This document summarizes a presentation about optimizing resumes and LinkedIn profiles. It discusses highlighting relevant experience, skills, and keywords. Examples are provided of strong resume summaries that emphasize specific results and accomplishments. LinkedIn profiles should include a descriptive headline and summary that incorporate keywords. Experience sections should tell a story about what was learned from each role.

1. The Resume & LinkedIn
Presented by Michael T. Breslin
Lally Office of Career Management and Professional Development
9/9/2015

2. What does the resume do?

3. How does the resume do that?

4. • Summary
• Writing descriptors
• Strategic use of Keywords
• Appealing to ATS
• Any other basics we can get to
Agenda

5. • Who are you?
• Who is the person who gets the job you want?
Gap Analysis

6. • “Pharmaceutical marketing executive with 20 years of experience creating
commercial infrastructures, growing brands, and optimizing product value
throughout launch, re-launch, and sunset life cycles across all customer
segments—payers, physicians, and patients. Lead global marketing and
commercial operations teams with P&Ls up to $2B.”
• “EHS director with 20 years of experience driving regulatory compliance
and employees’ health and safety across industries—manufacturing,
retail, and healthcare. Develop award-winning, injury-reducing ergonomic
equipment. Launch LMS training programs and engaging websites to
inform thousands of employees.”
• “Online ad sales director with 12 years of experience leading sales teams
in start-up, rapidly growing, and established companies. Maximize
profitability of ads across all platforms, including games, mobile, social,
and web. Consistently exceed revenue targets—even when battling
Facebook and other relentless competitors in crowded markets.”
Summary - Examples

7. • Tailor your summary to each job application
• Focus on specific results
• Note the types of organizations and industries
you’ve worked in
• Avoid generic terms
Summary – Best Practices
Summary Examples and Best Practices from, “Yes, Your Résumé Needs a Summary”, HBR, Jane Heifetz, July 28, 2015

8. • Degree – MS in Supply Chain Management
• Your most relevant experience – Be specific
• Your most relevant skills – Be specific
• No opinions – They lack credibility
– Bulleted statements
– Instead of a paragraph
– Are acceptable
• No Summary is also acceptable
• Keywords
Summary

9. • This section is vital for some
• Customize the Title of this section. For example:
– FINANCE PROJECTS
– ANALYTICS RESEARCH PROJECTS
– ACADEMIC PROJECTS
– PRACTICA AND CAPSTONE
• Describe like it’s a job
• Keywords
Relevant Projects

10. • Can include
– Jobs
– Internships
– Volunteerism
– Student groups and activities
• Metrics if you have them
• Relevant details
• Keywords
Experience

11. Action Words
 Conducted
 Determined
 Calculated
 Developed
 Drafted
 Wrote
 Authored
 Measured
 Maintained
 Created
 Analyzed
 Modeled
 Performed
 Researched
 Presented
 Won
 Predicted
 Collaborated
 Visualized
 Assessed
 Evaluated
 Represented
 Interviewed
 Scoped
 Never use “Responsible for…”

12. No tables/text boxes on the resume
• Unless you PDF it
Don’t use these statements
• “To obtain a position where I can use my skills to further my career…”
• “…where I can exhibit hard work and enthusiasm…”
• “Highly motivated, enthusiastic, people person…”
• “…looking to gain experience…”
How many pages?
Warnings

13. • Every responsibility, experience, accomplishment
• Longer than one page? Good!
• You don’t know what the next job will require
• Edit and reformat once we have a target
Master Resume

14. Other Resources

15. • Name
• Headline
• Summary
• Experience
• Anything else we can get to
LinkedIn Agenda

16. What we see first
Name Geographic Area
Headline Industry

17. • Should match all other appearances of your
name/brand
– Resume
– Cover Letter
– Google+
– Facebook
– E-mail signature
Name

18. • Establish and reinforce your brand
• Use them EVERYWHERE
• Find them:
– Relevant job postings
– Other LinkedIn profiles
– Industry articles
– Coursework
Keywords

19. • If you don’t know what you want to do
– MS candidate in Business Analytics | SQL | Data
Mining | ETL
• If you know what you want to do
– MBA candidate and aspiring Mergers and
Acquisitions Analyst | Corporate Finance
Headline – load keywords

20. • There are 147 choices
• Do not choose “Education Management”
• Choose based on what you know right now
– You can always change your mind
Industry = another keyword

21. • Tell your story
– Motivations
• “I love using my portfolio analysis skills to solve complicated
asset allocation issues”
– Skills
• “Through my MS in Quantitative Finance, I’ve developed the
ability to…”
– Aspirations
• “I’m looking to begin my career (with a type of company/in a
specific industry)”
– “When I’m not elbow deep in VBA macros, I run
obstacle races and…”
– List your keywords and skills
Summary

22. • Present Job Title
– MS in Supply Chain candidate
• Do not use this as your default Headline
• Keywords in Job Titles – SEO looks for them
– Supply Chain Intern
– Operations Project Assistant
– New Product Development Associate
Experience

23. • Tell your story
– Humans are hardwired to respond to stories
• Why did you do this job?
• What did you learn?
• What types of people did you work with?
• How are you better now because of it?
• Use keywords throughout
More Experience

24. • Many opportunities for keywords
• Supports your story and your brand
Still More Experience

25. • These should be relevant and descriptive
– Pictures
– Presentations
– Portfolios
– Video
• LinkedIn =/= Facebook
Add Media

26. • Used in LinkedIn’s
education page search
• Two kinds of skills:
– The tool (Microsoft
Excel)
– What you do with the
tool (Cash Flow
Analysis)
Skills

27. • Always be updating your LinkedIn profile
– But we don’t all need to know everything
• Updates engage your audience more than
most other LinkedIn actions
• Next steps
– Building a relationship strategy
– Targeting employers / contacts
(Never) The End