Chapter 5. Professional Resumes the Easy Way

Identify the key words for a resume crafted for a management position using the following narrative. Joan has a RN license and a CPA license managing at a local health clinic for about five years. She also has been moonlighting at the hospital in the ER for the same five years. Last summer, Joan served in Guatemala with a Doctors without Borders' team. - licensed CPA - went to Guatemala - last summer joined Doctors without Boarders - five years experience as managing a clinic - served Doctors without Boarders - licensed RN

- licensed CPA - five years experience as managing a clinic - served Doctors without Boarders - licensed RN

Identify all the common components found in the "header" on a resume. - name - career mission/goals - email address - mailing address - education - phone number(s)

- name - email address - mailing address - phone number(s)

True or false: Most employers spend only 30 seconds reviewing a potential employee's resume. A) True B) False

A) True

A combination resume tends to contain _____. A) a blending of functional and chronological resumes B) a listing of education, skills, and experiences grouped in a career mission/goals way C) a listing of education, skills, and experiences in a reverse time order

A) a blending of functional and chronological resumes

Which of the following describes how the terminology, "first cut", is used by employers? A) An employer takes the first 10 or 20 applicant resumes to move forward for interview. B) An employer narrows a candidate pool by looking through their resumes. C) An employer randomly chooses resumes to more forward for interview.

B) An employer narrows a candidate pool by looking through their resumes.

True or false: Every resume should have an objective statement. A) True B) False

B) False

In general, the major purpose of the resume is to _______. A) get the job B) get past the first cut C) get an interview

C) get an interview

Which of the following is the best example of quantified skill listed in a resume? A) Successfully lobbied for changes in tax reform B) Earned an NSF grant last year C) Reduced costs by ten percent D) Increased productivity by 5%

D) Increased productivity by 5%

good strategy

Julia used only one font and size for her entire resume.

Functional

lists education, skills, and activities/experiences in a particular order based on career goals

Combinational

lists education, skills, and activities/experiences in a particular order based on multiple aspects, such as time and career goals

Occam's __________ is a popular maxim, "keep it simple", and is used for describing a simplistic resume that shows ample self-data to potential employers.

razor

chronological resume

tends to emphasize gaps in employment/success history -- easy to write and emphasizes a steady work/success history

functional resume

tends to lack depth and quantitative employment/success histories -- focuses on strengths, experiences and skills; used best when first entering the workforce

The best fonts to use for scannable resumes have ____. A) low details B) high details

A) low details

Identify the components of the "skills formula". - keywords skills - bullets - enhanced font - power words

- keywords skills - bullets - power words

Most employers look at a resume for ____. A) just 30 seconds B) about 15 minutes C) about 5 minutes D) about 1 hour

A) just 30 seconds

True or false: Generally, it is recommended that resumes be crafted broadly so they can be applied to multiple potential employers. A) True B) False

B) False

__________ resumes are crafted to include education, skills, and activities/experiences in a particular order based on time.

Chronological

Chronological

lists education, skills, and activities/experiences in a particular order based on time

The "__________ formula" is a resume strategy that uses: bullets+power words+keywords to yield favorable outcomes.

skills

True or false: The visual aesthetics of a resume have no real value for the success of an applicant. A) True B) False

B) False

As it relates to resume-integrity, which of the following is best to describe Blake's service in the US Army? A) Blake has served in the US Army for 4 years B) Blake has served in the US Army for 5 years C) Blake has served in the US Army for 4 years and 7 months D) Blake has served in the US Army for almost 5 years

C) Blake has served in the US Army for 4 years and 7 months

In regards to crafting a resume, a maxim known as Occam's Razor can be summarized by saying _______. A) love what you do B) wear stripped shirts if that is what is expected C) keep it simple D) increase the complexity to really shine

C) keep it simple

After the resume-review process is completed, what generally happens next? A) hiring a person for the job B) the interview C) "losing" resumes are informed

B) the interview

When a textbook company is evaluating potential reviewers' resumes, they might simply look for notable textbook titles that the applicant has worked on in the past. This is described as ______. A) narrowing the candidate pool B) using keywords to evaluate the applicants C) making the first cut

B) using keywords to evaluate the applicants

The act of an employer sorting through the pile of resumes, discarding the "bad ones" and making a new, smaller stack of of applicants is often called the ______. A) dwindling B) attrition C) culling D) first cut

D) first cut

The education section of a resume should be written _______. A) in a very condensed way; using bullet points is acceptable B) in a very verbose way; a narrative explanation is customary C) using a graphical method; not uncommon to show a graphical time line

A) in a very condensed way; using bullet points is acceptable

Olivia's resume states, "Increased shipping-productivity by 15%". The is an example of the ______ section in a resume. A) quantified skills B) avocation skills C) skill assessment

A) quantified skills

Regarding references, a resume can have ______. A) three or more references listed at the end of the resume B) a statement like, "References will be provided upon request" C) one to three references listed at the end of the resume

B) a statement like, "References will be provided upon request"

A resume crafted to include education, skills, and activities/experiences in a particular order based on time is called a _____ resume. A) functional B) chronological

B) chronological

People have listed skills or experiences that are embellished a bit in a resume. This practice is _____. A) somewhat common, depending on the field B) completely wrong, no matter what C) completely acceptable

B) completely wrong, no matter what

Which of the following best showcases the education section of a resume? A) Education 2011 High School Diploma Magma Cum Laude 2015 BA English, British Literature GPA 3.55, Cum Laude Any University, City, State B) Education Focused on Computational Physics with a 3.55 GPA, Magma Cum Laude Graduated from Any University, City, State in 2015 C) Education 2015 BS Biology, Microbiology GPA 3.55, Cum Laude Any University, City, State

C) Education 2015 BS Biology, Microbiology GPA 3.55, Cum Laude Any University, City, State

A challenge that some people face while crafting a resuming is being "fired" or leaving under bad terms. One strategy to deal with this issue is to _______. A) simply describe the circumstances of being fired in order to avoid negative assumptions B) simply leave out ever working for them C) simply list the employment and responsibilities and do not mention being fired

C) simply list the employment and responsibilities and do not mention being fired

References are _____. A) listed at the bottom (end) of resumes B) not to be listed on resumes C) listed right above "other" activities, like hobbies

B) not to be listed on resumes

At the top of a resume should be _____. A) educational information B) the "functional list"; skills organized around career mission/goals C) the "header"; professional contact information D) the "summary"; career mission/goals

C) the "header"; professional contact information

Portfolios compared to a resume are _______. A) simply one page instead of two B) simply four pages instead of two C) about the same as a resume; just a different style D) much more comprehensive

D) much more comprehensive

___________ resumes are crafted to include education, skills, and activities/experiences in a particular order based on a career mission or goals.

Functional or Skills

A challenge that some people face while crafting a resuming is a collection of temp-jobs while seeking more permanent employment. One strategy to deal with this issue is to _______. A) simply describe that you need money and these "odd jobs" worked for the shirt term B) simply list all temp-employments either as individual line items or under the temp agency C) simply leave out all the "small job" stuff

B) simply list all temp-employments either as individual line items or under the temp agency

In general, the visual impact of a resume matters ______. A) not at all; it's the content that counts B) sometimes a little, sometimes a lot

B) sometimes a little, sometimes a lot

Scannable

lists education, skills, and activities/experiences in a particular order based on whatever is relevant to the employer but it is often "uploaded" to an online submission, which renders formatting to minimal standards

Identify the key words for a resume crafted for a management position using the following narrative. George has enjoyed his job working for Mega Corp even though his commute is 2 hours each day. He has worked for ten years as a regional manager for Mega-Corp overseeing 30 employees and about 2 million dollars of assets. - 2 million dollars of assets - 30 employees - regional manager - 2 hour commute - enjoyed his job - ten years experience

- 2 million dollars of assets - 30 employees - regional manager - ten years experience

Identify any of the "don'ts" of proper resume writing. - don't embellish or exaggerate - don't go over one page - don't leave out your high school if you have college experience - don't use sentences - don't hand write a resume - don't use font less than 10 or larger than 13 - don't be cute

- don't embellish or exaggerate - don't use sentences - don't hand write a resume - don't use font less than 10 or larger than 13 - don't be cute

Identify any of the following that are good strategies for crafting a scannable resume. - use built-in pictures - keep font standardized - send a hard copy as a backup - use one font type

- keep font standardized - send a hard copy as a backup - use one font type

Michelle has recently graduated from college and she crafts a resume that is full of activities completed while at college.

A potential employer perceives the applicant to have maximized his/her opportunities in college and identifies this candidate as a good candidate for an interview.

Larry has recently graduated from college and he has crafted a resume that includes his high school experiences.

A potential employer perceives the applicant to have not maximized his/her opportunities in college and decides not to invite this candidate for an interview.

The Handy corporation uses software for shipping and tracking while the Ulta corporation uses software to handle online billing. Which method is best for seeking employment at both? A) craft a unique resume for each B) craft a resume that blends the needed skills for both C) craft a resume that generally "works" for any employer that needs a software developer/technician

A) craft a unique resume for each

In regards to font, the common problem with some scannable resumes is that ______. A) the font cannot be duplicated by many copying devices B) the font isn't pretty or a aesthetically appealing

A) the font cannot be duplicated by many copying devices

A challenge that some people face while crafting a resuming is a gap in time between employments. One strategy to deal with this issue is to _______. A) use "seasons" to express a chronological time line B) simply leave it blank for those dates C) embellish or stretch other employments D) simply describe what occurred to cause a gap in the first place

A) use "seasons" to express a chronological time line

A resume crafted to include education, skills, and activities/experiences in a particular order based on goals or a career mission is called a _____ resume. A) chronological B) functional

B) functional

Approximately, 75-80% of resumes are simply scanned for _____ by employers. A) aesthetics (pretty) B) keywords C) number of line items

B) keywords

A challenge that some people face while crafting a resuming is having multiple employments/jobs at the same company. One strategy to deal with this issue is to _______. A) list all the jobs/responsibilities as separate entities B) list the jobs/responsibiities under the employer title C) simply pick the best one

B) list the jobs/responsibiities under the employer title

Resumes should ____ have an "objective" statement. A) never B) always C) sometimes

C) sometimes

Which of the following underscores a major difference between portfolios and resumes? A) Portfolios must be compatible with PDF formating. B) Portfolios must have a leather or similar binder. C) Portfolios must use one font for the entire document. D) Portfolios are so large that they tend to need a table of contents.

D) Portfolios are so large that they tend to need a table of contents.

bad strategy

Nancy used italic, underlining, and shading to enhance marketable features of her resume.

professional reference

a reference from a person who has the credentials to understand the skills, experiences and education needed to be a qualified employee

personal reference

a reference from a person who may or may not understand the skills, experiences and education needed to be a qualified employee