By Meredith Lynd/reporter
The moment students entered a recent South Campus seminar, they began working on their resumes.
Monica Bettle, career center coordinator, presented the informal, interactive Resume Writing workshop Oct. 16.
Bettle said the main purpose of a resume is to sell the applicant in one to two minutes.
“ A person has only that amount of time to determine if they go in the ‘yes pile’ or the ‘no pile,’ she said.
If resumes are submitted electronically, Bettle said, selling becomes more important. In this case, the resume will be scanned and a keyword search will be performed.
Workshop attendees received the Job Hunting Handbook, which contained information for writing a resume. Most of the students were from a human relations and applied psychology class, for which they must write a resume.
Bettle covered two types of resumes: chronological and functional. The chronological resume shows educational background and experience such as high school and college, accomplishments and work experience to date.
The functional resume is more for those who have been in the workforce for some period of time. It should show all work experience during the past 10 years, unless any experience prior is particularly relevant to the job being sought.
During the workshop, one student asked if she had to include a job that she held for only one week. Bettle said it would be falsifying a resume if it were not included.
Bettle also addressed cover letters and their purpose. A cover letter, which is attached to a resume, is a summary of the resume but is more personal. It should include why the applicant is interested in the position, why he or she is qualified for the position and what they are currently doing.
Bettle said a dynamic resume is important in the job-search process.
“ Your resume should always be changing,” she said. “It should never, ever stay the same.”
A resume should be written based on the job description and will change based on the job for which job seekers are applying.
“ If you were applying for a job as a receptionist or a typist, the number of words per minute should definitely be included and emphasized on your resume,” she said.
Bettle discussed one helpful tool that no one at the workshop had heard of. Microsoft Word includes a Resume Wizard, which formats an entire resume and allows applicants to just fill in the blanks. Users can choose either a chronological or a functional resume, then format the headings.
For further assistance on writing a resume, students can visit the career center on any campus or call 817-515-4737 for the South Campus office.
