Not all resumes are created equal so learn about the do and don’ts of creating your resume. The presentation will cover building the elements of your resume. Every job application requires unique skills so learn ways to give you the best chance of success when applying for a new position. Learn how to take advantage of all the features when uploading a job application to a company’s applicant tracking system.

1. Resumes, Cover Letters
and Applying On-line
brought to you by
Bruce A. Bennett
Career Coach Corner
March 7, 2019

2. 2
Introduction & Notes for Workshop
Introduction
Professional Career in Media & Marketing Research
McHenry County Workforce Network Volunteer
Career Coach Corner Blog & Presenter
General Notes for Today
My contact info is on last slide
Workshop is interactive
Q/A & Parking lot
Red Arrows
Comments on the Evaluation forms
Other: R, C & Appling On-line
Socialnomics

3. 3
Outline & Goals for Workshop
Outline
Resume
Formats
Components
General Points & Mistakes
Cover Letters
Standard Format & Q Style
Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)
Applying On-line
Goals
Identify core elements of resume and cover letter
Restate job responsibilities into STARs
Use of Job Boards and Employer ATS

4. 4
Resources Available On-line
http://www.illinoisworknet.com/

5. 5
Resources Available On-line

6. 6
Resources Available On-line

7. 7
Not all Resumes are Created Equal
Paradigm for job search changed radically
Seven seconds - really??
One resume does not work
Customize resumes to fit job posting
Keywords from description must be in resume
Detail work experience history by dates
Self Awareness
What do you want?
Five job titles, industry and target companies
Research what skills are needed for those jobs
3 columns, acquired or desired skills, Y/N and what
examples
Catherine Breet Byers suggests 3 simple steps

8. 8
Resume Formats
Chronological
Details work experience history by dates
Functional
Highlights skills and expertise
Blended
Combo of the two
Infographic
Graphic, colorful, & creative
Plain Text or ASCII

9. 9
Resume Formats
Chronological Resume Format
Skills Resume Format
Infographic format
Plain Text or ASCII format - File
Plain Text or ASCII format - PDF

10. 10
Resume Components
Contact information
Name
Address (printed vs. digital)
Phone number (only 1)
Email
LinkedIn URL
Career or Professional Summary
Elevator speech scripted out
Skills, Keywords or Buzzwords and phrases
relevant to industry & skills
Avoid clichés

11. 11
Resume Components
Work Experience
Company
Job Title
Dates (Month/Year)
Description about company and/or URL
Achievements, not duties or responsibilities
Previous performance appraisals helpful
More bullets for current position
STARs or CARs
Situation or Task, Action and Results
Circumstance, Action and Results

12. 12
Resume Components
Quantify or Recognize experience
 Maintained accounting records for AR and AP
 Managed 1,000+ AR & AP accounts working
directly with the CFO
 Answered the phone
 Resolved customer issues through inbound calling
system, averaging 60 calls a day
 Sold computers and printers to customers
 Practiced consultative sales techniques to provide
customers with their hardware & software needs
 Managed and supervised 10 staff members
 Coached and developed 22 direct reports into
supervisory role positions

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Resume Components
Accomplishments
Education
College, Seminars, Workshops, Special training
Military Experience
Rank, Duties, Responsibilities, Relevant Experiences
Technical or Computer Skills
Community Activities
Volunteer Experience

14. 14
General Points
White space
Applying on line, stick around to the end
Two pages max?
Font consistency is important
Printed white paper 20#
Recruiter Relates Resume Tips
John Marty Offers More Resume Advice

15. 15
Typical Resume Mistakes
Typos
Objective
References available upon request
 ABC’s of references
Providing a Home and Cell phone number
25+ years of experience
Putting a 3 page resume on 2 pages
Distracting formats and/or fonts
Clichés
 Responsible for….
 Problem solving skills
 Detail orientated

16. 16
Fine Tune Your Resume
Chrome extension - Grammarly

17. 17
Fine Tune Your Resume
Chrome extension - Grammarly

18. 18
Fine Tune Your Resume
These websites refine your resume
Match your key skills with job description
Empower you to get past ATS robots
www.jobscan.co
https://skillsyncer.com/
https://theprofessional.me

19. 19
Fine Tune Your Resume
www.jobscan.co - Five scans per month

20. 20
Refining a Resume

21. 21
Refining a Resume

22. 22
Refining a Resume

23. 23
Refining a Resume

24. 24
Refining a Resume

25. 25
Refining a Resume

26. 26
Refining a Resume

27. 27
Cover Letters
To Include or not to include
What function does it serve?
Introduce yourself to the recruiter
State your interest in the position
Relate why you are a good fit
How to write a cover letter

28. 28
Cover Letters
Provides additional means of communication
Gaps in employment
Why Company or position interests you
Relevant experience or industry knowledge
Bullet points to highlight skills
No more than a few paragraphs
4 Sentence Cover Letter
Traditional format
Comparative format
Pain Letter

29. 29
Traditional Cover Letter Example
Header information matches resume

30. 30
Traditional Cover Letter Example
Bullets and closing statement

31. 31
Traditional Cover Letter Example
Dear Ms. Polerecky,
I found the Account Manager Associate position, Job ID3885, through a job search agent I
created on the Ebsco website. My background is a great match with your staffing needs.
The majority of my professional career has been at two companies: Nielsen Media Research and
Synovate. During 2010, I was engaged in civic duties with the Village of Johnsburg and
volunteering at the McHenry County Workforce Network, while continuing my career search.
Additionally, I started conducting training seminars on LinkedIn for networking groups and Harper
College in the latter half of 2010. I started at Lodestar Research in January 2011, but am seeking
full time employment with benefits.
When I started at Synovate, my role was initially defined as a liaison between a recent acquisition
and the parent company. While I was there, I became the brand manager for the Interactive
Opinion Network (ION). The ION product was the premier in-person data collection methodology
used for survey research. I coordinated the processes from working with the programmers to
fielding the studies. I am familiar with basic HTML code and rudimentary SQL queries. The ION
product used Microsoft Access which I have been using for over a decade. Additionally, I was
responsible for the quality assurance of the product.
More recently, I have been at Lodestar Research, a company that focuses on B2B publishing. I
use BPA Worldwide Brand Reports to evaluate B2B publishers as a prospective client. I have
extensive management, operations, client service and relationship building experience that would
benefit Hallmark Data Systems. My experience and skills include:
 Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of South Florida.
 Early adopter of new technology, software and social media.
 Ability to adapt to new challenges and responsibilities.
 In depth use of MSOffice 2007 products, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook &
Access to track, analyze and present data.
 Outstanding written, verbal, interpersonal, presentation and organizational skills.
If you are looking for a committed team member with strong client service skills and the ability to
multi-task in a fast paced environment, I am the candidate you are seeking to place with your
client. I look forward to discussing how my background is a match for this opportunity and will call
you on March 23 to follow up.

32. 32
Comparative Cover Letter Example
Acme Company
Attn: Kris Mueller, Recruitment Specialist
1 Medline Place
Mundelein, IL 60060-4486
Good Afternoon,
Your advertisement for a Lead Expeditor caught my attention because it seemed an
ideal match to my background and experience in inventory control. Having looked at
your website, it is clear you present medical solutions that improve the lives of both
doctors and patients and I am very excited about the prospect of playing a part in that
role. Let me take this opportunity to present my background in comparison to the job
requirements you have described.
YOUR REQUIREMENTS MY BACKGROUND
 Bachelor’s Degree  Bachelors Degree in Science
 2+ yrs related experience with
leadership
 10+ yrs experience with 6+ yrs in a
leadership role
 Strong Excel/proficient math
 Utilized advanced excel functions
and math on a daily basis
 Superior attention to detail
 Maintained and monitored delivery
dates for 30K finished goods
 Exceptional
communication/adaptable/ strong
sense of urgency
 Established direct communication
in urgent situations to ensure
accurate and timely actions

33. 33
Applicant Tracking Systems - ATS

34. 34
What is an ATS?
Majority of major companies use an ATS for HR
Human Resource Information System (HRIS)
Software that enables the electronic handling of
HR documentation
Cradle to grave capability
Tracks hiring compliance for company
Taking the human out of Human Resources

35. 35
How Does an ATS Work
Parses your resume into the system
Scans resumes to qualify candidates
Matches keywords in job description
Performs data mining and collecting
Ranks candidates by resumes & responses
Can manage many tasks
Identify top candidates/Reject unqualified
Send applicant emails
Schedule interviews
Onboarding process
Tracks reviews, promotions, terminations

36. 36
Pitfalls of ATS
Many ATS cannot read a PDF, unless
specifically directed to submit a PDF, submit doc
Word Doc not Docx format
Resume templates
Cannot read tables or multiple columns
Cannot read wording in header & footer
Misspelled words are not recognized

37. 37
Pitfalls of ATS
Single column format
Avoid lines and borders
Do not use underline
Do not use Bold or Italics
Left justification
Serif fonts are not accurately read reliably
Sans Serif fonts is better
Arial, Helvetica, Times New Roman
Futura, Gotham, Franklin Gothic, Circular
Size does matter - 11 or 12 pt is better

38. 38
ATS Resume Friendly Tips
Use standard terminology for section titles
Work Experience not Career Achievements
Education not Professional Training
Keyword matches found in job description
Name document for relevant position
BruceBennettManager.doc, not resume.doc
Use full name instead of acronym
Interactive Opinion Network, not ION

39. 39
Applicant Tracking Systems

40. 40
Applicant Tracking Systems

41. 41
McHenry County Employer ATS

42. 42
McHenry County Employer ATS

43. 43
McHenry County Employer ATS

44. 44
McHenry County Employer ATS

45. 45
McHenry County Employer ATS

46. 46
McHenry County Employer ATS

47. 47
McHenry County Employer ATS

48. 48
McHenry County Employer ATS

49. 49
Upload Your Resume On-line
Glassdoor - https://www.glassdoor.com/index.htm
Indeed - https://www.indeed.com/
ZipRecruiter - https://www.ziprecruiter.com
Careerbuilder - https://www.careerbuilder.com
Monster - https://www.monster.com
Dice - https://www.dice.com/
Mashable - http://jobs.mashable.com/
Slideshare - https://www.slideshare.net/
JobServe - https://www.jobserve.com
O*NET Online - https://www.onetonline.org/
Stella - https://www.stella.ai/welcome
University Career Centers

50. 50
Find Jobs On-line
See Previous Slide
Corporate Website
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
And many, many others!
Ladders.com
Nexxt.com
Resume-now.com

51. 51
Wordle.net
Create a visual representation of your resume

52. 52
McHenry County Workforce Network
March Newsletter of Events & Services
McHenry County Workforce Network Website

53. 53
Upcoming Events
McHenry County Workforce Network
500 Russel Court, Woodstock, IL 60098
LinkedIn Basics and Best Practices
Thursday March 14, 2019 from 10am – 12pm
Tips for a Winning Interview
Thursday March 14, 2019 from 1pm – 3pm
Arlington Heights Memorial Library
500 N. Dunton Avenue, Arlington Heights, IL 60004
Effective Networking in Your Career
Thursday May 22, 2019 from 1pm – 3pm

54. 54
Video & Blog Links
Catherine Breet Byers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8od1iolitg&feature=related
Kimberly Bishop - Recruiter Give Resume Tips
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpQaLX343Js
Socialnomics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4znQDyz038
ATS Do’s and Don’ts
https://www.resumetoreferral.com/ats-resumes/
Pain Letters
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lizryan/2015/11/26/how-to-use-pain-
letters-in-your-job-search/#310855967b44

55. Questions?
Feel free to view my blog
or connect with me on LinkedIn
Contact Info:
Bruce A. Bennett
Mobile: 815-302-9552
Email: BABennett73@gmail.com
Blog: http://bruce73.wordpress.com/
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/bruceabennett