My Sister Becky and I worked on this Power Point for a class I did to teach Resume Writing

2. A Bit About Yours Truly
• Texas Southern University, B.A. in Psychology
• Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification from
University of Houston
• Enrolled at Houston Baptist University for a Masters of Science in
Human Resources Management
• Interests in: Human Resources specializing in recruitment,
diversity, and Talent Management with current research
focusing on the legal and ethical environment of business.

3. Course Requirements
There are no educational requirements for taking
this training other than a high school level
comprehension of reading and writing of the
English language.
All material will be provided for the trainee so
there are no required books or other materials to
purchase.

4. If you know processes you can do
the job – Hannah Collins

5. I. Introduction

6. What’s in a Resume
• A summary of your RELEVANT
education, experiences, and
skills.
• Highlights your
accomplishments to show a
potential employer that you are
qualified for the position you
are seeking.
?
• Student involvement within
extracurricular, volunteer, study
abroad and leadership
experiences.
• It is okay to create slightly
different resumes tailored to
each career field/job opening
within your job search.

7. What a Resume is Not
• It is NOT a biography
of everything you
X
have done! The
average time spent
reviewing a resume is
12-15 seconds!!

8. Know where you are in life –
Wanda Boutte

9. Questions to Ask Yourself
What are you looking to accomplish with your resume?
Are you feeling out the Job market?
Are you looking for a specific job?
Are you looking to switch careers?
Are you looking for multiple jobs at the same
time?

10. Questions to Ask Yourself
Where are you in your career?
Are you just starting out?
Are you looking for a promotion?
Are you going to be satisfied with just anything?
Are you looking for a Job or a Career?

11. .
II. TYPES OF RESUMES

12. Sometimes other people’s
opinions have a habit of becoming
your own – Mike Hill

13. There are Several Types of
Resumes
There are hundreds of books, websites and
templates dictating what type of resume you’ll need.
The goal of any resume is the same. Chose one
dependent on:
• work experience
• skills set
• education
• type of position you are applying for
Let’s look at a few of the more popular ones.

14. Chronological Resume
• A chronological resume starts
by listing your work history, More importantly this
with the most recent position format is the most effective
listed first. Your jobs are listed choice for individuals with
in reverse chronological order a strong or continuous
with your current, or most work history and
recent job, first. increasing levels of
• Employers typically prefer this responsibility in the
type of resume because it's occupational area stated in
easy to see what jobs you the resume objective.
have held and when you have
worked at them.

15. Chronological Sample

16. Functional Resume
• The Functional Resume is
usually chosen by The Functional Resume is
individuals without a strong for someone who would
like to change careers, has
work history or current
no career history or
work experience. desires a job in another
field.
• It emphasizes skill areas
and de-emphasizes work
history and dates.

17. Functional Sample

18. Combination Resume
A combination resume lists
Combination Resumes
your skills and experience
highlight skills you have that
first.
are relevant to the job you
Your employment history is are applying for.
listed next.
They provide the
chronological work history
that employers prefer.

19. Curricula vitae/Targeted Resume
It takes more work to write a
A targeted resume is a
targeted resume than to just
resume that is customized so
click to apply with your
that it specifically highlights
existing resume.
the experience and skills you
It's well worth the effort, have that are relevant to the
especially when applying for job you are applying for.
jobs that are a perfect match
for your qualifications and
experience.

20. Curricula Vitae/Targeted Sample

21. Scenario
Sheila’s youngest child is starting elementary
school this year so Sheila is looking to get back
into the workforce. She has strong skills but gaps
in her work history.
Which resume would
work best for Sheila?

22. Answer:
Combination Resume

23. Scenario
Janet is looking for a new job in
sales. She has a strong with
history with no gaps over 3
months but also has strong skills
and experience.
Which resume type would be
best for her?

24. Answer:
Functional Resume
―But also‖

25. III. PREPARING TO WRITE
YOUR RESUME

26. Summary or Objective
If you were to poll ten recruiting experts on this
question, you might get ten different answers.
That's because so many Objectives and
Summaries are just plain
HORRIBLE.
If either one is properly written, they can be the
hook that pulls the reader into your resume.

27. Summary
Sample Summary
Corporate procurement professional with 10 years of experience in
the high-end retail apparel industry. Highly skilled at performing due
diligence on potential suppliers around the globe, negotiating
contracts, controlling corporate risk, and minimizing costs. Fluent in
French and Spanish.
You’re better off with a Summary,
unless you fall into one of these three categories of job seekers:

28. Objective
Compare the following two Objective statements, and notice how
the employer-focused Objective is more likely to grab attention:
WRONG: Job Seeker-Focused RIGHT: Employer-Focused
OBJECTIVE: A position in OBJECTIVE: A position in
corporate procurement in the corporate procurement that
retail industry that can utilize can utilize skills in research
five years of negotiating and and negotiating gained from 5
research skills and eventually years of experience in another
lead to a management-level industry, helping a retailer cut
role. costs and improve its
competitive position.

29. Always Remember
Career management falls on you — the employee — not
the employer.
You must be effective at communicating your value and
marketing yourself. That will always begin with knowing
yourself, understanding what you have to offer, and how
that fits with the employer's needs.

30. Education
The education section is usually the most straightforward
part of the resume section to write. There are a few
factors, however, that can make things a little cloudy.
The next samples will help you determine:
• How to complete the Education section of your resume
• What to include
• What to leave out
• What to do about that school you attended but didn't
graduate.

31. Education
List your highest level of education first, then work your way backward
to high school. If you've earned a bachelor's degree or higher, do not
include your high school information.
Example:
2007 Master of Science in Information Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
2005 Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
Include your GPA only if it is higher than 3.0 and it's been less than three years
since you graduated.
Example:
2010 Bachelor of Arts, Psychology
University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA
GPA: 3.75

32. Education
If you attended college, but did not graduate, include the dates you attended, your
major, and how many credits you earned toward your degree. List your high school
after the college information.
Example:
Franklin Community College, Springfield, MO
2002-2003: Completed 30 credits toward Associate's Degree
in Early Childhood Education
If you attended high school, but did not graduate, just show the years you attended.
If you later earned a GED, put that above the high school listing, and indicate the
date.
Example:
2002: GED High School Equivalency Diploma
Erie Adult Learning Center, Erie PA
1998-2001: Erie Vocational Technical High School, Erie, PA

33. Question
Should you
eliminate graduation
dates on your resume if
you're older than 40 or
45?

34. Job History
While there may be no absolute rule
as to what should or shouldn't be
included in Job History, remember
that the ultimate goal is to present
oneself as the best possible
candidate for the position at hand.
Always look to the information given
in the job description for guidance.

35. DON’T ANSWER QUESTIONS YOU
HAVEN’T BEEN ASKED
– Tiaralis Figueroa

36. Tips: Prove Your Value
Hiring managers scan your resume
looking for clues about what type of
worker you are. If you show that
you consistently produced positive
results for previous employers, you
will be seen as a desirable
candidate. The key is to emphasize
your accomplishments and provide
proof of your potential value.

37. Tips: Quantify Results
Which statement has more impact?
A. Significantly increased revenues and grew client base
between 2005 and 2008.
B. Increased revenues from $250,000 in 2005 to $1.5 million in
2008 and tripled client base from 2,500 to 7,000.
In both cases, the candidate is trying to convey he increased
revenues and expanded the client base, but statement B
measures how well he achieved this growth.

38. Tips: Lead with Your Work's Outcomes
An effective strategy is to write the result of your work before
listing the problem and action. This allows you to lead with the
most compelling aspect of your accomplishment.

39. Good soup and character are both
made at home – Herm Edwards

40. Conclusion
Companies are growing increasingly savvy in ferreting out
resume cheaters through more comprehensive background
checks conducted both pre/post and hire.
Why the latter?
Subpar job performance can prompt a follow-up investigation
into an employee's past. If dishonesty is discovered, it is often
grounds for termination and possibly legal action.
The best strategy for your resume is to always be truthful about
your background.

41. Soft Skills
Soft skills are a collection of personality traits that include
communication, language, personal habits, friendliness, and
optimism. Basically, your emotional intelligence or ―EQ.‖
Avoid clichés like:
• Strong work ethic
• Team player
• Organizational skills

42. Action verbs
Management Skills Communication Skills
administered addressed
analyzed arranged
assigned
attained authored
contracted developed
coordinated directed
delegated drafted
developed edited
directed formulated
evaluated interpreted
executed lectured
improved
increased mediated
organized motivated
planned negotiated
prioritized promoted
produced publicized
recommended reconciled
reviewed recruited
scheduled
strengthened spoke
supervised translated

43. Action Verbs
Clerical Skills Financial Skills
arranged administered
catalogued allocated
classified
collected analyzed
compiled appraised
dispatched audited
executed balanced
generated
implemented budgeted
inspected calculated
monitored computed
operated developed
organized
prepared forecasted
processed managed
purchased marketed
screened planned
specified
systematized projected
validated researched

44. INTERMISSION

45. IV. PRESENTATION

46. Length
Preparing a successful resume you will need to review,
summarize and present your experiences and achievements on
one page. Two pages are not necessary unless you have
considerable experience. It is important to be brief and concise.

47. Length
Consider One Page If:
• You have less than 10 years of experience.
• You're pursuing a radical career change, and your
experience isn't relevant to your new goal.
Consider Two Pages If:
• You have 10 or more years of experience related to your
goal.
• Your field requires technical or engineering skills, and you
need space to list and prove your technical knowledge.

48. Length
Consider a Three-Page Resume or Longer If:
• You're a senior-level manager or executive with a
long track record of leadership accomplishments.
• You are in an academic or scientific field with an
extensive list of publications, speaking
engagements, professional courses, licenses or
patents.

49. Separate yourself from the masses
– Bridget Ross

50. Font
There are a lot of decisions involved in
constructing the perfect resume: what work
experience to prioritize, what details to
provide, what skills to exaggerate. But one
deal-breaking decision often gets slight
attention: What font to use?

51. Don’t Use Times New Roman
• Employers or recruiters to sort through
hundreds, or even thousands, of resumes to fill
one position
• Hiring managers give resumes a quick glance
before deciding if a resume goes in the
"maybe" pile.
You need a Resume that stands out and font can
help with that.

52. Using Fonts
Stick with generic fonts.
• Arial
• Calibri
If your potential employer • Corbel
doesn’t have your font
installed on their • Futura
computer, your font might • Garamond
be converted, squished,
or stretched – jumbling • Georgia
the whole document. • Helvetica

53. Size
Size can very between
11-14. It all depends
on what you need.
• If you’re trying to
conserve space go
smaller.
• If you’re creating
space go bigger.

54. V. COVER LETTERS

55. My purpose is to impact industry –
Hannah Collins

56. Do You Need One?
Including a cover letter with your
résumé is commonly considered a
"golden rule" of job searching. But in
this age of online applications and
recruiters who need to scan material
quickly, is this practice outdated?

57. Both Sides
The extra point after the
touchdown The Icing on the Cake
• From a recruiting • Show how you are unique
standpoint, I would likely in your ability and can
look at a cover letter after help you stand out from
reading someone's the pile of resumes on my
desk.
résumé.
• Provide an example of
• Instead, I favor a well- your writing abilities.
written summary or • Convey interest in the
objective at the top of the position and an
résumé. eagerness to be
considered.

58. Opening and Closing
Employer’s Contact
Information Closing
• Make the salutation specific
and not just To Whom It Wrong Closing
May Concern, Dear Love and kisses,
Sir/Madam, or To: Hiring Miss. Krissy Snow
Manager. (smooch)
• Go beyond the general
position title and get the Right Closing
name specific personalizes Sincerely,
your application and can Your signature (if sending a
send you to the top of the hardcopy)
pile. Your name

59. First Paragraph
Pitch for the Position Example:
• Start the first paragraph by ―I am submitting my resume
identifying the position for consideration towards
you’re applying for and then the Section 3 position
explain how you found the advertised on your website.
job. My four years of training
• Be sure to mention a experience combined with a
referral or friendly mutual Bachelor of Arts degree make
contact if it’s relevant to the me an ideal candidate for this
company, department, or position.‖
position.

60. Second Paragraph
Let them know you’re a
Good Fit Example
• Be sure to list one or two For the last two years, I have
of your relevant skills or held a technical training
position where my people
qualifications and show skills and training manuals
examples that highlight have helped teach workshops
your experience. and seminars. As my resume
reflects, I am a strong and
• It’s not a bad idea to flexible writer with proven
mention why you want to experience.
work for the company and I am very interested in
show that you’ve spent working with the Houston
some time researching Housing Authority due to your
the organization. dedication to improving
communities.

61. Final Paragraph
Seal the Deal Example
• The last paragraph is I am very interested at the
where you ask for the Houston Housing
interview. Don’t be shy Authority’s Section 3
about it. position and believe my
• Restate your desire to skills and experience are
work for the company. an excellent fit for the job.
The Houston Housing
Authority has an excellent
reputation and I welcome
the opportunity to meet
with you for an interview.

62. VI. RESUMES IN THE DIGITAL
AGE

63. Scan-able Resume
Larger companies utilize
software to electronically scan This resume uses key
resumes for sorting, reviewing, words and phrases to
distributing and filing. increase the likelihood
that the resume will be
The scanning process selected in an electronic
searches for key words which search.
may be important to the job for
which you are applying.

64. Some people weed themselves out
of the equation and don’t even
know it - Christall Norman

65. All Social Media Sites Are
NOT Created Equal
• LinkedIn – • Facebook – personal
professional resume information with
format with no protected
protected characteristics in the
information on very first page
profile

66. Be Careful
• Protected information
• Discriminatory searches
• Discriminatory use of information
VS.
• Off-duty ―protected conduct‖
• Political views

67. Protected Characteristics
• Title VII
– Race, national origin, sex, religion, color
• ADEA
– 40 is ―old‖
• ADA
– Disability greatly expanded with ADAA
• TCHRA (state mirror of Title VII and ADEA)
– City ordinances (Austin – sexual identity and sexual orientation)
• California
– Sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, cancer, political
affiliation, genetic identity

68. Quick List
Job Boards - apply for jobs Resume Boards – post your
that are posted by resume and let employers
employers find you
Career Builder.com Linkedin.com
Monster.com Job.com
Indeed.com
Networkingforprofessionals.com
Houstonjobs.com
Ryze.com
Simplyhired.com
Craigslist.com
Behance.com
Usajobs.opm.gov

69. Your network is your net worth –
Melinda Emerson

70. Visual Resume
Almost every employer requires traditional CVs, but visual resumes are
increasing in popularity and can make you stand out of the crowd and
land the job.
So why make a visual resume? With the job market in recovering,
competition is fierce.
More and more employers are seeking to get to know a potential
employee on a personal level and visual resumes can give employers
this insight. Visual resumes tell a story and this can give potential
employers an interesting snapshot of who you are.
Jobster.com allows users to upload visual resumes right onto their site,
while MyWorkster.com has a place for a link to a visual resume on a
user’s profile.

71. Contact Me

72. This Presentation has been
brought to you by
Damien Kelly and his lovely sister
Becky Means.
Visit her on her website:
http://meansdesign.net/