How to Build a Resume

Video Transcript

"My name is Pat Goodwin, I'm with PatGoodwinAssociates.com. Today we're going to talk about how to build a resume. Building a resume is like building blocks. There are certain components and certain things that we want as a strong foundation of building a resume. You would want to start at the top of the page with having accurate information about your name and your contact information. In today's world when we're concerned about security, you might want to have your name, which would be all caps and bold in the center. And then just your cell number and your e-mail information and not your physical address if you're concerned about security. Make sure that your e-mail is accurate and has a professional e-mail, you might want to set up a separate e-mail just for your job search. And make sure that your recorder on your phone or cell phone has a professional message. Underneath that you would have either an objective or might select to have a summary. An objective is a one sentence statement talking about what it is that you want to do. Seeking an opportunity in the field of engineering. Seeking an opportunity in the field of nursing. If you choose not to have a summary then you would want - I mean an objective then you would want to have a summary, which is three or four sentences about who you are as a person. When they read a resume, they want to know what you've done, when you've done it, and where. But when they meet you, they want to know how you think. So the summary can actually demonstrate who you are as a person and how you think. Highly effective, results drive, highly motivated, skilled, and then begin to talk about what it is that you do at your job and then what have you been recognized for, such soft skills, dependable, organized. Right under that you would want to have your professional experience and that's centered and bold, all caps. So the objective would be centered and bold all caps as well as the summary if you should choose to have both of those. If not the summary would be centered and bold, and then your professional experience would be centered and bold. You would have the name of the company and the city state, spelled out, and then to the right of that page you would have the dates of employment. Underneath the name of the company you might want to add one sentence about who that company is because not everyone will recognize the name of your company. Then you have your title, and then underneath that you will start creating bullets based on a methodology called SAR, situation action result. What are you directly responsible for? What is the action? And what's the result of having done it? You would have five or six bullets, per job, and not go back more than ten years, unless you feel like the jobs that are in the previous part of your career are important. Then past your professional experience you would have your education, if you are a college graduate, you would name your degree first. A BA, business management, then the name of your university, city, state and the date. And underneath that would be special projects, publications, special skills technical, and that's how you build a resume."