Is Your Resume Ready for Your Next Career Move? A Career Services Guest Post
This week, we're excited to offer a special guest post by Career Services Advisor Denise Pranke!As a Walden Career Services Advisor, I review and provide feedback on hundreds of resumes every year. Just as there are strategies for writing an academic paper, there are strategies for crafting a strong resume. Whether you are transitioning into a new field, re-entering the workforce, looking for a leadership position, or targeting a job similar to your previous employment, you can create a resume that clearly and concisely communicates your unique qualifications, accomplishments, and professional focus.
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| "Resume - Glasses" (c) Flazingo Photos (license) |
Start with self-assessment. Reflect on your strengths. What are you most proud of in your academic and professional accomplishments?
Have clear job target in mind. With a clear job target, you can tailor your resume to highlight your skills and accomplishments that match the required qualifications for the position.
Create a clearly organized document. Use clear section headers and consistent formatting. Avoid redundant statements and long, unorganized lists of duties and responsibilities.
Include a professional summary section that conveys your professional reputation or brand. This section should include three to five sentences that summarize your relevant experience, skills, and professional focus. For example:
Dedicated Community Leader and Adult Educator
Extensive experience in community based nonprofit management. Committed to building engaged communities around common goals through dialogue, education, and partnerships. Hold M.S. in Nonprofit Management and Leadership; pursuing DBA with specialization in Social Impact Management.
Write accomplishment and skill statements relevant to the position. In Career Services, we call these CAR statements. CAR statements include a challenge, action, and result. Here are three examples that take a weak statement and turn it into a CAR statement.
| • Mission-Focused Approach | • Social Media Communications | |
| • Program Development | • Fund Raising | |
| • Data-Driven Program Evaluation | • Staff & Volunteer Training |
Write accomplishment and skill statements relevant to the position. In Career Services, we call these CAR statements. CAR statements include a challenge, action, and result. Here are three examples that take a weak statement and turn it into a CAR statement.
| Weak: | • Increased volunteer hours | |
| Strong: | • Increased volunteer hours in tutoring, administrative support, and facility maintenance from 520 hours to 1250 hours over 6 months by collaborating with local businesses |
| Weak: | • Reduced costs | |
| Strong: | • Implemented a new inventory tracking system resulting in the elimination of duplicate orders and a yearly savings of over $30,000 |
| Weak: | • Improved safety | |
| Strong: | • Improved safety by enhancing the training curriculum and implementing a safety checklist which reduced the number of accidents by 60% over a 12-month period |
Here are additional resources to help you get your resume ready for your next career move:
- OptimalResume System, an excellent resume building tool that offers resume samples and templates.
- Archived Webinars:
- “Crafting Effective Resumes”
- The OptimalResume Webinar Series provides guidance on how to use the OptimalResume system
- Action verbs resource
- Parallel construction resource
Denise Pranke is a career services advisor in Walden's Career Services Center. Denise also writes for the Walden University Career Services Blog.
Staff Spotlight: Interview With Shawn Picht, Teacher, Writer, and Traveler
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| Writing Instructor Shawn Picht |
The Walden Writing Center and Academic Skills Center welcomed a new staff member in late 2013. I caught up with this busy individual this month and learned about his interests and the trajectory that brought him, lucky for us, to Walden!
Tell me about your dual role at Walden.
I devote Mondays and Tuesdays to my role as Coordinator of Faculty Development
in the Academic Skills Center, assisting with the Writing Center students
support (WCSS) courses by answering student questions and providing guidance
for faculty teaching the courses. Currently, I am working on a faculty
expectations manual. On Wednesdays through Fridays, I focus on my role as
writing instructor, often reviewing 12 to 16 student papers per week.
What is your approach to one-on-one
reviews?
My goal overall is to help students strengthen their writing skills and increase their confidence in expressing what they’re trying to articulate.
My goal overall is to help students strengthen their writing skills and increase their confidence in expressing what they’re trying to articulate.
I know you do your own writing,
both creative and nonfiction. How does your writing process inform how your
work with Walden students?
My nonfiction process is fairly methodical: writing sentence by sentence,
paragraph by paragraph, while looking to be as specific as possible and
demonstrate confidence. I encourage that approach when working with students
during my paper reviews, as well.
What is the most helpful advice you’ve received about writing?
What is the most helpful advice you’ve received about writing?
I was once told by a professor that my writing was “too baroque” and that
I was trying too hard. I learned from
that piece of advice that I should write intelligently without going overboard
with complex words and sentences. The most helpful advice I give to students
and myself in both creative and nonfiction writing is to make sure that the writing
process has closure. You can always go back to edit and revise, but a story
(whether fiction or an essay) needs to open and close an idea.
How do you spend your free time?
I like to read philosophy and literature, when I get the chance (FYI: reading Nietzsche on the commuter bus is always interesting). I didn’t have much occasion to read literature during my MA studies, and I think that philosophy and literature both help me better understand the world and different viewpoints. I also play acoustic guitar nearly every day. I think music is an important medium of expression; it’s creative, relaxing, and it gives me a break from the computer screen! Of course, spending time with my 7-year-old daughter is a huge priority in my life, as well. We recently started playing chess together.
I like to read philosophy and literature, when I get the chance (FYI: reading Nietzsche on the commuter bus is always interesting). I didn’t have much occasion to read literature during my MA studies, and I think that philosophy and literature both help me better understand the world and different viewpoints. I also play acoustic guitar nearly every day. I think music is an important medium of expression; it’s creative, relaxing, and it gives me a break from the computer screen! Of course, spending time with my 7-year-old daughter is a huge priority in my life, as well. We recently started playing chess together.
Which authors or books have
influenced you the most?
That’s a difficult question to answer because it depends on what point in my life you’re asking about. I will say I like to read Nietzsche and other German philosophers (their writing is not as dark as you may think!). I also like J. D. Salinger, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and Jhumpa Lahiri. I’ve read Crime and Punishment six times, so I guess you could say that’s a book I continue to learn from and enjoy.
That’s a difficult question to answer because it depends on what point in my life you’re asking about. I will say I like to read Nietzsche and other German philosophers (their writing is not as dark as you may think!). I also like J. D. Salinger, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, and Jhumpa Lahiri. I’ve read Crime and Punishment six times, so I guess you could say that’s a book I continue to learn from and enjoy.
I understand you are well traveled.
I am well-traveled in Europe. I lived in Rome, Italy for five months in 2003-04, and I have spent considerable time in Germany over the past two years. But there is a lot of the rest of the world yet to see! (I would love to travel to India someday). I think that travel is a good priority to have at some point in your life to meet new people and experience something different, but there is a time for putting down your roots as well.
I am well-traveled in Europe. I lived in Rome, Italy for five months in 2003-04, and I have spent considerable time in Germany over the past two years. But there is a lot of the rest of the world yet to see! (I would love to travel to India someday). I think that travel is a good priority to have at some point in your life to meet new people and experience something different, but there is a time for putting down your roots as well.
What do you like most about working
at Walden?
I have been so impressed with how invested the Writing Center and Academic Skills Center staff are in defining what we do, and then delivering on that to best serve Walden students. Also, the people I work with are wonderful. They are friendly, appreciative, intelligent, and quite obliging with me as I learn the ropes at Walden.
I have been so impressed with how invested the Writing Center and Academic Skills Center staff are in defining what we do, and then delivering on that to best serve Walden students. Also, the people I work with are wonderful. They are friendly, appreciative, intelligent, and quite obliging with me as I learn the ropes at Walden.
Learn more about Shawn on the Writing Center’s Meet Our Staff page.
You might like these other Spotlight posts:
WriteCast Episode 7: Interview with Amy Kubista, EdD Student and Writing Center Staff Member
Meet the AWAs!
Student Spotlight: Jennifer Sulkowski
Student Spotlight: Mary Eldredge-Sandbo
Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Anne L. Fetter, Public Policy and Administration
Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Pettis Perry (Part 1)
Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Pettis Perry (Part 2)
Faculty Spotlight: Dr. K. Elizabeth McDonald
Martha King is the manager of dissertation editor services. She has been with the Walden Writing Center for 9 years.
WriteCast Episode 7: Interview with Amy Kubista, EdD Student and Writing Center Staff Member
Many students work hard to find a balance between school, career, and family life; Amy Kubista, EdD student and Manger of Writing Instructional Services at the Walden Writing Center, is no exception. This month, Nik sits down with Amy to talk about how she strives for that balance, her motivation for pursuing her degree, and writing advice.
To download the episode to your computer, press the share button on the player above, then press the download button. Visit the Writing Center's WriteCast page for our episode archive and transcripts. Happy listening!
How are your experiences different from or similar to Amy's? Do you have other strategies to help you achieve work-life-academic balance?
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Capstone Calendars: A Plan for Success
Writing Resources tab on the Writing Center website
Life Cycle of a Paper Webinar
Writing Instructors Nik Nadeau, Anne Shiell, and Brittany Kallman Arneson produce the WriteCast podcast.
Creswell Did Not Write About You: Common Mistakes in Citing 'I' Statements
At the Writing Center, we often comment on sentences like
these:
During the
analysis phase of my qualitative study, I will organize data into themes
(Creswell, 2012).
Counselor
Smith should not engage in a romantic relationship with her former patient Fred
because it has been just 2 years since Fred’s treatment ended (American
Counseling Association, 2005).
The
sentences are clear, they cite the source, and they follow APA style—so what’s
the problem?
APA and MLA Showdown: Our Defense of APA
When we read the
most recent UCWbLing post (by theDePaul University’s Center for
Writing-based Learning) last week, we couldn’t just sit by and watch APA style
get crushed by MLA. We had to step up to APA’s defense. Not that APA needs any
defending, but…
With experience in Chicago, MLA, and APA, we have admiration for and frustration with each style. During our time at Walden, however, we have come to have a new appreciation for APA. Many consider it to be a long list of overly picky and hard-to-learn arbitrary rules, and we don’t disagree that MLA is the easier style to learn. But, we’re still in APA’s corner, and here’s why:
With experience in Chicago, MLA, and APA, we have admiration for and frustration with each style. During our time at Walden, however, we have come to have a new appreciation for APA. Many consider it to be a long list of overly picky and hard-to-learn arbitrary rules, and we don’t disagree that MLA is the easier style to learn. But, we’re still in APA’s corner, and here’s why:
1. The serial comma
APA and MLA both use the serial comma (meaning you add a comma before “and” in a list of three or more items), and this rule ensures clarity for your reader, as each item you are listing is neatly separated. Who doesn’t like an easy-to-read list? The difference comes in each style’s directions regarding serial commas: APA style is perfectly clear that serial commas are expected, as evidenced by the serial comma’s appearance in APA’s index (under comma, serial). APA even gives examples in two places (p. 64 and 88). MLA style also suggests writers use the serial comma, but it isn’t listed in the index; instead, you need to investigate the comma section of the manual and interpret the example MLA gives. APA’s clear and direct approach ensures that all users know to use this handy little rule.2. Citation formatting
In APA style, citations require the date of publication for
the source that you’re citing, like this: Shiell (2013) or (Shiell, 2013). In
MLA style, your citation includes the author name and page number, and you only
include dates in your reference entries. This small rule can make a big difference
in terms of the credibility of your research, however. Presenting the date
within the citation immediately tells readers the currency of the source (how
recently it was published, which gives a sense of how up-to-date—or
outdated—the research might be) and which source you’re citing (which is
helpful particularly if you’re using multiple works by the same author). Imagine
reading an entire article about technology only to realize its central claim is
based on research from the 1960s; bummer, right?
3. Page numbers (or lack thereof)
In MLA, your citations must include a page number, regardless
of whether you’re quoting or paraphrasing the source. Page numbers are also
required for quotations in APA, but APA only recommends that writers include a page number when paraphrasing if
they want to point readers to the exact page where the information is from. For
paraphrases in APA style, a page number is not required, and generally not
included. This guideline makes a lot of sense. When summarizing and paraphrasing
from sources, you’re not always going to pick out a single sentence to use from
the middle of a long article or book. Instead, you will often communicate
information or ideas that the author presented throughout the work. Imagine if
your citations included strings of page numbers pointing out every time the
author mentioned that information or idea. Reading citation after citation of (Oyler,
2013, p. 4, 7, 9, 10, 20-23, 40, 66, etc.) would get a little tiresome,
wouldn’t it?
4. Heading formats
It’s true, APA style has more rules than MLA about how to
format your headings. You’re probably thinking, Who cares if my level 3 heading is tabbed, bolded, in sentence case,
and followed by a period and the first line of the paragraph? Your readers
care, that’s who. Using consistent formatting for your heading levels helps
readers understand the relationship of your paper’s sections to one another.
MLA recommends that writers use consistent heading formatting, but only
throughout a document—there are no guidelines on consistent formatting from
paper to paper. Do you want to read a paper where every heading is bolded,
underlined, italicized, and size 22 font? We thought not. Understanding the
organization of a paper is easier when you’re familiar with an established set
of heading levels (and it’s easier on the eyes) than when you’re trying to
decipher the writer’s own formatting scheme.
5. Abstracts
You might think it’s good news that MLA style doesn’t
require abstracts (nor does it give guidance on abstracts)—less work for you,
right? But think about your last research paper or an upcoming research project
and the number of articles you’ll need to sift through to find the ones relevant
to your topic and purpose. There’s no way you’re going to read all of the
articles you find, even with a successful database search method. Instead,
you’ll first take a look at an article’s abstract, and then maybe you’ll skim
through the text and look at the headings (see how understanding heading scheme
at a glance could come in handy?) to decide if you should spend time fully
reading the article. APA’s abstract requirement and guidelines help you learn
how to write and format a strong abstract, which you’ll need for long papers
and for works you hope to publish.
So, APA is the clear winner…right?
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| The 6th edition in all its glory. |
Thanks to the UCWbLing Blog for a thought-provoking post!
Mark Your Calendar for March Webinars
Have you attended one of our webinars in Adobe Connect yet? The Writing Center (and other centers in the Center for Student Success) recently switched to using Adobe Connect as our platform for webinars. This new platform means we have more opportunities for you to collaborate with staff and fellow students during live webinars, and our archived recordings have more interactivity as well. We're excited about this change, and we're also excited about our March webinars. We're offering one specifically for EdD and EdS students, two geared toward Walden students at any level, and a new webinar in our social change series. Join us for one or all!
click on a webinar title to register
Writing for MAT, EdD, & EdS Major Assessments
Tuesday, March 47-8 p.m. ET
Audience: MAT, EdD, & EdS students
Major assessments are required components of the MAT, EdD, and EdS programs, but they require a specific writing style to complete. In this session, we will provide tips for writing successfully in your major assessments.
Beginnings & Endings: Introduce and Conclude Your Writing
Friday, March 143-4 p.m. ET
Audience: All students
This webinar highlights two essential aspects of any paper or discussion post: the introduction and the conclusion. In this webinar, we will explore several examples and discuss tips for successful introductions and conclusions.
APA Citations Part 2: Nontraditional Sources
Wednesday, March 1912-1 p.m. ET
Audience: All students
In this second of two APA sessions, Writing Center staff members will dismiss nontraditional APA citations and references, with an emphasis on those that are common to Walden assignments. We will provide guidance on citing dicussion posts, course videos, and other sources that are required at Walden but not explored thoroughly in the APA manual. Participants will receive links and other tools for helping students master these formats.
Watch "APA Citations Part 1" here. The PowerPoint slides are available for download in the recording.
Writing for Social Change: Grant Proposals
Thursday, March 275-6 p.m. ET
Audience: All students
Sometimes achieving social change requires support from others. This webinar will give you tips for communicating your goals for social change through grant proposals, introducing you to this genre of writing. While we will not provide tips for finding grants, you will be able to use this webinar to help you communicate your social change vision to others in grant format.
Writing Instructor Beth Oyler coordinates the Writing Center's webinar instruction. Visit our webinars page for the webinar archive.
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