"Presentation on writing an effective Resume. How to make a good resume Effecive tips for writing a Resume. These PDF's are available for all VEDA students for free on www.veda-edu.com"

1. WRITING AN EFFECTIVE RESUME

2. GENERAL GUIDELINES, 1 of 2
• Keep your resume organized & easy to
read
• Write your own resume!
• Keep it one to two pages
• Always lead with your strongest suit
• Keep it positive and refrain from using
any negatives
• Write brief, clear, & informative
statements

3. GENERAL GUIDELINES, 2 of 2
• Use the proper tense
• Never underestimate the power of
appearance
• Have someone critique your resume
• Don’t send out a resume that is not
100% spotless

4. Things to put on a resume, 1 Of 3
• OBJECTIVE
• SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
• EDUCATION
• RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE
• COMPUTER SKILLS
• LANGUAGES
• RESEARCH

5. Things to put on a resume, 2 of 3
• HONORS/AWARDS/ACTIVITIES
• ADDITIONAL WORK
EXPERIENCE
• VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
• COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
• STRENGTHS
• INTERESTS

6. Things to put on a resume, 3 of 3
• REMEMBER…
• Most important information on Page
One.
• Page One should be able to get you the
interview all by itself.
• Page Two are all of the extras that go
along with the great candidate described
on Page One!

7. HEADER
• Name
• Full current mailing
address
• Telephone Number (s)
• Email address

8. OBJECTIVE
• In ONE or TWO lines tell
what job or position you want
Example:
Operations Research Analyst
position with Midwest Technologies

9. QUALIFICATIONS
• List accomplishments and skills
that show you can handle the job
• Begin with those most relevant to
the position you are seeking

10. EDUCATION
• Degree Awarded
• School Name and Address
• Date degree awarded
• Optional:
- Additional qualification
- Scholarships
- Relevant Classes

11. WORK EXPERIENCE
• Job Title
• Employer’s Name and Address
• Years of employment
• Description of your responsibilities
- Begin with your most important

12. SKILLS AND ABILITIES
• List the things that you can
operate
• Software knowledge
• Procedures you know
- List everything that will help you
in your new job

13. Resume Tips in a Nutshell
Use bullets NOT paragraphs
Use ACTION verbs to start your
statements
Highlight areas of importance
Keep resume to 1 or 2 pages
Always TARGET it to a specific job
It MUST be 100% error free!

14. THE “DESCRIPTIVE” OBJECTIVE
• Briefly describes the
type of job you’re
interested in
• Works best in being
seen as an overall
candidate
• Used if there are no
specific openings

15. THE “TITLED” OBJECTIVE
• Names the
SPECIFIC job title
for which you are
applying
• Best used if you are
applying for a
specific position and
do not want to be
considered for any
other positions
Specific
stuff

16. DO NOT USE OVERDONE CLICHES
• “A chance to use my
skills”
• “A challenging
opportunity”
• “An opportunity for
growth”
• These have been used
so much they don’t
even register!

17. TWO WORDS TO USE CAUTIOUSLY
“ENTRY LEVEL”
• Most companies are
not looking for entry
level employees -
they are looking for
employees who can
contribute to the
growth and
development of the
organization

18. Your Resume’s MOST IMPORTANT
Feature is...
THE SUMMARY SECTION
This section is the 10-second “sound bite”
that draws the reader into the remainder
of your resume.
• This section is CRUCIAL in the “high
speed resume review” world we live in.
• Make sure it is there and bulleted!

19. RESUME TYPE:
“CHRONOLOGICAL ”, 1 of 2
ADVANTAGES:
• Widely used; logical flow & easy to read
• Shows growth in skills & responsibilities
• Shows promotions and titles
• Shows company loyalty

20. RESUME TYPE:
“CHRONOLOGICAL ”, 2 of 2
DISADVANTAGES:
• Shows gaps in employment
• Highlights frequent job changes
• Emphasizes employment not skills
• Emphasizes lack of related experience
• Points out demotions and career set
backs

21. RESUME TYPE:
“FUNCTIONAL ”, 1 of 2
ADVANTAGES:
• Emphasizes skills rather than
employment
• Organizes a variety of experiences
• Disguises gaps in work record or a series
of short term jobs

22. RESUME TYPE:
“FUNCTIONAL ”, 2 of 2
DISADVANTAGES:
• Viewed with suspicion by employers
due to lack of information about
specific employers and dates
• De-emphasizes growth/job titles

23. RESUME TYPE:
“COMBINATION ”, 1 of 2
ADVANTAGES:
• Highlights most relevant skills and
accomplishments
• De-emphasizes employment history in less
relevant jobs
• Combines skills developed in a variety of
jobs or other activities
• Minimizes employment gaps and absence of
directly related experience

24. RESUME TYPE:
“COMBINATION ”, 2 of 2
DISADVANTAGES:
• Confusing if not well organized
• Requires more effort and creativity
to prepare

25. RESUME TYPE: “TARGET ”, 1 of 2
• Personalized
• Shows research
• More impressive
• Written specifically
to employers needs
• ANY format can be
made into a Targeted
Resume

26. RESUME TYPE:
“TARGET ”, 2 of 2
DISADVANTAGES:
• Time consuming to prepare
• Confusing if not well organized
• Needs to be revised for each
employer

27. Name
Address
City State Pin
Phone and email
OBJECTIVE STATEMENT
SUMMARY OF SKILLS
EDUCATION
RELATED WORK EXPERIENCE
RELATED VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
OTHER WORK AND/OR VOLUNTEER
EXPERIENCE

28. COMPUTER SKILLS
ORGANIZATIONS/CLUBS
AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
HOBBIES
INTERESTS

29. SOME PET RESUME PEEVES
• More than 2 pages
• Outlandish or poor
quality paper
• Clerical mistakes
• Handwritten
corrections
• Inflated
responsibilities
These
peeve me
off!

30. OTHER RESUME PEEVES
• Old jobs that
don’t mean
anything
• Fancy graphics
• A photocopy of a
photocopy
• Pictures
What is THIS
stuff???

31. TIP: DISTILL = BULLETING
Long dense paragraphs makes finding
information too hard with too much
effort
SOLUTION: DISTILL!
• Create bulleted, focused statements.
• Short powerful lines show the reader, in
a glance, why they should keep reading

32. TIP: HOW TO “BULLET”, 1 Of 2
ACTION + OBJECT + OUTCOME =
“BULLET STATEMENT”
• Action: : Verb
• Object : What, quantity or size; subject,
type or kind
• Outcome : For whom, purpose or final
results

33. BULLETING, 2 of 2
• Use most of the elements when you
want to emphasize an experience
• You are not expected to use all of
the elements in every statement;
sometimes you may use only a few

34. BEFORE DISTILLING………….
• Before
distilling…
I’m just a
“bunch”

35. BEFORE DISTILLING, EXAMPLE #1
• Primary Duties: Computer
repair and assembly,
software troubleshooter,
Internet installation and
troubleshooting.

36. BEFORE DISTILLING, Example #2
• Responsibilities included assisting with
artist releases, compiling sheets based on
information given from reservationists
and box office attendants, handling photo
and press release mailings to media,
assisting in radio copy writing, and
performing various other duties as
assigned.

37. Attract attention to your skills
• Employers want to
see results
• Use percentages and
numbers
• Outline actions you
took and emphasize
the resulting benefits
• List information in
order of importance

38. Sell your skills every chance you get!
• ESPECIALLY
COMPUTER
SKILLS!
• List all the software
programs you have
knowledge of
• If you don’t have
computer skills -
GET THEM!

39. TIP: TARGET YOUR RESUME, 1 of 2
• Tailor your resume
to each position
• Vague, general
resumes may get
“lost” in the shuffle
• An effective resume
supports and
strengthens your
objective

40. TARGETED RESUMES, 2 of 2
• Highlight your
experience when
it is relevant
• Focus on why
you are qualified
not necessarily
on what you
have done

41. TIP: Use ACTION Verbs
Descriptive words add
POWER
• Some examples are:
- organized
- prepared
- streamlined
- established

42. TIP: Be Concise
• A 3-page or longer resume may not even
receive the typical 15-second glance
• Best results are achieved with a one or two
page, well-organized resume
Keep your resume...
• short
• well organized
• to the point

43. TIP: MAKE IT INVITING!
• Capture your
readers attention by
making it attractive
to the eye
• Emphasize
important
information by
bolding, italicizing,
using different fonts
YOU’RE
INVITED!

44. TIP: Be Complete
• Emphasize your professionalism
by giving complete information
• Avoid abbreviations, slang,
negatives
• Avoid the overuse of the personal
pronouns “I” or “MY”

45. TIP: BRAG BUT DON’T EXAGGERATE
• Be Honest! Play up
your skills but never
lie or exaggerate
• An effective resume
must sell as well as
tell…….
 Are you good?
 Can you do the job?
 Do you want the job?
I can do anything!

46. TIP: Proof and Edit
• An effective resume is 100% error free,
not 99%, not 99.5% but 100%
• Use spell check but do not rely totally on
it
• Always check for grammar, punctuation
and capitalization errors
• Proof at least 4 times
• Have someone else proof it

47. TIP: USE VERBAL PROOFING
• Read your resume
aloud
• Grammatical
mistakes and
faulty construction
are often most
obvious when you
hear them
My fellow
Americans...

48. TIP: ASK FOR OTHERS OPINIONS
• A 2 nd opinion can
be more objective
and make
worthwhile
suggestions
• A 2 nd eye can also
find errors you may
have overlooked
Who do you ask ?
Ask me, Ask me
Ask me!!

49. TIP: DO NOT INCLUDE PERSONAL
STATISTICS
• This includes
information about
age, marital status,
height, weight,
health, etc.
• Requesting this info
violates anti-
discrimination laws
so do not volunteer it

50. TIP: NO PHOTO COPIES!!
• An effective
resume is an
original, not a copy
• Use a computer
and good word
processing
software so
revisions can easily
be made
Whew!

51. COVER LETTER FORMAT
• Your Cover Letter
should cover these
important topics…
WHAT CAN YOU DO
FOR THE
COMPANY?
WHAT CAN YOU DO
FOR THE COMPANY?
WHAT CAN YOU DO
FOR THE
COMPANY?

52. COVER LETTER TIPS, 1 of 2
Send to a specific
individual
Have a strong,
positive opening
statement that
mentions the position
and something about
the company
Convey enthusiasm
and commitment
Be brief and focused

53. Cover Letter Tips, 2 of 2
Identify something unique about yourself
that is relevant to the position
Highlight your strong points that relates
to the specific job
Three or four paragraphs long - that’s it!
State how you will follow-up - and then
make sure you do it!

54. Cover Letter Paragraphs, 1 of 2
PARAGRAPH 1:
• Why you are writing.
• State your strongest point and the job for
which you want to be considered.
PARAGRAPH 2:
• Explain why you want to work for this
company and why you desire this position

55. Cover Letter Paragraphs, 2 of 2
PARAGRAPH 3:
• Highlight your skills and qualifications
that are relevant to this job and company
PARAGRAPH 4:
• Request an interview and state how you
will follow-up

56. Your resume is “Alive”
Remember…
• Your resume is a
“living”
document
• Continue to add
and upgrade as
your career
progresses