How to make your resume stand out, while avoiding common mistakes!

1. Writing a
Winning Resume
Presented by:
Emily Davey, Executive Recruiter
Evelyn Hronec, CPA, MSA, CPC, Managing Director

2. Cover Letters
• Some employers like them, some don’t care.
– Use a powerful 1st sentence that summarizes your skills
and what you bring to the job.
– Focus on the employer’s needs
based on what you saw in the ad.
– Look for the credentials the
employer finds desirable and
incorporate your qualifications.

3. …Cover Letters
Refer to the job you’re applying
for and where you saw it posted.
Always send a cover letter when mailing.

4. Email
• Don’t ask the hiring person to call you and give you
more info on the job… they’re too busy.
• Don’t treat the hiring manager like they’re you’re
best friend. Keep the format formal.
– Paste the cover letter in letter format and attach to your
resume. Your cover letter may not get read otherwise.
– Send the right letter to the right person!
• Use a “professional” email address, not
“cougar@example.com.”

5. Resume Objective
• Should you or shouldn’t you?
– If you do, make sure it fits the job you’re applying for.
– Focus on what you offer the company…
not what you want out of the job.
– Make the objective clear and concise.

6. Your Resume Should
Focus On
• Accomplishments:
– Be descriptive.
– Use numbers, focus on efficiency, give
amounts.
The more you focus on money saved, time, &
amounts, the better you’ll present your
potential and accomplishments

7. Accomplishment Examples
“Assisted in preparing individual tax returns”
vs.
“Worked on the completion of 125 tax returns in a
3-month period.”
“Provided excellent customer service to dinner guests”
vs.
“Routinely served an average of 85 tables per night/
an average of 125 customers on a typical
weekend evening.

8. Money Saved
Address ways you’ve saved
money, earned money
or managed money.
Examples:
 Wrote a donor letter that resulted in
more than $10,000 in new donations
 Managed a student budget of $3000.

9. TIME
• Interviewed players and coaches
and composed a 750 word article
by an 11pm deadline.
• Filed 2000 documents in a 2-day
time period.

10. Amounts
• Recruited 75 volunteers to help with
the school’s annual fundraiser.
• Solicited 15 families to
participate in a
neighborhood
garage sale.

11. Resume Tips
• Use bullets, not paragraphs.
• Go beyond listing job duties
– Show how you excelled at the task.

12. More Resume Tips
• Leave out personal pronouns.
• Start with action verbs.
• Don’t include personal history or
interests, unless they relate to
accomplishments.

13. More Resume Tips
• Always check your resume for errors.
This goes beyond spell check. Improper
grammar won’t be caught. Have
someone read your resume over.
The document should be perfect.
• CHECK YOUR DATES!

15. Special Situations
Phone Interviews:
• Increasingly being used as the 1st step in the
interview process.
• Treat these very seriously.
• Don’t treat it as an informal conversation but
as a regular interview.
• Your goal during the phone interview is
to get a face-to-face interview!

16. Special Situations
Phone Interviews:
• Have your resume and cover letter in
front of you... and a pen!
• Sit up – Your voice projects better.
• Make a list of those accomplishments
you want to emphasize.
• Make sure you are undisturbed.
• Answer the phone yourself.

17. Special Situations
Phone Interviews:
• Know what the company does. Go online!
• Check LinkedIn.
• Keep your ring tone and VM/answering machine
messages professional.
• Inquire as to whether you answered their questions
sufficiently and if there’s anything you can clarify for
them.
• Arrange a face-to-face interview. “I look forward to
meeting you personally. I have my calendar in front of
me. Can we set a time to meet?”

18. Special Situations
Multiple Face to Face Interviews:
• Don’t get nervous, have fun with it.
• Whoever asks the question, face them to initially
answer, and then turn to the others to complete the
answer.
• Move your attention from one to the other.
• Understand what each person’s position is in the
company and address them when speaking in their
area of expertise.

19. Questions you
should ask:

20. Questions you should
ask: about job content, the company’s
• Ask
culture, or the the company’s future.
– How long is your learning curve for entry level positions?
– What type of employees are most successful at the
company?
– From our discussion, are there any concerns you have
about my ability to perform in this job? Clarify.
– Ask the interviewer about their background, how long have
they been with the company?
– Reiterate the qualities you possess that will help you
succeed in the position. Tell them you’re interested in the
position, and ask what the next step in the process is.

22. Good Luck!
Feel free to call with questions.
Kelly Sober, Account Manager
kelly.sober@brunercox.com/330-266-4194
Evelyn Hronec, Managing Director
evelyn.hronec@brunercox.com/330-266-4172