Selling You!
Resumes That Sizzle
Patty Kirkley
Career Counselor
586-4091, ext. 212
Purpose
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Your Resume:
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Should sell you…
Tell potential employers what you can
do
Share your knowledge, skills, and
abilities
Win you an interview
Your Resume Should Not Be:
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Your life story
Where to Start
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Research jobs and learn what employers are
looking for – use the web, newspapers, and other
resources to learn about jobs, qualifications, and
employers
Analyze your strengths and your skills,
knowledge, and capabilities
Review sample resumes for ideas and formatting
(Google).
The Basics
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Resume Styles
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Chronological: focuses on job history, most
recent first
Functional: focuses on skills and
accomplishments
Combination
Length of Resume
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Long enough to sell your skills
Recent college grad: 1 page
Experienced professional: 2 pages
Senior manager or executive with lengthy
experience: 3 pages or more
Nuts and Bolts for Resume
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Main Heading
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Objective
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Summary of Accomplishments
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Education
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Work Experience
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Skills and Abilities
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Honors and Awards (Later, Professional
Memberships)
Putting the Resume Together
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Main Heading
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Name
Address
Telephone Number (including area code)
E-mail Address (professional)
Objective (Optional)
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Identify job you want, area of specialization,
and type of company
Example: Entry level position as a Medical
Sonographer in a mid-sized hospital where I
make a contribution to quality health care
Putting Resume Together
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Summary of Qualifications
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Briefly and concisely present primary skills and
accomplishments
Examples: “Care-giving professional with
excellent interpersonal skills, attention to
detail, and strong work ethic.”, or “Strong
accounting and managerial skills with
extensive knowledge of statistical processes.”
Education
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Degree, date of graduation, and college/
university
Putting the Resume Together
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Experience
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If extensive and relevant experience,
experience should be placed before education
Start with most recent employer
Include:
 Employer’s name
 Dates of employment (month/year)
 Most significant title
 Summarize your accomplishments and skills
relevant to job you are targeting (use action
verbs)
 Try to quantify skills and accomplishments
Putting Resume Together
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Skills and Capabilities
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Examples: Computer literate, proficient with
the Internet or other technology
Highlight exceptional talents such as customer
service, team work, conscientious work,
reliability, leadership
Awards, Honors, Activities
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List separately if three or more
Include school, community, professional
activities
Tips for Getting Get Past the 10
Second Glance
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Make It Perfect
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Proofread and carefully check spelling,
grammar, and professional tone (clear and
concise presentation of qualifications)
Focus on Readability
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Select an easily readable font – Arial/Times
New Roman
Leave white space (1 inch margins all four
sides)
Choose good quality white or ecru paper
(standard size, 24-pound)
How to Get Past the 10 Second Glance
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Layout for visual appeal and ease of
reading
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If 2 pages, put name on both pages
Make headlines stand out (bold or cap)
• Use italics sparingly
Use bullets
Be brief, clear, and concise
Single space within sections
Double space between sections
Avoid art work or photos
Sell Yourself
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Use action verbs to describe your
skills, abilities, and qualifications
Translate your experience into what
a prospective employer wants
Show that you have done research
about the company and the job
Toot your own horn, but never
exaggerate or lie (be honest and
ethical)
Don’t…
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Overdo use of caps, bold, or italics
Use personal pronouns or abbreviations
Include personal information(age, health,
marital status, etc.)
Send out resume without a cover letter
List references on your resume (ask
references and have on a separate sheet
to take to your interview)
List salary history unless required on
application
Optimizing for Technology
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Many employers prefer submission of
resumes via e-mail or online
Databases may be used to quickly and
efficiently match job openings with
qualified job seekers
Be sure to use keywords
Scannable Resumes
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Use 10-14 point font
Use standard typefaces and avoid
underlining, italics, and bold
Put your name on first line
List each telephone number on
separate line
Use smooth white paper with black ink
and quality printing
Avoid double columns
Don’t staple or fold your resume
Maximizing Hits
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Use industry or job-related keywords
Incorporate words from the job ad
Use typical headings (objective,
education)
Watch abbreviations and use only
common ones (BS for bachelor of science)
or industry jargon (CAD for computerassisted design)
Describe interpersonal skills
Use more than one page if necessary
Embedded Resume to E-mail
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Follow tips for scannable resumes
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Move all text to the left
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Spruce up your resume by using horizontal lines to
separate sections – leave adequate space
Save your resume in plain txt (.txt) or rich text
format (.rtf)
Test your resume before sending
Three Essential Tools
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Resume with Separate List of
References
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Cover Letter
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Thank You Letter
Cover Letters
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Use to tell employers who you are, why
you are contacting them, why they should
consider you
Ground Rules
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Don’t repeat your resume
Carefully craft words (more subjective
so more can go wrong than on resume)
Use good grammar and spelling
Always say “thank you”
Thank You Letters
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Send immediately following an
informational interview or a job
interview
Send even if you do not receive a
position for which you applied
Shows your command of business
etiquette & graciousness