Question by Jamie: What do you think of my resume?
Objective: Legal Assistant/Paralegal Position
Summary
 Dedicated academic achiever that possesses a solid base of knowledge about the American justice systems, criminology, case management, and the fundamentals of juvenile justice.
 Ability to grasp new concepts quickly, adapt to stressful situations well, and to work to meet all deadlines
 Demonstrates clear and effective communication, intrapersonal, and interpersonal skills.
 Has a talent for transferring knowledge to others in an organized and concise manner
 Exceptional time management skills and strives for punctuality
 Excellent research designs, data analysis, oral presentation and writing skills.
 Skilled researcher with keen eye to differentiate between qualitative and quantitative research designs
 Self-starter with an ability to work well with a minimum amount of supervision
Education
Associate’s Degree in General Studies
Northwest Florida State College, Niceville, FL
2010
B.A. Degree in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences (Children & Society)
University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL
Concentration in educational theories and philosophy, case management, family social work, criminal justice, and legal studies. (Degree is in progress. Enrolled part-time in night classes .Graduation date is December, 2011).
2011
Career History & Accomplishments

Intern for Community Readiness Consultant, Airman & Family Readiness center
 Worked directly with the Community Readiness Team leader for large non-profit agency that provided family and financial services to the local active duty military community
 Researched grant writing and put together portfolio of grant opportunities to secure funding for numerous community services that are offered by the agency.
 Interacted with clients directly and provided substantial administrative support.
 Designed and taught class that highlighted how to effectively market one’s self while in the role of job seeker
 Designed and created a guide for military spouses to begin the process of procuring financial aid for educational pursuits
 Participated and certified in Four Lenses Training that will grant ability to teach classes that will promote a more teamwork oriented workplace environment
 Refined research skills and developed a keen eye to differentiate between qualitative and quantitative research designs

2011
VPK Teaching Assistant, State College Child Development Center
 Maintained a safe classroom environment that fostered a positive desire to learn and a healthy emotional well-being
 Supervised children and ensured that they were safe
 Prepared anecdotal notes that charted children’s development to ensure that developmental milestones were being met
 Assisted in the preparation of lesson plans and in the facilitation of learning

 College Student
 Placed on the Dean’s List nearly every semester
 Received excellent marks for participation in every group assignment
 Excelled in two classroom practicum’s for grades 5th and Kindergarten.
 Received letters of recommendation from two esteemed professors acknowledging my ability to exceed in a Master’s program.
 Perfected use of academic databases to find exactly what was needed in a time efficient matter.
 Possessed an ability to type at least 60 WPM
2009-2011

Best answer:

Answer by DK
This is too long. Way too long. You look like you’re a competent individual and from what I can see here, you’ll have tons to offer. I do however think you’re putting way too much in.

In my experience you have to customize your resume for every job you look to apply for. Try to be short and punchy. Things like “received letters, placed on Dean’s list and so on is interesting but will in essence not get you the job. You’re giving them something to get you into the interview, people don’t ire based on a resume. They are open to conversation based on a resume. And people don’t have 10 days to go through the thing either. They want to get it, read it and move on. So make sure that only the most important things for that particular job is in the resume.

Another thing, research the employer before hand. That way you’ll have opinions about their work before you show up. And you’ll know what to talk about. See if you can talk to industry insiders about company culture and make sure you look like you can fit in. The single biggest contributor to success is the ability to get along with people. Be skilled, but make sure you can apply those skills in an environment you share filled with people.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Tagged with: resume • think

Filed under: Grant Writing Training

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