Resume Workshop

Power Resume Magic

A workshop to help you get the interview and the job

© Carolyn J. Curran 2009

Carolyn J. Curran 2

Let’s get acquainted

1. First name

2. Are you employed? Yes/No

3. If you are unemployed, how long?

4. Do you have a resume? Yes/No

5. Is your resume getting you interviews? Yes/No

6. What is your job goal?

Please turn to the person next to you and share the following information. Person A ask Person B these questions for 3 minutes, then reverse.

Carolyn J. Curran 3

What did you learnfrom each other?

We are all in this together

Carolyn J. Curran 4

What is a resume?

A resume is a brief written account of

• work

• education

• professional affiliations

• qualifications

• experience

an applicant prepares for a job

Carolyn J. Curran 5

Types of resumes& when to use them

Select skills and jobs linked to the job you are applying for (leave out others)

Targeted

List & describe your skills

For changing careers, fields

Skills

Skills first, then jobs

To highlight your experience

Combo

List & describe your jobs, now to past

For basic job application

Chronological

When to useType

Carolyn J. Curran 6

This workshop demonstrates chronological type resumes

Carolyn J. Curran 7

Basic elements of the resume

• Name, address, phone, email

• Profile statement of expertise (3 lines)

• List each job from most recent first to oldest

• Info for each job will be:

a) Name of company & years on one lineb) Your titlec) Brief statement (2 lines)d) Bulleted accomplishments – one per bullet

• Education

• Professional affiliations

• Other skills (languages, computer, etc)

Carolyn J. Curran 8

Sample resume – Page 1Jane Doe285 7th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11218 917-268-7226 - 718-250-7197 [email protected]

Mission-driven, strategic leader who strengthens nonprofit organizations with action-oriented solutions to today’s complex challenges. Specialist in health and education program operations with affinity for diverse constituencies.

Work Experience

Management Consultant 2000- Present

Lead diverse board and staff projects that improve management and program operations and increase income during periods of intense organizational change.Clients include: (list).

Results:• Strengthened operations with organizational assessments and work plans • Guided staff reorganization for greater productivity and improved communications • Established strategic alliances with corporate and nonprofit entities resulting in image benefits for the corporations and funding for the

nonprofits• Designed effective outreach activities that increased quality and quantity of services• Improved program performance by assessing and evaluating programs and personnel• Coached executives to improve their leadership skills

The Smith Foundation for Breast Health Education 2000 - 2007 Executive Director

Led operating health foundation, driving budget and program growth ten-fold, from under $200,000 to over $1,400,000 and client base from 2,500 to over 24,000 annually.

Strategies to achieve these results:• Established systems - fiscal, human resources, income generation, public relations, and administration• Developed strategic branding, outreach, educational curricula and unique collaborations with partners among schools, community groups,

business, and nonprofits• Hired, supervised, trained and evaluated 9 fulltime,10 educators and 30 volunteers• Positioned the Foundation as a leader in the field of breast cancer and breast health education • Created library, resource center, conference and lecture series and on-line health educator training program

Carolyn J. Curran 9

What stands out in our sample?

• Resume starts with a POWER statement

• Each job starts with a POWER statement

• Each sentence has no more than 10 words

• Each paragraph has no more than 2 lines (3 max)

• Every bullet point starts with an action verb – give examples of action verbs

• We used numbers where possible to dramatize results

• Sub-headings like “results” = “arrows to toyland” ☺

• Reader can scan left margin and see all job titles – why?

• Reader can scan right margin and see the years – why?

Carolyn J. Curran 10

Red flagsTypos and spelling mistakes – use Spellcheck, triple check, ask a friend to look it over

Staying at a job less than a year, or having several jobs in a short time – try to combine them (discuss)

Including every job back to the Year One – if you are over 40 drop the early jobs from your resume – age is an issue (discuss)

Putting in month as well as year in the job – looks like you just got out of school or have only been in the job market a short time or skipped around too much (take month info with you to fill out forms in Personnel Office in case they need that much detail)

Over-explaining, over describing – the fewer words, the more POWERFUL – communicate power with numbers and facts

Lying about your education or employment – they tend to find out eventually and you will suffer for it – find another way to cover deficiencies with accomplishments (discuss)


Some Tips


Don’t put job goal at top

Why?

Telling the reader what you want has novalue for selling your expertise.

When you lead off with your power statement, you give the reader a chance to be impressed with what you have done.


Include volunteer work as a job

SAMPLE from Jane’s resume, Page 2

Council of Presidents of Parents Associations, District 22 1985 – 1988

PresidentDuring a time of intense immigration and cultural change, created nationally

publicized cultural outreach center for new immigrant public school parents and students that diminished cultural isolation.

We created an open forum for parents to address school-related issues, many for the first time.

Results:• Led 26 district schools to address issues of student equity• For many parents, introduced the concept of volunteerism for the first time• Increased attendance by 50% at parent-teacher conferences and

educational workshops• Established Library Revitalization Project which resulted in funding and

expansion


Education sample (Jane)

Education

New York University, Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, NY, NY Master of Public Administration. Specialization: Health Policy and Management 1999

State University of New York, Empire State College, NY, NY Bachelor of Science in Education.

Concentration: Multi-cultural approaches to arts education 1985

The New School for Social Research, NY, NY Program Certificate in Children's Book Illustration and Writing 1981


Professional affiliations sample (Jane)

Professional Affiliations

Board Member, Fearless Educational Foundation

Member, NYU Wagner Founders Committee

Founding Member, Long Island Women’s Leadership Council

Advisory Board Member, Lymphatic Research Foundation

Member, New York State Cancer Consortium

Member, Non Profit Coordinating Committee

Member, American Public Health Association


Highlight the PowerBefore & After Versions

The Smith Museum, Learning Through Art 1990-1997

Program Director

Led this national model arts-in-education program, expanding program growth and quality significantly, as follows.

• Replicated the program model across the United States and in Mexico City• Re-engineered operations, programs and training tools• Launched culturally diverse outreach initiative to involve 4,500 disadvantaged youth• Managed $1M program budget• Supervised consultants to raise funds from government and private sources • Established 40+ museum-school partnerships, involving children, parents and teachers in 12

school districts • Directed and developed team of 20 teaching artists and 7 in-house staff members• Produced yearly museum exhibition• Produced educational programs, curriculum guides and collateral materials that are still in use a

decade later• Created evaluation techniques that improved programs and were used as prototypes for other

similar organizations. These included qualitative and quantitative methods to measure student learning outcomes and parent involvement.

Before


The Smith Museum, Learning Through Art 1990-1997

Program Director

Replicated this national program model across the United States and in Mexico City.

a) Impact• Established 40+ museum-school partnerships, involving children, parents and teachers in 12 school districts • Launched culturally diverse outreach initiative to involve 4,500 disadvantaged youth

b) Management and finance• Managed $1M program budget• Directed 7 staff members 20 teaching artists • Supervised successful fund raising team • Re-engineered operations, programs and training tools

c) Program• Produced annual museum exhibit, dozens of educational programs, curriculum guides and collateral materials that

are in continuous use• Created qualitative and quantitative evaluation techniques used as prototypes for other similar organizations. • Significantly improved student learning outcomes and parent involvement

After

Sha-zam!!!


How are the samples different?

• Put the most amazing result in opening statement

• Cut out lots of words so others stand out

• Created sub-headings to highlight areas of achievement

• Highlighted the most employable skills:

Supervising and managing people

Managing money

Raising funds

Getting results


What’s the differencebetween a regular resume

and a power resume?

Show how you have solved lots of problems before

They get your message in ONE MINUTE

Use facts and figures, not blah blah blah

Use bullets and active verbs = fast action

What else?


What do employers want?

Examples:• Bring in more customers/participants/clients

• Earn more money for the company (sales or raise funds)

• Save them money (work hard, be practical)

• What else????

They want you to solve a problem for them

YOU

YOUR EMPLOYER


How you add value

• Be a contributor

• How can you make the world, the company, the job a better place?

• What is your special gift to give?

• What gives meaning to your life?

These issues are your power source


When you do the right kind of thisP.

You will end up with a lot of thisP

Contact me at: [email protected]

Technology

Resume Workshop