October 9, 2014

Your Resume An Essential Marketing Tool

McMaster University Centre for Continuing Education

Participant Workbook

Thank you for attending this session. The Centre for Continuing Education offers many programs to assist in your career development. We offer university-level certificate and diploma programs, as well as professional development courses in the fields of Business & Management, Communication & Design, Health & Social Services and Metallurgy. McMaster University’s Centre for Continuing Education programs are designed to meet the needs of working professionals. With courses offered online, and on evenings and weekends, you can balance your personal and professional commitments while advancing your education. Employers recognize and respect a McMaster credential, and all classes are taught by industry experts with hands-on experience in their fields. Visit our website to discover which program is right for you.

Online: mcmastercce.com

By phone: 905-525-9140 ext. 24321

In Person: Downtown Centre, 2nd Floor, 50 Main St. E, Hamilton, ON

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Discover. Your Career.

Your Resume –An Essential Marketing ToolPresenter: Sonia Hawrylyshyn, CEC

Agenda

– The Purpose of Resumes– Employer Perspectives– Strategies for Impact– Resume Sections– Types of Resumes– Formatting Tips– Proofreading & Editing – Resume Screening– Cover Letters & References

Effective Resumes Make You Stand outOpen Doors to Interviews

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Employer Perspectives 1. Write to the needs of the employer (the reader)

2. Submit a professional resume: make it clear, concise, correct and logical

3. Use keywords, phrases aligned with job posting criteria

4. Build a compelling case to show your fit with job opportunity

5. Describe your experiences using accomplishments

6. Convey your value

7. Follow all directions in the application process

Start With The Purpose What is your career focus?

Are you targeting a specific

job?

Are you seeking

advancement?

Are you making a lateral

move?

Planning a career change?

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Deciding to Apply? Do a Fit / Gap Review

Skills

Knowledge

Qualifications

Experience

Fit / Gap Review

Job Posting Criteria / Career Criteria

Your Skills, Abilities, Qualifications  

Experience & Accomplishments 

List criteria (functions, skills, qualifications, experience) 

List what fits and note the gaps 

List relevant experience, accomplishments that fit; note the gaps 

Be Informed Before You Begin to Write Your Abilities - Portfolio

Job Descriptions / Postings

Employer Information

Professional organizations

Networking

Mentors

Informational Interviews

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Keywords Specific to sector, profession or job function

Generally a noun, short phrase

Effectively communicate an entire message

Use in all sections of your document – headliner, profile,

experience

KeywordsAdministrative Management   Marketing / Sales Health & Safety/ 

Wellness

Administrative Support

Event Planning Confidential Records Department 

Reception Appointment 

Scheduling Executive Support Project Support Inventory 

Management

Fiscal Management

Strategic Planning Employee 

Development Risk Management Policy 

Development Human Resources Operations Manufacturing Quality Assurance 

Territory Sales Customer Service Public Relations Product / Service 

Promotions Merchandising Market Research 

Analysis & Trends Vendor Contact Conference Exhibits

Wellness Programs Health & Safety 

Committees Employee Events Health Promotions Event Planning Policy 

Development Health & Safety 

Legislation 

Keywords

Computer Technology  Laboratory Research

Accounting / Financial

Health Informatics

Systems Development Systems Security Database

Administration Configuration Systems Acquisition Network Support Programming Systems Analyst

Analysis and Reporting

Venipuncture Specimen Handling Medical Lab 

Procedures Inventory Control Standard 

Operating Procedures

Reconciliations Cost Accounting Expense

Reimbursements Trust Accounts PeopleSoft  Payables / 

Receivables Invoice Verification Cost Accounting

Clinical Information Systems

Data Collection Focus Groups System 

Functionalities Caregiving Best 

Practices Metrics & Analytics

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KeywordsAction Words

Planned, staffed, and managed the daily operations of a 45-employee customer service center.

Headliners, ContentSoftware Developer / Programming ManagerAccomplished leader, capable of building motivated and productive teams. Significant software design and engineering expertise. Project management of government and industry projects, including RFP preparation, subcontractor negotiations, budgeting, and technical documentation.

Keywords in Profiles 8+ years of research and data management experience for multi-

site, international projects. Expertise in data collection, analysis, evaluation and reporting.

A management professional with 5+ years combined experience in customer services within retail and hospitality environments.

A dedicated professional with 3+ years experience in retail. Specializes in maximizing profits through employee retention and efficient product control.

Keywords for Work Experience

Manage A/R, A/P, and billing for over 30 department accounts. Facilitate employee orientations to over 20 new staff. Provide front office reception and support to 5 department

managers. Perform laboratory tests, routine preventative maintenance, and

quality control procedures. Coordinate employee health and safety programs and track all

mandatory training for the department.

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Accomplishments Successfully managed and installed major computer software

revisions requiring extensive research, planning and consultation with key stakeholders across the business. Led the implementation phase with minimal disruption to employees and work processes.

Designed, wrote, and directed production of advertisements, promotions, sales materials, and client communications which resulted in a 30% increase in new business for 2013.

Enhanced institutional profile and recognition by ensuring the increase of accredited programs. Provided executive support for the achievement of national and provincial accreditation of 16 programs over a seven year time period.

Resume Sections Create Visual Appeal & Logical Flow

Resume Sections Contact Information Headliner Profile Description Career Experience Education Professional Development Certifications / Designations / Credentials / Licenses Professional Affiliations / Memberships Volunteer Work

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Contact Information

Name Abbreviated Degree(s) or Credential(s) that follow Personal and / or work contact information Residential and/or cell and/or work phone numbers Email – personal and / work; ensure personal emails are

professional (Gmail is a great option) Social Media URL: LinkedIn, Skype, Blog, Web Portfolio

HeadlinersGeneric

– Professional Profile or Career Profile

Specific Business Management Professional Office Administrative Support Senior Financial Administrator IT Programmer / Analyst Public Relations Career Objective or Career Target (optional)

Profile Section Use keywords, phrases and / or statements; no more than 3-4 Highlight relevant information e.g. qualifications, accomplishments, keywords,

phrases Align content with your focus

Management ProfileMulti-Site Retail & Service Operations / Franchise & Company-Owned Operations

Dynamic management career with start-up, turnaround, and high-growth organizations. Cross-functional expertise in business planning, marketing, operations management, human resources, and finance. Delivered strong revenue and profit results within highly competitive markets. Proficient in technologies.

- Best Keywords for Resumes, Cover Letters, and InterviewsWendy S. Enelow, CPRW, JCTC, CCM

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Career Experience Section Reverse chronological is still preferred (current to past)

– If same career path

Customize experience headings – If showing changes along career path

*Organize experience to support your purpose

Career Experience Section

Employer Name, Hamilton, ON 2000 - Present Job Title, Department Name First point of contact and liaison for Director and 3 managers. Provide confidential administrative support and oversee workflow of 2 support staff. Organize according to relevant accountabilities and

accomplishments

Examples of Job Context• Provide executive support to Vice President of Global Logistics, a

liaison and contact for the corporate office. Global Logistics

• Manage several department budgets exceeding 200M including preparation and presentation of quarterly reports to senior leaders within Financial Services.

• Coordinate a national and international multi-site clinical research project, supporting 4 primary investigators and several teams totaling 42 researchers.

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Education Section Name of institution and year of graduation Undergraduate, Graduate degrees Diplomas Certificates Provide additional detail under these categories if relevant and

supports purpose

*Reverse chronological order

Professional Development Section Certificates Workshops – in-house and external Conferences Avoid dated information or learning that is redundant

*Organize according to relevance and reverse chronological order

Certifications / Credentials / Designations / Licenses - Section

List in reverse chronological order Use abbreviations and long name If required, provide license # e.g. security clearance, trade license,

IT certifications etc.

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VolunteeringCOMMUNITY VOLUNTEERING

Volunteer Fundraiser, The United Way, Hamilton, ON 2012 to Present Recruited and trained 20 volunteer fundraisers. Planned and promoted 3 successful annual fundraising events including an

auction, dinner and concert which generated over $250, 000 in pledges yearly. Increased contributions by 25% over the previous campaigns.

Volunteer, Gillian’s Place, St. Catharines, ON 2010 to Present Perform various administrative and event planning services for this non-profit

resource center for women in crisis. Contribute to monthly meetings on service delivery, outreach, marketing, and development. Planned and coordinated various promotional events.

Types of Resumes• Combination

– Emphasizes the skills and relevant experiences

• Chronological– Emphasizes work experience in reverse chronological

order

• Functional – Emphasizes skills and experience and de-emphasizes

chronological work history

Formatting & Writing Tips Customize every document with the purpose

Concise, clear, relevant

2 pages ideal

Quick bites, logical flow, easily visible

Use quantifiers and qualifiers to show accomplishments

Use relevant keywords and phrases to describe functional

knowledge and expertise

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Formatting & Writing Tips Font - 10, 11, 12 pt, Arial, Arial Narrow, Calibri, Times New

Roman

Balance the use of bold, CAP, underline, bullets to emphasize

section headings, detail etc.

Write in the first person, drop the “I” from the beginning of each

sentence

Avoid “responsible for”, “duties included” starters

Proofreading & Editing

Take a break, review with fresh perspective, ask others

Use “parallelism” particularly in bulleted statements e.g. prepare weekly payroll and process material purchasing, expediting and returning

Check typos, spelling

Logical flow of content

Check for essential and relevant information

Past tense for past experience and accomplishments; present tense for current work

Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

Save document in Word .doc format, other formats may not be readable

Avoid headers, footers, templates, borders, lines, symbols, tables, multiple columns,

text boxes

Use relevant keywords & phrases throughout

Edit carefully – ATS does not recognize misspelled words

Spell out abbreviations and acronyms

Put dates on right side of document 09/2013 – 10/2014

No degrees or certifications after your name on the top line

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Human Resume Screening

Screening may be handled by HR or hiring department

Visual scanning for keywords related to specific job criteria

Determining FIT with job - it takes seconds to decide

Errors, typos and lack of relevant information will eliminate you

from competition

Cover Letters Marketing tool for your resume Avoid repeating information from resume KIS One page People spend SECONDS on a cover letter

– Make a connection and state purpose

– State your interest and relate to career

– Highlight relevant points to get noticed

– Emphasize how you will bring value to role

References Get permission first Select references strategically Bring list to interview only, unless asked otherwise Inform your references of upcoming calls Reference letters - include in portfolio, pass on relevant copies

only during interview

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You are Unique

Make Your Resume 

Interviewable