How to Write a Resume (Project-Centered Course) (Coursera)

What you’ll need to get started: this course is designed primarily for young professionals or college students who are writing their first resume or looking to give an old resume a fresh and polished professional look. All job seekers will benefit from the course material and project, however, regardless of their career stage or professional background. All you will need is word processing software that allows you to create a resume on a computer- there are free tools available.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Introduction to the Course & Resumes
Define course goals. Introduction about purpose of a resume, and when it might be used, and criteria for the peer-review rubric.
The Foundation of your Resume: A Self-Inventory
A top-to-bottom look at the typical sections of a resume. Different sections you might have on a resume, definition of transferable skills and how to pull those out of past experiences.

WEEK 2
Writing Content for your Resume
How to write an action-statement, what makes a strong verb, how to maximize use of numbers and other characters, and common pitfalls of writing the content.

WEEK 3
Piecing it all Together: Organization, Structure, Format
How to organize the sections on the document, foundations of strong structure and clear formatting.

WEEK 4
Know your Industry
Different types of jobs are going to look for different headings, or different orders of sections for the optimal response from an employer. Define “Buzz Words” and show how to identify them in a job posting, and then implement them on the resume.
Best-Practices for your Resume from an Employer
Interview with an employer about how they approach a stack of resumes, what stands out in a good way, and what can leave a negative impression.