The Online Profile and
Resume Builder
The Basics
KNOW THYSELF
Purpose of a Resume
•
•
•
To get the interview
Communicate your accomplishments and value
relevant to the specific opportunity
Serve as a marketing tool
Purpose of Online Profiles
•
•
•
To connect and network with other professionals
Communicate your accomplishments, talents, and
character
Serve as a marketing tool
Knowing who you are is the
first step in building a
successful personal profile and
resume for the job market.
Before you start it is important
that you know what skills,
interests, talents, ethics, and
professional values make you
unique. See the PROFILE
BUILDER exercise in this guide
as a reflection tool.
ONLINE VERSUS A DOCUMENT
Once you have reflected upon
and documented descriptive
words and phrases use the
appropriate pronouns for the
method you are using to
communicate. As a rule, use
the informal first person
pronoun for online profiles (I,
me, my), and third person,
(sometimes incomplete
sentences) for your resume.
FEEDBACK
After applying what you learn
from this guide send your
resume draft to
careerservices@concordia.edu
for feedback before you upload
to an online profile or send it
to an employer. It is always
best practice to have someone
review your resume and profile
before placing it in front of
potential employers. Use the
checklist at the end of this
guide to review your final
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
draft.
The Center for Vocation and Professional Development
A Pathway to Meaningful Work
Library Building F, Room 208
careerservices@concordia.edu
512-313-5041
Resumes
Resume Format
Choose a template either in your major or a general template in folders at
www.ctxcareerconnections.org.
Explore other online resources listed below. Choose one that is a traditional or classic version.
Have one "go to" resume and customize it for a specific job, internship, or graduate program
application.
www.resumenow.com
www.myperfectresume.com
www.resumehelp.com
Keep it concise
The "one page only" rule about resumes is a myth. The purpose of a resume is to show
accomplishment and value relevant to the opportunity. A 1 ½ - 2 page resume that does it well
is acceptable as long as you stay clear of narrative style and be concise.
Creative, artistic elements
Your photo or other artistic elements are appropriate when it is relevant to the career cluster,
position or industry. As a general rule, a resume if free of these elements and directs the
reader to your online profile such as LinkedIn or ctxcareerconnections.org where they will find
creative elements like your photo and e-portfolio.
Font
Name font should be 1-2 points larger than the remainder of the document. Use 10-12 point
black font of the same style like Arial or Times New Roman.
Visually organized
Bold headers, bullets and indentations visually organize the information. Stay away from text
boxes or other segmented styles as they will confuse online application systems and distract
the reader.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Center for Vocation and Professional Development
A Pathway to Meaningful Work
Library Building F, Room 208
careerservices@concordia.edu
512-313-5041
Top 1/3rd Profile and Skills Sections
Write the top 1/3 of your resume after doing
the PROFILE BUILDER exercise below. This is
where you capture the attention of the reader.
Make it count.
•
Summarize what distinguishes you in 45 sentences and 3-4 bullet skills
statements.
•
Pack this section with power words that describe you and highlight your qualifications,
skills, and characteristics relevant to the opportunity. See list of power word examples
in this guide.
•
Use the PROFILE BUILDER below to create a narrative of your story to use when building
your profile and skills statements. The exercise will also help prepare you to talk about
yourself in an interview by helping you reflect on your skills and stories that show proof
of how you demonstrate those characteristics in your life.
The Profile Builder
Do this Profile Builder on a separate document as an exercise on how to talk about
yourself. You can use what you discover during this exercise for the top 1/3rd of your
resume, online profile, and in an interview.
1. IDENTIFY: Identify 10 skills or strengths in a word or short phrase.
2. DEFINE: Define each skill or strength. What does it mean to you?
3. DEMONSTRATE: Describe how you demonstrate this skill or strength in your life,
work, home, family, or school. What does this looks like in your life. What
behaviors are visible to others as you live out this strength or skill?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Center for Vocation and Professional Development
A Pathway to Meaningful Work
Library Building F, Room 208
careerservices@concordia.edu
512-313-5041
Education and Certification
List highest degree first and
only include:
o Degrees completed
o Degrees in progress
o Certifications received
•
GPA is optional and only
include if it is 3.5 or higher.
•
List internships and/or relevant courses in this section as an option.
•
For internships, include the name of the organization, the internship position title, and
the semester you worked in the position. (Note: Details about accomplishments during
an internship should be included in the experience section.)
•
Place the education section before experience if you have less than 1-2 years of solid
professional work experience. Otherwise, the education section goes after experience.
Experience
•
Start each bullet statement
with a past tense action word.
•
Focus on results and
achievements not the job
description.
•
Include internships, volunteer
roles, significant leadership
roles or projects if they are
relevant to the opportunity.
•
List your experience in
reverse chronological order,
by organization name,
including locations, beginning
and ending month/year, job titles, and roles/achievements.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Center for Vocation and Professional Development
A Pathway to Meaningful Work
Library Building F, Room 208
careerservices@concordia.edu
512-313-5041
Accomplishment Statements
A strong, action- and results-based resume is one primarily composed of statements like, “Took
over management of [situation] and achieved 10% customer retention improvement, $2 million
in new sales volume, and 11% profit improvement through the following initiatives [how you
did it—briefly].”
•
•
•
Use metrics to back up accomplishments.
Bullet statements should start with a past tense verb and be supported by evidence,
particularly quantitative evidence.
Separate "Relevant Experience" and "Other Experience" for roles that are important but
not as relevant to the opportunity.
Each bullet statement should include the following 4 elements:
SPECIFICS – Who, what, where, and how? Include as much detail as possible about the accomplishment.
What kind of report? Who was involved? What system was used? Who was the audience?
METRICS – Quantify the work by answering how many, how much increase in numbers or percentages. How
many were in the training? How many reports? What size was the space? How many were on the team?
TIME – daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually are common ways to include time-orientation. If it was a
one-time accomplishment include the date it was carried out.
RESULTS – ask yourself, “What resulted in my work/involvement?” Include this as the last bullet statement or
in each bullet statement if it makes sense to include it.
Accomplishment Statement Examples
Statement before
Conducted phone interviews.
Tutored students.
Redesigned company website
Interacted with customers.
Clarifying questions
How many interviews?
With whom?
For what purpose?
Was there an indicator of success or a goal to reach?
How many students?
For what subjects?
How often?
What age or grade level?
For what purpose?
How long did it take to complete the project?
What was the size of the website
What was the measurement of success?
How many?
How often?
For what purpose?
In what kind of setting?
What was the measurement of successful
interactions?
Statement after
Conducted 15-20 phone interviews daily with
candidates for positions in marketing, finance, and
accounting. Filled 17 positions and reduced time-tofill by 30% over 6 months.
Tutored 10 college age students weekly in Statistics
resulting in an increase of one letter grade for each
student during the fall 2014 semester.
Redesigned a 50 page website in 3 months to
incorporate 6 new product lines and a new logo,
resulting in a 25% increase in visitors and 15% increase
in sales.
Interacted with 20-30 customers daily by phone to
help trouble-shoot issues with HP, Cannon, and
Lennox printers. Maintained a monthly resolution
score of 95%.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Center for Vocation and Professional Development
A Pathway to Meaningful Work
Library Building F, Room 208
careerservices@concordia.edu
512-313-5041
Community Involvement /Volunteerism
•
Reflect on your hobbies or
interests that provide insight
into your values.
•
Include the role under the
experience section with
accomplishment statements
if it is not a paying job, but is
significant and relevant to
the opportunity.
•
Mention any leadership roles
you hold or have held,
serving on campus or leading
a community event or organization.
Title this section after you decide what to include. Some examples are:
• Other Activities
• Community Involvement
• Campus Activities
• Volunteerism
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Center for Vocation and Professional Development
A Pathway to Meaningful Work
Library Building F, Room 208
careerservices@concordia.edu
512-313-5041
OnlineProfiles
CTXCareerconnection.org
The university hosts a unique site specifically for CTX
students and the employers who want to hire them.
On the site you can:
• Find jobs and internships
• Create a virtual profile and e-portfolio
• Take the interest and skills inventory
• Post a resume and video resume
• Research career paths on the video wall
• Explore career events on the community calendar
• Discover resume resources
Log on to www.ctxcareerconnection.org and create your account. Use your CTX email and
create a unique password.
1. Complete and update the sections of the profile as you develop knowledge of your skills,
talents, values, and experience using information from your PROFILE BUILDER exercise
and your final resume.
2. Remember, transfer third person accomplishment statements to first person (I, me, my)
and use more casual language.
3. Upload your final resume to your portfolio in PDF format after receiving feedback from
career services or your faculty advisor.
4. Continue to update your resume and e-portfolio with new experiences and significant
portfolio worthy projects such as team papers, presentations, video, or other projects.
5. Create and upload a video resume. Wear a clean, button down shirt our blouse and ask
a friend to video you answering the following questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Video Resume
What is your name, college name, and major?
What is your favorite class or subject at Concordia and why?
What are your career goals when you graduate from Concordia?
What would be the ideal job title or role for your first full-time position out of college?
What would classmates, professors, or former employers say about you that makes you unique?
How can an employer get in touch with you?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Center for Vocation and Professional Development
A Pathway to Meaningful Work
Library Building F, Room 208
careerservices@concordia.edu
512-313-5041
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a professional networking site where you will transfer your portfolio from
ctxcareerconnection.org once your student site is developed. LinkedIn will open up a world of
possibilities for your career by connecting you with like-minded professionals and opportunities that fit
your career aspirations.
Before building your LinkedIn profile account visit the LinkedIn student resources at
https://university.linkedin.com/linkedin-for-students. Review the Profile Checklist and Building a Great
Student Profile.
Contact a career services advisor or faculty advisor for help transferring your student e-portfolio to
LinkedIn.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Center for Vocation and Professional Development
A Pathway to Meaningful Work
Library Building F, Room 208
careerservices@concordia.edu
512-313-5041
ProfileBuilderPowerWords
We identify with words and phrases that best describe us. Use the chart below to help you to
write the profile and skills statements of your resume.
Accurate
Action oriented
Activating
Active
Adaptable
Administering
Adventurous
Advising
Aggressive
Agreeable
Alert
Ambitious
Amiable
Analytical
Appreciative
Approachable
Arranging
Articulate
Artistic
Assertive
Athletic
Attentive
Autonomous
Balancing
Boundless
Brave
Briefing
Budgeting
Building teams
Calm
Capable
Careful
Caring
Charismatic
Charming
Checking
Cheerful
Citizenship
Clever
Coaching
Communicative
Compassionate
Competent
Counseling
Courageous
Courteous
Creative
Credible
Critical thinking
Cultured
Curious
Data input
decisive
Dedicated
dependable
detailed
Determined
Developing people
Devoted
Diligent
Diplomatic
Directing
Disciplined
Discovering
Discreet
dynamic
Eager
Easygoing
Economical
Editing
Efficient
Eloquent
Empathetic
Empowering
Encouraging
Energetic
Enterprising
Entertaining
Enthusiastic
Evaluating
Examining
Excellent
Excited
Explaining
Extroverted
Exuberant
Friendly
Funny
Gathering information
Generating ideas
Generous
Giving feedback
Gratitude
Guiding
Handling
Hardworking
Harmonious
Helpful
Honest
Hope
Humorous
Idealistic
Imaginative
Impartial
Implementing
Independent
Industrious
Influencing
Ingenuity
Initiating
Innovative
Inquisitive
Insightful
Inspiring
Instinctive
Instructing
Integrity
Intelligent
Intuitive
Kind
Knowledgeable
Launching
Leadership
Leading
Learning
Listening
Lively
Locating
Logical
Navigating
Negotiating
Objective
Observant
Open
Open minded
Optimistic
Orderly
Organized
Originality
Outgoing
Overhauling
Overseeing
Patient
People skills
Perceptive
Perseverance
Persistent
Personable
Persuading
Persuasive
Planning
Positive
Practical
Precise
Preparing
Presenting
Prioritizing
Problem solving
Procedural
Productive
Proofreading
Prudence
Punctual
Qualifying
Questioning
Realistic
Receptive
Recording
Reflective
Relaxed
Reliable
Reporting
Conscientious
Considerate
Consistent
Constructive
Controlling
Cooperative
Coordinating
Fearless
Finalizing
Finding
Flexible
Focused
Forceful
Formulating
Marketing
Meeting people
Mentoring
Methodical
Meticulous
Monitoring
Motivated
Resourceful
Respectful
Responsible
Reviewing
Scheduling
Self-assured
Self-controlled
Will relocate
Will travel
Willpower
Wisdom
Writing
Competitive
Compiling
Confident
Fair
Faithful
Resolute
Love of learning
Loyal
Managing
Researching
Sense of humor
Sensitive
Serious
Simplifying
Sincere
Skillful
Social intelligence
Social skills
Sophisticated
Spontaneous
Steadfast
Stimulating
Straightforward
Strategic thinking
Strategizing
Successful
Succinct
Supervising
Systematic
Tactful
Talented
Talkative
Teaching
Team oriented
Team-work
Technological
Thinking creatively
Thoughtful
Resolving
Tolerant
Tracking details
Training
Trouble-shooting
Trustworthy
Unbiased
Understanding
Uniting
Updating
Upgrading
Verbalizing
Versatile
Vigorous
Visionary
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Center for Vocation and Professional Development
A Pathway to Meaningful Work
Library Building F, Room 208
careerservices@concordia.edu
512-313-5041
ResumeActionWords
Use the list below to help you start accomplishment statements under the experience section
of your resume. Start each statement with a past tense action word. Complete the statement
by including the specific, metrics, time, and results.
Absorbed
Composed
Expanded
Justified
Publicized
Selected
Accelerated
Computed
Experimented
Lectured
Purchased
Simplified
Achieved
Conducted
Explained
Listed
Qualified
Skilled
Adapted
Consolidated
Financed
Logged
Quantified
Solved
Addressed
Constructed
Financed
Maintained
Quoted
Sorted
Administered
Consulted
Forecasted
Managed
Reacted
Streamlined
Advanced
Coordinated
Formulated
Marketed
Received
Strengthened
Advised
Counseled
Formulated
Measured
Recommended
Studied
Analyzed
Created
Fulfilled
Mediated
Reconciled
Summarized
Announced
Critiqued
Gathered
Mentored
Recorded
Supervised
Appraised
Defined
Generated
Modeled
Recovered
Supplied
Arranged
Delegated
Granted
Monitored
Recruited
Supported
Assembled
Demonstrated
Grossed
Motivated
Reduced
Surveyed
Assessed
Designed
Guided
Multiplied
Referred
Sustained
Assigned
Detected
Handled
Negotiated
Refine
Taught
Assisted
Determined
Helped
Observed
Refined
Tested
Attained
Developed
Hosted
Obtained
Rehabilitated
Trained
Attracted
Devised
Hypothesized
Operated
Reinstated
Transcribed
Audited
Diagnosed
Identified
Ordered
Rejected
Translated
Balanced
Directed
Illustrated
Organized
Repaired
Traveled
Bargained
Discovered
Implemented
Oversaw
Reported
Triumphed
Beneficial
Displayed
Improved
Performed
Represented
Troubleshot
Benefited
Earned
Increased
Persuaded
Researched
Tutored
Bolstered
Edited
Influenced
Photographed
Resolved
Tutored
Boosted
Efficient
Initiated
Planned
Responded
Uncovered
Budgeted
Eliminated
Innovated
Prepared
Restored
Unified
Calculated
Enforced
Inspected
Presented
Retained
United
Classified
Enhanced
Installed
Printed
Retrieved
Updated
Closed
Enriched
Instituted
Processed
Revamp
Upgraded
Coached
Established
Instructed
Produced
Reviewed
Utilized
Collaborated
Estimated
Integrated
Programmed
Saved
Validated
Collected
Evaluated
Interpreted
Projected
Scheduled
Viewed
Communicated
Examined
Interviewed
Promoted
Screened
Witnessed
Compiled
Exceeded
Invented
Proofread
Secured
Worldwide
Comply
Excelled
Investigated
Provided
Segmented
Wrote
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Center for Vocation and Professional Development
A Pathway to Meaningful Work
Library Building F, Room 208
careerservices@concordia.edu
512-313-5041
OnlineProfileandResumeChecklist
Use this checklist as you complete the final drafts of your online profiles and resume.
Remember, always ask someone to review and edit your profile and resume before sending it
to employers or posting it online.
Are your resume and online profile marketing tools that sell you? Or, are they a list of
jobs and education?
Does your resume and online profile tell the story of you as an interesting person?
Are you using third person in your resume and first person in your online profiles?
Does the top 1/3 of your resume include profile and skills statements that provide a
summary of your character, interests, and experiences and communicate what’s in it for
the employer?
Do you use bold headlines, bullets and indentations to tell the story of your education
and experience?
Are you merchandising your associations? Do you include affiliations that are relevant?
Do you lead with the Education or Experience section on your resume? Why?
Are you selling the most important aspects of your work experience? Are you framing
experience statements as accomplishments using the specifics, metrics, time and results
model?
Are there more past jobs you could include on you resume if presented the right way
that is relevant to the opportunity?
Are you putting yourself in a mindset of an employer reading your resume or online
profile?
One page resume or two? Why?
Do you include your GPA, academic honors, courses taken, and internships?
Are you presenting any of your coursework, leadership experiences, internships or
extra-curricular activities as experience?
Are you selling the most important aspects of your extra-curricular activities?
Are you using action verbs?
Are you being specific enough with your accomplishment statements? Are you using
metrics and results where it makes sense?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Center for Vocation and Professional Development
A Pathway to Meaningful Work
Library Building F, Room 208
careerservices@concordia.edu
512-313-5041