UTeach Conference 2014
Austin, TX
Because You Are the Best:
Developing Résumés and Interview Skills
Dr. Maria Benzon
Rebecca Pel
mbbenzon@uh.edu
rpel@uh.edu
Mbbenzon.wikispaces.com
Setting a Purpose
• Rate the quality of your resume.
0 = non-existent
1 = started, but not willing to show
2 = decent, willing to show
3 = pretty confident, ready for the job interview
• Think-Pair-Share
– What is a concern you have with regard to
resumes and/or interviews?
– What do you hope to get out of this session?
Agenda
Résumés Writing (45 min)
• Compare/Contrast Résumés
• Use ResumeCompanion.com
• Action vs. Passive Verbs
• MS Word Formatting
• Résumés Checklist
Interviewing Skills (30 min)
• Overview of Interview Responses
• Group Interview
Compare/Contrast Résumés
• What is similar in the résumés ?
• What is different in the résumés ?
• What do you like?
• What do you not care for?
Share Out: Person who Sat Down First at the Table
Overview of Résumés
Chronological Resume
Functional Resume
Characteristics
• Specifics of each job (dates, duties,
employer) and educational
experience
• Presented in reverse chronological
order (recent listed first)
Advantages
• Easy to read, write and follow
• Emphasizes continuity and career
growth
Disadvantages
• Dependent on past experiences
Characteristics
• Focuses on strengths and skills areas
and de-emphasizes positions and
dates
• Skills presented in categories before
the Work History section
Advantages
• Maximizes impact in important job
duties without “paid” experience
• More flexibility in organizing
information (e.g. interests, skills)
Disadvantages
• Plays down direct job-related
experience with specific employers
• Confusing for employers to read
“I don’t know what my job title was.”
Solution: ResumeCompanion.com
“I don’t know what my job
responsibilities were.”
Copy & Paste…. Don’t buy the resume!
Passive vs. Action Verbs
Examples with Passive Verbs
Examples with Action Verbs
"Was the boss of a team of six service
employees"
"Supervised a team of six service
employees"
CONCISE: 10 words (wordy)
FOCUS of VERB: was
COMMUNICATION: Non-action verb
carries no inherent meaning
CONCISE: 7 words (concise)
FOCUS of VERB: supervised
COMMUNICATION: Action verb
communicates the point immediately and
strongly
"Did work with an athletic trainer on heat
therapy treatments"
"Assisted an athletic trainer with heat
therapy treatments"
"Used new technology to increase
learning"
"Introduced new technology to increase
learning"
"Utilized lesson plans to lead weekly
science-based classes"
"Developed lesson plans to lead weekly
science-based lesson plans
Communication
Skills
Leadership Skills
Action Verbs
THINK-PAIR-SHARE
•On 1 post-it note, write as many
synonyms of the word(s) as possible in
1 minute.
Technical Skills
Teaching Skills
Awards
•Compare ideas with a partner.
•Volunteer to share list.
Creative Skills
Organization Skills
MS Word Formatting
VIEW TAB
• Show/Hide: Ruler
REVIEW TAB
• Track Changes
• Display for Review
– Final Showing Markup
– Original Showing Mark-up
HOME TAB
• Paragraph
–
–
–
–
–
•
Tabs
– Left/Center/Right/Decimal
– First Line Indent
– Hanging Indent
•
PAGE LAYOUT TAB
• Margins
Show/Hide
Alignment: Left/Center/Right/Justify
Bullets
Indent: Increase or Decrease Indent
Line Spacing
Font
– Effects: Small Caps
– Effects: Superscript
– Character Spacing: Spacing -->
Expanded or Condensed (points)
MS Word Formatting:
View & Page Layout Tabs
Show-Hide Ruler
Adjust Margins
MS Word Formatting:
Review Tab
Track Changes
Display for Review
• Final Showing Mark-Up
• Original Showing Mark-Up
MS Word Formatting: Home Tab
MS Word Formatting: Tabs
Sample Formatting: Tabs
MS Word Formatting: Indents
First Line Indent
No Indent
MS Word Formatting: Fonts
Font Effects: Small Caps
Spacing
Evaluate Résumés w/ a Checklist
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Use 12-point font (no less than 10). Avoid fancy fonts.
Use a standard margin width of .75 to 1 inch.
Align dates to the right margin (right justified).
Use a single space after section headings and within sections.
Use a double space between sections.
Check spelling. Avoid abbreviations.
Use consistent format for headings. (Ex: “bold” or “underline." Do not use both or mix.)
Use consistent format for dates. (Ex: “6-25-12” or “June 25, 2012.” Do not mix).
Align and indent bullets consistently throughout the résumé.
Begin each bullet with an action verb.
Use a consistent verb tense and grammatical structure in all bulleted lists.
For cardinal numbers, spell out “one” through “nine.” Use Arabic numbers for 10 and above.
Use consistent format for ordinal numbers. (Ex: “6th” or “sixth.” Do not use mix.)
List experience and education in reverse chronological order.
Do not exceed one page for professional résumés. (References go on separate document.)
Do not exceed two pages for teaching résumés.
Include your name and page number on the second page. (No selfies.)
Teaching résumés use the following headings and heading order: Education, Certification,
Teaching Experience, and References. (Additional headings: Highlights of Qualifications, Objective,
Volunteer Experience, Related Experience, Honors, Technology Skills, Language Skills)
Interview Skills
• How do I best respond in an interview?
– Be Specific
– Be Concise
– Answer the Entire Question
– Smile
Example: Why did you decide to become a teacher?
– While I was student teaching, I had the opportunity to take a student aside to
help him with a particularly difficult math concept that he was having trouble
understanding. When I was able to show him a different way to approach the
problem, and he 'got it', I knew that I had chosen the right field!
Interview Skills Practice
• Break into Groups of 6.
– 3 People will be the Interviewees
– 3 People will be the Interviewers who rate the
interviewees based on the responses.
• Each interviewer will choose 1 question from
the list provided to ask all three interviewees.
• Switch Roles
Interviewee Rubric
Criteria
1 – Unacceptable (50)
• Response had minimal
substance or relevance.
• Response was not
concise nor specific.
Content
of
Response END of INTERVIEW
• No questions asked.
• Questions lacked
thoughtfulness.
•Severely deficient
grammar, pronunciation,
Language and/or word choice.
of
•Uses more casual or
Response unprofessional language
than professional
language.
•Inappropriate gesturing
or distracting mannerisms
Body
are visible.
Language •Long silences and lengthy
explanations.
2 - Acceptable (75)
3 – Exceeds (90+)
• Response was
• Response was substantive
substantive or pertinent. and pertinent.
• Response was concise or • Response was concise and
specific.
specific.
END of INTERVIEW
END of INTERVIEW
• One thoughtful question • Thoughtful questions were
was asked.
asked.
•Isolated errors in
grammar, pronunciation,
and/or word choice that
reduces clarity and
credibility.
•Equally uses casual and
professional language.
•Appropriate gestures and
some distracting
mannerisms (i.e.,
nervousness) are visible.
•Some silences or lengthy
explanations.
•Free of errors in grammar
and pronunciation, and word
choice aids clarity and
vividness.
•Uses more professional
language than casual
language.
•Appropriate gestures and no
distracting mannerisms (i.e.,
nervousness) are visible.
• Appropriate silences with
appropriate lengths of
explanations.
Score
Most Common Interview Questions
Need to Self-Reflect
1.
2.
3.
4.
Why did you decide to become a teacher?
Describe the best lesson you ever taught.
What is your teaching philosophy?
If you were hired, what type of classroom management structure
would you implement?
5. How have you used, and how will you use, technology in the
classroom?
6. Have you had experience boosting a student's self-esteem? If so,
how?
7. What would you do if a student refused to do his/her work?
8. What was the worst lesson you taught? What did you learn from it?
9. Who was your favorite teacher? How did they influence your
decision to teach?
10.What are your three greatest strengths?
11.What is your greatest weakness?
12.Why should we hire you?
13.If we were to hire you, what do you expect to struggle with your
first year at this school?
14.How do you make learning fun?
15.Create your own question!!!
Need to Research
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Why are you a good fit
for this job and our
school district?
What makes you
qualified for this
teaching position?
What extra curricular
activities would you
be interested in
sponsoring or
participating in after
school?
To what extent should
students be able to
use calculators in the
classroom?
Do you have any
questions for me?
Resume & Interview Debrief
Share-Out & Jot-Down
• What was tough?
• What was easy?
• What do you need to work on? Write 3 tasks
for your “To Do” list.
• Q&A