Resume Development Handbook by Kim Bone

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK KETTERING UNIVERSITY RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK TABLE OF CONTENTS Part One - Preparing a Resume Resume Overview Preparation Components Contact Information Objective Education Work Experience Skills Activities Honors and Awards References Action Words The 30-Second Test Additional Considerations Sample Resume Samples References Sheet

Part Two - General Overview of Co-op Navigator What is Co-op Navigator Definition of Icons Messages Personal Profile Upload a Microsoft Word Resume

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RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK Congratulations on your acceptance to Kettering University! You are now ready to take the next step in the employment search process by creating a resume and becoming familiar with the Kettering Co-op Navigator website. This RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK will: • Help you prepare a resume • Provide you with an overview of the Co-op Navigator website • Assist you in using Co-op Navigator. It is a secure web-based co-op software system provided for your use at https://navigator.kettering.edu You may login to Co-op Navigator using the following steps: 1. URL: https://navigator.kettering.edu 2. User Type: “STUDENTS/ALUMNI” 3. Your user name and password are provided with your Kettering University acceptance letter and are located on the “Checklist Items to Complete the Enrollment Process” document. If you need assistance with your login information, please contact Kettering Technical Support at 1-800-955-4464 extension 8324 between 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time After logging into the site, please reference this handbook to do the following: • Complete your Personal Profile section information • Create and upload a resume If you have any questions regarding the development of your resume or about our website, please contact the Cooperative Education and Career Services office at 1-800-955-4464, extension 7865. You may also email us at co-op@kettering.edu and someone will assist you as soon as possible.

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK Part One - Preparing a Resume RESUME OVERVIEW Your resume is a vital part of the co-op employment search process and your best marketing tool. Since your resume is typically the first opportunity for a potential employer to gain information about your education, skills, leadership, and potential, it should appropriately reflect your background and experiences. A good resume doesn’t guarantee a co-op position; however, it can open the door for an interview. Your resume should: • Be completed in Microsoft Word • Attract the employer’s attention and prompt an interview • Be organized, concise, easy to read, and error free • Present the most important and recent information first • Be ONE page in length and definitely not more than two

PREPARATION Develop a list of your academic coursework, employment, involvement in social or volunteer organizations, honors and awards, and other interests. Evaluate the skills you developed through each experience and your interest in using these skills in future positions.

Top 10 Personal Characteristics Employers Seek in Job Candidates: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Communication Skills Motivation/Initiative Leadership Abilities Technical Skills Analytical Skills

6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Work Ethic Teamwork Skills GPA/Academic Achievements Interpersonal Skills Honesty and Integrity

Does your resume demonstrate these characteristics?

COMPONENTS OF A RESUME Your resume will be organized around a number of elements which will be used to describe your background and experiences. It should include these elements in this order: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Contact Information Objective Education Work Experience

5. 6. 7. 8.

Skills Activities Honors/Awards References

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK CONTACT INFORMATION The employer must have this information to reach you for an interview. It is important for this information to stay up-to-date. Employers will move onto other candidates who are more accessible if your information is not accurate.

Contact Information Guidelines: • • • • • •

Use a larger font for your name at the top of the resume Include your complete permanent home address and telephone number and/or cell phone number Employers often contact applicants by phone so be sure your answering machine or voice mail message is appropriate and professional Email address - Please be sure your email address is appropriate Check your email often; as this is one method used by employers to reach students You will need to add your Kettering University residence address and telephone number to your resume after you have arrived on-campus

OBJECTIVE An objective is a brief statement of your short-term goals. It should convey the type of position you’re seeking and demonstrate your interests. The objective must be carefully worded. If it’s too general it is meaningless; however, if it’s too specific, it may eliminate interesting opportunities. Also, keep in mind employers often use resumes to generate interview questions. Be prepared to talk about how your objective relates to your goals.

Objective Guidelines: • •

You’re seeking a cooperative education position, not a full-time, intern or summer position Include your intended field of study. If you’re unsure of your field of study, please identify at least two degree programs of interest

Example of an Objective Statement: To obtain a challenging cooperative education position allowing me to gain experience, knowledge and leadership/teamwork skills in the field of marketing.

KETTERING UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE OFFERINGS Applied Mathematics Applied Physics Biochemistry Business Administration

Chemical Engineering Chemistry Computer Engineering Computer Science

Electrical Engineering Engineering Physics Industrial Engineering Mechanical Engineering

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK EDUCATION Your education should be listed directly under your objective on your resume.

Education Guidelines: • • • • • • •

Format: List the most recent school first – Kettering University List names of schools attended and their locations - City, State Include the degrees and diplomas you have or will receive Include years attended or graduation dates Include overall GPA Include major Include academic honors

WORK EXPERIENCE Include where you have worked, what you did, and your accomplishments and achievements.

Work Experience Guidelines: • • • • • • • •

•

List the most recent work experience first Include the company name, city and state, job title and dates of employment Detail your job responsibilities. You may also describe your accomplishments Use short statements to describe your experiences rather than complete sentences Begin statements with action words such as: improved, managed, designed, etc… Quantify whenever possible. For example: “Assisted in training three new employees” Try not to simply list your job duties, but rather reflect on what you learned and accomplished Consider how your accomplishments helped your employer achieve specific goals. For example: Don’t say, “Created window displays.” Instead, show how your work made a difference, “Generated customer interest by creating innovative window displays.” Remember many students have had similar work experiences. Be sure to choose words that show how you and your experiences stand out Remember all experience (paid or unpaid) is relevant. Lawn mowing, childcare, delivering newspapers, or volunteer work is important to a potential employer. With careful wording, these experiences indicate trustworthiness, promptness, communication skills, dependability, and the desire to learn Do not include reasons for leaving jobs

SKILLS List special skills acquired through formal or informal education, work, and personal interests.

Skills Guidelines: • •

Identify your level of skill with measurements (familiar with, proficient in, basic knowledge of, considerable experience, etc…) Examples of skills include Foreign Languages, Computer Skills (hardware and software), Repair and Maintenance Skills, and Automotive Skills 7

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK ACTIVITIES Extracurricular activities can enhance your resume and will tell a potential employer more about your personality, communication skills, leadership, time management skills, motivation and creativity. When a student has limited work experience, a potential employer might look to activities such as volunteer work. Keep Activities and Honors and Awards under separate headings.

Activities Guidelines: • •

•

Include dates of participation Include both school and community related activities. If you were involved in many activities, you may not want to include them all. Choose those activities that are most important to you or that demonstrate the acquisition of important skills Include team or individual sports, academic teams, volunteer activities, etc…

HONORS AND AWARDS Honors and awards can enhance your resume and will tell a potential employer more about your achievements.

Honors and Awards Guidelines: • •

Include dates of honor or award Include individual or team honors and awards for academics, volunteer awards, etc…

REFERENCES The names and contact information for your references should NOT be included on the resume. Simply list “References available upon request.” Prepare a separate document listing your references. Your listings should include each reference’s name, title, place of employment, address and phone number.

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK RESUME WRITING â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ACTION WORDS When describing your work experience and extra-curricular activities, use action words to persuasively present your qualifications and background to prospective employers. Do not be hesitant to give yourself credit for your accomplishments. For example, if you developed a program, supervised a group, or initiated an idea, give yourself the proper credit. Below are sample words you might use when appropriate; however, you do not want to use any words that misrepresent the duties and responsibilities you describe. accomplished achieved adapted administered advised allocated analyzed appointed acquired arranged assembled assisted balanced calculated catalogued collected compiled completed constructed consulted contributed coordinated corresponded counseled created decreased delivered

demonstrated designed developed devised diagnosed directed discovered displayed distributed documented doubled drafted earned eliminated enforced engineered established evaluated examined exceeded executed expanded facilitated generated guided handled headed

helped identified implemented improved increased influenced informed initiated installed instructed interpreted introduced inventoried investigated issued led made maintained managed marketed maximized minimized modernized modified monitored motivated notified

obtained opened operated organized originated participated performed planned prepared presented processed produced programmed promoted proposed proved provided purchased recommended recorded referred reinforced repaired replaced reported represented restored

reviewed revised rewired scheduled selected served serviced set up sold solved strengthened studied suggested supervised supplied taught tested trained transformed trimmed updated used utilized won worked

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK THE 30-SECOND TEST Research shows employers initially scan a resume for 30-60 seconds before deciding if they wish to interview the applicant. Be sure your resume passes the 30-second test.

Is the format consistent throughout? • •

•

Be consistent throughout your resume. For example, if you capitalize a heading, all other headings should be capitalized as well. This ensures that the resume is neat and enhances its overall readability Use the whole page of your resume effectively. The layout should be organized and easy to read. Choose an appropriate font style and size to effectively format your resume. Generally, font size should be between 10 to 12 points Be sure to correctly format your state abbreviations; if you use the two-letter abbreviation, the state is formatted with two uppercase letters such as MI, OH, NY, and CA

Is it grammatically correct? • •

Use appropriate tense throughout your resume: If you’re currently involved in an activity, describe it in present tense. Use past tense to describe positions or activities in which you are no longer involved Personal Pronouns: There should be no mention of “I” or “me” in your resume. Begin your statements with action verbs: completed, assisted, updated, prepared, etc…

Have you spell-checked and proofread? Has anyone else proofread your resume? •

It is very important your resume be free from errors! This includes spelling, punctuation and grammar. Have a teacher or family member review your resume – another set of eyes will see errors you may have missed.

The most commonly misspelled words we see on student resumes: Receive Maintenance Trigonometry

Attendance Restaurant Mathematics

Sophomore Preparatory Compliment

Freshman Calculus PowerPoint

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS Your resume is an opportunity to highlight your strengths and accomplishments. However, they should never be exaggerated. All information must be truthful and accurate. Don’t include irrelevant information such as age, sex, marital status, religion, and ethnic background. You want your resume to make a positive first impression. It will not, on its own, secure a co-op position for you. However, the time and effort you put forth now in developing your resume will help you in opening the doors to interview opportunities.

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK SAMPLE RESUME 123 Main Street ~ Anywhere, MI 12345 Home: (989) 555-1234 ~ Cell: (989) 5678 jstudent@kettering.edu

John S. Student

OBJECTIVE To obtain a challenging cooperative education position in the field of electrical engineering. EDUCATION July 2009 Kettering University • Major: Electrical Engineering • Status: Incoming Freshman

Flint, MI

2005-2009 Anywhere High School • College Prep • Will graduate with honors, June 2009 • Overall GPA: 3.6

Anywhere, MI

EXPERIENCE 2007-Present ABC Supermarket Anywhere, MI Customer Service Representative • Assist customers with purchases • Complete sales transactions, including managing cash drawer • Recognized with Outstanding Customer Service Award by in-store customer survey 2006-2007 Anywhere Pizzeria Pizza Maker • Served as lead pizza maker • Prepared pizzas as ordered by customers • Received orders from customers over the telephone • Cleaned and vacuumed store

Anywhere, MI

SKILLS • Familiar with MS Word, PowerPoint and Excel • Familiar with AutoCad • Four years of High School French ACTIVITIES • Student Council (Sophomore - Senior year) • Varsity Golf (Sophomore - Senior Year), Team Captain - Senior Year • Varsity Cross Country (Freshman - Senior Year), 2009 All State Honorable Mention • Marching Band (Freshman - Junior Year) • Volunteer Math Tutor - three hours per week at Anywhere Middle School HONORS AND AWARDS • National Honor Society - Inducted Junior Year • Selected for participation in Governor’s Summer Institute - Senior Year REFERENCES • Available upon request

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK SAMPLE REFERENCES SHEET

John S. Student

123 Main Street ~ Anywhere, MI 12345 Home: (989) 555-1234 ~ Cell: (989) 5678 jstudent@kettering.edu

REFERENCES Bill Teacher, High School Principal Anywhere High School 456 Main Street Anywhere, MI 12345 (989) 555-9876 bteacher@anywherehigh.edu Joan Smith, General Manager ABC Supermarket 234 Anywhere Blvd. Anywhere, MI 12345 (989) 555-5432 jsmith@abc.com Robert Pizza, Owner Anywhere Pizzeria 789 Anywhere Blvd. Anywhere, MI 12345 (989) 555-4321 rpizza@anywherepizza.com

Reference Tips: • • • •

Do not use any family members Three references are plenty Appropriate references can be present/previous supervisors, teachers, guidance counselors, a close family friend, etc… Make sure you contact, ask and update your references before listing them on your reference sheet.

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK Part Two - Co-op Navigator Website General Overview WHAT IS CO-OP NAVIGATOR? • • • • • • •

A secure web-based co-op software system that you will use throughout your Kettering University education Allows new students to upload their Microsoft Word resume(s). Allows eligible students to view and apply for co-op job opportunities Allows users to track resume referrals Allows users to view and register for Co-op Program Events Contains a “Messages” feature for communication received from the Co-op Office Allows, once employed, access to the On-line Co-op Work Evaluation Program

You may login to Co-op Navigator using the following steps: 1. URL: https://navigator.kettering.edu 2. User Type: “STUDENTS/ALUMNI” 3. Your user name and password are provided with your Kettering University acceptance letter and are located on the “Checklist Items to Complete the Enrollment Process” document. If you need assistance, please contact Kettering Technical Support at (800) 955-4464 extension 8324 between 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EST

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK DEFINITION OF ICONS Once you have successfully logged into Co-op Navigator you will see the following icons across the top of the page:

Messages

Personal Profile

Upload Word Resume Edit/View Resume

Resumes Referred

Events

Download Zone

Logout

Messages: When you log into Co-op Navigator, “Messages” will be the first page you view. The Co-op Office will occasionally post information in this section. Personal Profile: The “Personal Profile” icon contains information about you that will assist the Co-op Staff in promoting your availability to potential co-op employers. Uploading a Resume: This icon makes it possible to upload a Microsoft Word resume to Co-op Navigator. View Resume: This icon allows you to View, Print and Delete your uploaded resume. Resumes Referred: This icon allows you to view where your resume has been referred – available to freshmen in spring. Events: This icon allows you to view and register for Co-op Program Events. Contact Us: This icon provides you with the Cooperative Education & Career Services Support Staff’s contact information. Download Zone:This icon allows users access to documents such as work evaluations and the academic calendar Logout: This icon securely logs you out of Co-op Navigator. On-line Help: As you navigate through Co-op Navigator, the red question mark will appear in various sections. This icon means more on-line help is available by selecting this icon.

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK Messages Once logged into Co-op Navigator, you will arrive at the “Messages” page. The Co-op Staff uses the “Messages” portion of Co-op Navigator to periodically post messages as they relate to you. You will need to use the scroll bar on your right to read all the messages. To check for messages that may have arrived since the page was originally loaded, click the refresh button.

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK Completing Your Personal Profile Student Information’ Section:

Student Information Student Number : 70####### Salutation : Mr Name

(F / M / L) : Joe

Bahoovy

Gender : M Date of Birth : Co-op Manager : Darren Heartwell Admissions Manager: Sheila Adams Major : Environmental Chemistry H

Other Major 1 :

Electrical Engineering

Other Major 2 :

Mechanical Engineering

Current GPA : Class Standing : Freshman II Admit Term : 2001, Winter Section : A Co-op Employer : (not specified) - (not specified) Co-op Site Manager : (not specified), Graduation Date : Can View Jobs : Have Resume : H

User ID : baho#### Password :

****

Creation Date: Created By User: Revised Date: Revised By User: Save

• • • •

Student Number: Contains your nine-digit Kettering University Student Identification Number. Cooperative Education Manager: This field identifies your home area co-op manager. The manager’s name is a hyperlink that will take you to their personal contact information. Admissions Manager: This field identifies your admissions representative. The representative’s name is a hyperlink that will take you to their personal contact information. Major: In this section you will find a list containing the areas of study available to you as a Kettering University student. It will be helpful to us as we identify potential co-op employers to indicate which areas are of the most interest to you. We want to give you maximum exposure with employers where there is the greatest probability of finding a good long-term employment match with your interests. The first major shown in this section is the major you selected in your Application for Admission. If this major

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK •

•

• •

•

• • •

is no longer your first choice, please notify Admissions at 1-800-955-4464, ext 7865 or admissions@ kettering.edu. Other Major: If appropriate, please select up to two additional majors of interest in the drop down boxes located next to “Other Major 1” and “Other Major 2”. Current GPA: Your recomputed High School GPA will appear in this section. If you are a transfer student, your transferred college GPA will appear. Once you begin classes at Kettering University, this information will change to reflect your Kettering University GPA. Class Standing: Your current Kettering University Class Standing will appear in this section. As an incoming student you will see either “Incoming Freshman” or “Incoming Transfer”. Once you begin classes at Kettering University, your appropriate class standing will appear. Admit Term: The term you will begin classes with Kettering University. Section: The section as an incoming student will appear blank until your section (A or B) is assigned. Your admissions representative will be contacting you to discuss Kettering University section information. Once you are a student, your section will appear as S (school) or W (work). Co-op Employer: Once co-op employment is secured the co-op employer’s name will appear in this section. Co-op Site Manager: This field identifies the Co-op Site Manager who is the liaison for the Coop Employer currently listed. In some cases, this manager may be different than your Cooperative Education Manager [Home Area]. The manager’s name is a hyperlink that will take you to their personal contact information. Graduation Date: Your Kettering graduation date will appear in this section. Kettering University uses a generic date for graduation. Once you begin classes at Kettering University, your Kettering expected graduation date is listed. Can View Jobs: This section indicates when you are eligible to view co-op job postings in Co-op Navigator. As an incoming student, you can expect to receive privileges to this feature in April. Have Resume: This section indicates when you have a complete resume submitted to Kettering University Cooperative Education and Career Services. User ID and Password: This section contains your Co-op Navigator login information. At this time, we recommend you DO NOT change your existing password.

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK ‘Student Skills and Qualifications’ Section: In this section, you will have a chance to tell us about the specific skills and interests you have that we can use as we promote your availability to employers. You will have the opportunity to indicate your geographic preferences for locating a potential co-op employer. It’s very important to enter all of your choices accurately. Mandatory fields are denoted by an asterisk (*).

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Language: Enter any foreign language(s) from the list that you are able to speak. Skills: As you complete this section, think about classes you have taken, experiences you have had as part of your employment history or skills you have acquired in school activities. Select all that apply, but do not worry if you are unable to select many. Most entering students at Kettering University can only select two or three.To make multiple selections, hold down your ‘CTRL’ key and then left-click each appropriate skill. Concentration: This section is for upper-class students only. A Concentration is a demonstrated area of expertise within a major area of study. Concentration(s) are typically declared at the sophomore level within your major department (i.e. Mechanical Engineering Department). Geographic Restriction: In this section, indicate if you are willing/not willing to relocate for co-op opportunities. Geographic Preference: If you have selected “Willing to

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK

•

Relocate” under Geographic Restriction, you must select your Geographic Preferences (where you are willing to relocate). Employers hiring Kettering University students are located throughout the U.S. The majority of these organizations prefer to hire students from their local communities. Some employers however, are not concerned with where students are from as long as their backgrounds and interests are consistent with the employer’s co-op needs.To make multiple selections, hold down the ‘CTRL’ key and then left-click each appropriate location. NOTE: Most Kettering students prefer to find co-op employment close to home. However, some students find they can take advantage of great co-op employment opportunities by considering jobs away from their hometown. With that in mind, please let us know about other locations where you would be willing to look at co-op opportunities. For most of our students, their first choice will be their hometown area. As you consider the other choices, keep in mind locations where family members or friends may already live. Sometimes relocating can be stressful and expensive, and having a “friend in town” can ease this transition. Work Authorization: Choose your current Work Authorization status based on your citizenship, as well as selecting any countries in which you are authorized to work.

‘Addresses’ Section This area includes your permanent postal address, telephone, e-mail addresses, and other contact information as provided on your Application for Admission. The address information is read-only in Co-op Navigator. If you need to make corrections to your address information, please contact your Admissions Representative at 1-800955-4464, extension 7865 or via e-mail at admissions@ kettering.edu.

‘Term Sequence’ Section As an incoming student, this area may remain blank until you arrive on campus. It will reflect the rotation of school and work terms based on academic registration.

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK Uploading a Microsoft Word Resume This section allows you to upload your Microsoft Word resume to Co-op Navigator. Resumes must be saved and submitted in MS Word 97-2003. It is very important to note that we cannot accept resumes created in any other word processing software. Co-op Employers will be unable to open your resume, thus costing you a possible interview. If you do not have access to Microsoft Word please contact the Cooperative Education and Career Services Office for assistance.

Step 1: Select the “Upload Word Resume” Icon:

Step 2: Select the “Upload Resume” button. The screen below appears.

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK Step 3: Under the section “New Resume Title” type the new title of your resume as “General Resume”. Note: resume titles can only be used once. Step 4: Select the “Browse” button to locate and retrieve your resume from your computer.

Step 5: Select the “OPEN” button once you have located and highlighted the resume. The “File” field list the path to the resume. 21

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK Step 6: Select the “Submit to Co-op Office” button. Your resume will be saved in Co-op Navigator and submitted to Kettering University’s Cooperative Education and Career Services Staff. A confirmation email will be sent to you.

Please keep in mind: • • •

Once you have uploaded your resume(s), it will be available to view, however the content of these documents cannot be modified in Co-op Navigator To change the content of an uploaded resume, you must make all changes in Microsoft Word and reupload the resume Each time you upload a resume, delete the old resume

Kettering University Cooperative Education and Career Services 1700 West Third Avenue • Flint, MI 48504-4898 • Phone: (810) 762-7865 • FAX: (810) 762-9837 Students call toll-free in USA and Canada at 1-800-955-4464, extension 7865 URL: http://www.kettering.edu • E-mail: co-op@kettering.edu 22

RESUME DEVELOPMENT HANDBOOK

Kettering Univeristy Flint, MI www.kettering.edu 24