Career Development Center

Resume Guide

Career Development Center

For an appointment, call or email us at:

(630) 466-2368
careerdevelopment@waubonsee.edu

Additional resources available 24/7 at:

www.waubonsee.edu/careerdevelopment

Please visit our online job board, Waubonsee Career Network, to search for a job or
create your resume using “Resume Builder” at www.waubonseecareernetwork.com
 Resume Overview
To access all of our online tools and information, visit:
http://www.waubonsee.edu/careerdevelopment

The careful preparation of job search tools, like a resume, is an important part of a successful job search. Your
resume is the primary document to highlight your background and a marketing tool that needs to showcase your
professional background in a concise and engaging way. An engaging resume gives specific examples of
accomplishments utilizing soft skills, technical skills, and knowledge that is relevant to the company and position.

For the Candidate, a Resume:

 Provides an introduction to a potential employer

 Highlights accomplishments
 Shows what problems you solve
 Sets you apart from other applicants

For the Employer, a Resume:

 Is a first step in screening candidates

 Helps the reviewer decide if your background fulfills job requirements and “fits” the organization
 Prompts a hiring manager to contact you for an interview
 Can be a roadmap for questions during the interview

BEWARE! APPLICANT TRACKING SYSTEMS AHEAD

Before you type content on your resume or an online job application, it’s important to understand
what—not who—may see you application and what it does with the content. Most employers today
use complex software known as Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to manage applications and the
hiring process. Using sophisticated algorithms, ATS parse information from uploaded resumes to
match qualified candidates to open positions. ATS are looking for resumes that contain the keywords,
education, and experience it ATS was programmed to look for. From the parsed information, the ATS
will assign a rank or score to a resume. Resumes which rank or score closest to the set criteria have
the best chance of being seen by a decision-maker (HR, Hiring Manager). The remaining resumes
will be rejected or ignored by the ATS – most likely never to be seen or touched by an actual person.

To succeed in getting through ATS when in the job search, it is imperative for you to include key
words and phrases throughout the content of the resume which is constructed in a simple, graphic-
free format. The following sections discuss how to do this in a way that follows best practices in the
industry. For more information on Applicant Tracking Systems, download “Navigating an Applicant
Tracking System” from www.waubonsee.edu/careerdevelopment.
Career Development Center ● www.waubonsee.edu/careerdevelopment ● (630) 466-2368 ● careerdevelopment@waubonsee.edu
2
2 RESUMES?
Writing a resume for an ATS is different than writing for a human. If you give people printed resumes, you may
need to create a second resume formatted differently for uploading to an online application. Because an ATS
may not be able to read them, here are a few things to remove from your electronic resume:
 Graphics, text boxes, fields
 Columns and tables (ATS may be able to read them—but with the content out of order!)
 Headers and footers
 PDF file types (save as .doc instead)

Resume Organization
Effective resumes are easily read and understood. Information can be organized in a number of ways, but the
priority is to make it easy for an employer to quickly review it and see that you meet the requirements. Hiring
managers typically prefer a reverse chronological format because it clearly conveys the history of your
training and employment. A reverse chronological format lists most recent experiences, education, and training
first.

Be completely truthful in all sections of your resume. While your resume is an opportunity to highlight your
strengths and accomplishments, these should not be exaggerated. A resume with false information is an
unethical and dishonest representation. If a potential employer discovers during the hiring process that you
include false information, your candidacy for that position could be in jeopardy. After hiring, if the falsehood
became known, it could be grounds for dismissal.

RESUME CATEGORIES (HEADINGS)

Below are the sections you should include on your resume. In the Resume Content section of this guide, we
will discuss what content to include—or not include—within these sections.
 Contact Information
 Objective
 Education
 Professional Experience

Other sections to use when relevant to position and employer:

 Technical Skills
 Licenses and/or Certifications
 Volunteer Experience
 Language Skills
 Honors and Awards
 Clinical Experience

RESUME LENGTH
Focus on quality of content versus number of pages. A one-page resume with a tiny font and small margins is
unreadable and will effectively get you ignored. So will a two-page resume that has wide margins with a large
Career Development Center ● www.waubonsee.edu/careerdevelopment ● (630) 466-2368 ● careerdevelopment@waubonsee.edu
3
font and includes a lot of information that is useless to the employer. Don’t be afraid to add a second page of
valuable content, but if you do add a second page, make sure it is at least half to three-quarters full.

RESUME FORMAT
Simple formatting makes it more likely that an ATS will be able to scan and parse all of your information.
Information in text boxes, images, and headers or footers may be erased by the ATS and never read. Use the
recommendations below, along with the Sample General Resume to begin formatting your resume in a blank
Word document. If you are unfamiliar with any of these formatting features in Microsoft Word, schedule an
appointment with a Career Development Advisor to learn how to use them.

 Begin with one-inch margins at the top, bottom, left, and right. Adjust as necessary to keep content in
sections together.
 Place the date of all experiences and education flush with the right margin and on the same line as the
employer name
 Use indented bullets for descriptive information under individual jobs, internships, and/or other sections
 Use a font size of 11- or 12-point for the body of your resume.
 Select a simple, easy-to-read and traditional font such as Arial, Times New Roman or Garamond.
 Headings should be one or two points larger than your body type
 Your name at the top of the resume can be 14- or 16-point, with all other contact information written in
11- or 12-point font size
 Save your resume as a Microsoft word document (.doc), not as a PDF

Resume Content
5 STEPS TO A WINNING RESUME
1. Print the job description (and company mission/vision statements). Highlight phrases, verbs, and
keywords and plan to incorporate any relevant ones into your resume. Using the job description’s own
language gives you a better chance at scoring high in an ATS.
2. Consult this Resume Guide and the Career Development Center with any questions you have
3. Go to the O*NET (www.onetonline.org) and look up your past job titles and the one you are applying
for. Print off or take note of verbiage related to tasks, skills, abilities, etc.
4. Write your SOAR method stories
5. Send your resume to careerdevelopment@waubonse.edu for a review

WHAT TO AVOID
Creating a stellar resume is a delicate balance between what must be done and what must be avoided. The list
below was compiled from feedback of hiring managers, faculty, and graduates.

Best practices recommend that you do NOT:

 Send a resume with spelling errors, typos and poor grammar
 Name the document something other than your first and last name and the job title
 Include personal names of any students/clients with whom you worked
 Insert clip art, borders, text boxes, templates, or other complicated graphics

Career Development Center ● www.waubonsee.edu/careerdevelopment ● (630) 466-2368 ● careerdevelopment@waubonsee.edu

4
  Add personal information such as marital status, birth date, or children’s names
 Use a PDF document when uploading a resume (instead, use Microsoft Word).
 Exaggerate skills or accomplishments
 Add personal information such as marital status, birth date, or children’s names

BRAINSTORMING RESUME CONTENT

Begin developing the resume areas that will describe your background by brainstorming a list of your
professional training and work experience, academic coursework, and involvement in professional, community
service or social organizations. Write down the skills you gained in each experience (not just the tasks you did)
and how they are transferable to future positions of interest to you.

For many new professionals, volunteer experiences in community groups and professional associations—
including student organizations—hold untapped potential to illustrate a wide variety of relevant skills and traits.
Think carefully about your volunteer experiences. Did you participate on a community service project at
Waubonsee and gain exposure to employers or target populations? Were you an active leader at a former
school or organization gaining valuable project management and interpersonal skills?

Compare Yourself Against Job Descriptions’ Ideal Candidates – Identify the functional/transferrable skills
or competencies you have, and most enjoy, so you can focus your resume (and job search) on obtaining a
position that fits your talents. Then, build your resume with action verbs that correspond to the in-demand skills
of your desired field. Your resume should speak to the skills and qualifications in the job description of the
positions you apply to.

Job Search Goals – Focus your resume writing by defining both the overall as well as specific goals you have
identified at this stage of your career. Need help? Use our Job Search Guide.

Work Values – Explore your beliefs and values to consider the kinds of positions and work environments. Are
these values reflected in your accomplishment statements?

SOAR METHOD: WRITE ACCOMPLISHMENT STATEMENTS

All of your resume content should be crafted using the SOAR Method. Along with the skills you possess,
employers are most interested in contributions and results achieved through your professional development.
What projects did you initiate or fulfill in your experiences? Whenever possible, select concrete examples that
illustrate your success. Qualify or quantify your accomplishments whenever appropriate. An effective technique
to help you develop bullets demonstrating your added value through your various positions and experiences is
the SOAR method:

Situation – Describe the circumstance or area in which you were working.

Obstacle – What was the obstacle had to overcome/task you needed to achieve?
Action – What steps/process/solutions did you use?
Result – What was the outcome of your efforts?

Career Development Center ● www.waubonsee.edu/careerdevelopment ● (630) 466-2368 ● careerdevelopment@waubonsee.edu

5
SOAR Method Examples:

 Counseled adults with severe mental illness in the areas of living skills and interpersonal relationships
that resulted in 55% of clients obtaining jobs based on their ability to demonstrate appropriate
behaviors.
 Produced unit plan focused on checking accounts; supervised a team of 4 in the student-operated
school store and greenhouse.
 Resolved customer inquiries and complaints in a polite and efficient manner.

Most people find constructing bulleted accomplishment statements is the most challenging part of resume
writing. For help with the verbiage needed to describe your skills in action, use the actual words and phrases
found in the job description. Another source for key words and phrases related to occupations is the O*NET.
The O*NET is a classification of occupations detailing the tasks, work activities, knowledge, etc.
related to the occupation. It is a rich source of information when researching possible careers and for writing
resume content. You can find the O*NET at: www.onetonline.org.

CONTACT INFORMATION
Current contact information should appear at the top of the first page of your resume, preferably justified to the
left or centered. It should include the following in this order:

 Your first and last name

 Your current home address
 Phone number (with a professional voicemail)
 Your current professional e-mail address. Slang, cute user names, and numbers that could be
interpreted as your birthday are strongly discouraged.
 If you are moving soon: indicate the last date that you may be reached at your present address and cell
phone number, and include a permanent address and cell phone number to provide an alternate way to
be reached.

OBJECTIVE
Also known as Summary or Branding Statements, an objective is a form of your branding statement that
highlighting your skills as they relate to the position you are applying for. This section is optional on resumes,
but if included be sure to tailor the statement to each job you apply for. It’s location on the resume is at the top,
the first heading after your name and contact information.

Objective statements ensure that you project a professional image and describe how you will contribute to an
organization. You can also use your branding statements in cover letters and when you are networking or
interviewing. In these situations, it can spur others’ thinking about how to help and guide you in your job
search. Remember that what is captured in the summary should be supported throughout the resume as you
will have developed your objective statement with this information in mind.

When crafting your objective statement include these three key components:

Who you are: State who you are presently. Identify yourself by program, area of focus, or industry.
This begins to communicate why your candidacy is relevant to a particular search.
Career Development Center ● www.waubonsee.edu/careerdevelopment ● (630) 466-2368 ● careerdevelopment@waubonsee.edu
6
 Areas of focus: Describe your skill areas and/or competencies that you have or are acquiring. As a
student, this can include work assets or areas of interest in which you hope to gain more experience.
Through this information, you are aiming to interest the reader in you further.

Types of experiences/training or work environments: List the areas of work or study that align with
your current career goals. With this information, you are building credibility in yourself as a future or
new practitioner.

The following formula will help you craft your branding statement:

“___[industry]___ professional looking to utilize my __[skill]__ and __[skill]__ skills in a __[job title]__ position
that will allow me to ______________.”

Examples:

A human resources generalist position capitalizing on strong organizational and interpersonal skills, while
contributing previous recruiting experience.

Psychology student with hands-on experience delivering services to autistic children, as well as assisting with
development of classroom activities to stimulate learning. Keen interest and background in multicultural and
diversity issues related to autism. Strengths include organizational skills, taking initiative, and program
development.

Human Resources generalist with experience recruiting, on boarding, and FMLA procedures. Presently
working to increase employee engagement and offers bilingual Spanish/English translation abilities.
Demonstrated organizational, leadership, and communication skills.

Recent Health Information Technology graduate offering extensive administrative experience. Demonstrated
experience with managing and organizing data and strong customer service skills. Offers the ability to adapt to
changing priorities, problem-solve, and maintain confidentiality.

EDUCATION
List the institutions you have attended in reverse chronological order with the most recent first.
 For each entry, include the name of the institution, city and state, degree name spelled out with any
concentrations, and include the month and year the degree was received and/or is anticipated.
o Started a degree years ago that you don’t intend to complete? Talk to a Career Development
Advisor about the best way to list it without appearing to lie about earning a degree.
 If your GPA is 3.0 or higher, you may include it to highlight your academic accomplishments. It is not
necessary to state that it is cumulative or to list your major GPA separately.
 Avoid listing coursework. Instead, if you have taken specialized classes, you may opt to highlight these
in your cover letter.
 Include study abroad experiences in this section in the same manner as other entries and place them
after the relevant institution where appropriate.

Career Development Center ● www.waubonsee.edu/careerdevelopment ● (630) 466-2368 ● careerdevelopment@waubonsee.edu

7
  List honors and awards in this section such as Dean’s List, scholarships, fellowships or other awards
under the appropriate institution. If you have several of these, and space permits, you may want to
create a separate section titled Honors and Awards.

Education Examples:

Associates in Applied Science, Business Administration December 2016

Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove, IL

Certificate of Achievement: Phlebotomy Technician May 2017

Waubonsee Community College, Sugar Grove, IL

LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS

List applicable and relevant credentials and certifications. Include the name of the certification such as ASCP,
EMT-B, RN, etc. You may want to list those national or state licensure exams you are eligible to take. For
example, graduates from the Phlebotomy program may meet the requirement to sit for the certification exam
from the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP).

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
The Professional Experience section can encompass all of the experiences that have contributed to your
professional development and can include internships, part-time and full-time jobs related to your degree or
teaching positions. If you have more than one or two entries that are not related to the position you are
applying for, then you may want to move these into a separate section titled ADDITIONAL EXPERIENCE.

Here are some general guidelines:

 Organize your entries in reverse chronological order using bullets that start with an action verb. See a
list of action verbs at www.waubonsee.edu/careerdevelopment under the Helpful Resources menu
 Be sure to include the organization name, city and state, title, and month and year of starting and end
dates.
 Place most relevant bulleted accomplishment statements at the top of bullet point lists
 Include the month and year for the beginning and end dates of the position, the full name of the
organization, the city and state where it is located, your job or position title (and the department or
project name, if appropriate).

LANGUAGE SKILLS
Use this section to highlight your level of fluency in languages other than English. Include whether you are
fluent, conversational, or have a basic knowledge of the languages and if your skill level extends to reading,
writing, or speaking.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Professional Affiliations are similar to the next section, Volunteer Experience, because they both describe
volunteer experiences. This section, however, is for your work with professional organizations in your field,
such as AHIMA or NSNA, through membership, board positions, committees, projects, and other types of

Career Development Center ● www.waubonsee.edu/careerdevelopment ● (630) 466-2368 ● careerdevelopment@waubonsee.edu

8
service. Include name of the organization, your role and the length of involvement. If you held a leadership role
or made a significant contribution, you may add a descriptive bullet point using the SOAR method.

Examples:

Member, National Technical Honor Society 2014 – Present

Student Leader, American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) 2015 – Present

VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
When you consider what to include in this optional section, think about the knowledge, skills and abilities you
gained that supplement your professional experience. This section is also valuable to communicate that you
have leadership ability and are a well-rounded candidate with a variety of interests.

Prepare entries just as you would for your professional experience by including the month and year for
beginning and end dates of the position, the full name of the organization, the city and state where it is located,
your job title even if it is as simple as Volunteer, and the department name, if known.

It is not necessary to describe each role, but if you do, use a bulleted format to create a descriptive list of your
activities that leads with strong action verbs.

TECHNICAL SKILLS
This section can include computer skills such as a working knowledge of software like AutoCAD or the
individual software programs within Microsoft Office. Describe proficiency with appropriate words such as
proficient, functional, and basic.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
Sometimes you will have skills that are relevant, but don’t fall easily within a previous section and are relevant
to the position you are applying for. What you list in this section should be accurate and specific like SOAR
bullets; this is not a section to lump soft skills (people skills) without justification.

REFERENCES
References are usually required at later stages of a job search process, and are not supplied with initial
application materials unless they are specifically requested. Do not write “References available upon request”
on your resume.

In a separate references Word document, create a list of three to five references. References can be:
 Faculty members from Waubonsee,
 Internship / volunteer site supervisors
 Job supervisors
 Academic advisor from your undergraduate institution
 Others who can speak about your abilities and work performance

Career Development Center ● www.waubonsee.edu/careerdevelopment ● (630) 466-2368 ● careerdevelopment@waubonsee.edu

9
What to include:
 At the very top of the page, place your name and contact information using the same format as on your
resume
For each reference:
 The reference’s name, title, and degree(s)
 Reference’s email address and phone number
 The institution or organization they are affiliated with and its address
 A brief description of your relationship to the individual and how long you have known each other

Always ask your references in advance if you can count on them to give you a strong positive reference. Call
references before you anticipate that an employer may contact them. Share a brief description of the position
for which you are being considered and offer suggestions on how your previous experience relates to the
future position. Place a follow up call to thank the reference and politely inquire if he or she was contacted and
how the conversation went.

Style and Aesthetics

When it comes to style, consistency is a must. If you capitalize a job title or place it in bold type, continue the
same format throughout the document. Consistent style throughout a resume creates a neat appearance and
enhances overall readability. View our Sample General Resume to see recommended use of resume style and
format features.

WORDING
 Avoid using personal pronouns such as “I”, “Them”, “We”, “My”, etc.
 Use past tense for past experiences and present tense for present experiences.
 Begin each bullet point with an action verb.
 Do not finish a descriptive paragraph with “etc.”
 Do not abbreviate – spell out words like HR, Info, Mgmt, and Prof.

USE OF BOLD, CAPITALIZATION, ITALICS, ETC.

 Use bold, all caps, or italics to distinguish your position title or place of employment so they stand out at
first glance. Be consistent in all sections of your resume.
 Avoid the use of underlining or fancy bullets, as they are harder to read.

PRINTED VERSIONS OF RESUMES

 If you have a second page, place your name followed by your email or phone number at the top.
Justify the page number to the right.
 Print copies of your resume on a high quality printer. Most resumes will be sent electronically, though,
so you do not need to invest in expensive resume paper.

Career Development Center ● www.waubonsee.edu/careerdevelopment ● (630) 466-2368 ● careerdevelopment@waubonsee.edu

10
 What’s Next?
PROOFREAD your resume (it helps to read it out loud), and then have at least one additional person
proofread it as well. It could be a Career Development advisor, faculty member, fellow student, or colleague.
Not only will they help you locate grammar, formatting, or typing errors, but they may also spot content where
your descriptions are unclear or need more detail.
 Schedule an appointment for an in-person review or email us your resume at
careerdevelopment@waubonsee.edu

UPLOAD YOUR RESUME TO WAUBONSEECAREERNETWORK.COM

www.WaubonseeCareerNetwork.com is an online job board for Waubonsee students, alumni, and community
members. Every employer registration and job posting is reviewed by a real person before approval. When you
upload your resume, it is sent to a Career Development staff member for review. Once approved, your resume
is searchable by approved employers.

Should I upload my resume to another online job board?

You may be considering posting your resume on the Internet on a website such as indeed.com. This is
different from uploading your resume during a job application at employer’s website because your resume may
then be found through a search mechanism and reviewed by potential employers. Weigh the pros and cons of
electronically posting your resume for anyone to see.

PROS:
 You may be scouted by a company you otherwise wouldn’t have known was hiring

CONS:
 If you are currently employed, you may prefer to be more discreet in your job search.
 Once you put your resume on the Internet you relinquish control over how it is seen, by whom, and if
they are viewing the most updated version.
 Scammers make create fake employer accounts to access your contact information and resume

The best use of Internet job boards is to research job openings. Then, bypass the job board and go directly to
the employer’s website to apply. An alternative to posting your resume online is creating and curating a
LinkedIn.com profile.

REFER TO OUR OTHER GUIDES

For best practices and strategies, use our other guides available at www.waubonsee.edu/careerdevelopment:

 Cover Letter Guide

 Interview Preparation Guide
 Job Search Guide

Career Development Center ● www.waubonsee.edu/careerdevelopment ● (630) 466-2368 ● careerdevelopment@waubonsee.edu

11