EFFECTIVE RESUME WRITINGWorkshop

HOW TO TARGET YOUR RESUME TO WIN YOUR

WAY TO THE EMPLOYERS’ SHORTLIST

CAREER MAVEN

AGENDA:

PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE RESUME WRITING RESUME CONTENTS/FORMATS/ LAYOUTS OVERVIEW OF RESUME TEMPLATES AND

SKILLS STATEMENTS COVER LETTER AND REFERENCES

OBJECTIVES

Learn about the purpose, structure and content of the Resume

Learn basic principles of effective resume writing

Be able to create a targeted resume , a cover letter and reference list

RESUME CLINIC

RESUME DRAFT’S CRITIQUE GUIDED COMPLETION OF A TARGETED

RESUME SUPPORT WITH JOB LEADS/POSTINGS SUPPORT WITH FOLLOW UP CALLS,

COLD CALLING, JOB APPLICATIONS

HOW DO I GET THERE ?

RESUME

COVER LETTER

INTERVIEW PREPARATI

ON

PORTFOLIO

CAREER EXPLORATION

LABOUR MARKET

INFORMATION

NETWORKING

JOB SEARCH

HOW EMPLOYERS FILL POSITIONS

EMPLOYERHIRING FROM

WITHIN (PROMOTION)

HIRING AN UNKNOWN WHO BRINGS PROOF

OF ABILITY

FRIEND/BUSINESS CONTACT• REFERRAL• JOB FAIR

AGENCY• RECRUITERS• SEARCH

FIRMS

ONLINE/NEWSPAPER

ADVERTISEMENTS

RESUME YOU

EFFECTIVE RESUME IS: TARGETED TO A SPECIFIC EMPLOYER AND/OR JOB POSITION

FACTUAL AND TO THE POINT –

YOUR BEST MARKETING WEAPON –

EASY-TO-READ AND PROFESSIONAL IN APPEARANCE

COMPONENTS OF A RESUMENAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION

CAREER OBJECTIVE

PROFILE/PERSONAL SUMMARY

RELEVANT QUALIFICATIONS

RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE

EDUCATION TRAINING PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE (OPTIONAL)

INTERESTS (OPTIONAL)

TAGLINE – REFERENCES AVAILABLE (OPTIONAL)

IDENTIFYING INFORMATION

KIMBERLY ANN HURST 2222 Dixie Rd #112

Mississauga, ON(905) 336-4432

k.hurst@gmail.com

YOUR NAME SHOULD STAND OUT!

Put your name, permanent address, phone /voicemail numbers, and email

address

HIGHLIGHTS OF QUALIFICATIONS

The number of years experience in the field

Any important certifications Any programs or technical equipment Any other languages Any relevant personal qualities

CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS

State your experiences and achievements

(in reverse order )

Show the positive results of your actions, the benefits to the company

Quantify your accomplishments

START WITH ACTION, END WITH A RESULT

DUTY SKILL RESULT

DESCRIBE WITH AN ACTION WORD

HOW DID YOU DO IT?

WHAT VALUE WAS ADDED BY YOUR ACTION

CREATED NEW

INTERNAL AUDITING SYSTEM

USING COMPUTER

ACCOUNTING/TIME

MANAGEMENT SKILLS

BETTER INVENTORY

CONTROL/REDUCED LOSS

THE CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME FORMAT

presents your job history and education strictly by date, with the most recent first (reverse order)

When to use: To show lateral or vertical career growth To emphasize previous job titles or companies Employer preference. Your current or most recent position is one you

are proud of and enjoy.

THE FUNCTIONAL RESUME FORMATcontains a summary of qualifications that is organized by education, experience, and skills.

When to use: First job or very little work experience Re-entering the job market /gaps in

employment /job hopping Changing your career De-emphasize age or previous job titles

THE COMBINATION RESUME FORMAT

A mix of the best of the chronological and functional resume formats

When to use: Little work experience/or gaps in

employment Highlight a particular work experience

or company name Relevant skills obtained from other,

non-paid work experiences Personal preference

PAGE MARGINS• CONSISTENT , EQUAL ON

EVERY SIDE• BETWEEN 1 INCH TO

1.25 INCH

FONTS• COMMON, EASY-TO-READ EX. : ARIAL, TAHOMA, FRANKLIN GOTHIC

• E-MAIL IN PDF FORMAT, TO AVOID

ANY CONFLICT IN MS WORD

• SIZE IS APPROPRIATE TO FONT AND PAGE SPACE

CLEAN, ORGANIZED AND CONSISTENT

PARAGRAPHS AND BULLETS

DO NOT OVERUSE THEMUSE EXTRA SPACE IN BETWEENTEXT ENHANCEMENTS

BOLD IS PREFERRABLE TO ITALICSUNDERLINES COULD BE CONFUSINGUPPERCASE SHOULD ONLY BE USED FOR SHORT PHRASES AND SINGLE WORDS

CLEAN, ORGANIZED AND CONSISTENT

TYPES OF GRAPHICS

• SHOULD BE SUBTLE AND SUPPORT, NOT OVERPOWER THE OVERALL MESSAGE OF THE RESUME

• CAN BE USED AS • A BACKGROUND OR

WATERMARK

• COMPARE THE IMPACT OF THE GRAPHIC ON SCREEN AND IN PRINT

CLEAN, ORGANIZED AND CONSISTENT

CLEAN, ORGANIZED AND CONSISTENT

RESUME CONTENT DONT’S

Avoid vague wording such as "a few months." Leave out the "I's,' as in "I directed..." Leave out the negatives or any irrelevant

information. Avoid jargons, acronyms or unusual abbreviations. Don't write a meaningless job objective. Do not rely on the spell-check programs

RESUME CONTENT DOS

Use lots of action words Use bulleted, short phrases Use the correct buzzwords

/keywords for the industry Emphasize the positive Be concise Focus on accomplishments and

specific results

HOW TO FIND RESUME KEYWORDS

Words that keep popping up in company job postings

Company key values from its mission statement posted on a web-site.

Scan LMI web-sites to identify key trends in your industry.

COVER LETTER Introduction to the employer

Summarize who you are, why you want to work for this employer and what you can do

It communicates:- your writing skills- professional approach- knowledge of the field

COVER LETTER 1 page, typed

Broken into short paragraphs (introductory, body, closing)

Highlights how your skills and qualifications will benefit the employer

Attached to your resume

Direct and concise

REFERENCES

Former managers/supervisors Current or former teachers, coaches, and

club leaders Volunteer coordinators/supervisors A respected member of the community

(doctor, lawyer, social worker, and police officer)

Family members that you have worked for Your career counsellor

GOLDEN RULE

Always ask your references (don’t assume!)

Choose references that can speak about your relevant skills and abilities

THANK YOU!

“EXCELLENCE IS TO DO A COMMON THING IN AN UNCOMMON WAY”

“

LET YOUR RESUME REFLECT THAT EXCELLENCE!