[NFBNJ] Job Fair Preparation Module Two - Create Your Resume

Sun Oct 22 03:12:02 UTC 2023

Hello again NFBNJ members and Federation friends,

Attached and included in the body of this email is the second  module to
assist you in preparing for our upcoming job fair. This module is titled,
"Create Your Resume." It includes steps and suggestions to create a resume
to use at our state convention job fair. Please put this to good use. Also,
keep in mind emails can sometimes mess with document formatting.

Best of luck,
Job Fair Team

Resume

One of the major items you'll need in your job seeker toolbox is a resume.
Sometimes people call it a CV or Curriculum Vitae. Regardless of your
technique for looking for a new job, it is almost a certainty that the
employer will ask for a copy of your resume. Employers look to the resume
as a source to compare candidates. There is a fine balancing act between
making sure that you have the most appropriate content in your resume and
keeping it to just two pages in length.

What's In a Resume?

While there is no perfect resume, there are items that you must include,
items you will want to include, and some items you'll absolutely want to
omit. You do not want to eliminate yourself from consideration, so it is
important that you build a strategically sound resume.
What to Include

A.   Name, phone number, and email address should all be placed at the top
of your document

B.   Links to an online portfolio or LinkedIn URL are optional if you have
them

C.   Sections for work experience, education, and hard skills should be
included
What Not to include:

A.   Age, birthday, marital status, religion, political affiliation, or
gender

B.   Place of birth, nationality, citizenship or visa status

C.   Social Security or taxpayer identification number

D.  References or the phrase "References Upon Request" are only needed
later in the process

E.   Refrain from using unprofessional email addresses. As an example,
using something like Denice @sexygirl97.com is not professional. If you do
not have a professional email address, create a free one using Outlook or
G-Mail. That would be looked upon much more favorably.
Other Considerations on Resumes

1.   Consistency is important. If you choose to format a certain part of
the resume, then just be consistent. e.g., if you use MM/YYYY for the
format of dates, make sure to use that format throughout as an example

2.   For jobs held in the past, you should use past tense verbs. If you are
currently working, you can use present tense verbs for that position only

3.   Whenever possible, try to use assertion statements (bullet points)
that contain results or achievements rather than a list of duties and
responsibilities. Recruiters are looking for outcomes not lists of duties.
This should be numerical when possible. For example, “…*as a result of
these efforts, sales increased by 6%*.”

4.   At the end of each assertion point, you do not need a period. Unless
you have more than one sentence. In that case, put a period at the end of
the first sentence, but no period after the second or subsequent sentence(s)

5.   Typically, in the "experience" section, candidates put the name of the
employer, city, state, and dates on the first line. The second line
contains the job title. As long as you are consistent, this does not need
to be changed if you are currently doing it differently

6.   Section names such as education, experience, skills, etc., can be put
into all capital letters if desired

7.   At the top near your name, phone, email, you can add the URL to your
LinkedIn profile if desired. It is almost a given that employers will look
you up on LinkedIn. You want them to be sure they have the correct person

8.   Whenever possible, try to illuminate your skills with numerical
values. e.g., "*Math tutor that helped hundreds of students with Calculus
and Applied Mathematics leading to 16% increase in GMAT scores*" versus
"Tutored high school students in math"

9.   Always use a spell check program and ask at least two other people to
read your document and look for typographical errors or formatting
inconsistencies
Formatting the Resume

Your interview actually begins the moment you hit the “Send” button when
submitting your resume!  Generally, the person reviewing your resume is
sighted.  When they open your resume, the first thing they will take in is
the formatting, even before they read the first word!  Some things to focus
on:

1.   A good font size is 11 or 12

2.   A good font style is Ariel or Calibri. Make sure all sections use the
*same* font.

3.   A good color is black

4.   CONSISTENCY is key.  A Recruiter may reject your resume instantly if
font size, font style, colors, etc. are not consistent throughout the resume

5.   Check to make certain the margins fit nicely on the page.  Not too
much white space on the top, bottom, or sides

6.   Consider using Bold, Caps, Italics, etc. for headings, job titles,
etc. rather than underlining.  Underlining can “scatter” the reader’s vision

7.   If you produce a two-page resume, do your best not to have *EDUCATION,
SKILLS *stand alone on the second page

8.   Do NOT place any artwork, photos, or designs on your resume. A resume
is not the right place for glamour shots

9.   Make certain bullet points are in alignment and use simple bullet
points. Avoid multiple types of bullet points. Remember, consistency is
important. It could be the aspect of your resume that sets you apart from
other applicants.
Other suggestions on formatting your resume:

This cannot be emphasized enough, remember to be consistent with how you
format your resume. Take your time to make sure you have professional email
addresses and that your LinkedIn profile is that of a qualified
professional. Below is a basic format template you may wish to use as a
guideline for creating your own format:

Name

Address (if desired)

Home and mobile phone numbers

Email address

LinkedIn address (Optional)

*CAREER SUMMARY *

·        This can be a brief overview of experience, education, goals,
passions, etc.  You may also include your job goal.  This is the only place
in the resume where you may use personal pronouns.  Think of it as a place
to “advertise” yourself.

*PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE *

*Name of Company – City, State          Dates Month/Year (beginning and
end)*

*Position Title*

·        Responsibility and result or benefit (Numerical values when
possible)

·        Responsibility and result or benefit

·        Responsibility and result or benefit

*Name of company – City
State
Dates *

*Position Title *

·        Responsibility and result or benefit

·        Responsibility and result or benefit

·        Responsibility and result or benefit

*VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE – If applicable
                                        Dates *

*Name of Organization – City,
State                                                     *

*Title*

·        Duties and Responsibilities

*EDUCATION - Enter chronologically *

*Name of School or University – City, State *

Name of degree - Date conferred

(Note:  It is not necessary to list High School if you are attending
college.  It is not necessary to list Community College if you graduated
from a four-year program.)

*SKILLS *

Computer Skills - including platforms, hardware and software if applicable

Office equipment you can utilize, or outdoor equipment used for other types
of work

ASL or, Braille, and other similar skills if you are applying to a
blind-serving agency

If this applies to you, mention any ability to speak another language. Use
the heading “Language Skills.”   Keep in mind that knowledge in other
languages is desirable

What is a “Career Summary” aka “Professional Summary” aka “summary of
Qualifications”

The trend in today’s resume is to begin the resume with a summary.  This
allows the reader to learn about your primary and most relevant history in
a few sentences.

Include a short phrase describing your profession

Followed by a statement of broad or specialized expertise

Followed by two or three additional statements related to any of the
following:

   - breadth or depth of skills
         - unique mix of skills
         - range of environments in which you have experience

*BUILDING A POWERFUL RESUME (Content)*

Assertion Statements:

1.    Avoid LISTS when describing your duties and responsibilities

(Avoid using phrases such as

·        “Duties included” followed by a list of duties

·        “Responsibilities” followed by a list of duties

2.   State the main duty/responsibility (not a list of them) in detail and
use power words (*See List Below*) .

3.   This brings your resume “alive” and brings the reader into the
“action” of your work.

4.   With each duty/responsibility, attempt to demonstrate the “result” or
“benefit” of your work. As we said previously, points like* “… resulting in
an 8% increase in productivity*.”  That makes the point stronger.

5.   If you are able to quantify the results ALWAYS include statements such
as:

·        Increased sales by 50%

·        Reduced costs by 30%

·        Drastically reduced staff hours resulting in budgetary increase of
15%

·        Consistently exceeded quota by an average of 2%

·        Reduced turn-around time by an average of 3%

·        Reduced employee turnover by an average of 4% over 3 years

Also, it is essential to utilize words that paint a picture of you being
action-oriented in how you approach your work. The use of power words in
your resume helps to create that vision.

Below is a list of “Power/Action Words”.  USE THEM!

Abstracted

Contracted

Financed

Managed

Questioned

Translated

Achieved

Converted

Fixed

Manipulated

Raised

Upgraded

Acquired

Coordinated

Followed

Mapped

Ran

Utilized

Addressed

Copied

Formulated

Mastered

Ranked

Validated

Advertised

Correlated

Fostered

Maximized

Rationalized

Verified

Advised

Counseled

Founded

Memorized

Reasoned

Visualized

Advocated

Created

Gained

Mentored

Recorded

Won

Aided

Critiqued

Gathered

Met

Received

Wrote

Answered

Cultivated

Gave

Minimized

Recruited

Anticipated

Dealt

Generated

Mediated

Reduced

Applied

Debated

Governed

Modeled

Referred

Approved

Defined

Guided

Modified

Related

Arranged

Delivered

Handled

Monitored

Relied

Ascertained

Designed

Headed

Narrated

Reported

Assembled

Detected

Helped

Observed

Researched

Assessed

Determined

Identified

Obtained

Responded

Assisted

Developed

Illustrated

Offered

Restored

Attained

Devised

Imagined

Operated

Revamped

Audited

Diagnosed

Implemented

Ordered

Reviewed

Augmented

Directed

Improved

Organized

Scanned

Authorized

Discovered

Improvised

Originated

Scheduled

Bolstered

Discriminated

Inaugurated

Overcame

Schemed

Briefed

Dispatched

Increased

Oversaw

Screened

Brought

Displayed

Indexed

Participated

Set Goals

Budgeted

Dissected

Indicated

Perceived

Shaped

Built

Determined

Influenced

Perfected

Skilled

Calculated

Drafted

Initiated

Performed

Solicited

Cared

Drove

Inspected

Perfected

Solved

Charged

Edited

Instituted

Performed

Specialized

Chartered

Eliminated

Integrated

Persuaded

Spoke

Checked

Empathized

Interpreted

Planned

Stimulated

Clarified

Enforced

Interviewed

Practiced

Strategized

Classified

Enlightened

Introduced

Predicted

Streamlined

Coached

Enlisted

Invented

Prepared

Stressed

Collaborated

Ensured

Inventoried

Presented

Studied

Collected

Established

Investigated

Prioritized

Substituted

Comforted

Estimated

Judged

Produced

Succeeded

Communicated

Exceeded

Kept

Programmed

Summarized

Compared

Excelled

Launched

Projected

Supervised

Completed

Expanded

Learned

Promoted

Supported

Complied

Expedited

Lectured

Proposed

Surveyed

Composed

Experimented

Led

Protected

Sustained

Computed

Explained

Lifted

Proved

Symbolized

Conceived

Explored

Listened

Provided

Synthesized

Conducted

Expressed

Located

Publicized

Tabulated

*What Are “Key Words"*

Key words are extremely important to include when composing the resume.
Some employers use electronic “scanners” commonly called ATS or Applicant
Tracking Systems. These are used as part of software to weed out resumes
that do not contain these key words. In reality, the ATS is searching for
some of the very same words from the job description they have posted for
their open job.

*NOTE*: Since key words are usually words that are found in the Job
Description; read the job description thoroughly and look for these words.
Then include them in your resume. There are numerous articles pertaining to
keywords and you can locate them using a Google search. You are encouraged
to read and apply key words, particularly if you are applying to a large
company or organization where “scanners” are likely used. Here is a link to
helpful example:

<https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=33&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjR9vSqn4HlAhUENn0KHT2_BWwQFjAgegQIAhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.monster.com%2Fcareer-advice%2Farticle%2Fhow-to-use-keywords-resume-0916&usg=AOvVaw1r-AC1tAgWodbhIfTzW5dZ>

Resume 101: How To Use Keywords | Monster.com
<https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=33&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwjR9vSqn4HlAhUENn0KHT2_BWwQFjAgegQIAhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.monster.com%2Fcareer-advice%2Farticle%2Fhow-to-use-keywords-resume-0916&usg=AOvVaw1r-AC1tAgWodbhIfTzW5dZ>
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