The Art of Resume Writing
Presented by
Anna Scarff, Assistant Director
The Career Center
Liaison to College of Human Ecology
Liaison to Psychology, Sociology, Geography, & Planning Majors
A resume is a tool for
introducing yourself to an
employer …
that will aid you in setting
up a meeting with
him/her.
There are four primary types of resumes:
• Reverse Chronological Resume
• Functional Resume
• Achievement Resume
• Curriculum Vita
A Reverse Chronological
Resume presents what you have
done in reverse chronological order
placing your most recent work
experience first and going
backwards in relevance and time.
RELEVANT EXPERIENCE
East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
2004 – Present
Webmaster
Converting and managing the The Career Center website from static HTML to ASP/XHTML and
implementing Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to facilitate future design changes; creating HTML forms and
automatic e-mailers using ColdFusion; adding and updating content.
Annuity Busters Corporation, Greenville, NC
2004 – Present
Computer Technician & Webmaster
Serving as the on-call technician for Peter and Kent Martin of Annuity Busters Corporation; assisting with
software and hardware updates, troubleshooting, and tutoring of advanced software functionality; redesigning
website layout and adding/updating content.
East Carolina University, Greenville NC
2001 – 2004
Help Desk Analyst
Provided technical support for students including, but not limited to: resetting customer passwords, software
support, local area networking support, internet connectivity troubleshooting, e-mail client configuration,
webpage creation, FTP support.
Wake County Public School Systems, Raleigh NC
Summer 2001
Assistant to the Director
Performed creation and updating of client information on Oracle database, created letters and informational
packets using Microsoft Office for new instructor hires.
A Functional Resume presents the
key functions of the job and lists
your related experiences and
accomplishments under each
function.
Objective: An entry level position in Child Care Management for a state funded agency helping disabled
children learn to deal with their condition.
Review of Functional Strengths
Planning and Organizing
•Expanded a volunteer position into an externship for myself in a child welfare facility
•Facilitated open-discussion groups and panel discussions for prospective students.
•Held yearly meetings for potential members.
Customer Relations and Communication
•Demonstrated multiple levels of communication in different situations.
•Learned a foreign language to better communicate with other cultures.
•Interacted with students from different socioeconomic background.
•Identified problems and solutions in a timely manner.
•Acquired strong and comfortable relationships with otherwise non-responsive children.
Management and Administration
•Supervised 20 students two to three days a week.
•Delegated responsibilities for Minority Family Weekend and Open House.
•Assisted physicians and nurses with approximately 750 patients.
Research and Analysis
•Developed preparatory writings for the published article.
•Gathered resources for article’s discussion and conclusion.
•Preformed multiple tests using SAS on predetermined data and released statements on data.
An Achievement or Accomplishment
Resume presents related tangible,
quantified accomplishments in bulleted
lists or three line stories, and may
include clear tangible benefits to an
employer, personality statement,
graphics, additional training, and
related industry-specific memberships.
Community Based Service Worker
Mentoring ~Coaching ~ Training
Sensitive and understanding, I am concerned for the welfare of others and like to work with
people. Enthusiastic, optimistic, and flexible, I provide a positive outlook on life and am effective at helping
others work through their problems.
Job Objective
I am interested in a position in Community based service work where my skills are mentoring, coaching,
training, developing, and motivating individuals to accomplish goals that have been set according to their
treatment plan. My proven capabilities are applicable in a variety of areas, including:
Training and developing adequate life or living skills
Tutoring to obtain better grades in education.
Redirecting or modifying behavior to adhere to social standards.
CENTER ONE, Fort Jackson, SC
2003
Program Assistant
Center One is a research oriented branch of the army that is coordinated by the Head Psychologist of The
United States Army Recruiting Command. I was responsible for the design, implementation, and analysis of
a survey targeting needs assessment, job analysis and training. Accomplishments Achieved:
•Conducted job analysis on 17 key recruiting positions
•Performed an extensive training needs assessment with 12 departments
•Conducted interviews and testing on 30 positions
A Curriculum Vita is used
only for teaching positions
in higher education and
covers every aspect of
a professor’s qualifications, including
degrees earned, teaching experience,
publications, presentations at
conferences, and awards.
Base all decisions about
your resume on the
preferences of the audience
who will read it.
Resume Writing Guidelines
• If the information is important to the
employer, it belongs on your resume. If
not, remove it.
• Place information on a resume in order
of its importance to the employer.
• There is no “right way” to write a
resume – you decide what is best.
• You will know how effective it is by the
number of interviews you receive.
Objectives – An objective is a key part of a resume. It
must communicate to the reader at least three of the
following aspects:
• The job you want,
• The industry,
• What you want to do,
• The key required skills.
Example:
Objective—To obtain a summer internship with
the Boys & Girls Club using my skills in
fundraising, organization, and my ability to
communicate with diverse populations.
Resume Sections
Contact Information
Objective
Education
Experience—can include part-time & full-time
employment, internship & practicum experiences,
volunteer opportunities, etc.
Capabilities Profile—specialized skills & abilities,
certifications, language skills, etc.
Professional Affiliations
Community Involvement/Extra-Curricular
Activities
Reference section?
• Your goal is to get the employer to contact you
about an interview.
• When you automatically provide references,
they don’t have to talk to you to get them.
Wait until after you have been
interviewed to provide references so
that you can prepare them for the call
by telling them:
• Who will be calling
• About the position
• Why you are qualified
• What you want them to say
about you
Let’s practice!
Jane Smith
252-123-4567
987 Greenville Blvd
Greenville, NC 27858
[email protected]
Objective:
To obtain a job where I can use my skills and abilities and join a teem of professionals
Education:
East Carolina University
B.A. in Psychology, May 2006
GPA: 2.8/4.0
C. B. Aycock High School
Diploma, May 2002
GPA: 3.2/4.0
Experience:
Texas Steakhouse, Greenville, NC
Server/Hostess/Trainer
•Great and seat people
•Take orders & serve food
•Train new hires
•Provide customer service
June 2006-present
PetSmart, Greenville, NC
Cashier
•Handle customer check-out
•Answer questions about items
•Clean animal cages as needed
Skills:
Microsoft Word
Excel
References:
Judy Smith, (252) 555-7654
John Jones, (252) 555-1234
Betsy Ross, (252) 555-9998
December 2002-May 2006
PowerPoint
Internet
Jane Smith
[email protected]
987 Greenville Blvd.
Greenville, NC 27858
252-123-4567 (home)
252-234-5678 (cell)
Objective
To obtain a Research Assistant position for a research institution, utilizing my skills in statistical analysis, data compilation, and active listening.
Capabilities Profile
My proven capabilities are applicable in a variety of areas, including:
Time Management
Detail-oriented
Empathic Listener
Organizational Skills
Experienced Researcher
Customer Service
Microsoft Office
SPSS II
Excellent Communicator
Presentation Skills
Data Analysis
SYSTAT 8.0
Education
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
May, 2006
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC
Major GPA: 3.4
Examples of Relevant Coursework: Psychological Statistics, Introduction to Psychological Testing, Psychology of Learning, Experimental
Psychology, Abnormal Psychology
Psychology Research & Testing Projects Completed:
Directed Study/Internship—Assisted a Psychology graduate student with her thesis research experiment. We worked with animal (rats and
pigeons) and human subjects to research the psychological phenomenon of learned helplessness. We ran experiments using traditional and
computerized Skinner boxes, cared for the animal subjects, and maintained the laboratory facilities.
Testing Project—Created and implemented a survey for Psychological Testing class project. My group wrote 10 original questions to test our
college population’s knowledge of Motown Recording Artists, and implemented the survey to 100 undergraduate students at ECU. We used
SPSS computer software to analyze the data, and wrote a detailed report.
Work Experience
Hostess/Server, Texas Steakhouse, Greenville, NC
Cashier, PetSmart, Greenville, NC
June 2006-present
December 2002-May 2006
Professional Affiliations
Psi Chi, National Psychology Honor Society
Fall 2005-present
THE CAREER CENTER
White house on the
corner of Fifth and
Jarvis next to the
Chancellor’s house.
252-328-6050
www.ecu.edu/e3careers/