California State University, Los Angeles

Resume BasicsCAREER DEVELOPMENT CENTERCalifornia State University, Los Angeles

The Purpose of the Resume The resume’s main purpose is to get you aninterview!It is often the first item a potential employer seesabout you and therefore is very importantA resume is a short descriptive account of your workexperience, education, qualifications, achievements,and special skills.(In addition, a resume may be requested by ascholarship committee or be part of your admissionsapplication for graduate or professional school).

The resume can be used in the followingways: To network with others, including at CareerFairsTo be submitted along with an employerjob application form and/or cover letter asyou apply for open positionsTo be taken to a job interviewTo be coupled with a dynamic onlinepresence, particularly, your LinkedIn profile

Standard Resume FormatsReverse ChronologicalFunctionalCombination

Reverse Chronological ResumeStarts with your current experiences, andthen goes back in time chronologically.Most employers prefer this resume format.

Sample- Reverse Chronological ResumeJamesDean&1111P L l! A SI! NT 9L VDCHIC A QO,IL . 551H,&555 H5 5555.JAM ES 0 EAOUN1VER SITYCO MEducationSAMPLEUNIVERSITYNAPERVILLE IL UBachelor of Ma C-Cliclate . May 2014AciJve n Philosophy Departmental ProtITED STATESPlaming& AdministrationYearly Dean"s List lndusionV,ce President ol Cl't9 8 Clubsslonal ExperienceSAMPLE UNIVERSITYCHICAGO , IL U NITED ST ATESD pattment Office A.ss.stantJan 2011 t Direcl or ooordinale ttte suppc,rt,ve services department of a bu ness . agency , or o,ganiution0 119d. coord,n ta . and evah.111 1he actJ\/\bH of personnel , including support slal'f . engage ! Inad'mil'listllfing academic ln slitutlona. depa,tmenls or a urm l organizations .Par11apate n student recnJi t. selectlon , and adl'TIIDlon , maklng adm-1orisreoommendalionswhen requu-ed to do so .th IbJIJon personnel ,Repnisent in stJtulions t oorrwnunlty and campus eventa . in n.eUngsand dunng accred,ta on processes .TARGETNAPERVILLEIL U ITEO STATESShtlf Lt1ed Jul 2008 - Aus, 2011Manage staff , pniparing WOik schedules and usigning specifk: dubesPIMI and direct ac:Uvilles suctl as ui.s pr-omot»ons, ooorc:1,na1ing wilh olhet departmenttieads asreqwred .Perlorm sales flOOf won , suet, as gl'1Hl'W'lg or assist,ng cUSU mers, stocking shelves , or ta nglnvenlofy .MCDONALDS . CHICAGO , IL U ITED STATESCe. Mar :zooe- May 2008Reoeue payment by cast, , ctieck , cred, cards , 1/'0UChers, or automatic debits . Assisi cuslomers by providing information arid resolving lhe,r complaints.Count money In cash d-,sat the beg,mlng of shifts to ertSt.1111 that a.mounts are oorrect end 1hthere Is atectiange .lonal SkillsAdd Adobe PttotoehopAsa.na. Project Management5pamstt Flu l'ICYCPR CertifiedSoftwa

Resume SectionsI. Personal InfoII. ObjectiveIII. Summary of QualificationsIV. EducationV. Work ExperienceVI. SkillsVII. Awards & ActivitiesVIII.Volunteer ExperienceIX. References(this can vary)

I. Personal Information Name should stand out.Can vary the placement of name, address,phone number, email address.List only one phone number.Professional-sounding voicemessageProfessional email addressIn certain cases, “U.S. Citizen”is appropriate here.

II. Objective Short and sweet is preferred if you areusing your resume to apply for a specificposition.Example: “Seeking position as AccountantI for Kaiser Permanente.”If you are taking your resume to a careerfair or uploading it to a website, theobjective should be general.Example: “Seeking full-time accountingposition.”

III. Summary of Qualifications Could also be called:“Profile”,“Qualifications”, or“Highlights”Should be tailored to thejob in question via the jobdescriptionExample“Blends academic trainingin social work with threeyears experience workingwith diverse clientele.Adept at interviewing,report writing andproblem-solving.Professional, collaborativeand committed.”

IV. Education Most recent degreeor current studylisted first University, Los Angeles List expected dateof graduation. List options, minorsand certificates.Spell out collegename: California State AA/AS may drop offwhen you getbachelor’s.High school(freshmen only)List graduation withhonors or high GPA

V. Work Experience/Work History Part I Current or most recent job experience firstNot all jobs need to be listed - - why?List job title first.Include employer’s name and city.Use bullets or paragraphs to detail jobduties.Each descriptive phrase should begin withan action verb. (current job – use present tense;previous jobs – use past tense) If using bullet format, no more than 5 or 6bullets items per job.

V. Work Experience/Work History Part 2 Prioritize the order in which you describejob duties, with the most relevant oneslisted first.Divide your work experienceinto “Related Experience” and “OtherExperience”, if appropriate.Remember to list internships if they arerelated to your field. It doesn’t matter ifyou were paid or not – good experience isgood experience!

VI. Skills General “soft” skills Examples: Proactive approach,Teamwork Experience, Analytical thinkingComputer/Technical skills, listing known computerprograms. Examples: Microsoft Word, Excel,Power Point, QuickBooks Language skills Example: Bilingual English/Korean

VII. Awards & Activities Include membershipsin campus andcommunityorganizations.Make special note ifyou held an office.Dates are notrequired.Don’t forget to listnational associations. If listing ascholarship,indicate its nameand who awarded itto you.Don’t forget“Employee of theMonth”

VIII. Volunteer ExperienceVolunteer experience canbe listed if it ismeaningful andappropriate.Social Work, Psychology,Sociology, credentialstudents and some othersmay want to list theirvolunteer experienceunder “Work Experience”if it closely relates totheir career goals and issignificant.

IX. References “available upon request” Ideally, have at least 3people agree to be yourreferences. Do not ask family orfriends, but consideremployers, professors,scout leaders, clergy whoknow you well enough toaddress your talents andattributes as a goodemployee, student orcitizen. Give your references acopy of your resume andkeep them updated onyour job hunt.(Never list yourreferences’ names onthe resume). Instead,only if requested, providea list that includes:reference name, job title,place of employment,phone number and emailaddress.

There is not one specific way to format yourresume - - You have many choices. But the advice presented inthis workshop comes from what employers tell usabout their preferred resume formats.A word about resume templates. You may choose touse a resume template (a means by which you ‘plug in’your information into a prescribed format) but it isn’trecommended unless you are short on time.Templates aren’t flexible and generally don’t allow forcustomization – thus, use your own Microsoft Wordskills to create your own unique document!

Formatting Tips, Part I Use one font andsame sizethroughoutdocument (exception –your name) Use BOLD toemphasize only themost importantfeatures of yourresume Acceptable typesizes are 10, 11and 12 pt.Be consistent withtabs, dates andother formattingfeatures

Formatting Tips, Part 2 Length is onlyimportant if you arehandling the hard copyof the resume, in whichcase it should be oneor two full pages.Decide on an overalldesign scheme –bullets or paragraphs?Make the resumeprofessional-lookingand inviting to read.

Summary of the most important points Remember that the main purpose of the resume isto get an interviewRequired resume elements include personal info,objective, education, work experienceNever include false information on your resumeBe consistent with your format, allowing no typos orgrammatical errorsTailor your resume to the particular job you areapplying for!Use a cover letter to sell yourself and add value toyour resume

Resume Reference Sources CDC’s resume flyer samplesResume critique, from CDC staffOnline (CareerExpress, Yahoo, Google, Bing)Books at libraries (including our CareerCenter!) and bookstoresYoutube.com (tutorial videos)Microsoft Word (templates as guides)This workshop!

Need further resume advice?Call the Career Center toschedule an appointment for aresume critique, or come induring walk-in hours.Walk-insM-TH 11am-2 pm(323) 343-3237Remember – a good resume getsyou the interview! GOOD LUCK!0e CalStatelACareerCenteroCSULAcareertalt calstatela areercenter TER

address your talents and attributes as a good employee, student or citizen. Give your references a copy of your resume and keep them updated on your job hunt. (Never list your references’ names on the resume). Instead, only if requested, provide a list that includes: reference nam