Rutgers grad's resume needs some star power

TODAY'S APPLICANT

Melissa Tozzi of Edison graduated from Rutgers University in 2007 with a degree in Communications.

Unable to find a job in her chosen field, she has decided to make use of her psychology minor, temporarily working as a mental-health associate.

While she remains open-minded in her job/career search, Tozzi aspires to work in the entertainment industry.

View this applicant's full resume.
What I do outside work: I will be taking part in the Lyme Disease Association 5K run/walk fundraising event in Long Branch on May 17. I am involved with CASA, as a court appointed special advocate for children. I also have a passion for fitness and I love to travel and learn about different cultures.

What I'm reading: "Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential," by Joel Osteen. I enjoy inspirational books that have a positive outlook.

If I didn't have to work: I would spend my time traveling around the world, being a motivational speaker for young children on how to make the best of their lives. I would install programs that deal with mind, body and health in stress-reduction for their future.

Why you should hire me, in 25 words or less: My perseverance and professionalism is a valuable component to the drive I have to succeed. I am diversified and work well collaborating with others. I crave the feeling of fulfillment and do my best to see through to the best possible outcome.

RECENT EXPERIENCE
April 2008-present: Summit Oaks Hospital. Mental health associate functioning in a support role with the registered professional nurse caring for individual and groups of patients.

June 2007-Jan. 2008: Coors Brewing Company. Administrative assistant to the sales, finance and marketing team at this Edison-based company.


STRENGTHS
I am well-spoken, perceptive, outgoing, investigative/researcher and a quick-learner. I am able to adapt to any environment and work as a team player. I have been complimented on my professionalism.


TOP ACHIEVEMENT
Working at the "LIVE! With Regis & Kelly" show and assisting with the campaign and red-carpet premiere of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Spider-Man 3 movie.


EDUCATION HIGHLIGHT
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, N.J.
B.A. Communications


TODAY'S EXPERT
Don Goodman, master resume writer, certified career coach and certified job search strategist, About Jobs in North Caldwell (GotTheJob.com).


THE MARKET
Melissa wants to be in the entertainment field, which is not experiencing high growth right now. She needs to either create a highly focused job search program to enter the market or identify other types of positions that she desires.


THE RESUME
Melissa's resume is an older style design that might have worked well 10 years ago, but will not work well today. She essentially has a very general objective followed by a listing of the jobs she held, detailing her roles and responsibilities. It is not clear what kind of position she is seeking and the skills and experience she has to offer.


ADVICE
• Melissa needs to start with a "Profile Summary," which is the most important part of the resume, as it answers the big question, "Why should we hire you?" It needs to be compelling and make someone want to read more. She should stress her academic and work experience highlighting the skills that are relevant to the position she is seeking.

• Melissa needs to continue the theme established in the profile section by detailing how she used these core skills successfully on the job. Her resume now lists such duties as "coordinated travel itineraries" and would be better if she focused more on her performance. statements. "Recognized for consistently meeting aggressive deadlines in a fast-paced environment" is an example of this.

• Melissa's resume would benefit from a "Highlights" section that showcases her experience in the entertainment field and makes it easy for someone to see relevant experience at a glance. For example, she could highlight her role in supporting the "Ghost Rider" film premiere.

• Because she is fairly entry-level, she should try to have a one-page resume, as opposed to the resume she has now, which is 1¼ pages.

• At a glance (and that's often all you get), it looks like Melissa has job hopped a lot. Careful reading will show that some positions were internships, but she should highlight that better. For other jobs, she should highlight why she left so people do not think it was for poor performance.

• Melissa should realize that responding to positions through job boards has less than a 5 percent effectiveness rate versus networking, which has more than a 50 percent effectiveness rate. She should identify companies she is interested in and network into a meeting with decision makers where she can demonstrate her knowledge of the firm, their issues and how she can be of benefit. link...