Establishing Your Professional Resume!

I know some of you might have your resume and some of you may have started it while others of you haven't yet put the pen to the paper but regardless of what stage you're at, today is the day you are going to write, review and finalize that resume!  By the end of the class today you will need to post your resume on your blog (take an image and post the 1 page document) and respond to the following questions.  In addition, be sure to post your resume in Schoology - I have posted a sample resume there and you can use it as a template and replace the information listed with your information.

1. What is a resume?  Who needs one? Explain.
2. What are the most important elements of a resume? In other words, what do you try to show in your resume and why?  Explain each.
3. Would you have any use for a resume now?  In the future?  Name a few ways in which a resume could help you!
4. Discuss the process you went through today as you wrote your resume.  What challenges did you face?  What areas do you need to focus on to have a more thorough resume that makes you feel job eligible?

Of course, for most of these questions, you need some background information AND you need to write your resume.  To get started, please read the following .... seriously, it will help you understand the resume writing process:

The Facts:

• According to a large survey by Gallup published in 2013, analyzing answers from 230,000 full-time and part-time workers in 142 countries, only about 30% of employees worldwide are satisfied with their jobs. What’s even worse,approximately 25% of people hate their jobs. That raises a very important question. Why do so many people stay in a job where they are not happy? While the answer to that question is multifaceted, we all know that the process of applying for new jobs can be both time consuming and daunting.

BUILDING YOUR RESUME – where to start?:

• Your resume is a sheet of paper that represents you as a professional – and it is the first impression that you present to your future boss. Don’t know where to start? Don’t worry, I am going to help you create a professional resume.
• STEP ONE: Content. Begin by putting together the content of your resume: work experience, summary of qualifications, achievements, education, keywords and any other important information that makes a powerful resume. Checkout http://www.rawresume.com/ for some tips on how to get the most attention from your resume.
• STEP TWO: Format. Make sure you present your career in the format that highlights your experience, education, and skills the best possible way.
• STEP THREE: Appearance. ‘Dress up’ your content and make your resume eye catching! Don't worry, I have a sample MS Word Resume that a Lead Recruiter offered me as an excellent example -- don't worry about reformatting, just plug in your information and bam, you'll be ready to apply for a job in no time! (see Schoology for the resume sample)

Presentation Matters:

• While the content of your resume is always the most important part, the presentation is a close second. Consider for a moment the restaurant industry. What are some of the main differences between an average restaurant and a 5-star restaurant? The quality of the food is (or should be!) the main difference, but presentation of the meal also matters. If the food doesn’t look enticing, we usually don’t expect it to taste good either.
• Liken this to your resume. It won’t matter if you are the best person for a particular job if your application doesn’t reflect that fact. Your resume is your ticket to the next step in the hiring process. A recruiter or a hiring manager spends an average of just 6 seconds looking at a resume, and if yours doesn’t catch their attention, it is sent straight to the discard pile instead of getting a further look.
• So how do you make sure that your resume catches the attention of a hiring manager who needs to look at 300 other applications? Make it easy for them to notice you. Keeping your application organized, easy to read, and with a little “wow factor”, can help. Clear headings and concise information are essential, as well as the order of the content.
• A resume should make you stand out and be remembered, but without going overboard and ending up in the “noticed – but not in a good way” pile. If you stand out because your resume is disorganized, cluttered, or just over-the-top colorful, you may not get a second chance with that company. And people talk. You may not get a second chance with three other companies that they are collaborating with either.

Thanks to those of you who took the time to read this ... now go to Schoology, download the sample resume and get ready to knock your future employers socks off :)