Stand out in the Paper Crowd

OFFICE resume writing: OF stand out in the paper CARE crowd ER SERVICE S Ivy Tech Community College

The resume is almost always the first step in the job The DON’Ts search process. Having an up-to-date, organized resume • Don’t use a Word resume template. Start with a could be the difference between getting the interview or blank Word document. not. Be sure to visit the Office of Career Services to have your resume critiqued by a professional before sending it • Never lie on your resume. out. • Don’t print your resume on colored or patterned The DOs paper. • Use bullets (maximum of four). • Don’t use personal pronouns (I, me, myself ). • Include all possible contact information. Be sure to • Don’t list high school education. (Include this list your cell phone number rather than your home ONLY if it is the highest level of education phone number started.) if possible. • Don’t include personal information (such as • Think in terms of professional or LinkedIn URL, Twitter URL, etc.). educational accomplishments. • Never abbreviate company names or job titles. • Emphasize your transferrable skills. • Don’t include personal hobbies or interests. • Quantify your job duties (how often or how many). Reminders • Have your resume proofread by someone • Use keywords in your resume to get more who has expertise in writing resumes. “hits” from resume-tracking software. • List the city and state of job locations, as well as the • Be sure there are no misspelled words. month and years of employment. • Be honest! Untrue statements could eliminate • Always keep a copy of your resume for yourself your from further consideration for a position. (and bring a few extra along to job interviews). • Do not include salary expectations in the resume. • Match your resume to the job description by • When making a career change, evaluate and noticing the key terms used. revise each section of your resume to fit your • Use industry-specific language to describe your new career goals. experience and qualifications. When submitting your resume online, convert it to a .pdf • Elaborate on your accomplishments. Instead of file to prevent any format issues. This is the easiest and “Developed a new filing system,” try “Developed a most reliable method. new filing system that reduced filing time by 25 percent.” • Limit your resume to one or two pages (one page for new graduates). OFFICE OF CAREER SERVICES // SHANNON NIEDZWICKI, DIRECTOR // SNIEDZWICKI@IV Y TEC H. ED U // 800-459-0561, EXT. 222 Types of Resumes

Functional Resume Name in big and BOLD type. Make sure mailing address and phone number are correct and use only one Focus on skills rather than experience professional email address.

Summary is usually used to describe areas of expertise and personal strengths. This is normally three to five sentences. Other options for this area are Objective, Skills or Professional Profile.

Functional resumes focus on skills rather than experience. This approach is great for students who do not have much experience in their related field and people who have been out of the workforce for some time. You can outline your experience from the classroom along with any transferable skills.

Work experience is listed in reverse chronological order. No need to go into detail on work experience.

Chronological Resume Use a profile to briefly describe who you are Focus on experience rather than skill set and what you can bring to the company in one sentence or two: “Goal-oriented leader who is dedicated to customer service and helping others.”

List any education in reverse chronological order with degree in BOLD type. Name degree appropriately; for instance, use Associate of Science instead of AS. You may also list any accomplishments such as Dean’s List or Phi Theta Kappa in this area.

List your places of employment, with title and years worked, with most recent first. This is where you would list your responsibilities, highlighting your experience with three to five bullet points. Remember: If the job is in the present, use present tense when describing current job responsibilities; use past tense for experience in the past.