Creating Your

Dynamic Resume
Presented by
Dr. Rebecca Francis
Career Development
Student Success Center
Mount Olive College
 Presentation Outline
• Function of a resume
• First Steps
• Format including essential elements
– Contact Information
– Objective
– Education
– Experience Section
– Multiple Experience Sections
• Bullet Points
• Tailoring Your Resume
 Functions of a Resume

• Initiate contact with a potential

employer
• Provide concise summary of
education, skills, and results
• Entice employer to invite you for an
interview
• Facilitate Interview – what questions
do you want to answer?
 Resume Realities
• The 10-20 second rule: employers will
determine within the first 10-20 seconds
whether or not to keep your resume.
• Employers do not want to read “fluff,”
they want to read facts.
• Typographical errors and grammatical
errors are excellent excuses to toss your
resume.
• There are numerous other applicants that
are competing for the job you are
interested in.
First Steps in Building your
Resume
• Assess yourself: interests, skills and
values- be able to articulate these

• Collect details of work, volunteer,

academic, and “life”

• Research potential employers/

organizations
 Chronological or Functional
Resume?
• Choose a chronological resume to highlight
work experience and/or training that is
relevant to the job you are applying for.
– Most hiring experts prefer this format.
• Use a functional resume to highlight
transferable skills and qualifications
gained through numerous work and life
experiences.
– Useful for career changes, reentry into the
work force, or lack of directly-related work
experience.
Traditional Resume Format
• Contact Information
• Objective
• Education
• Experience
• Honors and Activities
• Skills
 Contact Information
• Name
• Address
– Current/Permanent
• Phone Number
– Be sure message is professional
• E-mail Address
– Keep it professional
 Example
PATRICIA L. MAHONE
105 South Maple Drive
Kenansville, NC 52241
319-645-0001
[email protected]

Patricia Lynn Mahone

[email protected]
Present Address
Permanent Address
105 South Maple Drive 123 Oak Drive
Kenansville, NC 52242 Skokie, IN
60000
319-645-0001 708-333-4444
 Writing Your Objective
• Specifies each position applied for

• Indicates the type of position you are

seeking

• Identifies the skills you wish to use

– What can you offer them, NOT what
they can offer you
 A Good Objective Template
A _____(1)_____position in ___(2)____
utilizing my skills in ____(3)_____to
____(4)______.
1. Position title or descriptor, i.e. administrator,
financial analyst, recreation specialist
2. Functional area, i.e. corporate finance, banking, CIS,
accounting firm
3. Specialized skills – skills that make you a unique
asset to the hiring manager, i.e. sales, customer
service, specialized training
4. Value added – What basic values would you add to
the company you want to work for? What are your
most compelling qualities/ contributions?
 Examples
Example 1:
Objective: A internship in Athletics Sports
Management utilizing my skills in sports
training principles, coaching, and physical
health disciplines to provide a safe and
quality sports program experience.
Example 2:
Objective: A entry-level position in
criminal justice or social work to
effectively use my skills in effective
communication and conflict resolution
to effectively manage employees.
 Education
• Name of institution • Graduation
granting you a month/year
degree ( Candidate for
• Location graduation, mo/yr)

• Degree (s) • Major/Minor

obtained • Certificates
• GPA, if above a 3.0
You only need to list institutions
from which you received a DEGREE
 Examples
Example 1:
The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Bachelor of Arts, May 2004
Major: Journalism and Mass Communication
Minor: Political Science
Major GPA: 3.25/4.00

Example 2:
B.B.A., Accounting December 2004
THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA, Iowa City, Iowa
Cumulative GPA: 3.2/4.0 Major GPA: 3.5/4.0
Course Project: Topics in International Business

A.A., Agricultural Studies May 2002

KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
 Optional Designations Under
Education
• Related Courses • Special Projects
– 3-6 related course titles – BRIEF description
– are most appropriate for – Related to area of
internship resumes potential employment
• International • Educational Honors
Experience – Granting organization
– List name, location and and date
emphasis of study
• License / Certifications
– Name/type
– List the name of the
granting organization
and date received
 Experience Section
(reverse chronological
order)
• Company Name
• City/State of Employment
• Job Title
• Date Employed (month/year)
• Job Description – Quantify, give skills
used and gained, and successes that
occurred; should reinforce objective
skills and qualities
 Example
Las Vegas Tribune , Las Vegas, NV
Public Relations Intern Jan. 2005
to May 2005
• Wrote and disseminated 5 newsletters, 3 media advisories,
and 10 news releases for clients
• Planned and facilitated 2 marketing events for new client
• Developed a new public relations reporting mechanism
used to track and record client data daily
 Multiple Experience Sections

• Don’t be afraid to use several different

experience sections
Examples include:
• Related Experience
• Internship Experience
• Leadership Experience
• Volunteer Experience
• Other Work Experience

Remember the “experience” does not equal

“paid”
 A Word About Bullet Points
• Describe more than just your duties; turn DUTIES
into SKILLS (transferable skills)
• Include what IMPACT or CONTRIBUTION your
actions had

• One of the best things you can do is QUANTIFY.

– Adding numbers – whether it be money,
number of times you did something, or how
much of something you accomplished – shows
productivity.
PRODUCTIVITY IS ALWAYS TRANSFERRABLE!
 How to Write Bullet Points

Bullet = action verb + object +

results
•TIP: If you get stumped on how to write
your bullet point, break it into its basic duty
and then use the “Action Verbs” section
located in our Resume Guide to get started
– Example – if one of your job duties was about
communication then you go to that section
and pick the appropriate word to start your
bullet point
 Examples of Bullet points
This Turns into THIS
• Kept inventory • Kept daily inventory of
over 1000 classifications
of medical supplies

• Called prospective • Built client base from 0

customers to 70 within two months
by effectively using cold
calling techniques

• Coordinated • Coordinated over 50

volunteers volunteers and tabulated
donations during
fundraisers
The Key to a Dynamic Resume
is
Tailoring Your Resume
• Tailor your resume to its purpose: to
obtain a job, internship, volunteer
opportunity, or to apply to a school.
• A tailored resume shines light on
those qualifications a particular
employer most wants to see
• Use the position description to
identify keywords and industry-
specific terms.
• Lead with most relevant information
first
 Tailoring Your Resume
(cont.)
• To do this ask yourself these questions:
– What skills and qualifications is the
employer seeking?
– If I were only able to illustrate 3-5 of
my qualifications, which ones would I
choose?
– Of my experiences, which would the
employer see as most important or
relevant?
 Tips for Tailoring
• Generate a “Master Resume”
that includes bullet points for
all experience
– Include volunteer, leadership, and
part-time experiences
– Cut and paste the document to create
the order to fit the position
• Prioritize information
– Identify the skills and qualifications
the employer is seeking and place the
most relevant experience first
 Tips for Tailoring (cont.)
• Use descriptive headings
– Such as Relevant Experience,
Leadership Experience, Laboratory
Skills, Honors, and Presentations
• Use the language of the industry
– Abbreviations that are well known, but
avoid jargon
• Organize related information
together
 Your Dynamic Resume...
• Will be enticing to read
• Begins each job description with
a power verb
• Is perfect in spelling, punctuation
and grammar
– have a career advisor, a peer
advisor, or a friend proofread it
 Your Dynamic Resume
• Is formatted to be skimmed easily
• Uses “industry-specific” nouns and avoids
jargon
• Uses information relevant to the specific
position
• Is paired with a good cover letter to get your
foot in the door.
Remember:
A dynamic resume is always a work-in-
progress.
 Thank You and Good
Luck!
Additional questions or need
help?
Personalized help with career
services, including review of your
resume,
is available at the
MOC Student Success Center
and/or through the MOC Job
Network
For more information, please
contact:
Dr. Rebecca Francis
Student Success Center
104 Henderson Building
Mount Olive College
[email protected]
919-635-2780
800-653-0854, ext. 1214
This presentation adapted from:
www.careers.uiowa.edu/video/studentresume/Resumes
%20undergrad.ppt