THE
RESUME GUIDE THAT WILL GET YOU
HIRED
Contents
3 4 8 9 10 11 12
Introduction
Structure
Industry Insights
Things to Remember
Resume Checklist
What's Next?
Conclusion
Introduction
With our combined experience, consultations with recruitment experts and tips from industry professionals, we have created your go-to resume guide! At UTSoC Careers, we want to boost your employability and keep your resume at the top of the pile, which is why we have tailored this Ebook specifically for Communication students. Whether you are skilled in digital and social media, public relations, advertising, journalism, creative writing, sound design or media arts - this book is for you. Excelling in the creative industry means producing an IMPACTFUL resume and we're going to help you do just that.
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Structure Arguably the most important aspect of your resume. Practice prioritising information to most effectively convey who you are and what you can do. What does the recruiter want to see? What do I need to show off to get this job? CALVIN AINSLEY M: 0987 654 321 calvinainsley@gmail.com
Personal Details
CAREER OBJECTIVE
Name, phone number and email ONLY. Your name should be the largest text on the page. If you have a LinkedIn profile you may want to link that here as well! e.g. www.linkedin.com/in/calvinainsley Keep it professional and presentable, create a new email if you have to.
Career Objective This is a brief statement enabling employers to quickly understand who you are. 2-3 sentences giving your resume a focus point. Highlight your strengths, background and career goals (short and long term). Tailor this section to each position you apply for.
OFFER and how this aligns with the organisation's GOALS.
Think about what you can
E.g. Specialising in Digital and Social Media Currently studying a Bachelor of Communications, majoring in Digital and Social Media, I am seeking a role at UTSoC Media that will challenge my ability to tailor content to specific audiences. I will be able to bring to this role a strong understanding of content creation, MailChimp, and my communication skills that I developed as a Customer Service Assistant at Woolworths. I wish to develop my understanding of community management and consumer engagement in the professional workplace. E.g. Journalism Graduate With a passion for investigative journalism and past experience as an ABC research intern, I am seeking a graduate position at UTSoC Publishers that allows me to explore stories outside my usual sphere of influence and utilise strong communication skills to assist in the development of a publishing team that values perseverance and honesty just like myself.
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CALVIN AINSLEY M: 0987 654 321 calvinainsley@gmail.com
CAREER OBJECTIVE EDUCATION
EXPERIENCE
EDUCATION
Masters in Strategic Communication University of Technology Sydney Thesis: Tik Tok's Success SKILLS
2020 - Present
Bachelor of Communication (Public Communication) University of Technology Sydney 6.0/7.0 GPA REFEREES UTS Accomplish Award 2018 Strategic Public Relations: High Distinction
2017 - 2020
Higher School Certificate UTS School ATAR: 90
2011 - 2016
Education Place your education in reverse chronological order (most recent goes first). First line: Name of degree Second line: Name of institution Third line: Any key achievements or specific subjects
Keep dates aligned with the title of qualification and listed down the right hand side of the page.
Think about what is relevant! If you are at a later stage of your degree, or completing your masters, high school is no longer relevant. Key achievements may include exchange programs, awards received, a list of majors, leadership positions etc. If you are able to, add a direct link to your portfolio or a project from your university. This could be a blog, website, written articles, previous campaign, social media following or university assignment.
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EDUCATION
Experience
EXPERIENCE
Employers want to know what you can do and what you've done! Clearly, and as quickly as possible. Position title in bold, company, then location. Reverse chronological order (most recent first). Provide a month and year start date and end date or write ‘current’ for current positions. Past tense for past positions e.g. developed instead of developing. Use clear bullet points to state responsibilities.
Social Media Manager
Feb 2020 - Oct 2020
UTS Society of Communications, Sydney Practiced organisational skills by managing social media calendars and ensured the timely delivery of creative content in collaboration with society members Developed marketing collateral inclusive of brochures, EDM composition, social media posts and engaging email copy Demonstrated leadership skills through the coordination of two team members Created engaging content to boost following on Facebook and Instagram by 200% from February - October
Include quantitative numbers where possible. Think of it like evidence to support the argument that you are the best candidate for the position!
Answer these questions: ‘What problems did I solve?’, ‘What was I recognised for?’, 'How did I stand out?'
Imbed TRANSFERABLE
SKILLS
with an action verb and then an example. Met the needs of customers/clients
Demonstrated a high standard of professional communication and customer service to ensure a positive brand reputation.
Created weekly content
Practiced time management and excellent written language in the creation of four weekly articles
Compiled reports for seniors
Developed key insights from collated data for senior managers to maintain accuracy and suggest improvements in strategy
Action word bank
Achieved Activated Acquired Analysed Collaborated Collated Demonstrated Designed Detected Directed Discovered Eliminated Encouraged Engaged Ensured Established Expanded Formulated Founded Generated Inspired Installed Instructed Integrated Managed Measured Negotiated Networked Organised Performed Presented Programmed Protected Provided Published Reported Represented Researched
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Skills A shopping list of skills is not going to make you any different from the next person.
SKILLS
First, distinguish between your soft and hard skills and explain how they make you a great candidate! Remember - only include what is relevant.
Soft
Hard/Technical
Soft skills are difficult to substantiate, so
Align your technical skills with the specific position you are applying for; what are they looking for in candidates?
make sure to include an example or explain how you have demonstrated that skill.
A simple list is an easy way to convey your technical skills.
Skills Organisational and time management skills - As a content creator and social media planner I was required to meet weekly deadlines and ensure all information was scheduled appropriately. Teamwork - In the process of designing a recent integrated campaign at university, I worked closely with 5 other students from varying backgrounds to devise tactics and pitch to the client, developing my ability to compromise and actively listen. Dedication - Whilst working on the client 'UTS', I went to every length to get a primary interview with the top researcher which earned my work a recognition award. Google Analytics, Google Search Console, SquareSpace Photoshop, Illustrator, Final Cut Pro MailChimp Nielsen CMV
Referees You do not need to provide a list of referees at the end of your resume. Instead, include a line saying "referees available upon request". If you are asked for referees, send across 2 - 3 contacts (name, connection, phone number, email).
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Industry Insights We chatted to our industry connections about what makes the perfect resume, here's what they said: "7 seconds. That's the average time a recruiter will review your resume. Trim the fat to make it easy to skim and always customise your resume to match the position or the company you are applying for. If you have a specific experience that relates directly to the position, don’t hesitate to highlight it." Laura Bennegadi, Co-Founder & CEO of ArtBound Initiative
"Make sure your personality shines through, what you have done is important, but who you are is what will set you apart. Get them curious to meet you, then own the interview. Do your research and customise your resume to catch the interests of the person/business you're courting." Max Broer, National Strategy Director at Bohemia
"A perfect resume is a considered resume, meaning that it is tailored for the audience (a specific job or employer) it is intended. It needs to highlight an individual's achievements across the broad spectrum of their experience and be a true representation of a person's education, employment and extracurricular involvement." Ruth Wilcock, Careers Consultant at UTS Careers
"Under each role have a couple of dot points which are action oriented. This means you outline actions you performed in those roles and the impact those actions had. It's also important where you can to quantify your impact. How has what you've done made meaningful change?" Andrew Cooper, Strategy, Transformation and Corporate Affairs Lead at KBR Inc.
"Say it: In your cover letter, be upfront and make your intentions clear. Use less ethereal adjectives and focus on using words that clearly state your competencies and skills. Show them: Provide examples of your work that showcase your skills in action." Mia Besorio, AU Marketing Manager at Depop
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Things to remember Every resume is going to be different because it is unique to the person it represents. Think of it as the best possible reflection of yourself on paper! LESS IS MORE Follow the structure, it's as simple as that. 1-2 pages is great!
RELEVANCE IS KEY Think about what information matters on the page. Every line should be purposeful and add to your personal value. Do you they really need to know about your Year 9 awards? You tell me.
KNOW THE COMPANY By the time you are submitting your application you should be able to tell me the company key values, what they specialise in and whether they have Friday drinks or not. Utilise platforms like
to research employees,
company activity, collaborations and news. Impress them with your knowledge!
MAKE IT UNIQUE Without going too wild, make your resume YOU. Think about which of your attributes, experiences and skills really convey who you are and what you want to achieve.
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Resume Checklist General Resume is 1 - 2 pages in length Section headings stand out from general content (bold, underlined or larger font) Same font size and type throughout resume Pages are well spaced and have consistent formatting (justification of text, position of dates) Resume is reviewed and edited for any spelling mistakes! Included relevant keywords/phrases mentioned in job advertisement
Contact Details/ Career Objective Full name is the largest text of the resume at the top of the first page Customised LinkedIn URL included Avoided using email with numbers Career Objective is 2-3 lines (summary of your current situation, knowledge and ambitions)
Education and Employment Activities listed in reverse chronological order (most recent first) Relevant subjects, academic achievements, awards or scholarships listed in dot point format under the degree Outdated education is removed Each Experience position has 3-5 dot points of responsibilities or achievements Begin each dot point with an action verb e.g. "developed, coordinated" Appropriate tenses used - past tense for previous positions, present tense for current positions Dates include month and year, start and end date
Skills 3-4 core skills with supporting evidence Listed technical skills and programs you are proficient in
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What's next? Now your resume is looking shiny and new, it's time to put it to good use! Here are a few things to solidify and boost the impact of you resume: Ask for feedback. Send your resume to a connection in the industry (your tutor, mentor, manager or someone you look up to) and see what they have to say! Apply for positions in your industry. UTS CareerHub and LinkedIn are great places to start. You gotta be in it to win it! If you want more specific advice or help with making your resume look fantastic, book an appointment online through CareerHub with our friends over at UTS Careers for a oneon-one resume workshop.
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Conclusion For more information about our other portfolios or queries about joining the team, visit us here:
utsoc.com.au
This Ebook is brought to you by Amy Benson, Careers Director of the UTS Society of Communications 2020
Find us on:
@utsoc
