PR truyền thông - Chapter 12: Building résumés

Chapter 12Building RésumésJob HuntingCheck services of career placement officeJoin extracurricular organizationsFind jobs/internships that give you experienceNote which courses you likeConduct a self-assessmentTake personality and aptitude testsAsk yourself questions:What skills and strengths do I have?What achievements have given satisfaction?What work conditions do I like?Do I prefer firm deadlines or flexibility?What kind of work/life balance do I want?Where do I want to live?Use the Internet to research jobsPersonal BrandingMarketing yourselfUse a variety of tools:LinkedInPersonal web pageBlogsFacebookTwitterProfessional forumsCover letterSocial Networking CautionsRemove any unprofessional materialRemove negative comments about current or past employers and teachersRemove political or social rantsRemove any personal information that might embarrass youRemove inappropriate material posted by friends, family, relativesCheck blog for writing aptitudeGuidelines: LengthFill at least one pageAverage résumé these days: 2 pagesPut most important information on page 1Put at least 10 lines on page 2Include Name and Page 2Guidelines: EmphasisEmphasize your achievementsThat are most relevant to position applied forThat show superiority to other applicantsThat are recentTo emphasize information:Put it at top or bottom of page Set it off with white spaceGive it in a vertical and/or bulleted listInclude it in an informative headingGuidelines: DetailsGive evidence to support your claimsConvince readerSeparate you from other applicantsUse numbers and descriptionsOmit details that add no valueGuidelines: Writing StyleBe concise (brief, but complete)Use phrases and sentence fragments Never use I; use me or my if you mustUse more action verbs than nounsList items in parallel formGuidelines: Key WordsUse words or phrases that employers will have the computer seekMay include:Software programsJob titlesTypes of degreesJob-specific skills, buzzwords, jargonProfessional organizationsHonor societiesPersonality traits Guidelines: Layout and DesignExperiment with layout, fonts, and spacing to highlight informationUse no more than three fontsUse color sparinglyUse at least 10-pt typeUse white space to group itemsConsider creating letterhead to use for your résumé and application letterUse headings for reading easeAvoid templatesSelect good quality 8 ½ x 11 paperKinds of Résumés: ChronologicalSummarizes what you did in time lineStarts with most recent events, uses reverse chronologyIncludes degrees, job titles, datesWhen to use—Your education, experience closely related to job for which you’re applyingYou have impressive job titles, offices, or honorsKinds of Résumés: SkillsEmphasizes skills you’ve used, rather than the job in which you used them or the dateDe-emphasizes job titles, employment history, datesWhen to use—Your education and experience not usual route to applied jobYou’re changing fieldsYou want to show broad experienceRésumé Information: Name and Contact InfoUse full name, even if you have a nicknameCenter one address; type two side by sideProvide professional e-mail addressProvide phone numberRésumé Information: EducationFirst main category in these cases—Earn new degreeNeed degree for job you’re seekingCan present the information brieflyPut it later in these cases—Need page 1 for another categoryLack degree that other applicants may haveCover 4-year and graduate degreesInclude junior college if it gave you other expertiseInclude study abroad, even non-credit coursesGive degrees, dates, schools, and citiesMay list short, descriptive course titlesInclude GPA—if it’s good—and what it’s based on: 3.4/4.0Résumé Information: ExperienceInclude this information for each job heldPosition or job titleOrganizationCity and stateDates of employment Job duties; other detailsRésumé Information: Career ObjectiveMake it sound like employers’ job descriptionsMake it brief—2 lines at mostTell what you want to do, level of responsibility you wantTargeted to a job at a specific companyRésumé Information: Summary of QualificationsShow knowledge of specialized technology in your field List accomplishmentsBe specific; include numbers and amountsInclude as many keywords as you can Résumé Information: Honors and AwardsNew college graduates put on page 1Include Honors and Awards if listing more than three itemsUse Honors and Activities if listing fewer than three itemsInclude entries that add to your professional imageFellowships and scholarshipsAwards from professional societiesMajor awards from civic groupsAcademic honor societiesVarsity lettersRésumé Information: ActivitiesCritical for new college graduatesInclude this kind of information—Volunteer work and student organizationsProfessional associationsActivities involving talent or responsibilityVarsity or intramural athleticsLeadership rolesRésumé Information: ReferencesUsually omit from résuméOmit “References Available Upon Request”Line up 3 to 5 peopleNew graduates include 1 professor, 1 employer or adviser—minimumChoose persons who can comment on work habits, leadership skillsDon’t list relatives even if you worked for themOmit personal or character referencesAsk the person’s permissionJog their memory of your work Keep list up-to-dateList this information—Name and titleOrganizationCity and stateE-mail and phone numberRésumé Information: What to OmitPersonal informationControversial activities or associations High school factsTrivial itemsElectronic RésumésBasic guidelines of email job hunting etiquette:Don’t use your current employer’s emailSet up a free, Internet-based email accountAvoid using silly or cryptic email addressesWrite a simple subject lineTest how résumé looks before sendingSend only one résumé When sending résumé in text of emailStart all lines on left marginDo not use bold, underlining, tabs, or unusual fontsPut headings in all caps, but use sparinglyHonestyALWAYS BE HONEST ON YOUR RÉSUMÉ !!!