Britta Roan from the University of Michigan Dearborn give advice on how to prepare yourself for the job hunt at the GTRI Michigan Global Future Conference.

1. Job Search Preparation
Resumes
Curriculum Vitae
Cover Letter
Britta Roan
Career Services
2149 University Center

2. Career Services
• We can help!
– Resume Writing
– Mock Interviewing
– Online Job Posting
– Fall and Spring Career Fairs
– Career Fair Prep
– Career exploration for deciding students
– What can I do with my major?

3. Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Typically 2+ pages in length
• For candidates seeking positions in academic
positions, non-academic positions in science,
higher education, research and health care
• Headings should be arranged according to
strengths to be highlighted
• Designed to present a complete picture of the
breadth and depth of academic experience a
person has accumulated

4. Resume
• 1-2 pages
• Create bulleted points that begin with strong
action verbs
• Include experiences/employment that will be
most relevant to the position
• Consider transferable skills that connect with the
position
• Create an objective tailored for the position

5. Resume Vs. CV
Curriculum Vitae
Education
Research/Teaching Interests
Thesis/Dissertation
Research Experience
Teaching Experience
Additional Experience
Employment
Consulting
Internships
Grants and Other Awards
Publications
Conference Presentations
Languages
Computer/Technical Skills
References
Resume
Summary/Objective Statement
Education
Relevant Coursework
Class Projects/Research Papers
Experience
Employment
Research
Highlight skills such as leadership,
communication, organizations skills
Select Grants and Awards
Select Publications
Select Presentations
Languages
Computer/Technical Skills

6. Resumes
• A resume is a marketing tool – and an
opportunity to sell an employer on your ability to
do a specific job
• The purpose of the resume is to obtain an
interview
• A resume should be an overview of your
qualifications – a snapshot

7. Virtual Resumes & Social Media
• Can utilize LinkedIn as a networking tool and to
create a professional electronic presence
• Portfolio systems
• Facebook, Instagram, Twitter – be aware of
your electronic footprint. What do you want to
present to employers?
• Opportunity to share links to blogs, articles on
research achievements, etc.

8. Resume Myths
• Always be one page long
• Need to be written in complete sentences
• One resume can fit all jobs
• Should only document your job responsibilities and
work history
• Chronological is the best format
• Should detail every job equally
• Content is more important than presentation

9. • The average recruiter will
give your resume
approximately 10-20
seconds upon initial
review!
Some would say that is
generous!

10. Chronological Resumes
• Best for those who have:
– Worked for relatively few organizations
– Shown typical career progression
– An interest in a position consistent with career
background
– Used by 95% of recent college grads

11. Combination Resumes
• Include a specialized work experience section,
which highlights relevant work experience only.
• Can include a Work History section (for survival
jobs), which can be used to demonstrate:
– A more extended period of employment
– Transferable skills

12. Functional Resumes
• Most appropriate for:
– An individual that changes careers and/or jobs often
– A person with gaps in their works history, or that is
re-entering the work force with little or no experience
– An individual with a lot of experience in one area to
avoid being redundant
– One who has considerable experience in one field,
but may be considering a career change

13. 10 Steps to Creating a Great
Resume
1. Select your target position or field - this will go
in the objective
2. Determine the skills, knowledge, experience,
and training required for job
3. Make a list of your 3-5 strongest skills or
abilities that make you a great candidate for
your target field

14. 10 Steps to Creating a Great
Resume
4. For each of these strengths think of several
accomplishments that will illustrate or
demonstrate your use of it (background, action
steps, and results)
5. Display each accomplishment in a simple yet
powerful action statement.
6. Select resume format

15. 10 Steps to Creating a Great
Resume
7. Begin each bullet with a strong action verb
8. List education and training relevant to your job
target
9. List jobs held in reverse chronological order, or
starting with the most recent
10. Consider the reader – what do they need to
know? *White space is important*

16. Creating an Objective
• A strong objective can have three parts:
– The desired title, function, or field
– The skills that the job seeker brings to the position
– The results the employer can expect to see
Ex: To obtain a position in the field of criminal justice
utilizing my organizational and leadership skills to
contribute to the success of the organization.

17. Education
• List institutions attended in reverse chronological order.
• List GPA if 3.0 or better, can be in major or overall.
• Additional information such as relevant coursework or
class projects may be included if they are reflective of a
specialization or particularly relevant to the position you
are pursuing.
• Do not add TOEFL Score unless requested.

18. Work Experience/Employment
• List work history in reverse chronological order.
• Either the job title or employer name should be
highlighted/bold for visibility
• List city, state, and dates for each position
• Descriptive statements displaying skills, abilities, and
professional accomplishments should be listed for each
employment listing.
• Begin descriptive statements with an action verb.

19. Work Experience/Employment
• DO NOT INCLUDE reasons for leaving, past salaries,
complete address or phone number for employer, or
past supervisor’s name.
• Internships, even if unpaid, can also be listed in this
section.
• If you accomplished specific results (quotas, cost
reductions) then list the figures
• A Relevant Experience section can be created for
related positions, including: Internships, practica, field
experience, etc.

20. Work History
• In this section account for:
– Experience unrelated to your objective
– Experience obtained early in your career,
such as a “college survival” job
– Experience of short duration

21. Additional Sections
• Information that is not appropriate for other sections of
the resume, but is of relevance to your pursuits should
be included under an additional heading. Potential
headings include:
• Honors and Awards
• Co-Curricular and/or Leadership Activities
• Computer Skills
• Relevant Coursework
• Professional Memberships
• Class Projects
• Community Service

22. Headings Not to Include
• Photograph
• Immigration Status
• Age
• Marital Status
• Race/Ethnicity
• Religion

23. Resume Layout
• Try to have one-inch margins on all sides. You want to
create the visual impression that there is not too much
reading to be done. Try to stay in the .75 – 1.0” range
for margins
• Font size should not be smaller than 10 point.
Anything less will give the reader eyestrain. Your
name can be the largest item on the resume
• Printing needs to be laser quality
• Originality can work to your benefit

24. Resume Layout
• Avoid underlining, shadows, and too much bolding
• Place name at the top and contact information
underneath
• Avoid vertical and horizontal lines, graphics, and boxes
• Use standard TrueType fonts such as Helvetica, Arial,
Optima, Times, Universal
• Use white or ivory resume paper
• Use enclosed circle for bullets

25. Things to Avoid
• Industry slang – avoid jargon that may not relate to the
career field
• Personal pronouns (I, my etc.)
• Etc. or “including but not limited to,”- the reader
understands that there are additional examples
• No abbreviations or slang terms
• Different fonts, limit your font usage to two
• Using duties or responsibilities to describe your work
experience

26. Your Resume and Cover Letter
Should Be…
• Concise
• Focused
• Easy to read and find information
• Able to be scanned
• Error-free

27. Final Points - Resume
• Everyone needs a resume or CV
• If you don’t get calls back perhaps your resume
needs to be adjusted
• Get your resume reviewed by at least two
different people. Especially by someone you
don’t know and have them explain to you what
type of work you are seeking

28. Cover Letter
• Be aware of formatting:
• Copy the header from your resume and paste at the
top of your cover letter, reference page, and thank
you letter.
• Include company information, including the complete
address for the organization
• In your greeting, if you do not have a name, use
Director of Human Resources, Recruiting Manager,
or Director of [Department Name]

29. Cover Letter
• Introduction should include the position you are
applying for and how you located the position.
• Select 2-3 skills to highlight in the body of the
letter. Each skill area should have a supporting
statement detailing how you developed the skill
• Closing paragraph should not be too forward
• Spelling and grammar are very important in the
cover letter

30. Questions?