Quick & Easy Resume Tools
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“Resume Realities”
Some things to keep in mind
• The 10-30 second rule: employers will
determine within the first 10-30 seconds
whether or not to keep your resume.
• Employers don’t want to read “fluff”, they
want to read facts.
• Grammatical errors: they will be noticed!
• There are many other applicants that are
competing for the job you’re interested in.
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“Resume Realities” (continued)
Based upon the number of applications and
resumes employers receive, don’t be surprised
if your resume ends up…
…here
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Well, that’s depressing. What should I do?
BREAK THE MOLD!
Make it PERSONAL and SPECIFIC to the job.
But first, you probably have some questions…
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Common Questions
• What if I don’t have any experience in the job I am
applying for?
 Start volunteering in the field ASAP.
• How far back should I list my work experience?
 10-15 years max.
• What if I have gaps in my employment?
 Explain it (See following pages).
• What if there are lots of jobs I am looking for?
 Make a different resume for each.
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Common Questions (continued)
• I hear about CHRONOLOGICAL and FUNCTIONAL
resumes. Which one should I use?
 Employers typically like CHRONOLOGICAL because it
states your work history from the most recent to the
first (remember the 10-15 year rule). Use FUNCTIONAL
if you have limited or no experience relevant to the
job title you are applying for.
• My gaps are killing me! What should I do?
 Try to describe it on the resume the best you can.
Example: 2000 – 2003 → Family Leave, Travel, Stay-at-
Home Parent, etc.
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Common Questions (continued)
• Should I indicate that I was injured?
 We don’t recommend it because employers may
consider your injury to be a liability. Under the
protection of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973 and the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA) of
1998, persons with disabilities have no obligation to
disclose their disability PRIOR to receiving a job offer.
• Thanks, so what do I write?
 You may want to state: personal time or include any
volunteer or “self-employed” positions (repair work,
child care if you have children).
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Common Questions (continued)
• Is there such thing as a “perfect” resume?
 Like most things, “beauty is in the eye of the
beholder”. No, there is no perfect resume but if you use
some “basic” tools that are based upon employer
feedback, your resume will hopefully end up…
…here
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What is a resume?
It IS: It IS NOT:
• brief and to the point.  a long-winded biography.
• specific to the objective.  general and vague.
• based on facts.  based on opinions.
• based on your  based solely upon your past
accomplishments. duties.
• a document that can be  a document that is “set in
changed and revised. stone”.
• simple and easy to read.  a document that has clip art
or pictures on it.
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Pieces of the Resume
Objective Skills
• 4 basic components
Work
• Employers focus on
Experience Work Experience the
most.
Education
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Getting started…
• Start by identifying the job title you are interested in: Janitor,
Sales Manager, Engineer, Auto Parts Sales, Driver, etc. (Objective)
→ Look up job descriptions for the job title to see if you have work
experience and/or training that qualify you for this job.
• Identify what relevant work, education, volunteer experience you
have. (Skills)
• List your past jobs/employers. (Work Experience)
• List any training/certificates/academics (Education)
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Functional or Chronological Resume
Which one should I use?
• Choose CHRONOLOGICAL if you have work
experience and/or training that is RELEVANT to
the job you are applying for.
• Use FUNCTIONAL if you don’t have a lot of work
experience and/or training that is consistent for
the job. Summarize your skills by listing your
accomplishments.
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Example of a CHRONOLOGICAL Resume
• Chronological resumes
are designed to attract
employers to your recent
education, skills and
work experience.
• They can be designed in
a number of ways (don’t
over-analyze).
• They begin with the
MOST RECENT
experience.
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Example of a FUNCTIONAL resume
• Functional resumes are
more general.
• The majority of info is in
the Qualifications
section.
• The Qualifications
section highlights your
training and experience
that relate to the job you
are applying for.
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OBJECTIVES…
• …indicate the EXACT job title you are applying
for.
• …need to be clear and concise. Avoid long
sentences.
Examples
Objective: to obtain a position as an Sales Manager.
Objective
Objective: to obtain a Senior Management position in a
Objective
credit union with responsibilities in branch
administration and lending.
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SKILLS…
• …identify what you will bring to the company.
• …are not listed in the EMPLOYMENT section.
• …relate to the objective.
Example
Objective: Sales Manager
Objective
Skills: Management, Supervision, Marketing, Scheduling,
Skills
Accounts Payable, Customer Service, etc.
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EDUCATION…
• …indicates your professional credentials.
• …provides reference to your training.
• …should be consistent with your work
experience.
Example
Objective: Sales Manager
Objective
Skills: Management, Supervision, Marketing, etc.
Skills
Education: A.S. Business or B.A. Economics
Education
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WORK EXPERIENCE…
• …is what the employer will look at the most.
• …is provided to show job duties that you have
participated in the past.
• …SHOULD be transferable to the job your are
applying for.
Example
Objective: Sales Manager
Objective
Skills: Management, Supervision, Marketing, etc.
Skills
Education: A.S. Business, Mesa College; 2004
Education
Work Exp: Sales Associate, Verizon Wireless, 1999-2003
Exp
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WORK EXPERIENCE (continued)
• List a few of your job duties, then…
• …indicate your ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
Example
Sales Associate: Verizon Wireless 1999-2003
Provided quality customer service, researched and
promoted Verizon products, and increased sales by
60%. Became Staff Member of the month, provided
leadership within a team environment and was
promoted from a Customer Service Representative to
Sales Associate after one year.
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Include your full name with
the best contact info
DO NOT include your work
phone if you have one.
Keep your OBJECTIVE
short and specific to the
job you are applying for:
Marketing Supervisor vs.
Marketing
The most recent first
Add simple info about your
duties but HGHLIGHT your
accomplishments.
The most recent first
Add certificate, degree, or
major under the name of
the institution.
Community Service or
Volunteering is important.
Don’t add Hobbies
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Where to keep your resume…
Save your resume to
your desktop so that you
can easily open it to edit,
print or send via email.
It is also recommended
that you save it to a disk
in case your hard drive
crashes.
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Don’t get lost in the specifics…
• Stick with one or two resumes: and save them to
your hard drive/desktop for easy access.
• Be careful of the books: resources and books are
helpful but they can be overwhelming. Try to limit
yourself to one or two good ones.
• Make your resume specific to the job: hiring
managers will notice if yours is a “general” resume
that is being sent out to many employers.
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RESOURCES (continued)
• Online Resources
 www.naukri.com
 www.monster.com
 www.shine.com
 www.timesjobs.com
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RESOURCES (continued)
• Recommended Books:
 What Color is your Parachute? – Dick Bolles
 Beyond Traditional Job Development – Denise Bissonnette
 I Don't Know What I Want, but I Know It's Not This: A Step-By-Step
Guide to Finding Gratifying Work – Julie Jansen
 Resume Catalog: 200 Damn Good Examples – Yana Parker
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Final Points…
• While designing your resume can be fun, try to
limit the time you spend developing it. Take
breaks while designing it and find some
resumes that you like that follow the points
listed previously. Remember, you can always
change your resume but always, always make it
specific to the job you are applying for.
Good luck!
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