JOBTALKSJOBTALKS

DesigningYour Resume

Indiana UniversityKelley School of BusinessC. Randall Powell, Ph.D

Contents used in this presentation are adapted from Career Planning Strategies and used with the permission of the author.

RESUMES

• Preparation techniques

• Design strategies

• Content

The College Interview Resume

Highly structured Serves as application Factual; good & bad points Not sales oriented

Matching

Employer’s selection criteria

The basic resume concept

Yourcredentials

Basic Resume Formats

Chronological

FunctionalHybrid

Functional Resume Headings

• Technical Skills Accounting

Writing

Languages

• Functional Skills Managing

Selling

Training

• Administrative Skills Analyzing

Planning

Motivating

Resume Purpose

To obtain an invitation for an interview

• Not the whole sales presentation• Stimulate employer’s appetite• Attractive lure

Hey… This ought to

impress them!

A Resume is a Digest of Qualifications

Education

Activities & Honors

Experience

1 to 2 pages

Responding to Job Leads Personal Calling Card Reference Assistant Network Facilitator Broadcasting

The Resume

Passport to Job Interviews

Resume Uses:

Answering job advertisements

Resume Uses:

Responding to Job Leads

Referrals

Resume Uses:

Contacts

“Recommenders”

Recommender Resume

• Help for your job search “partners”• Everyone needs sales representatives• Builds consistency in referral's

comments• 2-4 pages of quotable material• Simplifies task of network partners• Prelude to interview presentation

Physical Structure

• Built in sections

• Outline format

• Avoid long narrative

• Not a bibliographyMy L

ife

in a

Nutshell

BUILDINGBLOCKS

Identification Objectives

Education Activities

Experience Personal References

Appearance• Positive first impression• Neat and clean• Perfectly typed• Ample white space

Don't come across as sloppy!

The -Second Scan3030

Scores of resumes - impossible reading Pass 1: "Initial" 30-second scan Pass 2: Another 30-second scan Pass 3: 2- to 3-minute credential review Interview appointment set

Focus the reader's eyes on five key points

IdentificationsCapitalizationBoldfacing

DashesUnderliningSlashes

AsterisksDotsBullets

• Lower case letters imply detail•Maximum of four sentences per

paragraph• Phrases held together with dots

Avoid extraneous words

Constructing The Detail

Section Size

• Sections not necessarily equal in length

• Size indicates depth in background

• Education and experience levels dictate

References

SECTION ORDER

Identificationand

ObjectivesEducationExperienceActivitiesPersonal

Publications

Determinants of Length

• Extensiveness of background• Potential use of resume• Key points to emphasize

Resume means short,concise summary

ReproductionReproductionReproductionReproductionReproductionReproductionReproductionReproductionReproduction

• Purpose• Controversial• Discrimination

Writing and Printing Services

Writing ServicesCopy MachinesTypeset

Avoid Certain Words

Forms of the verb “to be” Pronouns Failure connotations

I me none ailI me none ail

have is will no have is will no

less howless how

WORD CHOICE

ACTIVE

PASSIVE

ACHIEVEMENT

DESCRIPTIVE

ACCOMPLISHESTABLISHMANAGEPERFORMMOTIVATECREATEPLANSOLVE

DIRECTSELLRESPONSIBLESUPERVISETOUCHCONTROLINFLUENCE

Background Traits

Attitude

Communication

Organization

Personality

Maturity

Enthusiasm

Leadership

Professional Poise

Work Habits

SincereSincereReliableReliable

AnalyticalAnalyticalPracticalPractical

OptimisticOptimisticTactfulTactful

LogicalLogicalCreativeCreativeEnergeticEnergetic

AggressiveAggressiveResourcefulResourceful

ConscientiousConscientious

Ascribing descriptive words to your past behaviors indirectlyAscribes the words to YOU!

Action Words (past tense)

AnalyzedApprovedCompletedDevelopedDirected

EstablishedIncreasedImprovedLeadOrganized

PlannedReducedSolvedSupervisedTrained

Employers want doers, not talkers.Convey an action image.

What management-level tasks have you successfully accomplished?

"Ups" the quality"Ups" the quality

Techniques and Basic Design Strategies:

If you would like to If you would like to learn more, learn more, Career Career Planning StrategiesPlanning Strategies textbook will supply textbook will supply additional information additional information on this topic.on this topic.

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