ADAPTING YOUR RESUME
Developing an initial resume that effectively showcases your experience and skills can help you prepare when it comes time to create tailored resumes that target opportunities, employers, and industries. Think about the needs, goals, and culture of an organization to adapt. How will you market yourself?
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SECTIONS
OVERALL APPEARANCE( FORMAT AND STYLE)
Is the document easy to scan? Does the most applicable, relevant information stand out? Is it clean, consistent, and use space well without clutter? Will you use a chronological( page 19) or functional( page 20) format? Start from scratch. Research templates online or see pages 21-22 to find a style that best matches your experiences and skills to an opportunity. Save your file as your first and last name( ex:“ Chip Waters Resume”) and send it as a PDF file to ensure consistency.
AND HEADINGS( EXPERIENCES)
On your initial resume, you can use the general headings from page 15 to stay organized since its purpose is to reflect on your experiences. When applying, develop specific headings with key words that better showcase your experiences that fit the opportunity. You may also want to adjust the order of sections based on relevance to the position. Include the most relevant information first and provide supplemental information as you go further down the document.
Example heading adaptations: GENERAL: SPECIFIC: Professional Experience Professional Development Employment
Marketing Experience Campus Leadership Customer Service Experience
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BULLET POINTS AND DESCRIPTIONS( SKILLS)
Use page 16 to reflect on skills within experiences that are relevant to the opportunity you are applying to, and consider organizing bullet points by relevance. Learn how to build a strong statement below:
Start with a basic framework. Advised students on finding jobs STRONG ACTION VERB + WHO OR WHAT + WHY / RESULT OF ACTION
Next, expand on statements by adding details that are relevant. Your goal is to develop a more detailed picture by using numbers and descriptive words.
Advised over 1,000 undergraduates on application materials, career development, and search strategies to help them secure jobs and internships
ADDITIONAL SAMPLE BULLET STATEMENT Assisted with an after school program
Partnered with staff to develop and implement an after school intervention program that resulted in a 50 % decrease in post-school discipline referrals
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