3. Resume Basics
What Your Resume Is:
• A screening tool
• Your best self, packaged
• The summary of your career
• Well-organized and easy to read
4. What Your Resume Is Not:
• A standalone document
• A graphical commercial*
• The details of your career
• An opportunity to embellish or lie
Don’t ask your resumé to do what your cover
letter should
5. Common Mistakes
• Too much jargon or business speak
• Does not list skills
• More than 2 pages*
• Task oriented vs. Results oriented
• Weird e-mail or social media handle
6. How To Address Gaps
• Don’t be too specific:
– Company - March 2008 – January 2012 OR
– Company - 2008 – 2012
• Omit a job or two
• Functional Resume
• Other experience while not employed
• Use your cover letter to explain
• Include volunteer work
7. The Essential Layout
• Name/Contact Info
• Summary
• Experience
• Skills
• Education
• Hobbies/Interests*
8. The Summary –“Bullet Points”
• You only have 6.25 seconds …
• The 3 to 5 things about you …
• What you’re best at …
• Be specific
9. Summary = Brand =
Elevator Pitch
A short phrase that lasers in on:
•Your benefits, not your features
•What do you do better than anyone else?
•What do people compliment you on?
•What comes naturally to you?
10. Summary Example
Accomplished marketing professional with 10 years of
experience in the technology industry. Portfolio of
achievements include increasing revenue, driving profit
improvements and improving brand awareness. Contributed to
30+% revenue growth for a Fortune 500 technology businesses.
5 years of experience leading global marketing teams and
managing international budgets. Experienced manager and team
builder with proven ability to hire and train. MBA – Wharton
Business School.
11. Example - vague
• 10 years of experience planning and organizing
creative projects.
• Successful history of managing, facilitating, coaching,
and training.
• Extensive experience in curriculum design and
delivery.
• Effective team member, comfortable with leading or
collaborating.
• Committed to helping managers reach their
professional and personal visions.
12. Example - better
• 5 years of experience in writing, editing, and
designing promotional materials for
government agencies.
• 8 years of experience coordinating fundraising
events in not-for-profit and corporate
environments.
• 3 years of experience in writing successful
grants for not-for-profit organizations.
13. Resume example – project manager
• http://www.linkedin.com/in/kathycomtoispm
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14. Drafting a Summary
• List your skills and talents
• List your interests
• List your values
• List your accomplishments
Be specific.
15. • Write down at least three things you do
extremely well.
„Communicating your brand means you know
how you uniquely stand apart from the
competition and you make it clear in all your
communications.“
Career coach Kathy Caprina
19. Work Experience
• Include positions you have held which are
related, in some way, to the job you are
seeking
– Can be both paid and volunteer positions
• Be creative with this section of your resume
by describing and emphasizing your
experiences in the most relevant way
possible.
Source: owl.english.purdue.edu
20. Work Experience
Server May 2003-June 2006
The Blu Tomato, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Provided customers with superior service and ensure their comfort in an
upscale restaurant environment
- Achieved net sales averaging between $400 and $750 a night
Swim Coach Summers 2004-2005
Blackhawk Swim Team, Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Improved the swimming skills of children ages 4-18 while encouraging
the children to stay on task
- Constructed line-ups for a competitive advantage at swim meets
21. Experience
Purdue Athletic Promotions, West Lafayette, IN April 2004-Present
Manager of Promotions for Purdue Swimming and Diving
- Create and implement a promotional campaign to increase attendance at
swimming and diving events
- Design advertisements for newspapers, radio, and campus
Blackhawk Swim Team, Fort Wayne, Indiana Summers 2004-2005
Swim Coach
- Improved the swimming skills of children ages 4-18 while encouraging the
children to stay on task
- Constructed line-ups for a competitive advantage at swim meets
Source: owl.english.purdue.edu
22. Action Verb List
• Handouts
• Action phrases will help you avoid being too brief
and from understating your qualifications.
• Example:
– Before: Planned activities
– After: Planned arts and crafts activities for
preschool aged children
