Resumes

they are read and employers screen resumes to form early impressions of job candidates. Research has shown that on average an employer will spend about 20 seconds screening your resume. Your resume should highlight your skills, abilities and attributes in relationship to the position you are seeking. Before writing your resume, research the organization and review the job description in order to tailor your resume and respond to the organizations needs. There is not one standard format for a resume, there are many ways in which to format your resume. Keep in mind that you will most likely create more than one resume and each resume should provide information that demonstrates you can meet the needs of the employer. The main sections of a resume are: Heading / Contact Information Summary / Profile Education Experience Other (section titles may include: leadership activities, volunteer activities, honors and awards, technical skills, and any substantial experiences.) This handout focuses on a chronological resume (experience is listed from most recent to least recent). Typically chronological resumes are the standard but there may be valid reasons for creating a functional resume. Visit the Office of Career Services for samples of chronological and functional resumes. Orrico Hall, Lower Level Phone: 503.943.7201 Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

his handout serves as a guideline for preparing or refining a resume, one of the several tools used in a job search. Keep in mind that resumes are seen before

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The following pages give step-by-step instructions on how to assemble a resume. Use this as a guide to help you create a resume that accurately and positively reflects you.

1. Heading Current Address

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Permanent Address

Tips: Be sure to include your name, a professional email address, mailing address and a phone number. If you are applying for a job back home or looking for work in another city, try to include a local address for that city.

2. PROFILE One of the most common resume styles is to begin with a profile statement. The Profile entirely replaces the Objective. It is often referred to as Profile, Strengths, or Summary of Qualifications. In a few lines, it summarizes your skills, traits and accomplishments in relationship to what the employer is seeking. It introduces the most relevant parts of you to the screener or interviewer, helping you be screened into the yes pile. The more closely your profile matches the profile of the employers ideal Orrico Hall, Lower Level Phone: 503.943.7201 Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

candidate, the stronger your candidacy will be. The profile statement is placed at the top, directly below the heading. Immediately following the profile statement is the proof where you list your education, related experience and other experience. 3. EDUCATION
Tips: Write a profile if you are going to take the time to tailor your resume to a specific position. Keep it short and make sure that you match yourself to the employers qualifications.

Bachelor of Arts, English University of Portland, Portland OR

May 2006 GPA: 3.4

Tips: The education section should be at the top of your resume if you are a current undergraduate or graduate student. Include the name of the institution, the city and state of the institution, the year in which you expect to get your degree, the degree that you will be obtaining (i.e. Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts). Typically GPA can be added if it is 3.0 or higher, select the higher of your two GPAs, the cumulative or major. Include any study abroad experiences. You may also choose to include academic scholarships in this section, or you may have another section that includes honors and awards.

4. EXPERIENCE Starbucks Coffee, Portland OR Barista Supervised team of 10 employees daily Accomplishment Statements (part of Experience)

May 2004-Present

Tips: This section can have varied titles such as Experience, Professional Experience, Related Experience, or Relevant Experience and may include paid, unpaid, part-time, full-time, internship, or relevant volunteer experience. List the experiences in reverse chronological order (most recent experience first). Include your job title, the name of the organization, followed by the location of the company (city and state) and the dates that you worked there (dates are best placed on the right side of the page). Following this, list your accomplishment statements beginning with action verbs and results when possible.

An accomplishment statement highlights your experiences that demonstrate your strengths, skills, and results. When possible quantify any difference, change, amount, quality, speed, etc. It incorporates three main points 1. What did you do? 2. How did you do it? 3. What was the result? Each accomplishment statement should begin with an action verb. Avoid using passive verb constructions and beginning accomplishment statements with Responsible for or Duties included. Keep in mind that an ac-

Orrico Hall, Lower Level Phone: 503.943.7201 Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

complishment statement can be experiences at work, as part of a team project, special assignments, training, travel, awards and honors. Most relevant experiences are followed by a minimum of one accomplishment statement. There is no limit on the number of statements, however, typically two to five are sufficient. You do not have to list the obvious duties associated with the position. Highlight your most significant contributions. Examples of accomplishment statements Recognized as top sales associate for three consecutive months from May 2000 to July 2000, which resulted in promotion to Sales Supervisor. Trained as lead cashier, balancing cash drawer with 95% accuracy. Improved staff communication within the store by creating and producing a monthly newsletter for all employees. Created and produced a 6-page monthly newsletter for the international student club, distributed to 2,800 college students. Led a team of volunteers in planning, preparing, and serving a weekly meal for 90 residents at a local homeless shelter, increasing service by 20% to an underserved population. Coordinated a charity event involving 150 people that resulted in $1000 collected for the New York Disaster Relief Fund. Represented the University of Portland by meeting and guiding tours for prospective students and their families resulting in a 10% increase in enrollment. Wrote 44-page review of existing research that formed the rationale for requesting and winning a $228,000 research grant. Reviewed 4000 preventative maintenance procedures for computer chips and eliminated 1000 extraneous procedures, reducing the cost of transferring data by nearly $10,000. Improved the loading time of a software program by 10 seconds. Planned and promoted 15 guest speakers on campus, a 50% increase from the previous year. Expanded business partnerships in the community by 150% through aggressive marketing calls and promotional event.

5. LEADERSHIP/ACTIVITIES Orrico Hall, Lower Level Phone: 503.943.7201 Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Senior Class Representative for Student Senate American Marketing Association Member University of Portland Intramurals

Sept.2001-present Aug.2000-present Aug. 1999-present

Tips: In listing activities, be consistent in the format. If there is an activity in which you have a considerable amount of experience, such as being a club president or coordinating a volunteer activity, you may want to add it to your experience section. Additional tips: Eliminate your high school experience. Only include relevant coursework if it is directly related to the position and demonstrates your skills in relationship to the position. Dont include references available upon request on your resume. If the employer wants references, include them on a separate sheet of paper. Keep your resume to one page, if necessary decrease margins from 1 inch to inch or inch on all sides. Periods are optional at the end of accomplishment statements. Do not use a resume template, employers may view that as lazy. Creating your own resume is a way to show off your computer skills.

Resume Checklist
Is the font size 10-12 point? Is your name between 16 and 18 point? Have you used a standard font? Have you selected a natural color paper (white or off-white)? Have you tried to fit everything to a page? Did you make it easy to read? Did you use bullets so that you can clearly articulate your experiences beginning with action verbs? Did you customize the resume so that it highlights your strengths and experiences? Did you use present tense for the activities/experiences that you are still involved in? Did you use pronouns (A resume should not have I statements. Rather than have I coordinated a campus event, it should read Coordinated a campus event Did you spell check your resume? Did you have someone else read it for spelling/grammar? Have you accurately stated your experiences (a resume should not have false information)?

Orrico Hall, Lower Level Phone: 503.943.7201 Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM

Resources
The Overnight Resume by Donald Asher From College to Career by Donald Asher Best resumes for college students and new grads by Louise M. Kursmark Resumes that Knock em Dead by Martin Yate [Link] [Link] Note to students: Remember that there is free resume paper in the Office of Career Services.

Orrico Hall, Lower Level Phone: 503.943.7201 Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM