Jenny McLean, Learning Commons Assistant, NSCC (Akerley

Resumé 101
Jenny McLean, Learning Commons Assistant, NSCC (Akerley Campus)
Kay Balite, International Student Advisor, MSVU
Branding Employment Skills Training Conference
March 5, 2016
Who are you?
 Your academic and job decisions in
black and white
 One size does not fit all
 Design matters
Styles of Resume
Chronological…
Lists all education and experience in REVERSE chronological order
PROS
Allows employers quick
assessment of
experience
CONS
Because most common,
may not stand out
80% of employers prefer
this format
Can reveal gaps in
employment/educational
history or frequent job
changes
Appropriate for those
with consistent work
record
Can limit effective
marketing of relevant
skills/abilities.
Styles of Resume
Functional…
Focuses on major skills and accomplishments from all areas - not limited to work history
PROS
CONS
• Can highlight relevant skills acquired through
a variety of experiences
• Can be confusing for employers to assess
quantifiable work background
• De-emphasizes unrelated positions and duties
• Not recommended for conservative
employers (e.g. banks, government)
• Downplays lengthy employment gaps
• Useful for individuals with few practical
experiences in chosen field
Styles of Resume
Combination…
Highlights relevant skills and accomplishments while also outlining work history
PROS
Effective marketing of key job-related
skills and accomplishments while
maintaining a traditional structure
Offers flexibility to emphasize skills drawn
from a range of experiences – for example,
via coop, volunteer experience, cultural
exchanges or academic research projects
CONS
Inclusion of chronological data
can reveal gaps or inconsistencies
in work history
Your name…
• Social Media
• Discrimination
• Objectivity about what is most personal
• How to distinguish yourself without being
dishonest
How to start??
So many options to choose from. Pick one, do not include ALL.
 Objective
 Professional Profile
 Skills Summary- technical, administrative, design, databases etc.
 Summary of Qualifications -hard skill + soft skill +concrete accomplishment
Example:
• Years of experience in event planning and promotion; totaling over 15 events
• Exceptional inter-personal communication skills, organization, and time management
• Organized one of the biggest student events on-campus; over 400 people in attendance
Employment…
 What have you done lately?
 What is most relevant to the job you are applying for?
 If your work experiences are not directly related to the job, consider a
functional resume
Education…
 What have you learned lately?
 Is it relevant to the job you are applying for?
 Education can include certificates and seminar you have attended.
Work experience…
 How to describe your “daily duties” but do not include this term on your resume
 Write directly what you did, what you learned, and what you accomplished
 Use relevant words from the current job posting when describing your work experience
Accomplishment statements…
Show employers that you can bring value to the organization
Accomplishments are not restricted to paid work experiences
What is an accomplishment?
 Any action that you took that had a positive impact on your organization, customers or coworkers.
 Accomplishments can be qualitative (e.g., improved staff morale) OR quantitative (increased
event participation by 50%)
 Possible questions to ask yourself...




What did I create or build?
What projects/assignments/presentations did I work on?
What was unique about them?
Did I receive awards or recommendations because of my work?
Examples of work description…
Server, The Great Wall Restaurant
 Advised customers of potential allergies and addressed other food concerns they may have
 Increased knowledge in food safety, and overall health and safety standards in the work place
 Developed a system on how to best work efficiently during busy hours
 Enhanced communication and translation skills –English and Mandarin/Cantonese
Examples of academic work description…
Course Projects, Tourism and Hospitality
 Increased knowledge on hotel and tourism industry through case studies analyses
 Assessed and provided recommendations for hotel improvements through on-site inspection,
research, and theory applications
 Received 85% average on written reports; enhanced research skills and written communication skills
 Developed restaurant management skills through hands on practice -working in a mock restaurant as
a cook, server, and manager
Examples of volunteer work description…
International Student Society, MSVU
 Revamped society constitution to address changing student needs and resource availability
 Raised $2,000 for Cancer Research and increased student engagement through multiple
fundraising activities –Relay for Life, Shave your Head and Wax for Cancer, and Silent Auction
 Developed event planning management skills and Adobe photoshop skills for promotional
materials of student organized events
 Increased cultural awareness on-campus by organizing a Multicultural Night event; over 300
people in attendance –Mount students, faculty, staff and Halifax community
Extra Stuff…
Bring attention to something
OR
It just doesn't fit nicely anywhere else
Appropriate resumé format…
Use combination format to highlight skills and unfitting work/volunteer/awards
STUDENT LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES:
 Welcomed international students by helping plan the orientation schedule and volunteering for
the 3-day international orientation, and the 7-day orientation hosted by Students’ Union
 Represented the university in the annual Uniterra Leadership Meeting held in Ottawa (2015).
 Coordinated, promoted, and executed at least 10 activities per year to facilitate the integration of
international students within the Mount and Halifax community
 Volunteered in the Mount’s Early Advising and Registration, and Open Campus Day events
Awards…
Generations in the workplace…
Get to know all the generations and their values and needs
You’ll be working with them,
• Hiring them… Firing them… Needing them…
Generation
Traditionalist
Year
Before 1946
Characteristics
Loyalty, traditions, and discipline
Baby Boomers
1947-1960
Workaholics with expectations of success
Gen-X
1961-1979
Anti-hierarchy, skeptical, and entrepreneur
Gen-Y
After 1980
Individualists, highly technical
Resumé musts…
1.
2.
PROOFREAD –have more than 1 person look at it
FORMATTING: easy to read with enough white spaces (not too little, not too much)
Use bullet points where appropriate and make use of bold, underline, and italics
3. Consistency –cover letter, resume, and interview
4. Start with action verbs –accomplishment statements
5. Include numbers when quantifying experience or accomplishments (85%, over 300, $2,000)
6. Relevant and tailored to the job –use words from the job posting
7. Be creative! Reflect your resume and incorporate your skills when building it
8. Contact information –email, phone, home address
9. References available upon request
10. Include name, position and organization, and date when saving resume –if possible combine cover letter
and resume. Always cover letter first!
Example: Kay Balite’s Cover Letter and Resume_International Student Advisor MSVU_March 2016
Questions??
THANK YOU!