Resume Writing TipsPresenter: Dr. Kathryn Green

Prepare for What Will Be –Not What Was!

Dr. Kathryn Greenggcareerservices@gmail.com

http://www.ggcareerservices.com

Presenter

Dr. Kathryn Green, Career Counselor and Instructor

Master's Degree in Career Counseling Chapman University

Doctorate in Education with a Specialization in CIT Nova Southeastern University

Certificate in Virtual Worlds University of Washington

Academy Certified Resume Writer Enelow and Kusmark Resume Writing Academy.

Professional Experience

Worked as tenured Instructor and Career Counselor at a California Community College

Served as the Program Facilitator for the College’s Assessment & Employment Center - program recognized as a California State Model

Prior experience a job recruiter

Clients are professionals, mature workers, career changers, and students

Discussion Topics

Components of a resume will be discussed and useful tips in dealing with challenging presentation issues concerning education and work experience will be offered. The importance of a focused competency-based resume that establishes the foundation for a successful interview will be addressed.

Topics

Introduction to the Resume Writing Process Career Focus

▪ Career Assessment (O*Net Interest Assessment)▪ Job Descriptions (O*Net Job

Information)▪ Match your interest profile with job

descriptions▪ Education/Internships/Volunteer Work

Resume Worksheet (Gather work experience information)

Relevant Job Descriptions (Gather key words for resume) Use O*Net Information Database

Components Resume Writing Tips

Links to Workshop Materials

Links to workshop materials we will be referring to during the seminar are available at:

http://www.ggcareerservices.com/resumeworkshoplinks.html

DR. DONALD SUPER'S SELF CONCEPT THEORY

We differ in abilities, interests, and personalities. Every occupation requires a characteristic pattern of abilities, interests, and personality traits. Within each occupation are workers with varying degrees of these characteristics.

Each of us is qualified for a number of occupations. Vocational preferences and skills, the situations in which we live and work, and our self-concepts change with time and experiences. These factors make choice and adjustment a continual process based on our maturity and lifestyle.

CAREER FOCUS

Resume writing is a process with an end-game in mind –

FOCUS is key

RESUME WRITING IS A PROCESS

3 Steps to Career Life Planning

Career Assessment – Interests, Skills, Personality, Values

▪ Discover new career options▪ Get confirmation (empowering)▪ Clarify established goals

(Example: sales – what product- people, data, things)

Occupational Exploration – Understand the requirements of the job

Action Planning – Education, Internship, Job Search, Financial Planning

Assess Your Career Interests

See O*Net Center for Interest Assessment:http://www.onetcenter.org/IP.html

Interest Codes Assessment Results: R I A S E C

R Realistic — Working with Things I Investigative — Working Conceptually A Artistic — Working Creatively S Social — Working with People E Enterprising — Working Persuasively C Conventional — Working with Data

O*Net Information Components:Interests - Software Developers, Applications

Match Your Assessed Interests to the Job Profile

O*Net Center Sample – Software Developers, Applications

http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/15-1132.00

Interest code: IRC

Investigative — Working Conceptually Realistic — Working with Things Conventional — Working with Data

O*Net Information Components:Interests – Graphic Designers

Match Your Assessed Interests to the Job Profile

O*Net Center Sample – Graphic Designershttp://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/27-

1024.00

Interest code: ARE

Artistic — Working Creatively Realistic — Working with Things Enterprising— Working Persuasively

Gather Your Resume Information

See Workshop Linkshttp://www.ggcareerservices.com/resumeworkshoplinks.html

Resume Worksheet

See Resume Worksheet at:http://www.ggcareerservices.com/resumeworksheet.pdf

Gather Information for Your Resume Worksheet:

Obtain your current and past job descriptions and/or resumes

List your education/training degrees, certificates, workshops, and professional licenses (titles and dates)

List your work experiences: employment-date, job title, company/organization, and job description details

Identify relevant computer program skills – Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Industry Specific Computer Programs, etc.

List your professional organization memberships 

Consider All Work-Related Experiences

List any experience requiring skills gained through:

internships

volunteer workchurch workschool functionscommitteeschild or adult carefood preparationtax preparationorganization/association workerfamily businesspolitical supporter

event planner

Example: Volunteer ExperienceActive in Church Functions

Instrumental in Building and Staffing New Church▪ Fund Raising▪ Accounting▪ Volunteer Coordinator▪ Event Planning▪ Public Relations▪ Human Resources (hired new clergy)▪ Architecture Design and Interior Design

GATHERJOB DESCRIPTIONS

Gather, Analyze, Select Relevant Job Descriptions

Compare your experience with that required for the job and obtain key words for your resume.

(location or open/closed status is not an issue – we are gathering key words to use in the resume for the type of job you are exploring)

Obtain Relevant Job Descriptions

Obtain job descriptions for the type of jobs you wish to apply through: human resource departments Internet searches Industry publications (library), etc.

Obtain relevant O*Net job information:http://online.onetcenter.org/find (The O*NET database contains information on hundreds jobs with occupation-specific descriptors)

Competencies

Identify competencies needed to perform well on the job and to showcase in your resume.

O*Net Center Job Information Components See Workshop Linkshttp://www.ggcareerservices.com/resumeworkshoplinks.html

See sample O*Net Center job description for Software Developers, Applications http://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/15-1132.00

O*Net Center Job Information Components:

task requirementstools and technology usedknowledge, skills, and abilities neededwork activitieswork styles competencies

O*Net Information Components: TASKS: Software Developers, Applications

SAMPLE TASKS: Software Developers, Applications

Develop, create, and modify general computer applications software or specialized utility programs.

Analyze user needs and develop software solutions.

Design software or customize software for client use with the aim of optimizing operational efficiency.

May analyze and design databases within an application area, working individually or coordinating database development as part of a team.

May supervise computer programmers.

O*Net Information Components:RELATED OCCUPATIONS: Software Developers, Applications

Explore O*Net Related Occupations to identify additional skills you may have developed - example: have you provided user support or instructed others

SAMPLE RELATED OCCUPATIONS: Software Developers, Applications

Computer User Support Specialists Mathematical Technicians Electronic Drafters Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technicians Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary Etc.

O*Net Information Components:Workstyles - Software Developers, Applications

Obtain and use Common Competency Keywords found in the WORKSTYLES section in each O*Net job description when developing a resume.

SAMPLE: Software Developers, Applications

Analytical Thinking Attention to Detail Dependability Innovation Cooperation Achievement/Effort Independence Leadership. Persistence Initiative

Common Competencies Assessed in the Interview

Include these competencies in your resume – list any mentioned in the job descriptions first:

Individual competencies - personal attributes

Managerial competencies - taking charge

Analytical competencies - decision making

Interpersonal competencies - dealing with others

Motivational competencies – taking the initiative

Common Competencies Definedhttp://www.barclaysimpson.com/document_uploaded/Competency%20based%20interviews.pdf.

Individual competencies - personal attributes: flexibility, decisiveness, tenacity, independence, risk taking, personal integrity

Managerial competencies - taking charge of other people: leadership, empowerment, strategic planning, corporate sensitivity, project management, management control

Analytical competencies - the elements of decision making: innovation, analytical skills, numerical problem solving, problem solving,

practical learning, detail consciousness

Interpersonal competencies - dealing with other people: communication, impact, persuasiveness, personal awareness, teamwork, openness

Motivational competencies - the things that drive you: resilience, energy, motivation, achievement orientation, initiative, focus on quality.

Write Your Resume

See Workshop Linkshttp://www.ggcareerservices.com/resumeworkshoplinks.html

See the following link for a sample resume for a lead programmer http://www.ggcareerservices.com/sampleleadprogrammer.pdf

RESUMES

Resumes are promotional documents

Applications are legal documents

Resume Formats

Chronological - Jobs listed in reverse chronological order. This format is the most popular.

Functional – Two part resume: Qualifications (work functions) and Work History (list of jobs, titles, dates).

Combination – Relevant experience summarized at the top; additional jobs listed at the bottom.

Curriculum Vitae - Summary of academic and professional history and achievements. May be 3+ pages - must demonstrate depth and breadth.

Multimedia Portfolio - A multimedia Profile and Portfolio of achievements (images, video, audio).

Challenges:Functional Resume Advantages

A Functional Format may be useful in dealing with the following challenges. The individual has: 

qualifications but limited relevant experience

relevant experience but not evident in the mix of other experience

several similar work experiences require repeating the same information for each job

too much relevant material requiring showcasing the most pertinent information

Resume Building Tips

Organize information for quick scanning. Include only relevant information. Use headings to showcase types of experience. It is important that the resume can be scanned quickly by the reader and that information is easily retrieved.

Put most relevant experience on the first page Note: If education is supportive put at top (if relevance is unclear use descriptive titles, courses, etc.) – otherwise put at bottom

Resumes are read top to bottom – left to right – put most relevant information at the top and on the left

Use action verbs

Competency-Based Information

Identify and use skills keywords that are relevant to the job you are exploring by reviewing the job descriptions

Use numbers and percentages to describe accomplishments

Performance Competency Statements

After 5 years of under-plan results, grew overall sales 10%/year and profits 20+% (2 of 3 years) while reducing headcount 10% and holding expenses flat with 8%+ inflation.

Increased sales productivity per headcount 35%.

Outpaced market growth by 1%–2% in core

products. Delivered revenue growth every year despite loss of a major product-line through spin-off.

Use Performance Graphs

2009 2010 20110%

2%

4%

6%

8%

10%

12%

Sales Growth

Performance Graphs

2009 2010 2011$320

$340

$360

$380

$400

$420

$440

$460

Sales/Headcount

Cultural Change

Cut employee turnover in half (20% to 11%) through intense focus on recruiting/hiring the right talent. Utilized Six Sigma methodologies to improve productivity and sales growth.

Ranked #25 “Best Company to Work For” in South Africa (Deloitte survey), moving up 3 places in just 1 year.

New Business Model

Increased sales 5% and profits 100% by restructuring Kenyan and Nigerian affiliates to local distributorships.

Use Summary Statements Include Competencies Keywords

SAMPLE RESUME: Lead Programmer

Programmer Analyst Tester Program Leader

Virtual World Builder Virtual World Scripter Game Developer

Innovative, achievement oriented software development and engineering program leader with 7 years of professional industry experience as a software engineer on both large programs and smaller research and development projects. Technical expert with diverse educational background in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Optical Sciences, 3D Video Game Development, and Virtual Worlds.

Include Interpersonal SkillsSAMPLE RESUME: Lead Programmer

Possess a unique combination of experience and enthusiasm

for collaborative virtual teamwork, Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs), virtual world technology, games and simulations, technical demonstrations, and training.

Equally strong performer working independently and as a team player with excellent people skills and a natural ability to communicate team goals and specifications while maintaining an excellent working relationship with the customer.

SidebarInclude Specific Competencies

Programming Languages Object Oriented Programming (OOP) C / C++ PHP MySql Java JavaScript NetBeans ADA XML LSL SL Scripting

Software Packages MS Visual Studio MFC DirectX NetBeans MATLAB GUI/Compiler ZEMAX InstallShield Professional DOORS WinCVS APEX

Education

Degrees M.S. Optical Sciences, University, 2004 M.S. Electrical Engineering, University, 2000 B.S. Physics, University, 1998

Certificates & Courses Certificate Virtual Worlds, University, 2010 Certificate Game Development, University,

2007

Challenge:Incomplete Education Programs

Degrees

Ph.D. Environmental Engineering, University, ABD (ABD = all but dissertation)

M.S. Optical Sciences, University, Candidate

B.S. Physics, University, 1998

Certificates & Courses Certificate Virtual Worlds, University , In

Progress

Skills & Qualifications (part 1)

(Note the effective list of work responsibilities from inception of project through maintenance) 7 years of practical experience designing, developing, documenting, testing, configuring, installing, debugging, troubleshooting software and systems.

(Note the efficient way of summarizing a variety of virtual world experiences) Expertise harnessing 3D virtual world technology to develop interactive 3D virtual prototypes, meeting spaces for virtual collaboration, virtual classrooms, and innovative "edutainment" virtual training solutions.

Skills & Qualifications (part 2)

Skilled using Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), C++, MS Visual Studio, Java, and NetBeans.

Expertise using MATLAB for complex data analysis projects. Adept at developing MATLAB GUIs for data visualization of real-world navigation and sensor test data.

Worked extensively in configuration management controlled Integrated Product Team (IPT) environment and in the research and development (R&D) environment.

Recognized ability to learn quickly and apply new skills.

Employer Locator SearchSee Workshop Linkshttp://www.ggcareerservices.com/resumeworkshoplinks.html

To find companies in your area that hire workers with your skills see the ACINET.ORG EMPLOYER LOCATOR database:

http://www.acinet.org/employerlocator/employerlocator.asp?nodeid=18

Example: graphic programmers

Search by Occupation: enter state where you want to apply for a job - CA

Select occupational group: arts, design, entertainment, sports, media

Select occupation: graphic designersSelect industry group: computer systems design and related

servicesSelect region: Santa AnaSelect city: Irvine 249 companies, Anaheim 96. Santa Ana 72, etc

Results from Employer Locator Search

Company information for the selected employer:(you may sort the results of the search by company size)

Company Name: A2z Development Ctr Inc Key Contact: Kathy Chavez, Manager

Street Address: 90 Pacifica Irvine, CA 92618-3312 Phone Number: (949) 680-1700 Web Site: http://www.a2z.com Business Description: Computer-Software

Developers Primary Industry: Custom Computer Programming Services Size of Employer: 20 - 49

Green & Green Career Services

Wishing all a health, happy, and prosperous New Year!

Dr. Kathryn Greenggcareerservices@gmail.comhttp://www.ggcareerservices.com