analytical and
communication skills combined with a Bachelor
of Arts in Marketing.
• Recent university graduate seeking an internship
with an online media company who can utilize
my developed skills in communications and
multimedia design.
Sample Objectives
On-Ramp Program 2010
Experienced
• To secure a business development position
leveraging strong customer service and
relationship building skills while utilizing over 11
years of business experience including 7 years of
overachieving sales quotas.
• Seasoned manager offering 20 years of
progressive experience in functional staff
management and consistent staff retention.
On-Ramp Program 2010
Objective Statement: Required or
Not?
Career changers and entry-level workers
should consider incorporating their
objectives into their resumes, because their
goals may not be clearly defined by their
work history alone.
Career Summary
On-Ramp Program 2010
A career summary is basically a summary of your positive points and
aspects, and other attributes that you have, that would be beneficial
to the employer.
This gives the prospective employer a chance to glance through your
profile in a single stroke and gauge how relevant your job skills are
to the position that they are looking to fill.
Career Summary Tips
On-Ramp Program 2010
Tips for writing winning summary statements:
 Emphasize personal brand by summarizing value added skills,
experience, and accomplishments.
 List 2-3 specific skills that relate to the position.
 Be specific about your strengths and accomplishments.
 Show how you saved money, reduced costs, or increased sales.
On-Ramp Program 2010
Career Summary Example
Project Manager:
Project manager with over 10 years of in-depth experience in
the telecom business.
Managed projects with a pre-allocated annual budget of 8-10
million and achieved goals.
Leader in managing cross company teams efforts through
effective and motivating mentoring strategies.
Areas of Expertise:
• Voice over IP
• Telecommunication
• Wireless
On-Ramp Program 2010
Career Summary Example
Marketing Manager:
• An Internet Marketing Manager professional with
15 years’ experience in the Internet industry.
• Worked on SEO, SEM, website development.
• A proven record of developing new Internet
business brands and strategies. Recently, completed
a Master of Business Administration degree.
On-Ramp Program 2010
Recap
Career Objective
Career Summary
 Career objectives are short
statements of interest created by
a job applicant about a certain
position.
 Your Summary is your initial
sales pitch to a prospective
employer.
 The function of writing a career
objective is to help you plan
your career and figure out where
you want to go professionally.
 The Summary statement gathers
the best elements of your
resume – your abilities, skills,
experience, accomplishments,
and personal characteristics –
and condenses them into a brief
description of the best reasons
for hiring you.
On-Ramp Program 2010
Professional Experience
• List employers, job titles, and dates of employment
in reverse chronological order.
• Format: Company, Job Title, Responsibilities and
Accomplishments, and Dates.
• Include brief description of responsibilities and
scope of job. Keep it within 1-3 sentences.
• Use bulleted format to list job responsibilities.
• Begin each point with a strong action verb.
Education
On-Ramp Program 2010
• Education section covers academic credentials and
any education that would apply to job you seek.
• Typically placed below relevant work experience.
• Format: Name of institution, city and state; degree
awarded with major and minor; date degree was
awarded.
• List degrees in reverse chronological order, with
highest degree first.
• Do not include incomplete degree unless you include
an expected graduation date.
Optional Categories
On-Ramp Program 2010
• List additional information at bottom of your
resume. Only include items relevant to specific
position.
• Awards and Honors
 Format: Award title, date, awarding organization.
• Professional Development
 Certifications, licenses, and memberships.
• Volunteer Experience
 Emphasizes key skills not shown in work experience.
• Work Samples and Publications
 Can help you build portfolio and enhance your personal brand.
On-Ramp Program 2010
Keywords and Tags
• Keywords are search terms recruiters and hiring
managers use to filter resumes.
 Using the right keywords increases the chances of your resume
getting seen.
• Information employers look for in resume database
search: keywords, titles, companies, education,
location, compensation.
• Keywords often originate from job description.
• Identify critical keywords. Use them prominently
and frequently.
Resume Formats
On-Ramp Program 2010
Chronological
Functional
Technical
On-Ramp Program 2010
Chronological Resume
Chronological resume format provides your work
history dating back from the present.
• Briefly describes accomplishments and successes that
support your summary statement.
• Stresses responsibilities, skills, and accomplishments.
• The format calls attention to your recent job history and
relevant experience.
On-Ramp Program 2010
Who Should Use Chronological?
Most job seekers will be using the chronological format.
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•
•
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You are staying within specific occupation or industry.
You have steady work history with few gaps.
Your career shows steady growth and development.
You have relevant work experience to the position you
are applying for.
• You are applying to a traditional field (accounting, law,
finance) or organization.
Functional Resume
On-Ramp Program 2010
Functional resume format stresses qualifications
over specific employers and dates.
• Organizes information around specific skill sets and
supports skills with accomplishments and experience.
• Directs attention to functional skills, strengths, and
qualifications.
• Allows you to customize content to match job position.
Not confined by chronological format.
On-Ramp Program 2010
Who Should Use Functional?
• Contract or 1099 workers.
• You have a weak employment history.
• You have unexplainable gaps in your employment
history.
• You are making significant career or job change.
• You want to emphasize skills and abilities not used in
recent experience.
• You have held numerous positions in a short time frame.
• You have been employed in highly technical positions.
Technical Resume
On-Ramp Program 2010
Technical resume format is designed to emphasize
your technical skills and strengths.
• Lists computer, software, or specialized machinery
knowledge early on.
• Emphasizes hard skills over soft skills.
• Focuses on Skills and Professional Experience sections.
• Technical/Chronological vs. Technical/Functional
Most technical resumes follow chronological format but include
summary of skills at beginning of resume.
Use functional format if you’re a technical worker who’s mainly
been hired for project-based or contract work.
Overcoming
Obstacles and Objections
On-Ramp Program 2010
Baby Boomers
On-Ramp Program 2010
Baby Boomers Applying for Jobs
Overcoming Objections
 “Older workers are more costly.”
 “Older workers need re-training and can’t learn new skills.”
 “Older workers are over-qualified and will get bored.”
Advantages
 When writing your resume, emphasize your knowledge and
experience.
Military
On-Ramp Program 2010
Military Transitioning to Civilian Workforce
Overcoming Objections
 “Speak civilian, not military.”
Translate military experience to
understandable civilian qualifications.
Advantages



Modern and current skills and training.
Ability to work in a team.
Ability to adapt to change and handle
pressure.
Recent Graduates
On-Ramp Program 2010
College or High School Grads without Work Experience
Overcoming Objections
 “Recent graduates feel entitled in the work
place.”
 “Recent graduates lack professionalism and
strong work ethic.”
Advantages



Bring new ideas: Business thrives on innovation, so
highlight your ability to apply new information and
ideas to your work.
Hard working: Younger employees take spirited
approach toward work, staying up late or working on
weekends to complete tasks.
Affordable: Show value you offer the employer, and
what they stand to gain by hiring you over someone
more established.
Career Changers
On-Ramp Program 2010
Job Seekers Who Are Changing Careers
Overcoming objections
 “Has no experience.” Know and articulate transferable
skills.
 “Why does this person want to leave their current field?”
Advantages
 Bring new and fresh perspective to the position.
 Value added by bringing skills from other profession.
Other helpful tips
 Do your research and change your resume accordingly.
 Emphasize accomplishments in your previous career and
stress your transferable skills.
On-Ramp Program 2010
View from the Inside
On-Ramp Program 2010
How Hiring Managers and
Recruiters View Resumes
Location: If address indicates you live too far
away—SKIPPED.
Stability: Depending on position, if you appear
to be a job hopper—SKIPPED.
Education: If the job requires a degree, and
you don’t have one—SKIPPED.
Companies: Previous employers with
recognizable names or brands stand out. Make
sure company names and subsidiaries are listed
prominently.
On-Ramp Program 2010
Submitting a Resume
Emailing your resume
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•
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Most effective and common means of submitting
resume to employers and contacts.
Use standard file formats: Word .doc and .pdf
Be direct and clear in your subject line.
Include title of position, word “resume,” and keywords
in email.
Electronic screeners
•
•
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Crack the code by using keywords highlighted in job
description.
Use keywords throughout your resume.
Prioritize keywords so that those most relevant to
position are at the top.
On-Ramp Program 2010
Posting Your Resume Online
Job boards
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•
Keep resume current and updated.
Avoid posting confidential resume.
Social networks
•
Make sure information on resume and
public profiles are consistent and
professional.
Blogs and Websites
•
Control your professional presence online
and be conscious of the image you are
presenting to potential employers.
Social Networks
Great forums to promote your
personal brand.
Join LinkedIn, add, and update
work experience.
Keep profile information and
resume consistent across
multiple sites.
On-Ramp Program 2010
Blogs and Websites
On your blog or website, have a
section about your personal
brand.
Use Search Engine
Optimization (SEO) to drive
traffic to your profile and
resume.
On-Ramp Program 2010
Guidelines for a
Well-Written Resume
On-Ramp Program 2010
 Use strong and concise language to
communicate your skills and
accomplishments.
 Do not use personal pronouns: “I,”
“me,” “my,” “our.”
 Use professional language. Remove
slang or localized terminology.
 Shorten long and complex sentences.
Leave out extraneous information.
 Check grammar and spelling.
 Beware of red flags.
 Avoid other common mistakes.
Beware of Red Flags
On-Ramp Program 2010
Grammatical and spelling errors.
Too wordy or too much information.
Irrelevant experience.
False claims and over-embellishment.
Inconsistent work history or
unexplained career gaps.
Email address is too provocative.
Any Questions?
On-Ramp Program 2010