Resume Workshop-Mit
IMBA PROGRAM RESUME WORKSHOP
November 2002 Stanford Lin Project Manager MIT-China Management Education Project
ACKNOWLEDGMENT: Selected portions of this presentation have been reprinted from materials published by the Career Development Office of MIT Sloan and the Career Services Office of Harvard Business School.
Outline
Resumes
• • • • • Resume Purpose Resume Preparation and Format Resume Tips Special Concerns Common Mistakes
Cover Letters
• Cover Letter Purpose • Cover Letter Preparation and Format • Common Mistakes
Resume Purpose
1. Presentation of yourself targeted to an employer’s needs 2. Document that emphasizes transferable skills such as teamwork, analytical abilities, leadership and management 3. Marketing tool that distinguishes you from your peers
Resume Preparation
• Perform a self-assessment
– Review every previous job or activity for responsibilities and impact – Identify your transferable skills and the skills desired by the target employer – Try to develop numerical values for your accomplishments
• Good framework for each job
– Problem identified – Action(s) taken – Result(s) achieved
Create “PAR” statements
Resume Preparation
• Problem identified
Declining revenue in Guangdong. Company management wants to exit from the Guangdong market.
• Action taken
Did market survey. Looked at products’ strengths and weaknesses relative to competition’s products. Talked with salespeople. Discovered salespersons’ commission plan favored the sale of cheaper products. Proposed new compensation system to reward sale of high-margin products.
• Result achieved
Increased company revenues by 5% after 6 months and by 15% after 18 months.
• Therefore, the PAR statement:
“Increased revenues in Guangzhou by 15% within 18 months through introduction of new sales compensation plan which provided incentives for sales force to focus on high-margin products”
PAR Example #1
• Problem identified
Declining revenue in
November 2002 Stanford Lin Project Manager MIT-China Management Education Project
ACKNOWLEDGMENT: Selected portions of this presentation have been reprinted from materials published by the Career Development Office of MIT Sloan and the Career Services Office of Harvard Business School.
Outline
Resumes
• • • • • Resume Purpose Resume Preparation and Format Resume Tips Special Concerns Common Mistakes
Cover Letters
• Cover Letter Purpose • Cover Letter Preparation and Format • Common Mistakes
Resume Purpose
1. Presentation of yourself targeted to an employer’s needs 2. Document that emphasizes transferable skills such as teamwork, analytical abilities, leadership and management 3. Marketing tool that distinguishes you from your peers
Resume Preparation
• Perform a self-assessment
– Review every previous job or activity for responsibilities and impact – Identify your transferable skills and the skills desired by the target employer – Try to develop numerical values for your accomplishments
• Good framework for each job
– Problem identified – Action(s) taken – Result(s) achieved
Create “PAR” statements
Resume Preparation
• Problem identified
Declining revenue in Guangdong. Company management wants to exit from the Guangdong market.
• Action taken
Did market survey. Looked at products’ strengths and weaknesses relative to competition’s products. Talked with salespeople. Discovered salespersons’ commission plan favored the sale of cheaper products. Proposed new compensation system to reward sale of high-margin products.
• Result achieved
Increased company revenues by 5% after 6 months and by 15% after 18 months.
• Therefore, the PAR statement:
“Increased revenues in Guangzhou by 15% within 18 months through introduction of new sales compensation plan which provided incentives for sales force to focus on high-margin products”
PAR Example #1
• Problem identified
Declining revenue in