A resume is a summary of background, skills and qualifications, which is sent to employers for review. Consider it to be your personal marketing brochure with the goal of gaining the employer’s attention and to giving them the information they need to bring you to the next step in the hiring process, an interview. Your resume is often the first document that an employer would typically look at, so it serves as your first impression in the employment process. A well-written and formatted resume tells the employer a lot about your professionalism, and improves the chances for receiving an interview. Consider that employers compare resumes to decide whom to interview. Also, a resume could be used to display our multiple fields of study, which have led to our IDS degree.
The great thing about resumes is that it is your own personal document, meaning you can design it however you would like. However, just remember, it should be professional and stand out in a pile of other resumes. You have to understand when employers are reviewing resumes they are not just looking at yours but at least a hundred others. They briefly scan each resume for about twenty seconds and if they see something that stands out to their eye then they put it aside. It isn’t until they get down to the last ten or so that they really look in depth at your resume. Therefore, you want to be sure to make it no longer than a page and use key words that were presented in the job description.
The Career Service building is a great place to go for help. Make an appointment, and bring in your resume. They will sit down and help guide you into creating an outstanding resume that will stand out and make employers interested in you. They will also provide you with worksheets of helps tips that you should consider when making your resume.
What questions do you have about resumes? How do you plan to use your resume to highlight your interdisciplinary degree? Draft a portion of your experience section and give feedback to at least one other student. Share at least 3 tips, which you think, are the most important things to remember when composing your resume. Have you found a really great resource to turn to when looking for ideas? Please share it with the rest of us!
Remember, in addition to your original post, read the postings through out the week and reply to another classmates post with any helpful hints you may have. As always use the reply button and add your first and last name at end of post.
Have a nice week,
Megan
I don’t live near UCF, but I heard the Career Service building is a helpful place to go for resume building. If I ever visit Orlando, I will drop by and get their services. I think I would keep my IDS degree out of my resume and just touch on my Majors instead. My 3 tips that I think are important are: If you are relocating, like I did, discuss it in your cover letter. If you are transitioning back to work after being in business for yourself, like I am doing right now, emphasize the entrepreneurial transferable skills that apply to the type of job you're targeting and avoid conveying any impression that you are leaving the entrepreneurial life because you didn't succeed at it. Last but not least, making sure your resume is marked confidential. You can display CONFIDENTIAL on top of your resume if you like.
ReplyDeleteA good link for advice on resume is: http://1st-writer.com/student-faq.htm
Tanveer Mia
I have never really thought about explaining going from owning your own business to going back to work for someone else. I can see how an employer would get the assumption that someone could not handle owning your own business so they had to go back to work for someone else. Why do you have to mark your resume confidential? What advantage does that have?
DeleteCory Stoekel
Hey Megan!
DeleteI am with Cory on this one. I presently do not have any questions regarding resumes. I recently did the same thing that Cory did. I have a client that I do online clerical work for who sat down with me and helped me to put my medical background at the forefront of my resume as opposed to the Administrative/Clerical focus that I had before that. Although the Clerical one was useful and got her attention, the medical field is what I really like and want to be a part of so we worked my resume with that in mind.
That being said I do have a few questions about cover letters and how best to present yourself and what really should be included in a cover letter. How long should my cover letter be or how short? What pertinent information would I want to include that would make a future employer take notice of first my cover letter and then my resume? What is the best approach to making one? Would it be using a template or is there a better way? Just a few questions I had in mind about them. Any suggestions would be awesome and greatly appreciated.
Lorri Cowart
I forgot to include tips for resumes.
DeleteI would just say to remember to keep your resume concise but not to concise that you give little or no information for an employer to make an adequate assumption about you. They may feel too little information shows no initiative on your part or too much may make them disinterested.
Remember to explain your skills by listing a few of them. Just saying you have skills in a certain area doesn't mean anything without something to back it up. It is easy for anyone to sit down and say "oh im good at this job" but without stating a skill or two how can you expect a prospective employer to know what your strengths really are.
Also if you have received awards or accolades during your past experiences or schooling be sure and include those. I was proud to be able to include on my resume that I graduated not only with an Associate's degree but with honors. Also if your education is say medical based, you may want to include a course or two to show that you have some knowledge base for the subject or the job. I do not think it is necessary to list all courses but if you have some courses that are related to that position, it might be relevant to include them.
here is a bit of my experience section from my updated resume:
Special Skills and Interests
Proficient in Microsoft Office Programs-Word, Powerpoint, Excel
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Medical Billing and Coding
Proficient typing speed of 65 wpm with no errors.
Excellent time management skills
Excellent customer service skills
Experience in employee relations
Experience with accounts payable and receivable
Experienced with shipping and receiving
Scheduling experience
Purchasing experience
These are all things that I have experience in through not only schooling but prior work experience. Without listing any of these how can you expect an employer to know what you are good at.
Lorri Cowart
Hi Lorri. I have been taught the one page resume also. Also, it's important to have a reasonable amount of white space on a resume. On my resume, I tried to convert my skills to a number. For instance, instead of saying I am organized, detail oriented etc. I would give an instance of how my organization and detail orientation saved or made the company money like "implemented system saving company $x per year". Just be prepared to back up the data!
DeleteHeather Coleman
Tanveer-
DeleteGaps can be tricky too! My stepfather is currently dealing with this problem. I wonder also about marking a resume confidential. I know when someone comes in our office, everyone reads the resume before it hits the doctors desk. Luckily, he doesn't hire anyone until the staff interviews them also.
Heather Coleman
Lorri,
DeleteIn response to your questions about cover letters, the link that was provided for us under our Resume and Cover letter assignment in Week 11 really helped me! The link says "Cover Letters and Thank You Letters"
It goes step by step and lets you know what to write in your cover letter and how long it should be. It should be very helpful for you and informative. You'll have to check it out!
-Charlotte Haught
Lorri,
DeleteJust wanted to reaffirm what Charlotte said. That link was a huge help, as well as the examples that were given as links. Those two sources really helped me revamp my cover letter and showed me a correct format.
Steven Bloom
Tanveer,
DeleteJust an idea, but when I relocated to New York they had lots of job placement help centers through unemployment. They gave me a lot of great tips on resumes and even critiqued mine for me. So even though you are not local, there may just be some help locally that is free.
Steven Bloom
You are experienced with many different desirable work skills. While it is important to tell the employer what you are good at, perhaps you could highlight your best and most fitting to the position you are applying for, without listing them. For example, instead of listed several different tasks you could say, experienced in receptionist tasks, such as answering phones, copying, scanning, faxing, etc. Additionally, you can talk about some of the things that may not be listed on your resume when you are in the interview. It is expected that you will repeat much of the information listed on your resume so having some additional skills to talk about might be a good thing.
DeleteMary Cooley
Lorri,
DeleteYour are so right regarding the length of resumes. I've watched my boss in the hiring process and she always comments on how long people's resumes are. She would say to keep everything on one page if possible. Also, if you only stayed at one job for a few months, you probably shouldn't include it. You want to demonstrate that you can hold a job for at least a year, unless of course there were special circumstances. Another thing my boss has commented on is having a professional email. Even if you just create a basic gmail account to list on your resume, that would be a good idea.
Amanda Hofer
I currently do not have any questions about resumes. I recently sat down with a close friend who was very knowledgable about resumes and she helped build mine. I would emphasize my different areas of study to show the company that I have a variety of knowledge from different backgrounds. I was told by both my friend and companies that it is a must to keep your resume to one page long. More information is good but too much information and detail will bore the reader and make him put it down. You want to put your main accomplishments easily visible so anyone who is scamming over your resume will see it. If you have worked with a certain type of machine or computer that the company uses and you are very familiar with that tool put that in there because they might be looking for someone they do not have to train long before they can send them on their own. Constantly update your resume and try not to have time gaps between each entry. Resumes take time and cant be done overnight, much tweaking and thought has to go into them. Good luck with your resumes and I hope my tips help.
ReplyDeleteCory Stoekel
Hey Cory!
DeleteI have heard the same thing about resumes but how do you get it to one page if you have a 30 year history of work and education? Although mine is longer than a page, it is not really wordy. We managed to bullet information so that it was clear and concise and not to hard to read. The friend who helped me is the president of the American Board of Vocational Experts so I felt like she was a big help fine tuning it. But cutting it down to one page would remove alot of my past experience and education. But it is definitely something I will have to look into condensing even further. I mean if you cut out to much, how will they know anything about you or your history? It's a tough decision to try and cut stuff out of your resume when it all seems so valuable. lol. I agree that updating your resume frequently is also a good idea. It has been a couple of months since I did mine. How often would you think to update??? Thanks for the tips! Great post!
Lorri Cowart
Hello again Lorri! :)
DeleteIn response to how do you get a lengthy work experience to one page.... I only use the experience that the actual job listing is asking for. I have had multiple jobs but only a few may be applicable. Also, I rewrite my resume for each post I respond to emphasizing the experience to fit the listing.
Heather Coleman
Hey Heather!!
DeleteThat is a great idea! I hadn't really thought about that but it might help solve the problem of not knowing what to include or exclude when preparing a resume for a potential employer to focus on the skills related to that particular field. Thanks so much for the insight!! I will definitely be using that the next time I submit my resume for a job anywhere.
Lorri Cowart
I try to keep it within one page as well. I would get bored after reading a page and would probably stop reading as soon as I saw a second or third page. I have a big gap in between work, but I don't necessarily see the harm in that. I would go on vacations for a year and not do anything. I guess people could put travel as an experience. Different cultures and interaction with the locals is a worldly experience for sure.
DeleteTanveer Mia
I have written numerous resumes so I don't have any questions in that regard. (I am also taking a Career Development Psychology course which heavily covers resume writing!) I think the way I will highlight my experience will depend on what job I am applying for. I am a firm believer that the resume needs to be written with keywords from what ever job listing you are applying for. So if I am looking at a position in the educational field, I will emphasize the coursework in that area or my relatable skills and so forth. I would not feel confident submitting the same resume for more than one job listing. I certainly think the same applies to cover letters. No Dear Sirs/Madams or To whom it may concerns! It's important to have an actual name to send the letter too.
ReplyDeleteHeather Coleman
That is great you are taking a Career Development Course which will help you with your resume even though you sound familiar with them already. That is a good tip to not just print off a bunch of copies of your resume and hand them out to different types of jobs, you have to be specific to each job and re word some of the things in your resume. Good tips on the resume, and good luck!
DeleteCory Stoekel
Heather,
DeleteI'm glad I read over your posting I have been wondering if there was a good class that covered resume writing! Cornerstone is really the first class I've had that has had good information on writing resumes.
I agree wholeheartedly that one must emphasize coursework and experiences that correspond to what job position they are applying for. If I were looking at a resume, and saw something completely random that didn't have anything to do with the position the person were seeking, I'd think they were just trying to add whatever they could on their resume to make it look like they had done a lot. Very Good point!
-Charlotte Haught
Heather,
DeleteI wish I had heard of that class before. I agree with you as well about making your resume fit the job you are applying for. I feel like this is a newer concept, but you almost have to highlight those keywords to even draw consideration. Things like highlighting clerical experience if the job has some requirement for it can give your resume that little extra.
Steven Bloom
Hello, Heather! I am taking that class this semester also. It was interesting how well the assignments lined up this past week. A resume has to be modified to the position that you are applying for and one resume that you have may not be the best for every position that you apply for. And as we know from the Career Development Class, key words help your resume get noticed when the it gets scanned over.
DeleteMary Cooley
Heather,
DeleteI took that same course last semester and found it really helpful. We did spend a lot of time practicing and formulating a good resume. I agree with you that a resume should be directed and formatted to fit the job that you are applying for.
Amanda Hofer
Every time I thought of a resume I would think that it had to include all my paid work experience. So, I would personally dread having to write one because I really haven't had jobs besides working as a secretary in my dad's office and working at the UCF Bookstore for about 3 or 4 weeks. However, from this class I learned that resumes can be whatever I'd like them to be, meaning I could include my volunteer, leadership and extracurricular activities.
ReplyDeleteMy resume right now would have an audience of dental school admissions representatives as I am applying to dental school this summer. I think that an Objective is a very important section to start off your resume. This lets your resume's audience know exactly what your trying to gain out of this resume. Also, if they lose it and it turns up somewhere, someone will know what it is for. I'd say the most important thing to keep in my when writing a resume is to direct it toward your future. So, if you don't like your past work, don't include it in your resume because you will just get the same type of job or outcome that you previously did not enjoy.
-Charlotte Haught
Man your so lucky. If I worked for my dad, I would make up so much stuff and just have some one sign off on it. I doubt half the employers care to check up on perspective hires. Everything is so computerized these days, I think it would be beneficial for you to put down as much as you can even if it is slightly exaggerated.
DeleteTanveer Mia
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DeleteGood advice! I initially thought the objective section was kind of meaningless because it's obvious what the resume is for (to get a job where you send it), but the way you put it makes a lot of sense too. It all depends on what you prioritize fitting in your resume. It can be really difficult to not run out of room and still fit things in.
DeleteMatthew Vickers
Charlotte,
DeleteI have felt the same way as you about not having a great amount of experience to account for on my resume. But I do believe it is important to be as detailed and honest about what you have truly experienced. Imagine if the one thing you exaggerate about is the one thing your interviewer questions you on? As far as the objective, I believe it is important to be specific because this is one point that demonstrates that you know what you want in a job. I remember when I had to interview possible hires and I would look at their objective to make sure they knew what they were applying for.
Claudia Perez
I think the best 3 tips are to be clear, be organized and be concise. You want to make sure that where ever you are applying knows who you are, what makes you qualified and isn't thrown off by the length of the resume.
ReplyDeleteMy own resume would show 7 years experience in the health care field in various aspects. As well as my leadership roles. While I have quite a bit of work experience, I think I could afford to find some volunteer opportunities to expand my background. I think I will also consider adding some of my coursework depending on the job I am applying for. While my goal is to be a nurse, I like to be in charge and some of my courses that can emphasize my leadership and knowledge my be helpful for positions that have a leadership aspect.
Steven Bloom
Steven,
DeleteVolunteering is important, it could be what sets you apart for other applicants. So be sure to get some hours in while you're early in your formal education trek. School + volunteering = great match. Plus there are a lot of oopotunities out there to get involved.
I am taking a course in Psychology of Career Development this semester which has shown me some great tips on getting an interview which is commonly a direct effect from the employer reviewing a resume. Some great things that I have learned are to be clear and concise and talk more about your related work accomplishments in your cover letter. Also, it is good to have your resume well organized and it MUST be perfect. This is the tool that is being used to market yourself and there is no room for grammatical or formatting errors. Employers often scan resumes and key words will draw them in. These should be field specific to the job you are applying for.
ReplyDeleteMary Cooley
I definitely agree, if you don't take the time to make sure your resume is grammatically perfect then why should your employers take the time for you? It just helps them weed out one more candidate the second they see any mistake. If you really want the job, then your resume should show it by being professional and focused on the job you are applying for.
DeleteMary,
DeleteI wish I had taken that course, I am graduating in May so it is too late now, but these two IDS classes have helped. Before taking Cornerstone last year I had not put together a resume in almost 18 years. I am finding it beneficial to learn how to utilize my skills as well as past employment. I agree that it should definitely be free from grammatical errors. I am always critiquing my 14 year old about that with his school work. I tell him I did not have spell check at his age so he is very lucky and that when using spell check do not just click the first word that comes up, it can make for a confusing paper if the words do not make sense in context ;).
Thank you for the good advice,
Katina Bolton
I agree that the resume needs to be free of grammatical errors. I know that when I had to go over resumes as a Personnel supervisor I would get bugged about errors that were so simple to have been corrected. It shows that the person did not take the time to be detailed about their first impression.
DeleteClaudia Perez
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ReplyDeleteWhat questions do you have about resumes?
ReplyDeleteI don't have any specific questions about resumes besides the fact that it is pretty difficult to get everything relevant to your prospective employers about you down on a single page that also looks well done and concise. I think the key to achieving this is to keep editing and revising your resume over time and that can take care of many of those problems.
How do you plan to use your resume to highlight your interdisciplinary degree?
I plan on adding my focuses right under the section featuring my degree. This will allow my employers to see what specific areas I've devoted myself to during my IDS study and also bring up a great talking point if they are unsure of what exactly the IDS degree entails.
Have you found a really great resource to turn to when looking for ideas?
I find looking at other resumes found online can be great for stylizing your resume, in my resume I took ideas from a couple of different ones and changed them around to fit my own personality. This can especially help with stuff like layout and small little details that can really help make your resume stand out.
Matthew Vickers
Matthew,
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize how important layout and the small details can be on a resume. I know that a resume that has the sections "boldly" separated makes it easier to read. If the sections all run into each other then it makes it harder and would probably discourage the interviewer in looking any further. I did the same thing and looked at several different resumes and adapted some areas to fit my personal situation.
Good Luck,
Claudia Perez