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The Resume

What is a resume?

A resume is a sales brochure about you. It describes your abilities, your experience (paid and/or unpaid), and your education, all of which should support your job objective.

What should a good resume accomplish?

It should get you an interview BUT it will not get you the job!

What are the essential parts of a resume?

Name

Address

Telephone number (more than one if possible)

E-mail address

Educational background

Work experience

Computer skills

Career-related projects and coursework - academic or other. (This is not essential if you have good, relevant work experience)

Foreign languages

Professional and student organizations

Licenses and accreditation

Honors/Awards/Achievement

What should not be included in a resume?

Personal data such as height, weight, age, marital status, health, or your photograph - employers want to avoid any possible hint of discrimination

Titles (i.e. "Resume", "Fact Sheet", "Curriculum")

Reasons for leaving a job

References - make a separate sheet and have it ready

Salary - if a salary record is requested, discuss it in the cover letter

Early childhood and upbringing

Weaknesses, demands, and exaggerations (keep it honest)

Long paragraphs - use short statements or bulleted items

Hobbies - unless they relate to professional interests or show traits an employer wants

What is a Job Objective and should it be included in a resume?

The job objective is a statement of what you want to do and the level at which you want to do it. Seventy-eight percent of college recruiters surveyed said they definitely wanted a job objective to appear on resumes. A very helpful aspect of having an objective is that it can help you determine what to include on your resume. Will a certain item help achieve your objective? Include it. If something is not going to help you get the job, don't put it on your resume. Even if you don't provide an objective, make sure your resume focuses on the kind of work you can do and want to do.

If you are going to have an objective, make sure it is clear and specific. It is better not to have an objective than to have one such as: "I want to obtain a challenging position which will allow me to use and contribute my education and job experience." (Are there any college graduates that don't want a job like this?) A good objective might include the type of industry you are interested in, the level of responsibility, and your area of interest (i.e., An entry-level marketing position in the hospitality industry.) By using a word processor, it is easy to prepare different resumes, with different objectives, for different jobs.

What is a Chronological Resume vs. a Functional/Skills Resume?

A chronological resume is a listing of positions you have held, by date, beginning with your most recent position and working backwards. The EXPERIENCE section in a chronological resume will include the title of the position held, name of the organization and location (omit street addresses), dates of your employment (generally, month and year), and a description of your job responsibilities and achievements.

A functional/skills resume lists the data that supports your job objective by major tasks performed or skills used. Administering, organizing, promoting, and supervising are examples on which to build a functional/skills resume.

People with extensive work histories may find a functional/skills resume more appropriate to their needs because similar tasks have been performed in a variety of jobs. College graduates, who usually have limited experience, tend to find that a chronological resume works best. You may also use a combination of the functional/skills and the chronological resume.

How should I best describe my past work experience?

Think in terms of accomplishments on your previous jobs; don't merely describe tasks performed. If you are having a difficult time identifying your accomplishments, use the following method to trigger your thinking process: If you were to ask your last boss for a raise, what examples of your work would you give to convince him or her that you deserve extra consideration? These accomplishments are what will sell you on your resume.

Is one resume good for all jobs?

Generally no. A resume should be focused toward the job you are seeking or to the company to which you are submitting your resume. This means that you should do some research on the company so that you know what kind of positions are available.

What else do I need to know about resumes?

Resumes often get less than one minute of an employer's time - make that time count for you.

Be clear, concise, accurate, and have your resume very readable.

The length should be one page, or two if you have a lot of relevant experience to convey.

Use good quality paper. A white, off-white, or buff-colored paper is desirable.

Check for typos, spelling errors, and grammar usage. (Of surveyed college recruiters, 95% thought that poor grammar or more than one spelling error would definitely lessen interest in a candidate.)

If mailing a resume, include a well-written cover letter. Remember the cover letter will act as an example of your communication skills.

Write it yourself. No one knows you as well as you do.

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