Instructor:

Madiha Neelam
Road Map
Role of the Resume
Types of Resumes
Resume Formats
Resume Sections
Additional Documentation
Sample Resumes
On-line Resources
What is a Resume?
A marketing tool
Your first tool for building a career
The first impression a prospective employer has of you
A selling tool that allows you to highlight to an
employer how you can contribute to the company
Request for an interview
Purpose of the resume is to get you an interview
Must capture the readers interest and attention
Must convince the employer that you have the ability
to fill their position
Your big picture
A snapshot of what you believe are your most
important experiences and qualifications
Types of Resumes
A Paper/PDF Resume
A printed resume for use at job fairs, conferences,
Should be clean, concise, professional, and pleasing to the eye
Use bullets, bolding, and indentation
Take this resume with you on job interviews, career breakfasts,
An Electronic Resume
A plain text resume for on-line submission
Typically must conform to employer specifications
Use left-justified and space indented formatting
If desired, use +, *, and 0 to represent bullets
An HTML Resume
Typically includes links to homepage, images,
Avoid this type of resume
Most people dont want an employer walking around in their
homepage
 Resume Formats -
Chronological
Highlight your work
experience in
reverse
chronological order
Be sure to not
leave gaps
The most widely
used format for
working
professionals Cut off
 Resume Formats -
Functional
Highlight specific
skills for which
the market has
high demand
Seldom used by
new graduates
Frequently used
to change jobs
or careers

Again, cut off

 Resume Formats -
Combinational
Highlight specific
work experience
Highlight
marketable skills
Use reverse
chronological
order
The best resume
style for most
college students
I would prefer bullets
Standard Resume
Sections Move toward bottom

Header
Objective
Education
Honors/Activities
Work Experience
Relevant Courses
Skills I prefer other order
Projects
The Header Section
The first line should be your name
Larger than the largest font used in body
Avoid using decorative fonts
Dont use black or gray shaded backgrounds
Exclude titles Mr., Mrs., Ms.,
Include contact address
Permanent address
Current address
Include your email address
Use your UWEC email address
Dont use BIGBOY@HOT_MAIL.COM
Include your phone number
The Objective Section
Considered optional but It is strongly suggested including
it

Make statement clear, concise, and to the point

Bad: I want to get a job
Weak: To attain an internship in the computer industry.
Good: To attain an internship in the computer industry working
with database or network security.
Avoid being overly specific to single company
To attain a position at 3M Pharmaceuticals working on
I prefer objectives from the companys perspective
To attain a web application programming position where
knowledge of Java and the Struts framework will add value the
overall development process.
The Honors/Activities
Section
This section should scream I am a leader
Should only contain honors and awards earned
during your time in college
You can include academic or extracurricular items
prefer only academic or service-related items
Include a brief description if not self-evident from title
Award given to top performer on the capstone exam
Dont include hobbies or activities not related to the
job or your story
Good to include leadership positions in CS-related
organizations
Good to list membership in CS-related organizations
Dont include volunteer work unless there is a direct
and positive link with the job or your story
The Work Experience
Section
Dedicated to most recent and relevant employment
Format
Employer and location on the first line
Dont need name of supervisor, complete address, or contact information
Position and time-span on the second line
Use only year, not month and year (avoids time gaps)
Each position should have at least two bullets
Explain role and contributions
Dont emphasize duties but rather emphasize outcomes
Increased efficiency of by 20%
Improved user navigation experience on Employers want
Descriptions should be consistent in wording problem solvers
Watch the tense
Current job uses present tense
Former jobs use past tense
The Relevant Courses
Section
The keyword is relevant courses
Focus on courses the are either unique or would
normally be considered elective
Computer Security
Computer Graphics
Artificial Intelligence
Computer Networks
Database Systems
Data Mining

Employers will assume you have had the

rest
The Skills Section
This is where you emphasize your
technical skills
Put in order of familiarity
Can use Exposure to: as the only modifier if
you wish
The Projects Section
Used correctly, this section can set you apart from other new
graduates
Most new grads dont get the opportunity to use this section

Show any lengthy, impressive, or relevant projects to which you

have made real contribution

Each project should have at least two bullets (focus on

outcomes)
Market Basket Analysis System
Designed and implemented a Java application for predicting future
purchases based on a probabilistic analysis of past purchase records
Deployed system as a web service using XML and SOAP and an Oracle
database on the backend
Used synchronized threads to increase overall throughput of the system
to handle up to 50 client requests per second
 How about
him?

USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS

Much harder to read
Avoidwhitespace
Use white space (not borders) to break sections apart
Include a picture of yourself Would you hire
Youre not THAT good looking!
this guy?
Use several fonts to catch their attention
Creates a ransom note effect
Print your resume on day glow paper
Be professional

Print your resume on day glow paper

Illogical Order Use

Resume is a story put most interesting parts at the beginning
Good Examples (1)
Good Examples (2)
Bad Examples (1)
Bad Examples (2)
Cover letter
A cover letter accompanies your resume
when you apply for a position. It is your
personal introduction to a prospective
employer outlining your interest in the
position and the organization and
expressing why you are qualified for the
position
Introductory
Paragraph
Introduce yourself who are you and why are
you writing?
Make a connection why do you want to work
for the employer? What appeals to you about
the opportunity for which you are applying?
Summarize your strengths highlight
strengths, skills, and attributes on which you
will elaborate in the middle paragraphs of your
cover letter;
A well-written introductory paragraph can often
stand alone as an abstract of your candidacy.
Middle Paragraphs

Do not simply restate your resume; explain

how the experiences listed in your resume
demonstrate your qualifications;
Elaborate on related experiences,
coursework, or activities to provide specific
examples to demonstrate skills and
attributes the employer is seeking;
These paragraphs should answer the
following question: what can you bring to
the position and employer?
Concluding
Paragraph

Reiterate your interest in the employer and

position;
Focus on next steps, such as requesting an
interview.
Supporting Documentation
Cover Letter
Send it to a person, not a place
Avoid To Whom It May Concern,
Worst case Dear Recruiter:
First sentence should tell why you are writing
I am writing in regard to your posting listed on
Dr. Wagner at UW Eau Claire suggested that I
As you may recall, I spoke with you briefly at
If unsolicited, indicate why you are interested in the
company
Sample cover letter
On-Line Resources
www.collegerecruiter.com
www.developercareers.com
www.writinglettersandresumes.com
www.professional-resumes.com
Free
www.1stresumes.com
www.a1resumes.net

www.10minuteresume.com
www.crsresume.com
Not
www.resumeservice.com Free