Building

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Building Troubleshooting Your Résumé
Central Piedmont Community CollegeCareer Services
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What this workshop will cover

• Purpose of a Résumé
• Targeting Your Résumé
• Specific Sections of the Résumé especially for
  Automotive Students Graduates
• Résumé Format

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What isThe Function of a Résumé?

• A summary of your qualifications
• An advertisement or a form of persuasive writing
  that intends to evoke interest and action
• Its most important function is to get an employer
  to grant you an interview

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TARGET YOUR RESUME

• Tailor your resume to the specific position for
  which you are applying.

• Match the employers needs with your
  qualifications.
• Create several editions for different positions.

In a recent study by Career Masters Institute,
employers wanted resumes to show a clear match
between the applicant and a particular job's
requirements.
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Job Description

• Hansel Toyota
• Location California
• Job Title Automotive Technician
• Opening for a qualified technician. Prior Toyota
  dealership experience is preferred, ASE
  certification and a smog license is a plus. We
  are a 7-time Toyota Presidents Award winner and
  pride ourselves on continuous improvement. The
  optimum candidate will have a minimum of 3 years
  experience, demonstrate respect and consideration
  for others, strives to exceed expectations and
  enjoys challenges. We do require a current
  California drivers license and we perform
  pre-employment drug screening and background
  check.

WHAT ARE THE EMPLOYERS NEEDS?
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Job Description

• Hansel Toyota
• Location California
• Job Title Automotive Technician
• Opening for a qualified technician. Prior Toyota
  dealership experience is preferred, ASE
  certification and a smog license is a plus. We
  are a 7-time Toyota Presidents Award winner and
  pride ourselves on continuous improvement. The
  optimum candidate will have a minimum of 3 years
  experience, demonstrate respect and consideration
  for others, strives to exceed expectations and
  enjoys challenges. We do require a current
  California drivers license and we perform
  pre-employment drug screening and background
  check.

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JOHN EHLI235 West Thayer AvenueCharlotte, NC
28203(704) 354-7982 ? jzehli_at_yahoo.comObjective
To secure the automotive technician position
with Hensel ToyotaSummary of Qualifications
- Toyota Dealership experience- Toyota T-Ten
program , Associates Degree- Computer
Proficient (Microsoft Office, Internet)-
Excellent customer service experience- XXXX
Certified EducationCentral Piedmont Community
College, Charlotte, NCAssociate in Applied
Science, Automotive Systems Technology, (Toyota)
May 2008ExperienceCo-op Student, January
2008-May 2008Hendrick Toyota, Charlotte,
NC-Performed bumper-to-bumper maintenance
according to work orders-Maintained clean, safe
shop-Completed all paperwork accurately and in a
timely fashion-Cooperated with fellow
technicians and managersCo-op Student,
September 2007-December 2007Town Country
Toyota, Charlotte, NC-Provided inspection and
quick service maintenance on variety of Toyota
vehicles
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A. Basic Categories for a Résumé

• Contact Information
• Objective
• Education
• Experience
• References

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Sections AST Students Might Add

• Automotive Tech Skills
• Courses Completed
• Hobbies/Interests (describing personal automotive
  experience)
• Other students remove high school information.
  But, if you took automotive classes in high
  school, you should leave it on your resume.
• Certifications

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Contact Information

• Your Name
• Street Address
• City, State Zip Code
• Telephone Number
• Email Address

• Name is in a larger/bold font
• Appropriate answering machine
• Appropriate Email Address

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Objectives

• Objectives should include
• 1. The type of position you are seeking
• 2. The industry in which you want to work
• 3. Skills, Education, Experience that you will
  bring to the position
• You can even add the companys name when you
  target your resume for a specific job posting.

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Objective Examples

• Seeking an automotive technician position
• "Position as as a GM Certified Technician with
  City Chevrolet
• To contribute my mechanical and problem-solving
  skills to a GM Certified Technician position with
  City Chevrolet

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Education

• Include degree, major, institution, actual or
  expected graduation date
• Information on GPA is optional (3.0 or higher)
• A subcategory of Relevant Coursework is helpful
  for automotive students
• Academic Honors, Academic Clubs Associations

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EDUCATION

• A.A.S., Automotive Systems Technology, May 2008
• Central Piedmont Community College, Charlotte, NC
• Relevant Coursework Suspension Steering,
  Engine Repair, Automotive Computer Applications,
  Electrical Systems
• High School Diploma, May 2006
• Phillip O. Berry , Charlotte, NC
• Took automotive technology college coursework

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Experience

• Include position, employer, location of
  employer, dates of employment, and
  accomplishments
• Focus on accomplishments that set you apart from
  other job candidates
• Use a bulleted style to make your resume more
  reader-friendly
• Do not limit yourself to paid experiences
  volunteer work, lab work, clinicals, co-ops,
  leadership roles

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Experience Examples

• EXPERIENCE
• Automotive Co-op Student, March May 2007
• Firestone Complete Care, Charlotte, NC
• Assist technicians with automotive service
• Troubleshoot systems problems
• Perform tire and fluids services
• Automotive Assistant, September 2001 - Present
• Terrys Automotive, Monroe, NC
• Assist with familys automotive service business
• Explain services and problems to customers
• Maintained clean and safe shop
• Observed and assisted with repairs

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Other Experience List Styles

• The career counselor can assist you with
  different ways to list your experience if the
  traditional way does not sufficiently highlight
  your background.
• Consider a different style if you have
• Gaps in work history
• Little-to-no experience
• A lot of short-term jobs
• Current experience in a different field

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References

• Never list specific references directly on your
  resume. List them on a separate sheet, and even
  then, submit them only when specifically
  requested by an employer.
• Indicate that they are available upon request
• Three references are generally sufficient
• Use former and/or current supervisors and
  instructors (or anyone who can describe your work
  habits well)
• Ask permission and inform your references about
  your pending applications. Give them a copy of
  your resume for their reference.
• Thank your references for their assistance

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Irrelevant and Controversial Information

• Age or birth date
• Picture
• Marital status
• Social security number
• Complete addresses for past employers
• Salary received from present or past employers
• Health
• Religious or political affiliations

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Résumé Language

• Résumés do not use complete sentences
• Résumés avoid the use of personal pronouns and
  articles (a, an, the)
• Descriptions should be concise and clear
• Avoid acronyms, excessive adjectives, and
  cumbersome sequences
• Do use action verbs (Consult the list of action
  verbs in the Career Guide)
• Do use numbers and specific information

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Layout

• Résumés must be easy to read
• Use formatting (bold, italics, underline, etc.)
  sparingly, consistently, and appropriately
• Avoid fonts that are difficult to read
• Use no more than 1 or 2 fonts
• Space appropriately and consistently
• Quality Paper
• Uniform Margins
• Length (no more than 2 pages)

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Plain-Text Resume

• Include keyword Section
• Left-align everything
• Do not italicize, bold, or underline anything
• Use asterisks or hyphens in place of bullets
• Plain-text resume is great for copying pasting
  into online job applications and at the bottom of
  emails you send to employers.

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Reminders

• Have a clear job target before writing your
  resume.
• Tailor your resume to each specific position.
• Limit your resume to 1-2 pages.
• Do not allow any misspelled words or
  typographical errors on your resume.
• Make sure the resume looks neat and attractive.
• Avoid abbreviations and acronyms
• Begin sentences with action verbs.
• Have your resume critiqued by a career counselor.

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Additional Resources and Assistance

• Obtain a critique from a career counselor
• Consult examples from books in Career Services
• Use our website- www.cpcc.edu/career