Business

Communication
Seminar
IPE 4208
1
Writing an Effective
Resume
Md. Mamunur Rahman
Lecturer
Dept. of Mechanical & Production Engineering
Ahsanullah University of Science & Technology
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Road Map
Supporting Documentation
Role of the Resume
Types of Resumes
Resume Formats
Resume Sections
Miscellaneous Tips
Sample Resumes
On-line Resources
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Supporting Documentation Cover
Letter
Why do I need to write a cover letter?
Use the cover letter to focus attention on elements of your
background that are particularly relevant to the company
Letter acts as your verbal introduction to the employer
Send it to a person, not a place
Avoid To Whom It May Concern,
Worst case Dear Recruiter:
First sentence should tell why you are writing
I am writing in regard to your posting listed on BD JOBS
Referring to the advertisement on The Daily Star
As you may recall, I spoke with you briefly at
If unsolicited, indicate why you are interested in the company
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Supporting Documentation Cover
Letter
Highlight your skills
Use two to three paragraphs to give in-depth description of your
selling points
Close with a promise of action
Nice if you can say I would welcome an interview at your earliest
convenience for better assessment. Thank you for your time and
kind consideration. For further information, I will be available at
my given mailing address and contact number
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Tipsfor Writing Cover Letters
Be sure to address the letter, by name and title, to the person
who could hire you. When its impossible to learn their name,
use a title such as Dear Hiring Professional today we dont
useTo Whom It May Concern or Dear Sir or Madam.
Express your enthusiasm and interest in the job and in the
company.
Set yourself apart from the crowd identify one thing that
makes you unique, such as a specific talent for getting along
with everyone or something that goes beyond the basic
qualifications of the job.
Be specific about what position you are applying for and what
skills and experience you have that relate to the position. 7
Tipsfor Writing Cover Letters
Keep it brief one page but powerful!
It should not be a template letter. You should write a
separate cover letter for each position you have applied
to.
The letter should make the employer want to read your
resume.
Always have someone proofread your letter before
sending. Letters should be typed unless the employer
asks for a handwritten letter. Keep copies of your cover
letters as a way of tracking where you have applied.
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What is a Resume?
A marketing tool
Your first tool for building a career
The first impression a prospective employer has of you
A selling tool that allows you to highlight to an employer how you
can contribute to the company
Request for an interview
Purpose of the resume is to get you an interview
Must capture the readers interest and attention
Must convince the employer that you have the ability to fill their
position
Your big picture
A snapshot of what you believe are your most important
experiences and qualifications
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Types of Resumes
A Paper/PDF Resume
A printed resume for use at job fairs, conferences,
Should be clean, concise, professional, and pleasing to the eye
Use bullets, bolding, and indentation
Take this resume with you on job interviews
An Electronic Resume
A plain text resume for on-line submission
Typically must conform to employer specifications
Use left-justified and space indented formatting
If desired, use +, *, and 0 to represent bullets
An HTML Resume
Typically includes links to homepage, images, personal social networking
profiles and so on
Avoid this type of resume
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Resume Formats -
Chronological
Highlight your work
experience in reverse
chronological order
Be sure to not leave
gaps
The most widely used
format for working
professionals
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Resume Formats -
Functional
Highlight specific skills
for which the market
has high demand
Seldom used by new
graduates
Frequently used to
change jobs or careers
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Resume Formats -
Combinational
Highlight specific work
experience
Highlight marketable
skills
Use reverse
chronological order
The best resume style
for most college
students
I would prefer bullets 13
The Silver Bullet
What Is Your Story?
Do you want to emphasize internship experience?
Do you want to emphasize work experience?
Do you want to emphasize course work?
Do you want to emphasize project experience?
Do you want to emphasize research experience?
Do you want to emphasize personal traits?
What is unique or interesting about your college/university experience?
My Recommendation
If you have an interesting internship emphasize it
Most graduates have interesting project experience
Demonstrate leadership, communication, cultural awareness
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Standard Resume
Sections
Header
Objective
Education
Work Experience
Projects
Relevant Courses/ trainings
Honors/Activities
Skills
References



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The Header Section
The first line should be your name
Larger than the largest font used in body
Avoid using decorative fonts
Dont use black or gray shaded backgrounds
Exclude titles Mr., Mrs., Ms.,
Include contact address
Permanent address
Current address
Include your email address
Dont use [email protected], [email protected]
Include your phone number
Attach your photo
Attach a passport size decent photo of professional look with
your CV at the top most right corner
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The Objective Section
Considered optional but strongly suggested to include it

Make statement clear, concise, and to the point
Bad: I want to get a job
Weak: To attain an internship in the manufacturing industry.
Good: To attain an internship in the manufacturing industry
working with fast moving consumer goods (FMCG).
Avoid being overly specific to single company
To attain a position at Unilever working on
Objectives from the companys perspective is preferable
To attain a position in an FMCG company where knowledge of
industrial and manufacturing engineering will add value to the
overall development process of the company through TPM and
lean manufacturing philosophy.
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The Honors/Activities Section
Should only contain honors and awards earned during your
time in college
You can include academic or extracurricular items
Include a brief description if not self-evident from title
Award given to top performer on the capstone exam
Dont include hobbies or activities not related to the job or
your story
Good to include leadership positions in IPE-related organizations
Good to list membership in IPE-related organizations
Dont include volunteer work unless there is a direct and
positive link with the job or your story
This section should scream I am a leader
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The Work Experience Section
Dedicated to most recent and relevant employment
Format
Employer and location on the first line
Dont need name of supervisor, complete address, or contact
information
Position and time-span on the second line
Avoids time gaps
Each position should have at least two bullets
Explain role and contributions
Dont emphasize duties but rather emphasize outcomes
Increased efficiency of by 20%
Improved user navigation experience on
Employers want
problem solvers
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The Relevant Courses Section
The keyword is relevant courses
Dont include Foundations of Engineering
Focus on courses those are either unique or would normally be
considered elective or related to the job description you are
applying for
Employers will assume you have had the rest
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The Skills Section
This is where you emphasize your technical skills
Programming Languages
Put in order of familiarity

Packages
Auto CAD, Solid Works, Matlab, Abacus, Master Cam, MS
Excel
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The Projects Section
Used correctly, this section can set you apart from other new
graduates
Most new grads dont get the opportunity to use this section

Show any lengthy, impressive, or relevant projects to which you have
made real contribution

Each project should have at least two bullets (focus on outcomes)
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Supporting Documentation
References
Use academic/professional references only
Pick individuals that think highly of you
Pick individuals that are familiar with your work
For fresh graduates its better to use academic references

Always ask your references before using their names
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Tips on Delivery of Your
Resume
Posting Online
Be precautious about deadline
Use PDF if allowed
Proofread carefully after conversion
If they ask about salary be rational
Emailing your resume
Attach resume as a PDF document (or Word document)
Test before deploy
Send to at least two friends, ask them whether they received the
email in good format.
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Miscellaneous Tips (1)
Use action words in your descriptions
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Miscellaneous Tips (2)
Act like a professional
Avoid cutesy or inappropriate graphics, images, formats,
One page only
As a fresh graduate your CV shouldnt cross one page
Stick to the truth
Dont sprinkle buzzwords in that you really dont understand
Focus on achievements and results
Laundry lists of duties are not impressive

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On-Line Resources
www.collegerecruiter.com
www.developercareers.com
www.writinglettersandresumes.com
www.professional-resumes.com
www.1stresumes.com
www.a1resumes.net

www.10minuteresume.com
www.crsresume.com
www.resumeservice.com

Free
Not
Free
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