PERSONAL BRANDING - RESUME
Learn how to craft an evidence-based resume!
WHAT IS PERSONAL BRANDING?
Establishing and promoting what you stand for
Unique combination of skills and experiences that make you YOU
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Effective personal branding will differentiate you from other professionals in your field
e.g. resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn, other social media platforms, etc.
WHAT ARE RESUMES?
Resumes are a tool to communicate your personal brand and value to employers through a summary of your past experiences, education, and accomplishments. Resumes don't get you a job, your value to the employer gets you the job.
Resumes are not about you. They are about your audience and what will be relevant to them. You can find out the qualities that are relevant to the employer by reading through job descriptions, conducting company research, and talking with people who are familiar with the job function, industry, or company.
Resumes are subjective. Individuals, industries, and countries will have unique preferences on resume writing. Do your research, get feedback from multiple people, assess the feedback, and take the course of action you think is best for you and your audience.
Resumes are never finished. Keep refining and tailoring your resume as your experience and target employers change.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A RESUME?
A primary tool in job search
Provides a summary of your skills, abilities and accomplishments
A quick advertisement of who you are
A "snapshot" of you with the intent of capturing and emphasizing interests and secure you an interview
WHAT ARE THE SECTIONS IN A RESUME?
MAIN REQUIRED SECTIONS
HEADER​
name​​
contact information
EDUCATION
school
degree
major
minor
GPA
graduation date
EXPERIENCE
relevant paid positions
leadership roles
internships
​
OPTIONAL SECTIONS
Activities, Profile/Objective, Highlights, Awards/Honors, Community Engagement/Volunteer, Interests, Skills, etc.
WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IN A RESUME?
BULLET POINTS!
evidence-based bullet points = evidence-based resume
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HOW TO WRITE AN EVIDENCE-BASED BULLET POINT: WHO METHOD
Start bullet point with an ACTION VERB
W - WHAT did you do?
tasks and activities​
H - HOW did you do the work?
skills, methods, strategies​
O - OUTCOME of the work?
results. impact, contribution, intention​
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EXAMPLE:
Before using the WHO method:
Provided customer service in a high stress environment.
After using the WHO method:
Served 30+ customers per shift, using knowledge of merchandise and active selling techniques to achieve top sales-ranking in department.
LET'S BREAK IT DOWN:
Focus on transferable skill/quality
Customer service
Find action verb
Served
Apply WHO method
WHAT did you do?
Served 30+ customers per shift
HOW did you do the work?
using knowledge of merchandise and active selling techniques
OUTCOME of the work?
to achieve top sales-ranking in department
WHAT ARE SOME KEY CONSIDERATIONS WHEN CRAFTING A RESUME?
Stick to 1-2 pages (depending on the company)
No pronouns (I, we, they, them)
Order information in reverse-chronological order within each section (newest to oldest)
Be consistent in formatting
Make resume visually easy to scan (recruiters initially spend an average of 6 seconds per resume)
Use bold, italics, and CAPS sparingly to highlight key information
Make sure there are no spelling errors!