RESUMES

What is a Resume?

 A personal and professional summary of your

background and qualifications

 It usually includes information about your

education, career objectives, work experience,
activities, awards or honors, and any other special skills
you might have

 Essentially, it is your passport to securing a great job

 Resume Essentials
 Try limiting resume to one page
This is most important for people with less than ten
years experience

 Use no less than 10 for letter size

 Use a readable and clear font

Avoid flashy fonts

 Print resume on a laser jet printer

 Use Spell Check and triple check for typos

Or you might end up saying:

“Received a plague for salesperson of the year form Chevy”
Top 10 Resume Pet Peeves
From Monster.com

1. Spelling Errors, Typos and Poor Grammar

2. Too Duty-Oriented
3. Inaccurate Dates or None at all
4. Inaccurate or Missing Contact Information
5. Formatting
6. Functional Resumes
7. Long Resumes
8. Long Paragraphs
9. Unqualified Candidates
10. Personal Information Unrelated to the Job
 Pre-Resume Business
 Research job information

 Desired qualifications, experience, skills

 If the company you’re interested in has a

website be sure to check it our for their
philosophy, values and any other pertinent information
 Time to Begin Resume
“Contact Information”

 Put your name, address, email address, and

phone number(s) at the very top of your resume

 Bold your name

Jonathon Ray Leeves

2120 Howe Avenue
Sacramento, CA 95828
ineedajobnow@saclink.edu
Home: 916-386-2525
Cell: 916-947-0404
 What is your Objective?
Statement…that is

 An objective statement is the first line on your

resume after personal information

 A sentence fragment with descriptive phrases

and minimal punctuation

 Include skills, qualifications and strengths which are related

to the job you are applying for. Use a confident tone, but don’t
be pompous or presumptuous

 This is your chance to make a strong first impression!

 Objective Statements
Avoid Being Too General:
A position utilizing all of my skills,
experience and knowledge

Avoid Being Stupid:

My goal is to be a meteorologist. But since
I possess no training in meteorology, I
suppose I should try stock brokerage

Be clear and concise:

A position as a copy editor for the
Sacramento Bee allowing me to develop my
journalism skills

To utilize my restaurant service training

as a general manager of Red Lobster
 Education

 For recent college graduates and students

applying for internships, this is an important
section

 Only include high school if you have not received a

higher degree or taken any college courses

 Until your work experience is more impressive than

your education, this category should be the second
section in your resume

 Academic and scientific professionals typically

place education before experience on their CVs
-Advice from Monster.com
 Education
 GPA
-Not necessary but can be helpful
-Only use if equal to or higher than 3.0
-You can highlight your major GPA

 Include any academic honors

 Recent graduates or students still in school should

include extracurricular activities, projects, or academic
achievements
 Education Examples

MA in Communications, May 2004.

California State University Sacramento, Sacramento, CA.
Deans List, GPA: 3.9/4.0

BS in Business, Concentration: Marketing

Expected Graduation: May 2005.
California State University Sacramento, Sacramento, CA.
Major GPA: 3.7/4.0 GPA: 3.2/4.0

 Recent graduates may make the Education section the

centerpiece of the resume by including ongoing projects,
concentrations and relevant courses
 Relevant Courses
 This should follow your educational information

 List the courses you have taken in college that

relate to the job you are applying for
 Since class names differ from school to school, refer
to the course by name rather than by number
Example:

BA in Film Studies, May 2004.

California State University Sacramento, Sacramento, CA.

Relevant Courses: Classic American Films, The Philosophy

of Literature and Film, Screenwriting, The Films of Alfred
Hitchcock
 Work Experience
& Qualifications

 This section should either follow Education or come

before, depending on which section features your strengths
more prominently

 The goal for this area is to stand out among the other
applicants and to persuade the employer that you are the ideal
candidate for the job
 Work Experience
 Include the positions you have held that are
related to the job you are seeking

 These positions may include paid positions, as well

as internships, volunteer jobs, or appointments

 Be creative with this part of the resume by describing and

emphasizing your experiences in the most logical way
possible (We will look at different resume types later)
 Work Experience
“What information do I include?”

 Include company name and location, job title, dates,

and duties performed

 Make this section clear, concise, well-spaced,

organized, and use bullets

 Use action phrases to highlight the responsibilities you

have performed:
-Managed -Initiated
-Planned -Designed
-Oversaw -Followed through with
-Responsible for -Programmed
-Coordinated -Created
 Examples
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

6/2002-8/2004 CSUS Sacramento, CA.

Writing Center Tutor
• Assisted students with their writing assignments
• Helped to formulate ideas through brainstorming, free writing and
outlining
• Designed and created Powerpoint presentations for both students and
faculty

QUALIFICATIONS:

University Internships California State University Sacramento Sacramento, CA.

Entertainment Coordinator 9/2003-Present
-Contact and persuade local musicians to come play free weekly concerts at
Sacramento State University. Help design banners and flyers for advertising
upcoming events. In the process of coordinating a benefit concert to raise money for
breast cancer.
Specialized Skills/Interests
 Specialized Skills

 This is usually the final section of the resume,

therefore it’s important to leave a lasting impression.
 Sometimes people place the Skills section before
Work Experience

 Similar to other sections of your resume, try and relate

your skills to the desired job

 Include skills such as computer knowledge, foreign language

expertise, military service, musical abilities, or anything else that
separates you from the crowd
 Additional Information
 This is another name for this section because
you may want to include more specific skills

 Here are some suggestions from Monster.com:

-Awards
-Testimonials/Endorsements
-Publishing Credits
-Patents
-Public Speaking
-Willingness to Travel
-Portfolio or Writing Samples
Mention that these are available upon request
 References
 References may or may not be included in your
resume. Keep in mind, some companies will not
read more than one page. It’s acceptable to just write:
References are Available Upon Request

 If you are asked to provide references by the

employer, it’s a good idea to include professional
references like a professor or previous employer
 Reference Sheet
 Include name, address, email address and phone
number of each reference

 Make sure you ask permission from your references

before including their personal information on
reference sheet

 Consider giving your references a copy of your resume

and/or a short bio so they will be prepared to talk to employers

Dr. James Mallard Former Physics Instructor

Shasta Hall, Room 5
College of the Siskiyous
Weed, CA., 96094
530-938-4461
Mallard@siskiyous.edu
 Organizing Your Resume
 Organize your resume to highlight your unique
skills and strengths
 Use whatever combination of organizational styles
you think best showcases your individual qualifications
 The most common resume styles are:

 reverse chronological
 functional
 imaginative
 Reverse Chronological
 Present your education and work experience in
chronological order, beginning with your most recent
experiences

 This style is best for people whose job experiences

closely parallel the positions for which they are applying
or for those who have not had periods of unemployment
between jobs

 This is the most acceptable form for your resume

 chronological
résumé

lists your jobs, education,

& relevant
accomplishments
in reverse chronological
order
Begin with your most
recent job and schooling
and work backward

Chronological is the most

common résumé and
easiest to write
Use it when you have
followed a clear progression
of jobs and education without
Chapter 7, Lesson 2 big gaps
 Functional Resume Style
 Organize experience by type of function
performed. Under each function, give specific
examples

 Place things in order of importance rather than

chronological order

 Ignore experiences that do not relate to the job you’re

applying for

 This type of resume is appropriate for people with periods of

unemployment between jobs
functional résumé
Arranges your
information under skill
headings, w/o focusing on
dates
Headings will depend on your
particular experience and skills

Heading examples:
Administration, Sales,
Computer

Use a functional résumé if

there are gaps in your
chronological record
 Hybrid
Combination of
chronological &
functional formats

As in functional, list skills

you can offer an employer

As in chronological list
work experience in
reverse order
List number of years at a
Chapter 7, Lesson 2 particular job rather than
 Targeted
title of the actual job or
career you are seeking

Use same form as

chronological, functional, or
hybrid
Presents qualifications in terms
of the position you are applying
for
Especially effective when you
are interested in a job that needs
a separate résumé