Step-by-step resumes: build an outstanding resume in 10 easy steps!

312 Pages·2011·69.625 MB·English

by  Salvador, Evelyn U

Careers/Resumes
CD Included!
Step Step
Contains resume templates and worksheets.
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SECOND EDITION p
Resumes
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Build an Outstanding Resume in 10 Easy Steps!
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THE REVOLUTIONARY APPROACH USED BY THOUSANDS OF KEYWORDS AND
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PROFESSIONAL RESUME WRITERS! ACTION VERBS
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The worksheets in this book have helped countless people overcome Choose from thousands of targeted and attention-
the biggest hurdle to resume writing: determining your strengths and getting words to jazz up your resume. Just check s
communicating them effectively to employers. This book coaches off the boxes and include the perfect words in your
you through the same process used by professional resume writers! own document. The extensive lists in this book EDSE
Use the worksheets in this book to include ITIONCOND SECOND EDITION

● Catalog your personal information and job titles. ● 2,700 action verbs B
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● Discover your most relevant attributes and areas of expertise. ● 1,100 keywords/areas of expertise i
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● Write bullets that showcase your achievements, the most ● 300 descriptive adverbs and adjectives Build an Outstanding Resume in 10 Easy Steps!
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important part of an effective resume. ● 150 computer skill keywords n

● Create a Professional Summary section to start your resume O
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with impact.
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BONUS CD-ROM SAVES s
● Write a cover letter that gets attention. ta
HOURS OF TYPING!
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● Create a personal brand for your job search campaign.
d This revolutionary how-to process is the easiest way to create a winning resume!
The CD at the back of the book includes these exclu- i
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sive resume-creation tools: g

ABOUT THE AUTHOR R (cid:129) Fill in the blanks, check off the boxes—and you’re done!
● Achievements worksheets for diverse profes- e
Evelyn U. Salvador, NCRW, JCTC, is a Certifi ed Resume Writer sions su
and Career Coach, Business and Personal Branding Strategist and m (cid:129) Paste customizable ClipBullets™ into your job descriptions.
● Personal branding worksheets
Marketer, and creator of award-winning resume products. A vision- e
● 400 customizable Resume ClipBullets™ to paste
ary thought leader and career speaker, Evelyn fosters a comprehen- in
directly into your resume (cid:129) Choose from thousands of powerful resume keywords and action verbs to get your resume “screened in.”
sive, innovative approach to meeting the career development needs 1
of 21st-century job seekers. ● Templates for your resume and cover letters, 0
as well as for starting the most important para- E (cid:129) Follow the simple instructions to create a resume that opens doors for you!
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graph: the Professional Summary
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● Designer resume templates and samples to give
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your resume a professional appearance t
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Salvador Evelyn U. Salvador
Certifi ed Resume Writer and Career Coach
800-648-JIST | www.jist.com
$19.95 Higher in Canada
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Step Step
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by
Resumes
SECOND EDITION
Build an Outstanding Resume in 10 Easy Steps!
Evelyn U. Salvador
Certified Resume Writer and Career Coach
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Step-by-Step Resumes, Second Edition
© 2011 by Evelyn U. Salvador
Published by JIST Works, an imprint of JIST Publishing
7321 Shadeland Station, Suite 200
Indianapolis, IN 46256-3923
Phone: 800-648-JIST Fax: [phone] E-mail: [email protected]
Visit our Web site at www.jist.com for information on JIST, tables of contents, sample pages,
and ordering instructions for our many products!
See the back of this book for additional books and ordering information. Quantity discounts are
available for JIST books. Please call our Sales Department at 800-648-5478 for a free catalog and
more information.
Acquisitions and Development Editor: Lori Cates Hand
Interior Designer: Marie Kristine Parial-Leonardo
Page Layout: Toi Davis
Proofreaders: Laura Bowman, Jeanne Clark
Indexer: Kelly D. Henthorne
Printed in the United States of America
15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Salvador, Evelyn U., 1952-
Step-by-step resumes : build an outstanding resume in 10 easy steps! /
Evelyn U. Salvador. -- 2nd ed.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-59357-778-0 (bound-in CD : alk. paper)
1. Résumés (Employment) I. Title.
HF5383.S25 2010
650.14’2--dc22
2010025503
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, or stored in a
database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief
quotations embodied in articles or reviews. Making copies of any part of this book for any purpose other
than your own personal use is a violation of United States copyright laws. For permission requests, please
contact the Copyright Clearance Center at www.copyright.com or [phone].
We have been careful to provide accurate information in this book, but it is possible that errors and omis-
sions have been introduced. Please consider this in making any career plans or other important decisions.
Trust your own judgment above all else and in all things.
Trademarks: All brand names and product names used in this book are trade names, service marks, trade-
marks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
ISBN 978-1-59357-778-0
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About This Book
My goal in developing this workbook is to give you precisely what you need to write a top-notch,
high-impact resume so you don’t have to wade through tons of books, making an already daunting
task more complex.
My mission is to help you catapult your career as painlessly as possible via a simple how-to resume-
building process, so that you can achieve the highest-level result possible by writing your resume
yourself. My goal is to impart upon you the methods, techniques, and proprietary information
I have successfully used in my private practice that have helped clients advance their careers and
improve their quality of life, and to coach you side-by-side as you complete each step.
The amount of effort you put into preparing your resume is commensurate with the level of success
you will achieve when you send it out. The greater the effort, the greater the interview results, and
the more satisfied you can be with the type of job you land and, ultimately, your lifestyle. So pay
particular attention as you review each step to make your resume the best it can possibly be! The
end result will show prospective employers why you are the best candidate for the job.
As resume writers and career coaches, we take every little bit of information from our clients to
capitalize on their strengths and their competitive edge; and we weigh every word in the resume
before we consider it complete. So to get the most out of this process, take your time with each step
to be sure you have left no stone unturned in making yourself shine!
All you need to do is follow each step carefully to develop your winning resume. And when you’re
reading your final draft, don’t be surprised if you say, “Wow! I’d hire me!” as clients of professional
resume writers often do.
Let’s get started on your road to success!
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Contents
INTRODUCTION: HOW TO USE THIS BOOK .....................ix
STEP 1: ASSESS YOURSELF ...............................................1
Define Your Targeted Job and Its Requirements.....................................................................2
Assess Your Personal Attributes ..............................................................................................3
Instructions for Assessing Your Personal Attributes ...............................................................................3
How Your Primary Personal Attributes Will Be Used in Your Resume .................................................3
Your Personal Attributes ..........................................................................................................4
Your Primary Attributes ..........................................................................................................6
Assess Your Skills ....................................................................................................................8
What Are Keywords and Why Are They Important? ............................................................................8
Your Areas of Expertise ......................................................................................................................8
Transferable Skills .............................................................................................................................9
Skills Assessment Areas .......................................................................................................................9
Skills Assessment Instructions for Compiling Your Areas of Expertise Section .........................................9
Keywords/Area of Expertise ...................................................................................................10
Computer Skills ....................................................................................................................17
Profession-Specific Keywords ................................................................................................18
Compile Your Customized Areas of Expertise .......................................................................19
Your Customized Areas of Expertise ......................................................................................20
STEP 2: SET YOUR RESUME STRATEGY ............................21
Decide What to Include ........................................................................................................22
Outline Your Work History ..................................................................................................23
Your Work History ...............................................................................................................23
Select Your Relevant Experience ...........................................................................................25
Your Resume Foundation ......................................................................................................29
Select Your Resume Format ..................................................................................................31
Reverse-Chronological ......................................................................................................................31
Functional.......................................................................................................................................31
Combination ...................................................................................................................................32
Curriculum Vitae (CV) ...................................................................................................................32
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Contents v
STEP 3: LIST YOUR GENERAL INFORMATION AND JOB
RESPONSIBILITIES ..............................................33
List Your General Information ..............................................................................................34
General Worksheet ................................................................................................................35
Write Your Job Responsibilities Bullets .................................................................................37
Bullet Starters: Action Verbs .............................................................................................................37
“Implied” Information .....................................................................................................................37
Quantify Your Job Functions ...........................................................................................................37
Gather Material for Your First Responsibility Bullets .........................................................................38
Quantify Your Job Information .............................................................................................39
Write Your First Resume Bullet for Each Position..............................................................................41
Thoughts to Include in Your First Bullets for Each Position .................................................41
Document Your First Bullets ............................................................................................................44
Your Final First Bullets for Each Position .............................................................................45
Promotions: Your Second Resume Bullet ...........................................................................................46
Write Your Second Bullet .................................................................................................................50
Writing Bullets for Your Promotions ....................................................................................50
Use Action Verbs to Start Each of Your Bullets ....................................................................51
About Resume Action Verbs ..............................................................................................................51
Instructions to Check Off Your Action Verbs .....................................................................................51
Action Verbs for Managers and Executives ............................................................................52
Action Verbs for All Professions ............................................................................................53
Getting Creative with Powerful Action Verbs ....................................................................................60
Double-Playing Action Verbs............................................................................................................60
Start Your First Draft ............................................................................................................60
Resume Draft Worksheet ......................................................................................................64
STEP 4: IDENTIFY YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS .........................75
Achievements: The Most Important Part of Your Resume ....................................................76
What Do Employers Want? ..............................................................................................................76
The Importance of Achievements ......................................................................................................76
Achievement Questions on the Worksheets .........................................................................................77
Converting Your Worksheet Answers to Resume Bullets ......................................................................77
Achievement Conversion Examples .......................................................................................77
Example 1 (Service Positions) ...........................................................................................................77
Example 2 (Sales Associate) ..............................................................................................................79
Example 3 (Teacher) .......................................................................................................................79
Achievements Worksheet Instructions ...................................................................................80
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vi Step-by-Step Resumes
General Achievements Worksheet .........................................................................................81
Entry-Level/New Graduate Achievements Worksheet ...........................................................89
Supervisory Achievements Worksheet ...................................................................................90
Management and Executive Achievements Worksheet ..........................................................94
Administrative Achievements Worksheet .............................................................................101
Creative Achievements Worksheet .......................................................................................106
Customer Service Achievements Worksheet ........................................................................108
Marketing Achievements Worksheet ...................................................................................114
Production Achievements Worksheet ..................................................................................120
Sales Achievements Worksheet ............................................................................................126
Service Achievements Worksheet .........................................................................................131
STEP 5: PUT TOGETHER YOUR FIRST DRAFT ..................135
Prepare Your First Draft .....................................................................................................136
1. Write Your Professional Summary ..............................................................................................136
2. Transfer Your Information .........................................................................................................136
3. Start Your Bullets with Action Verbs .........................................................................................136
4. Expand Your Sentences to Include All Functions ........................................................................136
5. Omit All Unnecessary or Redundant Words ...............................................................................136
6. Type Your Text into Your Draft.................................................................................................136
Write Your Professional Summary ......................................................................................137
Professional Summary Foundation 1 ...................................................................................139
Professional Summary Foundation 2 ...................................................................................140
Professional Summary Foundation 3 (Management) ...........................................................141
Professional Summary Foundation 4 ...................................................................................142
Additional Professional Summary Bullets ........................................................................................143
Standalone Sentences .....................................................................................................................144
Choose Your Format Template and Compile Your Resume ...............................................145
Reverse-Chronological Format ............................................................................................146
Combination Format ..........................................................................................................150
Functional Format ...............................................................................................................153
Curriculum Vitae (CV) Format ...........................................................................................156
STEP 6: ROUND OUT YOUR RESUME WITH
CLIPBULLETS™ ...................................................159
Resume ClipBullets™: An Easy Way to Complete Your Resume ........................................160
What Are Resume ClipBullets™? ....................................................................................................160
Instructions for Using ClipBullets™ ................................................................................................160
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Contents vii
Resume ClipBullets™ by Profession ....................................................................................161
Management and Executive Bullets ....................................................................................161
Supervisory Bullets .............................................................................................................168
Administrative Bullets ........................................................................................................170
Creative Bullets ..................................................................................................................177
Customer Service Bullets ....................................................................................................179
Production and Manufacturing Bullets ..............................................................................183
Sales and Marketing Bullets ..............................................................................................188
Service Position Bullets ......................................................................................................194
STEP 7: WRITE YOUR COVER LETTER .............................197
What Makes a Successful Cover Letter? ..............................................................................198
Writing Your Cover Letter ..................................................................................................198
Cover Letter Worksheet ......................................................................................................199
Cover Letter Foundations and Examples .............................................................................200
STEP 8: CREATE A PERSONAL BRAND FOR YOUR
JOB SEARCH ...................................................209
The Key to Your Success .....................................................................................................210
What Is Personal Branding? .........................................................................................................210
The Benefits of Identifying Your Personal Brand .............................................................................211
What Can Personal Branding Do for You? .....................................................................................211
Personal Branding Exercise ..........................................................................................................211
Your Assets/Features ...........................................................................................................212
Your Benefits ......................................................................................................................212
Your Competitive Edge ......................................................................................................213
Your Value Proposition ......................................................................................................213
Your Return on Investment ................................................................................................213
Your Personal Brand Message.............................................................................................214
Your Related Achievements ................................................................................................215
Ways to Promote Your Personal Brand ...........................................................................................217
Visual Branding ..................................................................................................................218
Occupational Icons ........................................................................................................................218
Graphic Elements ..........................................................................................................................219
Color ...........................................................................................................................................220
Font Selection ................................................................................................................................220
Charts and Graphs ........................................................................................................................222
Work Samples ...............................................................................................................................223
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viii Step-by-Step Resumes
Verbal Branding ..................................................................................................................227
Personalized Slogans .....................................................................................................................227
Testimonials ..................................................................................................................................227
Mission Statements ........................................................................................................................229
Success Stories and Case Studies ......................................................................................................231
Combining Branding Elements ...........................................................................................233
Branding Worksheets ..........................................................................................................236
Personal Branding Worksheet ............................................................................................236
Testimonials Worksheet .....................................................................................................240
Your Success Stories or Case Studies ..................................................................................241
STEP 9: PULL TOGETHER, EDIT, AND DESIGN YOUR
RESUME ..........................................................243
Pull It All Together .............................................................................................................244
Edit Your Final Resume ......................................................................................................244
Add Descriptive Adjectives and Adverbs .............................................................................245
Descriptive Adjectives List ..................................................................................................247
Descriptive Adverbs List .....................................................................................................249
Resume Completion Checklist ...........................................................................................250
Designer Resumes: The Secret to Getting Noticed .............................................................251
Format and Design Guidelines ...........................................................................................251
Select Your Resume Design .................................................................................................252
The Resume Designs on the CD ......................................................................................................253
Select a Template Design ...............................................................................................................253
Designer Resume Gallery Templates ...................................................................................254
STEP 10: READY YOUR RESUME FOR JOB BOARDS
AND E-MAIL ..................................................257
Creating the Print Version of Your Resume ........................................................................258
Creating the E-mail Version ................................................................................................258
Posting Your Resume to a Job Board or Aggregator ...........................................................261
Creating a Web Resume or Web Portfolio ..........................................................................262
APPENDIX: SAMPLE RESUMES ......................................265
INDEX .........................................................................291
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INTRODUCTION:
How to Use This Book
I have written, designed, and produced numerous promotional materials and sales tools for businesses and
individuals over the past 19 years. I actually came into the profession of resume writing and career coaching
out of designing and writing brochures and self-promotions for businesses. My nature is to tackle challenges
through creative problem-solving techniques. So when family and friends came to me to write their resumes,
I automatically wrote and designed them as I would any other sales tool—around the product (the appli-
cant), the market (the profession), and the targeted audience (the prospective employer).
I wrote the resumes by infusing the number-one marketing technique: selling the benefits of the applicant’s
(the product’s) services by showcasing why they were an asset to prospective firms. Then I designed their
resumes to match their targeted audience (the employer).
These family members and friends instantly received job interview calls. At first, I chalked it up to luck or
being in the right place at the right time. However, when the results continued to be the same every time,
I realized it wasn’t luck at all. What I didn’t realize at the time (because it was an innate and subconscious
process from my advertising experience) was that selling benefits was a success quotient—for not only busi-
nesses, but for job seekers as well.
After becoming very involved with resume and career organizations, I found that my colleagues were in fact
doing the same thing…selling the benefits of their clients’ services to meet their targeted audiences’ needs.
And this is one of the reasons resumes prepared by expert professional resume writers are far more successful
than resumes written by applicants on their own. I want to pass that knowledge on to you, so that you, too,
can prepare a highly successful resume that sells and showcases the benefits of your product and services…
you!
EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO PUT TOGETHER
A WINNING RESUME
The Step-by-Step Resumes process contains everything you need to write your resume like a professional
resume writer—one step at a time. It includes all of the worksheets, assessment tools, and instructions you
will need to craft a winning resume specific to your profession—without having to do a lot of reading or
research. You will also find the worksheets and Resume ClipBullets™ on the CD at the back of the book.
Easy-to-follow instructions are right where you need them: when you are completing a particular step. This
workbook contains in-depth but very concise information (no fluff—only what you need to know) so that you
can define and target your goal, assess your skills and attributes, document your responsibilities, identify your
achievements, write your professional summary and cover letter, design your resume presentation, and pull it
all together to develop a successful resume that gets interviews. It includes hundreds of industry-specific
keywords, action verbs (your bullet starters), and descriptive adjectives and adverbs to write your resume
effectively…everything you need to build your customized, interview-generating resume.
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