Hi Cornerstone students, my name is Amanda Tellez and the topic for this week will be “Resumes.”
As you all know resumes are a very important aspect of finding a job so this week we are going to help you build an effective resume. Many of you may already have a resume and that is great, we will just work to perfect it. Here are this week’s activities:
Activity 1:
If you don’t have one already, draft a rough resume. (Here is a really good website that will help you create or perfect your resume. You can use one you have already started or start from scratch. http://www.livecareer.com/resume-builder ) It doesn’t have to be perfect but it will get you started. After you draft a rough copy upload it into your Skydrive in your UCF email account. Make sure you share the file as a link and post that link into your comments to this topic so we can review it and make suggestions. Then answer these questions:
A. What makes a resume stand out (in either a good or a bad way?)
B. What do you want your resume to say about YOU?
Activity 2:
Take a look at the career services handouts website: http://www.career.ucf.edu/Students/Undergraduate_Students/Write_Effective_Resumes_and_Cover_Letters/Handouts_49_193.aspx and answer the following:
A. Which handouts were most helpful? Least helpful? Explain why or why not.
Mentoring Group 8
Activity 1:
ReplyDeleteA. What makes a resume stand out (in either a good or a bad way?)
I think the best way to make a resume stand out in a good way is to be yourself. You do not want to “falsely advertise” yourself and then go in for an interview and not be the person you have portrayed. I think it is also important to list your goals and accomplishments, as well as your strengths pertaining to the desired job/career.
B. What do you want your resume to say about YOU?
I want my resume to reflect who I am. I want my potential employer to look at my resume and be able to see where I am in life and where I plan to be in life. I want my resume to focus on my accomplishments and goals (both short-term and long-term). I think it is important that my resume explains that I am a hard and dedicated employee.
Lisa,
DeleteWhen making a resume you are right on the dot with being yourself. It is a good way to get yourself in trouble or fired for that matter because your boss is going to think that your someone your not if you are not honest with your resume. Listing your goals and accomplishments are vey important when writing a resume because you want your future employer to see what your skilled in and what what you are proud of.
Amanda Tellez
Lisa I think that you have your thoughts towards your resume well thought out. Having a resume that "pops" out when applying for jobs is very important. I think you are on the right track and will have no problems in the future.
DeleteLisa you bring up a very valid point. It is extremely important to be yourself and not try to sound how you think your employer wants you to sound. In the end you will only be hurting yourself. I also like what you had to say about wanting your resume to reflect who you are in like and where you want to be. I believe you are on the right track and in the end have an impacting resume.
DeleteLisa,
DeleteI never thought about something so simple, but it's so important! If you misrepresent yourself it will not only come back to bite you but it may also give you a false sense of the job you're applying for. There's a reason specific employers are looking for specific people. Great point!
Activity 2:
ReplyDeleteI thought the cover letter handout and the resume handout were extremely helpful because they were step-by-step instructions on how to create these documents. If a person had no clue on to how to create either of these documents, these handouts are great references on how to do so. I also thought the action verb handout was a great resource in finding strong descriptive words to explain different aspects in writing.
Lisa,
DeleteI am glad that your found those handouts helpful! Your didnt however post your rough draft of your resume. You still have time though so you dont have to rush.
Amanda Tellez
Here is a rough draft of my resume:
DeleteLisa West
Objective
My goal as a teacher is to teach children to love to learn. I am determined to keep my students interested and excited about learning.
Experience
March 2007- Currently
Employed Chili’s Bar and Grill Merritt Island, FL
Server/Waitress
* Explain how various menu items are prepared, describing ingredients and cooking methods.
* Check customers' identification in order to ensure that they meet minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages.
* Stock service areas with supplies such as coffee, food, tableware, and linens.
January 2005- March
2007 Lagoonz Family Restaurant Cocoa, FL
Server/Waitress
* Explain how various menu items are prepared, describing ingredients and cooking methods.
* Check customers' identification in order to ensure that they meet minimum age requirements for consumption of alcoholic beverages.
* Stock service areas with supplies such as coffee, food, tableware, and linens.
June 2003- January
2005 Domino’s Pizza Cocoa, FL
Cashier/Pizza Maker
* Answer phone calls and accurately take orders.
* Make pizza accurately and in a timely manner.
* Customer service.
Education
January 2005-April
2007 Brevard Community College Cocoa, FL
Associates of Arts
* 3.6 GPA
August 2010- Currently Enrolled University of Central Florida Cocoa, FL
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteActivity A
DeleteA good way that makes a resume stand out is organization. A resume that is clean makes it easier for an employer to read through it and find the bullet points that they are looking for in candidates. The opposite can be said about a resume that is not organized. Not having a flow to it would just send the message to an employer that the person themselves is not organized. I guess the main thing that I want my resume to say is that I have the experience necessary for the job I’m seeking.
Activity B
The handouts that help out the most are Cover Letter and Resume 101. I think this are the most helpful mainly because they’re simple to follow. Reminds me of working with handouts back in middle school where all the things we worked with were spelled out for us. The other useful handouts are the sample ones. If someone has never done either the cover letter or resume its great to have a visual example of both.
https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=2a84979b7379d259&resid=2A84979B7379D259!115&parid=2A84979B7379D259!112&authkey=!AOSTJoJitmtwglU
David Chicas
Hey Lisa,
DeleteWhen I looked at rough draft of your resume, the one thing that stood out that might help you out is getting the experience in the classroom. Substitute teaching, working with the Junior Achievement, or simply volunteering would be a great way to get use to be in front of the classroom and hone your skills. I understand that maybe you have to work during your time not in class, but if you can fit it in at some point then it should really help you out.
David Chicas
I agree with David. Getting some hand on experience such as teaching or volunteering would be helpful. It is hard to make time to fit in activities such as these, but even one day here and there will help. It is something that I am trying to work on as well. When it comes to the handouts I also found that the Resume 101 was very helpful and sometimes simple "handouts" can be the best tools.
DeleteLisa, after reading your post I went back and took a second glance at the cover letter handout and I would have to say that I agree. I was mainly focusing on the resume handout because that is what I was constructing and neglected to pay much attention to the cover letter handout. So I thank you for bringing this to my attention and influencing me to take a second look. I also liked the verb sheet and find discovering new words to use fun and entertaining. Good Job on your posts this week, I think you are well on your way!
DeleteDavid, I agree about organization being a priority on a resume and believe yours is very concise. I consider you’re goal of showcasing experiences was well done. The lack of objective or bio stood out to me but after reading some of the handouts maybe it’s unneeded. It’s clear you are busy keep up the great work!
DeleteTiffany, I agree with you my objective is weak as it stands. Its the one of the things I have to change and see what career services has to say about it. Hopefully they can tweak my resume to make pop a little bit more.
DeleteDavid Chicas
Career services is definitely super helpful, so I'm glad David mentioned it. I'm not their spokesperson, nor do I work there (haha) but they're good. I went in the other day and they had a ton of suggestions to help. A little unrelated to the resume, they made an excellent suggestion for me to keep references from professors in a binder or ask them to store one for me. It's been really effective so far, so I can't complain! Everyone should check it out!
DeleteDavid,
DeleteOrganization is definately a way that will make your resume stand out and look professional. Your resume looks very nice and organized just as you stated. Great job.
Amanda Tellez
https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=3375b9f72c000ac0#!/view.aspx?cid=3375B9F72C000AC0&resid=3375B9F72C000AC0!126
ReplyDeleteActivity One:
In all honesty, I do not believe that my resume makes a good first impression. I do not have a lot of experience relating to my future goals so my resume appears bland to me. I was actually really disappointment to see the results of my rough draft. I would like it to reflect my personality and interested, and it does neither. However, as I continue to grow and gain experience I'm sure my attitude will change as well.
Activity Two:
The two documents that I found the most helpful was the Resume 101 and Action Verbs. I am knew to writing resumes, so a guide with a few helpful tips would be extremely useful to me. The reason why I liked the action verbs so much is because I'm always looking for new words to spice up my writing. I do not like using the same words over and over again. Writing in such a way tends to lack creativity and that is something I try to stay away from (lacking creativity).
Rebekah, I also liked the verb sheet and will hopefully use it. I know these are rough resumes however, the spacing of university of central Florida should line up with Brevard community college so it’s easier to decipher. The handouts also suggested spelling it out so esol and tesol could use an explanation (I had never heard of them until this semester and seem to have to explain it if I use the abbreviations in daily life) Also maybe because one county was listed in educational experiences should it be listed on the next? I hope these help and good luck with goal
DeleteRebekah,
DeleteI love, love, love the reference sheet you started. It looks great, and it can only get better the more you impress people! Even though you haven't tackled a lot, your resume still looks good. I second Tiffany's suggestion to make sure the alignment is correct on that first paragraph. I would also include references available on request and have it as a separate document. This way, it's still easy to access but it won't automatically be there if not requested. Awesome post.
Rebekah,
DeleteYour resume will grow as you grow. It takes time and you will see soon that you will have great things to add in no time. I was hoping that someone would like the action verbs worksheet and I am glad you did. I also do not like using the same terminology over and over, it is good to be creative and it will show in your resume. Great job.
Amanda Tellez
https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=ebd0b6ae3ada9a55#!/view.aspx?cid=EBD0B6AE3ADA9A55&resid=EBD0B6AE3ADA9A55%21107
ReplyDelete1. I’m not sure what in my resume stands out, I feel it’s dated and not cohesive. I think it shows off my previous work experiences but doesn’t stress my personality. I followed advice from this class to shorten my resume but wonder if taking off skills and interest was a good thing.
2. I want my resume to be more upbeat and showcase my character as well as stressing my past performances. I don’t really have any defined goals and feel like lacking those hurt my resume.
3. The most helpful handout was the action verb page; I loved how it was categorized by skill/career and feel like the accomplishments section I will use to update my resume. The next helpful was a cover letter sample as I’ve not used cover letters for sending out my resume in the past so it was great to see a mock up.
Tiffany, I would say for a goal start with the reason for going back to school in the first place. Once you define that for yourself it would be easier to translate that your resume. If you're planning on doing some kind of office work in the future don't forget to include computer proficiency skills.
DeleteDavid Chicas
Tiffany,
DeleteI think it looks pretty good! It'll only get better the more you do in school and the more accomplishments you acquire. Try splitting up your paragraphs into something quicker to read. Employers want to glance at a resume and have the information quick but important. I would suggest selecting a few awesome things you have done and highlighting those instead of the paragraph format. Check out some resume templates on line
Tiffany, I am wondering if you have ever had to create a resume before. I feel that you should be more confident in your resume but I agree that at times they tend to focus on what you have done instead of who you are. I also found the cover letter writing 101 very helpful. I have never had to write a cover letter before either so I think that it will be very beneficial when it is necessary for us to create one.
DeleteTiffany,
DeleteYou might not have any goals as of right now but give it some time and throughout your school work you will realize your goals. I dont know if you did but the website I listed is very helpful in creating or perfecting your resume. You have great accomplishments you just need to list them in an easier way for your future employers to read.
Amanda Tellez
Activity 1
ReplyDeleteThe link below is to my rough draft resume on my SkyDrive. The most important element in a resume when I read them is the length. I don't want to read a resume that is pages long, so what stands out most for me is the organizational quality of the resume. If the columns are neat and the text is easy to read. I want my resume to say, "Here is Justiss, and he's a hard-working, kick-ass person!"
Activity 2
That website was super helpful! I liked the action verbs the most because I didn't think about how the perception of some words will lead people to feel that emotion or feeling. That's really cool, and I'll definitely be using that in the future! Honestly, all of it is helpful, so I don't think there's not a helpful section on there!
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHere's the link, lol.
Deletehttps://skydrive.live.com/?cid=ec660b762df5e971#!/view.aspx?cid=EC660B762DF5E971&resid=EC660B762DF5E971%21124
justiss, I never really thought about but you are right, the length of the resume would be considered very important. I know that if I was reading someone's resume and found out that it was time consuming I would throw it aside and probably not hire the person. I guess that having neat columns would be just as important because it also shows that you are professional and know how to follow the format expected of you. I merely glossed over the action verb handout but after reading your post I feel that maybe I should go back and look it over again.
DeleteJustiss,
DeleteI did not even begin to think about the length of the resume at all. Luckily mine isn't too long but that could absolutely be a deal breaker to a prospective employer. I also agree that the action verbs sheet was incredibly helpful. Keep being hard-working, kick-ass person!
Justiss,
DeleteYou make a good point about the length of a resume. It is very important that you dont ramble on and on about one thing on your resume. Everything is important and your employer will see that. Good job.
Amanda Tellez
I think one thing that makes a resume standout is the amount of work a person has put towards the job that they are applying for, for example, if the person is interested in a position dealing with law. What other jobs have they had preparing for this position or how much volunteer work have they done dealing with that specific area. I also feel that if you have managed a strong G.P.A while working or being involved in different activities makes your resume standout more to a employer.
ReplyDeleteI want my resume to say that I love working with children and have gone beyond the requirements to educate them. I want it to show that I have used hard work to make it to this point in my life so that they know I am dedicated to the position. Finally, I want my resume to show that I am qualified for any position that I am applying for.
I believe the handouts most helpful were the cover letter writing 101 and the sample because I have never had to write a cover letter before so if the situation came up that I would need to write one occurred I wouldn't know how. I think the least helpful handouts were resume writing 101 and using action verbs. These don't really help me because I have been in my classes where they tell you how to write resumes using different formats based on the position you are applying for and they always tell us to use action verbs when describing our achievements.
https://skydrive.live.com/?sc=documents&cid=7e9c21aae2f98d30#!/view.aspx?cid=7E9C21AAE2F98D30&resid=7E9C21AAE2F98D30%21115
Helen,
DeleteYou made a good point when saying that the amount of work you put into the job they are applying for is an important part. A employer wants to see that you are skilled or at least a little knowledgeable about the job before they hire you. Your resume is good and I think it does say that you love to work with children. Cover letters are important and a very helpful way to get a job.
Amanda Tellez
Activity 1
ReplyDeletea.) What makes a resume standout is it's professionalism. For instance a colorful resume, with crazy font, and a lot going on my stand out for people. But this is a bad stand out. The employer will have a hard time taking you seriously if your resume doesn't look serious. So a good stand out for a resume would simple professional things. Things such as one basic color to separate your resume from the pile. Something not to bright or crazy. Keep your resume straight and aligned with everything. A sloppy resume doesn't look good at all. And lastly keep your resume up to date. Having things on there from when you first started college wouldn't be good. It would also be embarrassing if you forgot to put you college degree. Plus you don't want the employer to ask you a question about your resume and you can't answer it.
b.) I want my resume to say I am professional and perfect for the job. If the employer reads my resume and gets both professionalism and qualified from it, then I am perfect for the job. If my resume said anything else it might affect the outcome of my getting that job.
Nick,
DeleteProfessionalism is very important when creating a resume. A simple font and a simple black color is what many employers are looking for. Organization is a key factor in this.
Amanda Tellez
Activity 2
ReplyDeleteAll the handouts were helpful. Even the simple ones like cover letter writing 101. Sometimes people forget the simplest things so having a handout as a reminder is great. My favorite and most helpful were the action verbs. I sometimes find myself at a loss for words when writing, and handouts like these really help me. Not only will they help me with writing papers, but using those types of words in an interview would sound really good. So I feel that handout was most helpful.
Rebekah, I too enjoyed the action verb handout. Sometimes when I write a paper I don't even notice myself using the same words over and over again. So when I go back and proof read my paper, I can use a handout like this and just find synonyms for the words I did use, or just find better ones. I also though the category of them was good since one can use the category that fits their areas of study.
ReplyDeleteActivity One:
ReplyDeleteHaving a resume that stands out is essential to initiating the interview process and leading to eventual employment. However, there are both positive and negative ways to stand out. On a positive note, professionalism, a clean format, noteworthy accolades, volunteerism and applicable job experience and degrees are simple ways to get ahead of the competition. Poor format, grammatical errors, inapplicable job experience or off topic accomplishments are sure-fire ways to avoid consideration and employment.
In regards to my own resume, my focus is to show who I am, both as a prospective employee and a person. I aim for my resume to show that I have a passion for volunteer work, a commitment to employers, and a hard work ethic.
Activity Two:
I thought that both of the sample resumes were very helpful as they allowed me to take a look at samples, and forge my own unique blend. Honestly I thought that all of the handouts were helpful, but if I was forced to choose one as the least helpful, it would have to be the skills sections used in functional resumes. I would be forced to choose this one simply because I didn't really use it.
https://skydrive.live.com/#!/view.aspx?cid=23567B136BD75ACB&resid=23567B136BD75ACB%21145
Delete