Resume Righting

“Righting” Your Résumé Career Services Montana State University Billings Univ Campus: LIB 100 657.2168 City College: Jacket Student Central 247.3006 www.msubillings.edu/careers Objective = Thesis statement Education + Experience = Supporting evidence Include special skills, languages, licenses References = Conclusion Writing a Résumé = Writing an Essay! Organize "your" data & select relevant content Letter of Application Personalized and customized to each vacancy Highlights skills & abilities with point-by-point response to vacancy announcement Error-free & high quality print White or off-white stationery for: letter, résumé & envelope using same font as résumé Signature ink in blue or black Résumé Formats Chronological: list most recent experience first Functional: organize around job functions Use O*NET OnLine for content http://online.onetcenter.org Chronological Functional Fits a “traditional” history of work and education Focus is on dates Most common format Shifts focus to skills and abilities, not “where you were, when” Minimizes dates and gaps in your history Objective Statement Focuses résumé content Forces you to be selective & succinct Enables employer to match you with your targeted job Is “action” oriented Sample Objective Statements: To secure a position as a process plant intern. Seeking teaching position in Elementary and/or Special Ed. To obtain a full-time auditing position with a “Big 4” accounting firm. Action-packed from A to Z! Use verbs to show initiative: acted, balanced, communicated, designed, eliminated, formulated, generated, helped, improved, judged, kept, led, mediated, negotiated, operated, prepared, questioned, reduced, sold, taught, updated, viewed, wrote, x-rayed, yielded, zeroed in on! Personal Data is Discriminatory! Focus on job qualifications NOT age, height, weight, physical appearance NOT social security number, home ownership info, or creditworthiness NOT social groups, clubs, organizations NOT parental or marital status or childcare for your children NOT medical history Choose References with Care! Verify they will say excellent things about your performance! “Ghost write” the recommendation. Provide references with copy of your résumé. Avoid Résumé Mistakes! Identified by 2012 survey of 2,500 recruiters Spelling errors, typos, poor grammar Dates not included or inaccurate Contact info missing, inaccurate, or unprofessional: beerguzzler@hotmail.com Poor formatting, unnecessary headers & footers, boxes, etc. Failure to describe accomplishments & how they were achieved Your Résumé is Right! Use spelling & grammar checker. Find “objective eyes” to edit. Quantify: add numbers to explain how much, how many, how vast your experience is. Print on high quality printer. Aesthetics are key: font, symmetry, format = “The Look.”