MPR Q & A Style Guide

Tone/Voice:

Professional yet engaging tone. Informational/Helpful. We are providing tips in the form of questions and answers to add to the page alongside the resume sample.

Do’s and Don’ts

• Please use the Oxford (serial) comma.
• Use active voice. NO passive voice! Use this free grammar checker.
  
• For this client, “jobseeker” is one word.
• “Skill set” is two words
• Do not use the word “highlight” unless it is part of the question you are using. Some readers take this literally and highlight portions of the resume, which is not appropriate. Instead, use phrases such as “illuminate,” “draw attention to,” and “point out.”
• Don’t use “OK.” Please spell out the word “okay.”
• Don’t write the word “percent.” Use the symbol “%” instead.
• Don’t refer to a “dream job.” Instead, talk about “the job you want” or something similar.
• Please spellcheck for the word “manger” and change it to “manager.”
• Please include a note in your email if the quality of the existing page is poor.

Keyword – 4 times (this includes using it above the URL link at the top of the page) Note!! This was incorrectly listed at 6 times.

• The keyword is “[job title] resume sample” with the assigned job title taken from the URL in column D of the spreadsheet and substituted for [job title].
• If your link is for a CV, your keyword will be “[job title] CV sample”
• If your link has “entry level” or “experienced” at the end of it, you may switch the order and use “entry level [job title] resume sample” or “experienced [job title] resume sample.”
• If the keyword is super awkward, you may tweak it to make sense, but be sure to stick with one version throughout the entire article. For instance, you can change “journeymen” to “journeyman” or “experienced singers and musicians” could be adjusted to “Experienced singer and musician’s” so that it makes better sense.
• If the keyword is not grammatically correct, please fix it. (For example, use nonprofit rather than non profit)

Use title case in headers and lower case in running text. If needed, you may add the apostrophe before the “s” on these to keep them grammatically correct. Use these URL examples to help you determine the job title:

Example: If you have the following link in column D, your job title is “customer service representative.” Your keyword would be “customer service representative resume sample.”

https://www.myperfectresume.com/how-to/customer-service/customer-service-representative-resume-sample/

Example: If you have the following URL, your keyword would be “translator CV sample” (not resume sample) and you would make adjustments to the questions, inserting CV in place of resume.

https://www.myperfectresume.com/how-to/cv-examples/translator-cv-example/

Example: If you have a URL that doesn’t include a job title, you just use the Industry rather than a job title as part of your keyword, like this “healthcare resume sample.” Answer the questions the same way that you would with a job title. However, be sure to emphasize the fact that you are making a sweeping generalization across the industry.

https://www.myperfectresume.com/how-to/healthcare/

Use it in a question and answer like this:

“How do I write about hobbies in my healthcare resume?”

Stick to hobbies that pertain to your work in healthcare. If you’re in dermatology, then it’s fine to mention your love of attending beauty workshops to learn about new products. However …

Word Count –

• Between 475 and 550 words.(You will be paid for 510 words) The first header, link and title do not figure into the word count.
• Use between 50 and 150 words to answer each question. This count does not include the question, but the questions do count toward the overall word count.

FORMAT

• |[Job Title] Resume Sample Link| Put this header above the URL from the spreadsheet
• URL from the spreadsheet
• |Title|
• |[Job Title] Resume Questions|
• Choose five questions to answer from the Questions tab of this style guide.
• Number the questions from 1-5 and bold the question.
• Try to select one from each of the five highlighted question sections to help mix things up – the client doesn’t want all of them to use the same questions. For instance, pick one from numbers 1-5, one from 6-10, and so forth. Mix up the order you put your questions in. For example, you may put question #22 as your first question, then #15 as your second question, and #2 as the third.However, it is more important that the questions go with the industry than that they are in a different section.
• Apply critical thinking as you choose the questions. For example, many jobs don’t require familiarity with specific software programs, but if the job you are writing about does, consider using a question that relates to that.
• Answer each question in approximately 50-150 words.
• Refer to the resume builder at least once. MPR (MyPerfectResume) offers a resume builder to help jobseekers who are writing resumes. You may include it in any of the questions if it fits naturally, but a good place to refer to it is at the bottom of the page, as a soft call to action.Use at least one of the following words and/or phrases to describe the resume builder: perfect, customized, personalized, “industry-specific text examples,” “step-by-step,” and “no writing needed.”

NOTE: If the link for your job title goes to a CV instead of a resume, please adjust the questions you use to address a CV rather than a resume, and use the CV links near the bottom of the Resources page for good information.

Keep track of the questions that you answer on the downloadable MPR Questions Tracking Sheet. Mark an X in the column to the right of a question each time you use it. Please use different questions and different combinations of questions for each article you write. Also, switch up the order of the questions if you use the same one you used before. For instance, if #22 is your first question in an article and you have gone through all the other questions, put question #22 down lower when you use it again in another article. Try to use each question an equal number of times. Do not use exactly the same five questions in more than one article.

Additional Requirements:

ATS System – If you use the question about the ATS or mention ATS in any of your answers, you must include a phrase to explain what an ATS is. You can go into more depth or you could say something as simple as, “To get your resume past an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), which is a tool that employers use to screen resumes based on keyword, blah blah blah…”

Resume Objective or Professional Summary. If your question mentions either one of these, be sure to explain that most jobseekers use professional summaries to showcase their work experience and the resume objective is pretty much out. However, it is still appropriate and effective to use a resume objective for rare cases, such as first jobs, career changes, or when the jobseeker has not worked for a long period of time.

Use the resources on the Resources tab to answer your questions. Speak to your audience; some readers have never written a resume, while others have a lot of experience. To answer questions about choosing a resume format, please look at the ONET and BLS sites in addition to the resources listed; once you’re there, read more about the job and industry and apply critical thinking skills to advise readers on how to choose a great resume format.

Please select five questions from this list to answer in your article. Please adjust the questions to use “CV” instead of “resume” if the URL on the spreadsheet takes you to a CV rather than to a resume. Use this downloadable tracker to keep track of which questions you use so you can rotate through them all as you write more than one article.

MPR Questions Tracking Sheet

Use the resources below to answer the questions you selected. Speak to your audience; some readers have never written a resume, while others have a lot of experience. 

Resources

General [job title] Research

• ONET
• Bureau of Labor Statistics

How to Write a Resume & Its Various Sections

• How to Write a Resume
  What Your Resume Should Look Like in 2018
• 43 Resume Tips
• 3 Resume Summary Statements (inform readers that the objective statement is out and they should write a summary statement instead)
• 38 Things You Should Remove from Your Resume
• The Perfect Resume Example: Certification Section
• How to (and How Not to) List Education on Your Resume
• How to Turn Duties into Accomplishments
• 7 Ways to Optimize Your Resume for ATS
• Every Basic Question You Have About Your Resume Skills Section, Answered
• 7 Reasons This is an Excellent Resume for Someone With No Experience
• I’ve Been Perfecting Resumes for 15 Years — Here’s the Best Advice I Can Give (use this for resume length advice)

Software Skills

• These 9 Skills Are Great Ones to Have on Your Resume

The Skills Companies Need Most in 2018
ONET (for specific job skills)

Soft Skills

• The Skills Companies Need Most in 2018
• Top Employers Say Millennials Need These 4 Skills in 2017
• The 5 Soft Skills that Will Get You Hired
• The Non-Boring Way to Show off Your Soft Skills in Your Job Search
• 5 Ways to Include Soft Skills in Your Executive Resume

Format
Resume Format Guide
Branding Your Resume

CV Help

• How to Write a CV
• CV vs. Resume: What’s the Difference?
• How to Write a Successful CV
• Writing the Curriculum Vitae

Save as: ID # – [Job Title] Resume Questions – MPR

Example:

3 – Teacher Resume Questions – MPR

|Customer Service Representative Resume Sample Link|

https://www.myperfectresume.com/how-to/customer-service/customer-service-representative-resume-sample/

|Title|

|Customer Service Representative Resume Questions|

1. How do you highlight soft skills on a customer service representative resume?

In the customer service field, there are plenty of specific industry skills, but employers want to see evidence of general skills that show you are a hard worker, a great team player, and more. Instead of making a random list of skills, focus on including soft skills discussed in the job ad. In the customer service resume example, you can see another way to focus on your soft skills, which is by providing plenty of examples. The best candidates show off skills by describing them in action with clear examples.

2. What does a good customer service representative resume look like?

The look of your resume for a customer service representative should reflect the type of company you want to work for. Most employers want to see a basic or traditional resume style from their candidates, and many examples, such as this customer service representative resume sample reflect this. In some cases, you could go with a more modern look for your resume, for instance, if the company is a high-tech organization or a newer business.

Lengthwise, most experts recommend candidates with fewer than 10 years of experience limit resumes to one page. If you are a veteran customer service representative with more experience than that, you can opt to have your resume spill over onto two pages.

3. How should you structure your customer service representative resume?

The structure of your resume should follow the lead of this customer service representative resume sample. Your resume should begin with your contact details, such as your name, phone number, and email address. Then, you can include a powerful summary statement. The qualifications or skills section comes next and should showcase your top attributes. Include a detailed list of your professional experience in the work history section next. The end of your resume should detail your educational history and achievements.

4. What can you do to make your customer service representative resume stand out?

A big goal when writing a resume is to make yourself stand out. For the customer service industry, you should focus on showcasing your ability to please customers and communicate. Employers want to see enthusiastic, pleasant people as potential new hires, and your resume can help bring that to life. The best way to convey this information is to give evidence of your accomplishments in these areas in the experience section of your resume, as you can see in our customer service representative resume sample.

5. How do you describe achievements on your customer service representative resume?

Another task that candidates have in today’s job search setting is to make achievements the focus of the resume. It’s not a good idea to simply list all your job duties from the past in bulleted form. Instead, you should focus on how you have helped companies achieve success. Listing achievements rather than duties is a great way to do this. Expand each achievement’s impact by including examples of measurable outcomes in the form of numbers or percentages.

The resume builder is a great resource to help you get a personalized document that can give employers a glimpse of your capabilities. It provides industry-specific text examples to help make your resume pop.

|Teacher Resume Sample Link|

https://www.myperfectresume.com/how-to/education/teacher-resume-sample/

|Title|

|Teacher Resume Questions|

1. How do you write an objective statement for a teacher resume?

In most cases, you do not want to write an objective statement on your resume; instead, you should utilize a summary statement. Since this section is the one hiring recruiters most likely read, it is crucial that you create a strong one. To write this section, focus on your most valuable accomplishments and qualifications. Then, in roughly three sentences or bullet points, bring together your experience and market yourself to potential employees. Review our teacher resume sample to get ideas on how to write yours.

2. How long should a teacher resume be?

Most hiring managers spend roughly six seconds skimming a resume before deciding whether a candidate is worth an interview. Therefore, you do not want your resume to become too lengthy. In general, it is best to stay within one or two pages. If you have limited experience (fewer than 10 years), you should limit your resume to just one page.

There is no need to be exhaustive about your work experience and history; you can share more in the interview if necessary. Our teacher resume sample will provide additional ideas on how to keep your resume short and sweet.

3. How can you highlight team experience on a teacher resume?

When you list soft skills on your resume, such as being a team player, you run the risk of entering cliché territory. It is best to demonstrate these skills and experience in your work experience section through describing the work you did.

For example, include how many other people you worked with on a particular project. Discuss collaborations with other teachers, such as creating the curriculum for the semester. Tell how you worked with the other members of your faculty to provide value to the school in some way, such as developing a new program that raised average grades or decreased drop-out rates.

4. How do you write the experience section of your teacher resume?

Your experience section should chronicle your work history while also demonstrating the skills, accomplishments, and qualifications you gained along the way. Focus your resume on the most relevant jobs you have held in the past 10 to 15 years.

When you describe your work history, do not simply include your job duties; incorporate your accomplishments. Use this space to detail unique experiences and the value you provided to the schools at which you taught. Use as many facts and numbers as you can to demonstrate the impact of your work and the value you provided. Look at our teacher resume sample to learn more.

5. How do you optimize your teacher resume for an ATS?

To optimize your resume for companies that use automated tracking systems to weed out undesirable candidates, make sure to tailor your resume to each job for which you apply. Start with a clean and simple format that allows for programs to scan and read it. Then, review the job description and determine the important keywords and phrases it contains. Incorporate the relevant skills and qualifications on your resume using the same phrasing. Create a separate skills section so you can incorporate as many matching skills as possible. Make it easier by starting with our customized resume builder.