TABLE OF CONTENTS

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INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………………….3

LEARNING OBJECTIVES……………………………………………………………………..………..4

RESUME SURGERY VS. RESUME CLINIC……………………………………………… …………5

WHAT’S THE PURPOSE OF THE RESUME?................................................................ .............5

FUNCTIONAL RESUME……………………………………………………………………………….14

RESOURCES…………………………………………………………………………………………….20

INTRODUCTION

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This online tutorial is designed to help Miami-Dade County employees, who are seeking

advancement, refresh and revise their resumes. After completing this tutorial, you should feel

ready to revise your resume and know that you’ve learned some current trends in resume

writing. You should feel ready to apply for jobs by using Miami-Dade County’s online application

as a resume builder.

If Miami-Dade County doesn’t accept paper resumes, why do you still need a resume? You

must have well-written material to post to the online application questions, and you’ll use your

resume for that material. You will simply copy and paste from your unformatted resume to the

County’s online application and resume builder. You’ll also want a traditional, formatted paper

resume to take to your job interviews. Many departments are requesting those paper resumes

for panelists to review during your departmental interview visit.

In this online tutorial you will explore different types of resumes and how to choose the right

County’s online application and resume builder. This brief tutorial includes answers to some of

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The learning objectives include the most common resume writing concepts that organizations

expect today. Ideally, you should understand the three common resume formats: the

chronological resume, the functional resume, and the

hybrid/combination resume. You’ll also learn the

extraordinary value of keywords, reasons for working

system.

RESUME SURGERY VS. RESUME CLINIC

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As you go through this tutorial, you might find that you need more of an overhaul than an online

tutorial provides. Perhaps your resume needs surgery rather than a walk-in clinic. Maybe it’s

just too outdated or too unfocused. You might need to start fresh. The good news is that you

can learn to perform your own resume surgery by using a resume writing guidebook. Visit the

Miami-Dade County Public Library web site for a listing of these resume guidebooks.

in a resume, you have to sell using only the printed word. You are selling yourself as the right

employee. As a resume writer, you are trying to show the potential employer that you are the

Using the job advertisement or the job description, align your skills and experience with the

needs of the potential employer. You can find County job descriptions through the Miami-Dade

County Pay Plan. http://www.miamidade.gov/humanresources/

You must go through some traditional steps to complete the sale to the potential employer. You

don’t go directly from an applicant with a resume to new employee.

The first step in the sales process is to secure the interview. The resume’s primary purpose is

to help you to secure that interview. You want your resume to position you as one of the best

candidates. When you look like the best candidate, you have a better likelihood of being called

for an interview. As the first step, your resume must entice the reader to call you for an interview.

The second step is to use the interview to display and expand on your resume by fully

explaining your knowledge, skills, and abilities. During the interview, you can use your paper

resume to position your achievements and remind the panel that you are the best candidate.

You’ll use your revised resume for the online application and the interview. After you’ve revised

your resume, you’ll use the resume’s content to fill out the online application. Miami-Dade

County, as well as many employers, uses a computer program that acts as both a job

using a word processing program or an online template. By writing your resume in a word

processing program, you’ll save time because you can quickly copy and paste information rather

than writing under pressure while the job application is open and running.

into the County’s online application form. Be sure to write your resume without formatting,

graphics, bullets, and indentations. Your unformatted resume will transfer more easily into the

computer system.

After you’ve completed the Miami-Dade County online application, you can add formatting to

your resume. That’s when you add graphics, bullets, and indentations to make your paper

resume easy to read and visually appealing. You should take a formatted copy of your resume

to your job interview. Many departments ask that job candidates bring paper copies of their

resumes to interviews. This is your opportunity to display your knowledge, skills, and abilities in

Most Important Basic Resume Tips:

Always Follow These Basic Standards...

• Don't overcrowd your resume. Allow for plenty of white

• Keep your resume to one page whenever possible.

• Keep the number of fonts you use to a minimum -- two at the

• Print your resume on white or cream paper using a good-quality printer.

• Second- and third-generation photocopies must be avoided.

• Print on one side of the paper only.

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An effective resume helps to get you in the door, to sell yourself and get the job. An effective

resume presents you, your knowledge, skills, and abilities in the best light.

Traditionally, paper resumes have been broken into sections. Those sections usually appear as

headers. On a paper resume, you have the option of adding formatting. The formatting will help

the eye to be drawn to those sections. From a distance, those formatted sections will stand out

Both your online resume/application and your paper resume should be divided into similar areas.

Some areas are vital and you should include those areas. Those are sections like experience,

education, and computer skills. Usually those sections have a formatted header like this,

and resume builder, the computer program will prompt you to input that vital information. Many

people fail to scroll all the way down the computer page and miss adding some of this vital

information. Sometimes applicants submit only the current job. Be sure to write a full work

history. This full work history will help the recruiter or hiring manager to see what you’ve done

and how it can benefit them.

●describe your current and past work experience.

●outline relevant volunteer experience.

●describe memberships in professional associations.

Remember to create this as unformatted areas or sections. After you’ve applied for a County

job, you’ll add formatted headers like, EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, and COMPUTER SKILLS.

The optional sections are secondary. You might have skills that fit into one of these areas. You

can use these areas to expand on your knowledge, skills, and abilities. Some of these areas,

however, are difficult to transfer from the paper or electronic resume to an online resume. The

objective, summary, and reference statement do not easily transfer to the County’s online

application and resume builder. Those areas simply do not exist on the County’s application.

You could include them in your paper resume if those areas help you to promote yourself and

 special skills and abilities

 a reference statement similar to “References available upon request.”

 a narrative summary of your experience and skills

 activities

 awards

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The hybrid or combination resume combines chronological and functional styles. This resume

has traditional chronological resume features. For example, you can choose to include a

chronological feature like positioning your

educational information in reverse

chronological order. The hybrid/combination

also allows features from the functional

to your paper resume.

Example of a hybrid/combination resume:

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Now that you know the three most common formats, you must choose the one that’s right for

you. Here’s a quick test to see if you should clearly use either a chronological or a functional

resume.

If you answer YES to any one of these questions, you should consider using the chronological

resume.

1. Are you changing careers?

2. Do you have a lot of volunteer experience related to your chosen field?

3. Do you have an unconventional work history? Maybe you’ve moved or have gaps in

employment.

RESOURCES

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Find County job descriptions through the Miami-Dade County Pay Plan.

http://www.miamidade.gov/humanresources/

To complete the Miami-Dade County employment application, go to

If you’re seeking access to the internet, you can visit a Miami-Dade County Library or the Miami-

Dade County Human Resources Computer Kiosk on the 21

Floor of the Stephen P. Clark

Center at 111 N.W. First Street, Miami. To find a Miami-Dade County Library branch closest to

you, go to: http://mdpls.org/

Miami-Dade County Human Resources wishes you good luck in your job search!