Make it crystal clear why you’re the right match for the position you’re specifically targeting.
One of the most strategic tools for a successful job search is a resumé that accurately reflects your goals, skills, experience, and ability to communicate effectively.
“Resumés are a window to the world of your potential employers and possibly your future direct manager,” says Linda Gunther, BA, MA, MBA, a Silicon Valley human resources consultant who has vetted candidates’ resumés for more than 20 years.
Gunther is one of several instructors in the UCSC Silicon Valley Extension Human Resource Management certificate program who will be onsite during the upcoming career fair Thursday, Feb. 28 to help you polish your resumé, perfect your presentation, and practice your interview skills.
Creating a resumé is a great way to focus your job search and develop your main points to pitch to recruiters.
What do you want recruiters to know about you, about your professional accomplishments, and about what matters to you most? How do you get it all on a single page (or two)?
“Your goal when developing your resumé is to make it crystal clear why you’re the right match for the position you’re specifically targeting,” Gunther says. “You want to make sure your experience, accomplishments, and abilities are presented in a way that shines.”
Below, Gunther offers up several bite-sized resumé tips to provide you with a foundation for shaping your personalized window to the world.
Bite-sized tips for a healthy resumé
- Create a header with your name and contact information.
- Write a clear, concise job objective or career summary. Tailor it to your targeted job.
- Decide your resumé structure. Will it be functional, chronological, or feature a blended structure?
- Use a bulleted statement or an umbrella introductory heading for each key position held (optional).
- Be brief and concise. No fluff.
- Emphasize results and accomplishments.
- Use action-oriented words and descriptors.
- Avoid too much repetition in word choices.
- Stick with a single verb tense. Use either past or present tense. Do not use both.
- List education, honors, certificates and publications. (An overview is better than listing every detail. Resist overdoing it).
- Use spellcheck. Double-check your spelling.
- Check your punctuation. Keep it the consistent throughout the document.
Learn more about the UCSC Extension Career Fair • Thursday, Feb. 28.
UCSC Extension Onsite HR Advisors
Instructors from our Human Resource Management certificate program will be onsite during the career fair to coach attendees on their job search. Bring your resumé, your elevator pitch, and your job search strategy for feedback and new ideas.
- LINDA GUNTHER, BA, MA, MBA — HR Consultant with Pinnacles HR Consulting • Author • UCSC Extension HR Instructor
- CRAIG HARRISON, BA — Professional Speaker, Consultant, Author, and Founder of Expressions of Excellence • UCSC Extension HR Instructor
- NANCY NELSON, B.A., SPHR, GPHR, SHRM-SCP — Business Consultant with HRProse • UCSC Extension HR Co-Chair & Instructor
- MARCO ROSA, MA — Certified HR Executive Coach with Simplified Coach, Inc. • UCSC Extension HR Instructor
- DAVID SWANSON — Former chief of HR for SAP Global • Author – The Data Driven Leader • UCSC Extension HR Co-Chair & Instructor