Converting a CV to a Resume

Editor's Notes

• #2: (NOTE TO PRESENTER: Before beginning, tell the audience that anemail with a link to SlideShare will be sent following the presentation. They will be able to access the PowerPoint and handouts via the direct links we send in a follow-up email. You will want to open SlideShareto http://www.slideshare.net/DukeCareers/tag/resume-example so that when you refer students to resume examples on slide 7, you already have this open.)TALKING POINTS: Thank you for coming to today’s workshop.Whether you have already developed a resume and are here to learn about refining your document, or you are creating your resume for the first time, today you will learn about how to construct a focused, tailored document that creates a compelling depiction of your significant skills and experiences.
• #3: LEARNING OUTCOMES:(1) Students will learn how to tailor their resume to a job/internship description.(2) Students will understand the difference between a resume and CV. There is a QUESTION to ask on this slide.TALKING POINTS:Many people/companies use the terms CV and Resume in an interchangeable manner. Typically in academics and research oriented areas a CV is used, whereas in the business and government sector resumes are more common. Often for admittance to professional schools such as medicine or law, or for fellowship applications, a CV is required.It is important to have a clear understanding of the differences and similarities between a CV and Resume.It is better to construct a resume from scratch, rather than to try to convert your CV; you’ll usually find it easier to build a document than to edit your CV from several pages to just one or two pages. ASK: Ask the audience how the documents vary. Responses might include:That publications and presentations are included on a CV and eliminated from the resume.CV is not constrained with number of pages on could include 10-15 pages for the seasoned professional.Resume typically is 1 page but could have 2 but no more than 3 pages.Both should include strong active verbs and be results oriented.THEN, click to the next slide so that the chart with the differences clearly highlighted is visible.
• #4: LEARNING OUTCOME:(1) Students will understand the difference between a resume and CV. There is 1 HANDOUT to distribute on this slide.TALKING POINTS:Some employers, particularly in academic disciplines, think tanks, and research organizations, and some graduate schools, will ask you to submit a CV rather than a resume. There are some noted differences between the two documents, as you can see from the chart.An area that is significant to note is that of Publications and Presentations. They may appear on your resume, and would certainly be included in a CV. A difference is that within a CV, you have the space to share a complete list of publications, whereas on your resume, you may have to use the language “Selected Publications.” There are creative ways you could include information about publications, such as in the Research Experience section, where you can indicate that research led to 3 publications in peer reviewed journals, for example.A resume is not a duplicate of your CV! Although it shares much of the same information, the resume must be succinct and specific to the current role in which you are applying. [NOTE TO PRESENTER: Refer the audience to the CV/Resume comparisonHANDOUT.5. The recommendations throughout the rest of this PowerPoint focus on how to develop a strong resume. We will assume that you’re creating a resume, and our advice on how to construct this document, versus a CV, will be shared here.
• #5: LEARNING OUTCOMES:Students will learn how to tailor their resume to a job/internship description. (2) Students will know how to appropriately structure their resume based on the job/internship description.There is an ACTIVITY on this page.TALKING POINTS: As you develop your resume, be clear about what the document is for. Ask yourself the following questions.Type of Position/Purpose of the Resume: Is this resume for applying to a job or internship? Are you providing it to a professor so that they may write you a letter of recommendation? A graduate program that you’re applying to? Are you seeking admission to a selective organization or a club? Audience: Who is the audience, or the reader, for my resume?What They Need to Know:Next, consider what your reader needs to understand about you. The resume is your chance to show that you’ve tailored your content to THEIR needs from a well-qualified candidate. What is relevant to this particularposition?You have many usefulskills, a lot of knowledge, and singular qualities developed through a range of involvements. Tell this individual employer which of those skills fit THIS position. How YOU fit with this position. What unique contributions can you offer?A resume is an indicator to the reader of your ability to reflect on your background, to draw relevant conclusions, and to effectively communicate the aligned skills and experience you possess AND the context in which you’ve used them. The most persuasive resumes are those that go beyond simply listing the duties of a position—they also make meaning of your experience.The Career Center recommends that you develop what we refer to as a “master resume.” This will be a document that can be any length and will contain all of your experiences and their full descriptions. You can then select the most relevant information to include in subsequent versions of your resume.ACTIVITY: (NOTE TO PRESENTER: Adjustments are noted for whether the student has a resume or not. This activity is meant to take no more than 5 minutes. You can move on after you’ve taken 5 minutes, even if they haven’t completed the task.) As you think about your current version of your resume (or about creating your resume), select the 3 main points you want to make sure your communicate to your reader. For example, you may have been a nanny for 2 summers, worked as a summer camp counselor for 2 years, and tutored middle school students, but if the position you want to apply for is in research science, you should be sure your resume highlights your coursework, any research experiences, and your ability to analyze data instead of giving more space to those previously mentioned experiences. If you have your resume with you, circle the most relevant information to the position you want to apply for. This is the information that should appear near the top of your resume. If you are in the process of creating your resume, write down the 3 key points that you intend to communicate. Keep this in mind as we begin to move through how to develop your resume. (NOTE TO PRESENTER: For a graduate student audience, adjust the example to reflect what their experiences have been.)
• #6: TALKING POINTS: LEARNING OUTCOMES:Students will learn how to tailor their resume to a job/internship description.Students will know how to appropriately structure their resume based on the job/internship description.Students will demonstrate writing an accomplishment statement.Students will understand the difference between a resume and CV. (NOTE TO PRESENTER: The following language is intended to set expectations for students and to communicate the 4 learning outcomes.)Resume writing includes the elements of: Deciding what your purpose is as you write each version of your resumeAnalyzing a position description to determine what the most critical qualifications areAppropriately structuring your resume to reflect elements of the position description while considering what you have learned about the company or organization Writing strong accomplishment statementsAnd understanding the difference between a resume and a CV, since some employers or graduate applications will request a CV.Resumes are typically your first step in making a positive first impression. Resumes are a part of demonstrating your professional presence—who you will be in a work context. A resume is your opportunity to tell your unique story, and should reflect your particular skills and experiences.You’ll receive handouts to help you address the above elements in your resume as we move throughout this presentation.
• #7: LEARNING OUTCOMES:(1) Students will learn how to tailor their resume to a job/internship description.(2)Students will know how to appropriately structure their resume based on the job/internship description.There is a brief QUESTION that you will ask the participants on this page.TALKING POINTS:Tailor to Create a Targeted, Focused DocumentYou will likely have several versions of your resume that reflect the different positions you have applied for.Each of these versions don’t have to be radically different from the other, but they should demonstrate your ability to analyze a position description that shows what the employers’ needs are, and then echo the employers’ language in your bullet point descriptions. An example of how a resume would be adjusted: I am a career counselor. If I wanted to go into event management, however, I would talk about the elements of my job that involve logistics, cooperation between staff and departments, and listening to student/client needs. Despite the fact that one of my primary functional areas is counseling, my resume would have an emphasis on the skills set that is most closely aligned with what an event manager would do.A complimentary workshop on the Cover Letter Writing shows you how to analyze a position. If you’d like practice tailoring, I encourage you to attend one of those presentations.Research the OrganizationWhat do you know about the company? (NOTE TO PRESENTER: ASK the audience WHERE they\can gather knowledge about companies. Here’s a list of possible research avenues if they don’t already mention each of them:company websites, info sessions, info interviews with current and former employers, etc.)Researching the company will help you create a targeted document that recognizes the needs of the employer as they fit with your experiences. NetworkThere is also a workshop on Networking that can give you expanded ideas on the ways to connect with others.As with any part of the career planning process, building relationships is important to your preparation. Within resume development, networking can help you gain knowledge about the appropriate language to include. Asking people who work for the organizations what elements are best to include in your resume is wise. Your document will appear to better meet the needs of the organization when you have developed it from the perspective of their needs.When you consider who to have career conversations with, be sure to select those you can learn the most from…Talking to Duke alumniAttending an information sessionAsking other Duke students who have gone through the interviewing processConducting informational interviews, which are simply having conversations with professionals who are in the types of jobs you are applying for.
• #8: LEARNING OUTCOMES:(1) Students will learn how to tailor their resume to a job/internship description. (2) Students will know how to appropriately structure their resume based on the job/internship description.There are 2 HANDOUTS to distributeand 1 QUESTION to ask participants on this slide.TALKING POINTS:While you will be structuring each version of your resume based on the audience that will be reviewing it, there are basic sections to always include.There are essential sections of your resume, with many elements than can be adjusted, depending on the audience who will be viewing your resume. Those different components will be based on how you answered the previous questions—WHAT is the position, WHO are you communicating to, and WHAT is critical to demonstrate.ASK:the students what else could be included on a resume in order to tailor it to their specific skills set and experience. Do not click to allow the text box on the right to appear until they have made suggestions. Allow time to answer questions about what these different sections can include. Then, encourage them to look at the Resume ExamplesHANDOUT to view the example resume, which contains many of the structural elements listed above. (NOTE TO PRESENTER: Refer to SlideShare for the examples at http://www.slideshare.net/DukeCareers/tag/resume-example.)Create functionally-oriented section headers that speak to your individual skills and experience.Relevant Coursework/Projects (ask the student audience for examples)Research ExperienceEntrepreneurial ActivitiesSkills Section (Technical, Language)Honors & Awards4. You probably have questions about how to structure your entire resume, not just your headers, so this Resume Tips & Improving VerbsHANDOUT will be useful to answer formatting and other basic questions. (NOTE TO PRESENTER: Distribute this handout now.)5. To have more questions answered about your own resume, come to our drop-in hours at the Career Center. For undergraduate students, staff are available to assist at drop-in hours M-F from 2-5 p.m. Graduate students can work with a graduate counselor on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 2-4 p.m.
• #9: LEARNING OUTCOMES:Students will learn how to tailor their resume to a job/internship description.(2) Students will know how to appropriately structure their resume based on the job/internship description.There is a HANDOUT to distribute, 1 QUESTION to ask participants, and 1 ACTIVITYto conduct on this slide.TALKING POINTS: Relevant qualifications include the skills that employers most highly value. The list above reflects what employers share in an annual survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.No matter what position you are applying to, your ability to shape the story of your experiences should include the skills you used in order to conduct your work. What is important to focus on with this information is how to translate these skills in to strong descriptions of your experience.Your resume is far more than a catalog of the responsibilities your position required of you. Your descriptions can be transformed from basic to enhanced by including the skills you used to complete a task. ACTIVITY: Take a moment to think about a time when you have used a skill that you see listed above. Jot down that skill, along with a brief notation of when you demonstrated use of that skill. Think about how you will use that word or phrase in enhancing a bullet point on your resume. In a few slides, you will use this skill to develop a bullet point.(NOTE TO PRESENTER: In a few slides, you will present on how to develop a strong accomplishment and you will ask students to use the skill word or phrase they thought of in this activity. Tell them that they will use this skill in creating a bullet point later n the workshop. You will do this when you have them practice developing an accomplishment statement and after giving them a “formula” to create one.)ACTIVITY: Distribute the Transferrable SkillsHANDOUT. Ask students to get into groups of 3. One person should choose an experience or project that they want to describe and take 1-2 minutes to share that description to the other group members. The 2 listeners should then share what SKILLS they heard the person include in their description. Let the other two people take turns describing an experience, too. When the group comes back together, ask them for an example of how a person discussed their skills.
• #10: LEARNING OUTCOMES:(1) Students will learn how to tailor their resume to a job/internship description.(2) Students will know how to appropriately structure their resume based on the job/internship description.There is a HANDOUT to distribute on this slide.TALKING POINTS: Based on the field you are targeting with each version of your resume, you want to be mindful of the verbs that the industry will expect to see. Strong, active verbs show that you understand your contribution to the experience you had.For example, in the nonprofit arena, your ability to coordinate volunteers, organize an event, and develop strong donor relationships would be important.We’re providing a handout on strong verbs you can use to enhance your descriptions within your resume. HANDOUT: Provide the Verb Listto the group. Indicate that the list is organized by skills set.
• #11: LEARNING OUTCOMES:(1) Students will learn how to tailor their resume to a job/internship description.(2) Students will know how to appropriately structure their resume based on the job/internship description.(3) Students will demonstrate writing an accomplishment statement.There is a HANDOUT to distribute and 1 QUESTION to ask participants.TALKING POINTS:1. So far, we have discussed how to tailor your resume to the position you are applying for by reviewing the purpose of your document, your audience, and where you can learn more about the company and the position. Now we are going to discuss how you can build strong descriptors/bullet points within your resume.2.The phrase “accomplishment statement” refers to an important way to convert a basic description to demonstrate the two most important things about your experience: The skills you used, and the results you achieved.3. You want to transform your bullet points from basic descriptions to statements that demonstrate your accomplishments. This is the tool that will make your resume a compelling, persuasive document that represents the quality of what you have to offer. Changing your descriptions to become accomplishment statements will help you appear as the strong candidate that you are.4. A strong accomplishment statement should include:Your StoryWhat is it the story behind the experience?How does this story show the reader that you are uniquely qualified?How did your actions make a difference over time? The HOW and the WHY of your actions. How did you go about completing the task? Why is this experience relevant? Your Skills—What critical skills did you use? What did you offer to assist the company? Or, what skills did you learn?Results of your involvement. What happened in the end?Impact—How did your involvement improve this project? For example, if you were examining the public health effects of BPA bottles on children’s development, how might that work contribute to a larger, societal impact? Think about your contribution from a big-picture point-of-view, but don’t misrepresent your work/role or overstate that impact.Your Particular Role—what did YOU offer to the greater objectives of the task? Rather than simply describing the goals of an organization, for example, demonstrate how you contributed to the group. For example, “Tutored 10 middle school children in math as a part of a larger school effort to improve analytical skills in grades 5-8.”5.Ways to Enhance a Description Most bullets can be improved by including these elements:Lead with your skillsInclude the outcome/resultsUse numbers $, #, %State the purpose, mission, or goals—and whether or not they were achievedShare what you learned Ex. “gained knowledge of” “expanded understanding of”ASK: Distributethe Accomplishment Statement handout.Choose one of the examples (such as “Edited school newspaper”) to point out to them how a bullet point can become truly accomplishment-oriented. ASK them to tell you the differences between the initial description (the simple, brief statement) to the enhanced bullet point (the bullet is more detailed, and provides information that demonstrates the ways they contributed to their work environment).
• #12: LEARNING OUTCOMES:(1)Students will learn how to tailor their resume to a job/internship description.(2) Students will know how to appropriately structure their resume based on the job/internship description.(3) Students will demonstrate writing an accomplishment statement.There is a HANDOUT to refer to, 2 HANDOUTSto distribute, and 1 ACTIVITYto conduct on this slide.TALKING POINTS:1. If you like math problems, you’ll appreciate this formula as a way to construct the best possible accomplishment statements. Notice the components building a strong bullet point/accomplishment statement.ASK: Ask the group how they might enhance one of their own bullets. Refer them to their earlier exercise of thinking of a skill that they would build language around. If they do not have any examples to share, you can mention the two below.(NOTE TO PRESENTER: Indicate that they should now look at the Accomplishment Statements HANDOUTto give them examples, since you distributed this document on slide 8.)2. There are various ways to represent your experience. One option is to present a conceptual overview of each experience/position, then provide descriptions of what your role was within the organization. For examples of this type of writing, take a look at this HANDOUT. (NOTE TO PRESENTER: Refer the audience to the Conceptual Overview This document has some examples of what a conceptual overview and the accompanying bullets can look like. For the presentation to graduate students, you will review and explainthe conceptual overview. For undergraduatesyou will simply let the audience know that the different formatting structures exist. Students can use drop-in hours to ask additional questions and get feedback on their resumes and on constructing this type of bullet.)3. You should include 4 elements as you introduce an experience on your resume: 1) Your title or role, 2) The name of the company or organization, 3) The city/state where the work was located, and 4) The range of dates when you did that work. Some people will alternately include an academic term in which they conducted the work, for example, your internship may have occurred in “Summer 2013.”4. Consider what you have to contribute to this particular organization when building your description.ACTIVITY: Now it is your turn to develop a strong accomplishment statement. Decide on an experience you want to describe. Determine what strong active verb you’ll begin with. Write a description that demonstrates the impact your work had on the company or organization. Demonstrate what the result was due to your contribution. You can refer to the Accomplishment Statement handout for ideas. (NOTE TO PRESENTER: Ask 2-3 participants to share with the group examples of their improved accomplishment statement.)_____________________5. Today, we discussed how to take your resume from a catalog of your experiences to becoming a compelling, persuasive document that shows the best of what you have to offer a specific audience. We looked at how to tailor your resume, how structure and format can have positive impact, the ways to create strong accomplishment statements, and how to determine differences between a resume and a CV.6. What questions do you have remaining?7. The last thing we need to do before leaving is complete the assessment. (NOTE TO PRESENTER: Distribute the AssessmentHANDOUT.)
• #13: TALKING POINTS:Please leave your assessment for me to pick up.Thank you for your time and attention today.