The purpose of a resume is to get the job interview. In this workshop, we will cover basic formats and sections of the resume, and tips for preparing a resume that represents you at your best. You are the ultimate decision maker about how to format your resume and what to include.
Be aware that each reviewer may potentially give you different advice. The advice in this workshop is based on our collective experience about what works, or not, in terms of helping people get interviews.
In fact, the first tip we have is: if you are NOT getting interviews using a current resume, and you have done the best you can, you may want to use a professional resume writer to increase your chances of getting the interview. It’s also a great idea to have someone within the industry in which you are applying also provide you with feedback on your resume.
A resume is a marketing document that should contain essential and pertinent information. This means that your entire work history would rarely be called for unless you have limited experience.
Getting Started with Resume
Before we get started, I would like to take a moment and explain how to navigate this workshop. Use the pause/play button on the bottom tool bar to stop and start the presentation at any time. You can also use the menu on the right to jump between slides in this presentation and to select different views while listening to the material. We have also included web links in a few of the slides.
When clicking on these, please note you will be taken out of the presentation to the resource listed. You might prefer doing this at the end, as a resource, or at least pressing the pause button to stop the presentation while you navigate to another web page.
CV or Resume
Academic positions usually require a CV or Curriculum Vitae. Industry positions in the United States typically call for a resume. If the positions you seek are in academia, please contact the Center for Teaching and Learning to get help with a CV. This workshop will be helpful for preparing a resume for the United States job market.
Resume Rules
So, What are the Absolute, Unbreakable Rules of Resume Writing? There are only a few absolute rules in resume writing! Almost every rule you have ever heard can be broken, if you have a compelling reason.
These rules, however should be considered absolute:
- No typing errors
- No misspellings
- Do not tell a lie or exaggerate
- Do not include any negative information
- Do not use the word “I”
Resume Formats
There are 3 main formats you can choose from when writing your resume.
- The first is a reverse chronological resume. This is best if your work experience matches the desired position.
- The second is a Skills-based resume. This is best if you are changing careers and want to draw attention to the skills you have acquired in various positions. Typically, a skills-based resume includes 3-5 buckets of skills like communication, management, and project management. You can also include sub-headings under each main bucket. We will show you an example of this later in the presentation.
- The third format choice is a combination of the reverse chronological and skills-based resume. This works best if your work experience is varied, or the needed skills were used in several jobs.
Here, we will walk through the reverse chronological resume because it is the most common format used. It is what employers most often expect to see. For people with lots of experience, a skills-based or combination resume format works well in some situations.
Choosing the right format is a key step in getting your resume seen by the hiring manager.
In many organizations, a screener reviews resumes as they come in to determine if the resume reflects the basic qualifications for the job. The best resumes are passed along to the hiring manager or the search committee.
The screener may spend only 30 seconds determining if the resume looks like a match, so it is important the format and organization make the resume readable, and the language is clear and concise.
Resume Headings
Every page of the resume should have a heading that displays your name and contact information at the top of the page. Typically your name is enlarged. Take a look at this example. Your address, as well as your telephone number and email are included. Make sure that the telephone number that you list has a professional sounding voice message and that your email address is either your University Of Minnesota address or other reputable, professional address. If you are applying outside the University, you might want to set up another email account through yahoo or google.
A heading on each page is important in case search committee members or the hiring manager prefer to print the resume rather than viewing it electronically. When printed pages become separated, the heading helps ensure that your resume remains intact. Be sure to include a page number on the second page but not the first.
Common Categories for Resume
The best way to start your resume is to outline what you want to include. Common categories include objective, summary of qualifications, education, work experience, volunteer experience, activities, awards or honors, and skills. You may not have experiences appropriate for each category so choose the sections that best display your experiences and relate most to the skills and qualifications listed for the job description in which you are applying.
Objective V/s Summary of Qualification
Consider whether it is best to use an objective or summary of qualifications.
An objective that states a goal to get the job will probably not be seen as valuable information to the reader. There may be some situations, however, that an objective helps clarify with an employer what type of job you are looking for. One example where an objective would be appropriate is if you were to be attending a job fair and interviewing with recruiters from a variety of different employers.
Objectives are typically one to two lines to describe your career intentions. A good thing to remember is to include the type of position you are applying for while being as specific as possible. Additionally, an objective may be more applicable for recent graduates than for experienced job applicants.
A summary of qualifications gives the reader an immediate and convenient big picture of your ‘fit’ for the open position. Focus on what you can bring to the company, not what they can do for you. The summary should be shown in bullet points, rather than a paragraph, to make it more inviting to read. The summary is easier to write AFTER creating your resume rather than writing it at the beginning of your resume construction.
Work History on Resume
For experienced applicants, work history typically follows the summary of qualifications. For recent graduates, education typically comes next. We will discuss the education section later.
The work history or experience section of the resume has five components and can pertain to past or current employment, internships or substantial volunteering. The components to include for each experience are: Title, name of organization, location, dates of service, and details of the position using bullet points which include key tasks, skills and accomplishments or results that you achieved in that position.
All bullet points should be stated in the past tense, even though they may describe current responsibilities. Using past tense throughout the resume makes it consistent and enhances readability.
Your work history, in most situations, will include experience that spans the last 10 years, or the last 3 jobs. It is not necessary to include specific months in your work history, unless you are a student. For experienced applicants, hiring managers do not usually expect to see these and it can clutter your resume.
When writing your resume, you have a few choices in what you might actually label this section. Some options include:
- Professional History
- Professional Experience
- Employment History
- Relevant Experience
Bullet Points & Star Stories in Resumes
Bullet statements can bring your resume to the top of the candidate pile if they are action oriented, show problem resolution, and indicate results achieved.
Before writing bullet points, it’s helpful to think about some past on-the-job experiencies that might relate to skills pertinent to the open position for which you are applying. Identify a Situation or Task you faced, the Action you took, and the Result you achieved. This is what is known as a STAR story and will be helpful in writing powerful bullet points. Some people also call these PAR stories – the Problem, the Action, and the Result. Either way, you are generating as many relevant stories as possible. Pay attention to themes present, that could be part of your summary of qualifications.
From your STAR stories, create bullet points. Use an action verb to start each bullet. Make sure to avoid passive words such as – “worked”, “duties included”, “assisted with”, or “responsible for”. If you want a great sample list of action verbs to help get you started, click on the link to OHR/Organizational Effectiveness/Career Services, or QuintCareers.com (home page is Quintessential Careers).
In writing bullet points, you best will stand out by quantifying results whenever possible, like ‘achieved 20% cost reduction,’ or ‘Developed training curriculum for front-line staff that increased customer satisfaction ratings by 10%.’ Demonstrating results helps the hiring organization see that you can add value to the problems, tasks, and situations in their environment and that you are a person who gets results.
Remember when creating bullet points about your work history to observe the rules we stated at the beginning of this workshop – especially about exaggeration. Your goal in recording your work history is to show yourself as the best candidate for the position without overstating or misrepresenting your abilities.
To create visual interest, limit your bullet point lists to 5-7 for the most relevant work history, and 3-5 bullets for less relevant history. The first bullet is the most frequently read.
The next slide includes a couple more examples for writing impactful bullet statements.
Bullet State Examples
“Worked with kids” can become a stronger statement by adding more detail such as: Taught reading skills to 20 inner city children resulting in all students passing the basic exam.
“Met with clients” can become a skill statement such as: Conducted client needs assessments, designed solutions to help them achieve their business goals, and maintained maximum client retention.
You can see in these two examples that the benefit of adding strong action verbs coupled with outcomes, is going to give the employer a very clear idea of what you did during your experiences and the skills you can bring to their position.
Education on Resume
The next section of the resume is the Education section. Essential information includes: university name, city, state, degree, graduation date, major, and minor-if applicable.
If you are a very recent graduate, you may include GPA, if it is strong. The general guideline is that if your GPA is above 3.0 to leave it on, and if it is below a 3.0 to take it off.
If you have attended more than one school, list your most current education first followed by previous degrees or schooling.
You will also want to spell out your degree. Instead of using BA, spell out Bachelor of Arts.
References on Resume
At the end of resumes, it’s been customary to include “references available upon request”. This is not necessary. The practice of using references is so common today that the availability of references is assumed. You may be asked to provide references at the time of application, as is the practice when applying via the job center at the University of Minnesota.
Whether needed at application time or later, you should have a list of three contacts who can speak to your strengths and contributions in past work. Request permission from your references to include them in your list, and include their preferred mode of contact. To best prepare your reference, provide them with an updated resume, job description for which you are applying and what you would like them to highlight in a reference check.
Screeners & Keywords in Resume
Each industry has its own buzz words, acronyms and language. Always spell out acronyms the first time used, and be cautious of too many buzz words. However, if your experience from a different industry is pertinent, be sure to rephrase your resume to make the transferable experience more obvious to the reader. When you can, use the current job description to tailor your resume for a position. Use the keywords and duties in the original job posting to describe what you’ve done in the past, when applicable. Other resources for writing bullets include: industry-specific skills and experience, a company’s mission or their key competencies for the position.
The job of a screener is to check for these basic qualifications and specific key words that indicate pertinent experience. You will benefit from putting key words into your Summary of Qualifications and early on in your resume.
Final Resume Tips
There are numerous templates available online and in your word processing software. A template may be helpful for organizing a resume, but it may make you resume look exactly like someone else’s. Some reviewers may perceive your resume negatively. Templates may also be hard to reformat when you want to add or change information.
Traditionally, undergraduates and recent graduates should limit their resume to one page. Experienced applicants can, and should, expand to two pages in order to appropriately represent their depth of experience. Remember, however, that the first page will have the most impact on the reader, and it should be a full but readable and attractive page (no wide bottom margin).
Be cautious in the use of formatting such as bolding, italics, and underlining because a resume submitted electronically may not translate your formatting as you intended it when the employer prints it. To eliminate this error, send a PDF document when you can. This will maintain the format that you have intended.
Rule of 5 –Use no more than five different appearances (fonts, styles): regular, italic, bold, serif and san-serif. Typical font sizes are 10-12 points. Words in all caps are more difficult to read but do stand out – be cautious not to over use the all caps function.
The next couple of slides in this presentation will provide you with some samples to demonstrate this practice.
Use white space to create an ‘inviting’ resume to read. Use bullets to highlight work experience, and use section headings to organize the resume. The eye will be drawn to the white space in a resume, be sure to use this for the information you specifically want to emphasize. After you have written your own resume, take notice of the white space. Where does your eye go? Is this what you want to draw attention to? Or can you add in some white space to intentionally draw the eye and highlight this important piece of your resume. Again, take notice of the examples on the next couple of slides for how we use white space to highlight important items on a resume.
Be consistent from start to finish on your resume in content and format. For example, use a period, or not, at the end of bullet points – just be consistent throughout.
When you feel that your resume is ready for review, or just needs assistance, have your resume critiqued by a friend, a career counselor, or someone in the industry you are pursuing. It is easy to miss common errors on a resume that can be avoided by having someone else take a second look. Be sure to catch any misspellings and typographical errors. These give the reader a negative impression.
Remember
Remember this is your resume and your opinion matters. We have provided you with a variety of things to think about in crafting a high quality resume that’s going to get you an interview. Think of who is reading your resume and what they are most interested in knowing. When you can, tailor your resume to the specific job for which you are applying.
More on Resume Writing
To learn more and resume writing and sample resumes, we recommend following sites: