Resumes
Making Yours Stand Out From the Masses
© 2008
Marrietta Reber
Katharina Nötzel
How is job hunting like being in a
horror movie?
A resume has only ONE specific
purpose:
To win an interview
Overview
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Resume Roles
Resume Content
Resume Style
Resume Do’s and Don’ts
Controversial Items on Resumes
Methods of Resume Delivery
Resume Maintenance
Top Ten Ways to Stand Out
Overview
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Resume Roles
Resume Content
Resume Style
Resume Do’s and Don’ts
Controversial Items on Resumes
Methods of Resume Delivery
Resume Maintenance
Top Ten Ways to Stand Out
Resume Roles
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To draw in the reader and entice them to take a
closer look
To attract each potential employer by being
tailored to their specific needs (like a fishing lure
or wooing)
To make assertion to prospective employer: Hire
me and you’ll get the following specific, direct
benefits
To inspire employer to pick up the phone and
ask you for an interview
Overview
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Resume Roles
Resume Content
Resume Style
Resume Do’s and Don’ts
Controversial Items on Resumes
Methods of Resume Delivery
Resume Maintenance
Top Ten Ways to Stand Out
Resume Content:
Common Headings and Sections
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Education: Lists college degrees, honors,
certifications, training, and relevant course work
beginning with highest/most recent
Work Experience: Lists title, company, location
and beginning/end dates (month/year) for a
minimum of last 10 years. Describes concretely
and concisely contributions to employer
Skills: Lists mastery of computer applications,
programming, foreign languages, etc.
Resume Content:
Common Headings and Sections
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Achievements: Lists staff awards, special
commendations, cost-saving and revenueincreasing suggestions, access to new clients,
time efficiencies, etc.
Resume Content:
Optional Headings and Sections
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Highlight/Summary of Qualifications: Lists
briefly significant accomplishments, one or two
outstanding skills or abilities, and depth of
relevant experience
Publications: Lists relevant articles, books,
chapters in books, and research papers
authored or co-authored beginning with
highest/most recent
Patents: Lists relevant patents beginning with
most recent
Resume Content:
Controversial Headings and Sections
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Objective: Lists in one to two lines applicant’s
career objective and how that objective benefits
the hiring company
Volunteer Service: Lists volunteer activities,
achievements, and skills
Interests: Lists extracurricular activities or
hobbies that show notable qualities such as
dedication or talent
Resume Content:
Work History
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Focus on last ten to fifteen years: Older experience is
generally considered dated
Credibility: Experience with well-known and respected
organizations increases credibility (perhaps even if more
than 15 years old)
Highlight skills and experience: Accomplishments
important to desired job but learned longer than 15 years
ago can be briefly described
Be aware of age discrimination: Too much experience
can lead employers to worry about age, overqualification, and higher salary
Give dates: Add beginning and ending month/year for
jobs held in the last 10 years. For current job, list
beginning month/year to “present”
Resume Content:
Work History
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Avoid specific dates for jobs held over 15 years ago:
If jobs held over 15 years ago demonstrate relevant skills
you can not illustrate in more recent jobs, consider listing
them in a separate section (such as “Previous
Professional Experience”) with job titles and company
name/location, but without dates (and perhaps without
bullets)
Resume Content:
Chronological vs. Functional
Use chronological resume if:
Use functional resume if:
Most or all of experience is in one field
Experience is diverse and falls into
two or more distinct categories
Experience is primarily in traditional
paid employment
Part of experience is in internships,
volunteer work, class projects, or
leadership positions
Desired job is in same field as current
job
Desired job suggests a career change
or is in a field of previous employment
Minimal or no gaps exist in work
history
Gaps exist in work history but can be
accounted for with transferable skills
(college credit, volunteer work)
Strengths and qualifications are
immediately obvious
Strengths and qualifications are not
immediately obvious
Resume Content:
Chronological vs. Functional
Use chronological resume if:
Use functional resume if:
Duration of most jobs was more than a Several jobs had short duration which
year, preferably at least two
could imply job-hopping
Chosen field of work is conservative
Chosen field of work is not extremely
(e.g. banking, law); functional resumes conservative
are not the norm
Submission to Monster.com and/or
other job boards is planned
NO submission to Monster.com and/or
other job boards is planned (don’t
accept functional resumes)
Submission to headhunters, recruiters, NO submission of resume to
and/or executive search firms is
headhunters, recruiters, or executive
planned
search firms is planned (tend NOT to
favor functional resumes)
Resume Content:
Chronological vs. Functional
My Advice . . .
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Use a functional resume only IF
 your
job experience falls into two or more distinct
categories with at least two jobs per category
 separating
into categories helps you strategically
emphasize most relevant experience to the desired
job
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Don’t use a functional resume as an obvious or
flagrant attempt to cover up gaps in employment
Resume Content:
Prove Value to Company
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Use phrases from job listing and/or company
website: Demonstrate you are the perfect fit
Concentrate on the job: Focus on skills and
experience related to specific job. Minimize odd
jobs, training, or courses that don’t add value
Prioritize: Organize accomplishments and skills
according to relevance to desired position,
impressiveness, and uniqueness
Stress achievements: Stress accomplishments
and quantify results where possible
Resume Content:
Length
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Limit to 1 page if possible, 2 maximum:
Hiring managers have no time. Two pages is the
maximum if you need them to prove technical
knowledge or have extensive experience
Follow industry guidelines: Positions in
science and government may expect longer
resumes with more information required
The longer the resume, the harder to pick out
key points: The first glance at a resume is very
short, and many more resumes are in the queue
Overview
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Resume Roles
Resume Content
Resume Style
Resume Do’s and Don’ts
Controversial Items on Resumes
Methods of Resume Delivery
Resume Maintenance
Top Ten Ways to Stand Out
Resume Style:
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Avoid first person pronoun and articles:
Resume has your name in big letters at the top
Be consistent and parallel: Begin all entries in
a section with the same part of speech using
consistent punctuation
Use proper tenses: Use present tense for job
you currently have, past tense for one-time tasks
completed at a current job or for previous jobs
and duties
Use strong action verbs: “Did” or “was
responsible for” don’t express achievement or
concretely convey meaning
Resume Style:
Action Verbs
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Accelerated
Accomplished
Achieved
Adapted
Administered
Analyzed
Changed
Clarified
Communicated
Conducted
Consolidated
Controlled
Converted
Convinced
Coordinated
Created
Delegated
Delivered
Demonstrated
Designed
Developed
Devised
Directed
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Edited
Eliminated
Established
Evaluated
Expanded
Formulated
Generated
Guided
Identified
Implemented
Improved
Increased
Initiated
Installed
Instituted
Introduced
Invented
Launched
Managed
Marketed
Motivated
Negotiated
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Organized
Originated
Oversaw
Participated
Performed
Planned
Produced
Programmed
Promoted
Provided
Recommended
Redesigned
Reduced
Reorganized
Researched
Revised
Scheduled
Selected
Served as
Simplified
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Solved
Started
Streamlined
Strengthened
Structured
Succeeded
Supervised
Terminated
Trained
Transformed
Translated
Unified
Verified
Won
Wrote
Resume Style:
Bullet Lists
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Use bullet lists when possible: Bullets
compress information and are easy to read
Include at least two bullets in a list
Start each bullet with a powerful, concrete
verb: Vary verbs using synonyms
Use punctuation consistently: End all items in
a bullet list with a period or none
Resume Style:
Bullet Lists
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Optimize bullets: Write concrete, descriptive,
detailed bullets that clearly help a prospective
employer visualize past accomplishments and
responsibilities
Example:
Instead of: Wrote training.
Use:
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Created seminar outlines, learning objectives,
curriculum models, training exercises, study materials,
and video scripts.
Don’t overload bullet: Limit bullet text to one or
two lines maximum but don’t forsake depth and
vividness of information
Resume Style:
Bullet Lists
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Don’t overload listing: Limit to 3-5 vivid, detailed
accomplishments for each position
Example:
Training Manager & Associate Account Executive
Digitas (Bronnercom); Boston, Massachusetts
December 1998 – April 2000
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Assisted clients such as American Express, AT&T, and General Motors to determine
and implement marketing strategies, performance support initiatives, and
organizational alignment strategies.
Conducted needs assessments, performance evaluations, and measurement.
Served as the main client contact; managed budgets and created timelines, decks,
and client presentations.
Analyzed and implemented marketing and contact strategies for AT&T direct mail
and telemarketing.
Supervised multiple teams to design, develop, and deliver customized training
materials including complete course curricula, train-the-trainer sessions, reference
materials, self-paced workbooks, and certifications.
Resume Style:
Be Concise
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Be short and concise but concrete, specific
and descriptive: Use as few words as possible
without sacrificing relevant content
Minimize repetition: Stress achievements with
similar job tasks for different employers
Don’t write an essay: Use phrases rather than
complete sentences throughout
Stress critical information: Focus on your
experiences that matter most to this employer
Overview
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Resume Roles
Resume Content
Resume Style
Resume Do’s and Don’ts
Controversial Items on Resumes
Methods of Resume Delivery
Resume Maintenance
Top Ten Ways to Stand Out
Resume Do’s
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Revise resume for each position
Incorporate language specific to the industry, the
individual company, and the unique job
description
Write easy-to-read resume with concise,
unambiguous description
Use formatting to create an attractive look
Keep it as short as possible without sacrificing
relevant content and detail
Focus on information relevant to employers’
needs
Stress transferable skills for a career change
Resume Don’ts
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Don’t lie or make negative comments about
anything
Don’t waste tight space by listing more or
different experiences than the job requires
Don’t include photo, religion, gender, sexual
preference, political party, or anything
controversial
Don't use expressions like "Duties included,"
"Responsibilities included," "Responsible for”;
rather use accomplishment-oriented language to
illustrate your contributions
Resume Don’ts
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Don’t use excessive or meaningless marketing
speak and clichés (dynamic self-starter).
Resume and cover letter should illustrate these
qualities
Don't emphasize skills and job activities you
don’t want to do in the future
Don’t include “References Available Upon
Request.” If they want them, they’ll ask
Don’t include salary information, full job
references, or reasons for leaving last job
Overview
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Resume Roles
Resume Content
Resume Style
Resume Do’s and Don’ts
Controversial Items on Resumes
Methods of Resume Delivery
Resume Maintenance
Top Ten Ways to Stand Out
Controversial Items on Resumes:
Objective—In Favor
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Describes in as few words as possible what
makes candidate unique among other applicants
Identifies the specific position applied for
Illustrates how job allows achievement of long
term goals as well as what’s in it for employer
Allows employer to determine quickly what you
can contribute to the organization
Example: Talented support analyst seeks lively team- oriented
helpdesk role within healthcare industry. Looking for an
opportunity to build on well founded technical abilities, strong
client facing skills and knowledge of Helpdesk SLAs
Controversial Items on Resumes:
Objective—Against
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Are often vague, badly written, cocky,
meaningless, and simply state the obvious
Use valuable space without adding value
Limit opportunities for widely skilled applicant
qualified for more than one position
Are often too generic and not customized for
each position
Frequently full of meaningless marketing speak
Poor example: A driven self-starter with excellent written and
verbal communication skills, adept at multitasking under tight
deadlines, seeking a position with a dynamic and innovative
organization providing opportunity for growth and upward mobility
Controversial Items on Resumes:
Objective—My Advice . . .
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Don’t use an objective unless:
 You
can concretely and succinctly explain
how your unique combination of
experience/skills satisfies their specific needs
and your professional goals in a compelling
and interesting manner
 You are not allowed to submit a cover letter
and you want to be sure to identify the job for
which you are applying on the resume itself
Controversial Items on Resumes:
Interests—In Favor
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Additional and relevant personal information can
pad sparse resume
Personal interests and hobbies can support
work-related strengths and add value to the
resume (video gaming, web or graphic design)
Personal interests not related to work may
demonstrate aspects of your character that are
valued on job (sports demonstrate team work,
working on model airplanes shows attention to
detail, etc.)
Your interest may coincide with a potential
interviewer’s and spark a connection
Controversial Items on Resumes:
Interests—Against
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Interests or hobbies may be irrelevant or may be
seen as irrelevant or annoying to the interviewer
Extracurricular activities without any connection
to job can clutter a tight resume and take space
needed elsewhere
Identifying certain interests can lead to
discrimination, controversy, or negative
impressions
Controversial Items on Resumes:
Interests—My Advice . . .
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YOU DECIDE!
 Follow
your gut
 While including interests may increase certain risks
they may also open up possibilities
 Consider your audience
Controversial Items on Resumes:
Volunteer Service—In Favor
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Volunteer service may supply excellent work
experience and skills that can be legitimately
stated
Service can help fill gaps in a resume
Volunteering shows commitment to service and
dedication to important causes, revealing a
generous, well-rounded nature
Volunteer service may produce real-life
accomplishments you can list as “Professional
Experience” if you use “Volunteer” in the job title
Controversial Items on Resumes:
Volunteer Service—Against
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Many employers may not care about wellrounded character
Too much volunteer activity may imply less than
perfect attention to paid job in employer’s eyes
Volunteer work without any connection to
desired job or applicable skills may not make
applicant more qualified for job
Listing service could take up valuable space
Type of volunteer service could lead to
discrimination
Controversial Items on Resumes:
Volunteer Service—My Advice . . .
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Volunteer service could help you land a job
After all, who hates Peace Corp volunteers?
However, if the organization for which you
volunteered could be seen as controversial, you
might include the service but omit the name of
the organization, or omit that service all together
Personally…I don’t want to work for a company
who sees volunteer service as a negative…
But as always: TRUST YOUR GUT!
Overview
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Resume Roles
Resume Content
Resume Style
Resume Do’s and Don’ts
Controversial Items on Resumes
Methods of Resume Delivery
Resume Maintenance
Top Ten Ways to Stand Out
Methods of Resume Delivery:
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Electronic Plain-Text Resume
Paper Resume for Scanning and Keyword
Search
Electronic Resume in WORD Format and
Traditional Paper Resume
Electronic Plain-Text Resume:
Search-software friendly style
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Identify key words: Underline skills listed in ads
and job descriptions
Use keywords to generate most positive hits
from software:
 Develop
largest possible number of keywords in
various forms (e.g. MA, Mass., Massachusetts)
 Use industry or job-specific keywords and acronyms
 Spell-check extensively, search software does not
generate positive hits for misspelled terms
Electronic Plain-Text Resume:
Search-software friendly style
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Emphasize nouns to cater to search
software:
 Include
noun forms of keyword terms (e.g. accountant
as well as accounting)
 Use nouns for skills as well as action verbs (e.g. team
player).
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Create thorough keyword list: Consider
including at beginning of the resume
Electronic Plain-Text Resume:
Formatting
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Use standard text-editing program like
Notepad: It creates cleanest electronic resume.
No word processing program
Limit line length to 65 characters: Longer line
lengths often transmit unevenly
Don’t use visuals: No graphics or multiple
columns
Don’t use special formatting: No symbols like
copyright symbol, ampersand, mathematical
symbols
Don’t use font formats: No bold, italics,
underlining, and bullet points
Electronic Plain-Text Resume:
Formatting
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Use same size fonts: Same size for same level
headings, paragraphs and lists, no variations
Use simple san-serif fonts between 10 – 14
points: Courier 12 point may be best for clean
transmission
Set sections apart: Blank lines between
sections increase readability
Left-justify everything: All lines begin at the left
margin
Electronic Plain-Text Resume:
Formatting
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Use acceptable “formatting”:
 All CAPS for headings
 Asterisks (*) or hyphens
 Equal sign (=) and dash
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(-) for lists
(-) for separating lines
Put only your name on first line: No other text.
Resume-search programs look only for a name
on this line
Place content components on separate lines:
Separate lines for job title, company name, and
location
Electronic Plain-Text Resume:
Formatting
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List each telephone number on separate line:
Label phone numbers ("home phone," "work
phone," or “cell phone"), no parenthesis around
area code
Don’t limit resume length: Electronic resumes
get screened by computer, not humans, and can
be as long as needed to include all possible
keywords
Save in proper format: Use “Save-As” to save
resume as .txt document to avoid introduction of
unwanted formatting
Electronic Plain-Text Resume:
Transmission by Email
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Ensure optimal transmission: Set format to
Plain Text format (not HTML)
Don’t forget subject line: In email subject line,
include job title and/or reference number of
position you are applying for
Include all relevant information in the body of
the email: Copy and paste electronic cover
letter into email message window. Do not send
resume without cover letter unless specifically
asked not to. Without cover letter, add short
message identifying the job for which you are
applying and stating that a resume is included
Electronic Plain-Text Resume:
Transmission by Email
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Keep different parts of email visually
separate: Input line of asterisks or dashes
underneath electronic cover letter and before
beginning of resume
List salutation first with cover letter and
resume following: Copy and paste resume text
from standard text editor to email message
window under electronic cover letter or resume
field at employer web site
Follow requirements: Abide by all required
specifications for submission
Methods of Resume Delivery:
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Electronic Plain-Text Resume
Paper Resume for Scanning and Keyword
Search
Electronic Resume in WORD Format and
Traditional Paper Resume
Paper Resume for Scanning and
Keyword Search
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Use appropriate keywords: Companies scan
paper resumes into databases to match job
openings with qualified job seekers by searching
resumes using keywords
Check employer’s web site: Specific
requirements are often described there. If not,
call and inquire about specific requirements
Follow advice for “Electronic Plain-Text
Resumes: Formatting”: Fancy fonts and
special characters can be difficult to recognize
for scanning software and may lead to reading
mistakes
Paper Resume for Scanning and
Keyword Search
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Make characters identifiable: Use space to
separate slashes (1 / 00), scanners often have
problems interpreting touching characters
Avoid difficult-to-scan formatting:
 Horizontal lines
 Parentheses or brackets
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Make scanning easy:
 Use only white paper
 Do not staple or paperclip
resumes with more than
one page
 Mail resume in a flat envelope of the appropriate size;
do not fold!
Paper Resume for Scanning and
Keyword Search
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Don’t limit resume length if submission is for
scanning purposes only: Computers easily
handle multiple-page resumes. All extracted
information is matched to available positions. If
human eyes will view your resume, send a
formatted version as well of no more than two
pages via email
Methods of Resume Delivery:
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Electronic Plain-Text Resume
Paper Resume for Scanning and Keyword
Search
Traditional Paper Resume in WORD
Traditional Paper Resume in WORD:
Formatting
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Use formatting effectively: Do not overwrite your
resume. Add white space around sections to create
overall balance and invite the eye
Left-justify resume: Create a whitespace column on the
left for only the headings to extend into
Use whitespace effectively:
Line up text and bullets with tabs or set margins, don’t use
space bar
 Balance entire page so it’s not top or bottom heavy
 Adjust space above and below sections to group related
information together visually
 Create more space between major sections than between
entries in one section
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Traditional Paper Resume in WORD:
Formatting
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Use punctuation consistently: None for headings, be
consistent in text and bullets
Fonts:
Headings: san serif (Arial, Helvetica, Optima). 12 – 14
point size
 Text: serif (Garamond, Times New Roman, Palatino). 9 –
11 point size
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Format bullets:
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Leave three spaces (instead of the five you get with
standard tab) between bullet point and the following text
 Be consistent and end all items or none of them in bullet
list description with a period
 Always put at least two items in the bullet list (or it isn’t a
list)
Traditional Paper Resume in WORD:
Presentation
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Double-check everything: Proofread several times.
Absolutely no spelling or grammar mistakes allowed. Ask
others to look over resume and get opinion on structure
and style
Print on a laser printer: Creates most crisp and clean
printout
Use high-quality non-white paper:
Use 24 – 32 lb. weight professional resume paper
If you use watermarked paper, make sure the watermark is
right-side up, left to right
 Use no staples or paperclips if more than two pages
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Traditional Paper Resume in WORD:
Presentation
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Identify both resume pages if used: Place “Continued”
at the bottom of page one, and name and “Page 2” at the
top of the next
Always bring several resumes printed on good
paper to any interview: Even if interview resulted
from electronic resume, hand a printed resume to
interviewer at beginning of the interview. It’s easier to
read and looks better than a printout. If you’re
interviewed by several people, not all of them may
have seen your resume
Traditional Paper Resume in WORD:
Delivery
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Send resume as .pdf attachment: PDFs ensure
formatting is preserved. Employers can open the file
even without specific software and are less afraid of
viruses
Don’t use staples or paper clips: If your resume is
more than one page, don’t tack together
Mail in a flat envelope: Do not fold resume/
cover letter
Overview
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Resume Roles
Resume Content
Resume Style
Resume Do’s and Don’ts
Controversial Items on Resumes
Methods of Resume Delivery
Resume Maintenance
Top Ten Ways to Stand Out
Resume Maintenance:
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Create master resume: Build a resume that includes
every job and extracurricular activity you ever did.
Don’t worry about size. Use master file to easily and
quickly create a tailored resume for individual positions
through cut and paste
Keep various types of resume: Maintain various
boiler plate resumes for different industries and jobs
you can tweak easily
Back up files: Save your resume by storing it under a
new filename each time you update it. Always have a
saved version of every resume you sent out
Resume Maintenance:
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Email copies: Send copy of resume (both plain-text
and WORD attachment) to your own email address to
be available wherever you go
Overview
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Resume Roles
Resume Content
Resume Style
Resume Do’s and Don’ts
Controversial Items on Resumes
Methods of Resume Delivery
Resume Maintenance
Top Ten Ways to Stand Out
Top Ten Ways to Stand Out
1.) Customize your resume to each specific job you apply for
2.) Research the company to learn how to “talk the talk”
3.) Use keywords and phrases specific to that
industry/company/job
4.) Stress contributions you will make to their organization
5.) Prioritize information to showcase what matters most to
the prospective employer
6.) Write brief but descriptive bullets that stress
accomplishments
7.) Balance brevity with concrete depth
8.) Limit length of resume
9.) Design a well-formatted, professional-quality paper resume
10.) Remember you are interviewing them as much as they are
interviewing you (must be a two-way fit)
Technical Writing At
De Anza College
The purpose of De Anza’s Technical Writing
Program is to help you build your portfolio
and reach your career goals!
For in-depth information, go to
http://www.deanza.edu/twrt/
Technical Writing Program at
De Anza College
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Receive comprehensive instruction in resume writing, interviewing,
and job hunting
Build a professional portfolio that will blow away your competition in
an interview
Explore career and professional opportunities through research and
interaction with industry professionals
Receive job postings through the Technical Writing Department
listserv
Develop planning, analysis, organization, project management, and
business communication skills relevant to a variety of fields to
achieve your personal career goals
Learn from professionals with years of industry experience
Gain experience creating documents from proposals and progress
reports to a 50 page camera-ready instructional manual
Earn either an AA Degree or a Certificate of Achievement in
Technical Writing from De Anza’s acclaimed and respected program
Technical Writing Program at De
Anza College: Core Courses
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TWRT 61 Introduction to Technical Writing: Introduces
basic writing techniques for technical communications. Topics
include functional description, process writing, technical vocabulary,
resumes, and technical editing
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TWRT 62 Survey of Technical Writing: Focuses on
technical and business writing assignments such as feasibility
reports, progress reports, and proposals
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TWRT 63 Technical Publications: Expands on the
planning, writing, and editing skills learned in previous classes to
design and write a camera-ready technical manual
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TWRT 64 Technical Writing Seminar:
Applies acquired skills
to create specialized technical projects, such as web pages and
newsletters, within a team environment
De Anza College
Marrietta Reber
Department Chair of Technical Writing
(408) 864 – 5565
rebermarrietta@fhda.edu
http:// faculty.deanza.edu/reberm