Marketing Your Transferable Skills

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DMACC CAREER CENTER

The DMACC Career Center is here to help you!

DMACC Career Center | Ankeny Campus, Building 1

Hours: Monday — Friday | 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Appointments: (515) 964 - 6200; Dial “0”

Email: careers@dmacc.edu

Phone: (515) 964 - 6463

database of 400+ customers.”

Basic Style:

The Fashion Boutique, Des Moines, Iowa

Sales Associate, May 20xx - Present

 Provide customer service and handled register

 Assist with clothing displays

Improved Style:

The Fashion Boutique, Des Moines, Iowa

Sales Associate, May 20xx - Present

 Provide sales, merchandising, and customer

service in a busy clothing store, proofing cash

 Interact with over 30 customers daily,

achieving $300 to $500 in daily sales

 Resolve customer complaints diplomatically

 Assigned managerial responsibilities for

opening and closing the store

 Developed loyal clientele, increasing sales by 15%

Basic Style:

Chili’s Bar and Grill, Ankeny, Iowa

Server, Summers of 20xx-20xx

 Waited on tables

 Performed additional cleaning duties

Improved Style:

Chili’s Bar and Grill, Ankeny, Iowa

Server, Summers of 20xx-20xx

 Demonstrated suggestive selling to promote daily

specials

 Selected to train new employees on providing

excellent customer service

An effective resume markets your skills and experiences. Your resume should focus on transferable skills and

accomplishments. To sell yourself, you need to know three things: what you learned or accomplished through the

experience, what difference you made to the employer and what skills the prospective employer is seeking.

Knowing these three things will help you transform your resume from a list of job titles into a personal

marketing tool. The same technique should be used for volunteer and campus activities. Notice how the

examples below take a basic resume entry and expand it to highlight skills and successes. Whenever

possible, put your accomplishments in concrete terms, such as “Increased attendance by 13%” or “Managed

Basic Style:

Varsity Tennis Team Member, Fall 20xx - Present

Captain, Spring 20xx - Fall 20xx

 Led team to conference title

Improved Style:

Varsity Tennis Team Member, Fall 20xx - Present

Captain, Spring 20xx - Fall 20xx

 Dealt with players’ personal challenges and

varying skill levels to lead team to first-ever

conference title

 Coordinate daily practices in absence of coach

 Serve as liaison between coach and players

Basic Style:

Fellowship Church, West Des Moines, Iowa

Youth Worker, Summer 20xx

 Assisted youth minister with summer programs

 Led puppet ministry

Improved Style:

Fellowship Church, West Des Moines, Iowa

Youth Worker, Summer 20xx

 Created new contact system about upcoming

activities, resulting in 23% increase in attendance

 Evaluated and selected scripts for puppet ministry;

led weekly rehearsals

 Contacted local churches and social service groups

to schedule puppet shows; expanded ministry into

3 new churches

DMACC CAREER CENTER

ACTION VERBS FOR YOUR RESUME

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Allocated Conceived Empathized Illustrated Mediated Provided Streamlined

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