PURPOSE: The purpose of a resume is to showcase your talents and experience to enable you to secure an interview. Each resume should be tailored to a specific job and should emphasize those elements in your work history, educational background, and personal experience that especially qualify you (and only you) for that particular position.
For in-depth info on resume creation please consult:
- Keep it to one page.
- Appearance, grammar, and spelling count.
- Each resume should be specifically designed for a specific job.
- Use a good quality standard 8-1/2 x 11 inch bond paper.
- Use a laser printer.
- White, cream, or off-white paper are good choices of color.
- Be conservative. Do not use bright colored paper or fancy fonts.
- Lead with your strengths.
- Be consistent in style.
- Use active words and measurable criteria.
- Proofread, proofread, and proofread. Then get someone else to do it
BASIC PARTS: The basic parts to a resume are:
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1.Personal Information: In this part of the resume you let the interviewer know who you are and where you can be reached. This section should include your current home address and phone number and, if possible and appropriate, your current work number, address and email. This section should not contain information such as your height, weight, marital status, gender, or ethnic background. Use the space to display your talents.
2. Job Objective: The job objective is your opportunity to communicate to the interviewer the exact job you want. Whenever possible, use the position vacancy announcement from the newspaper or whatever source to help you customize the objective to fit the particular job for which you are applying.
3. Education/Certification: This section of your resume should contain your complete educational history. It should list degrees obtained, dates, educational institutions, and majors. Include in this section any types of certification, which may have been earned. Certifications should be documented with type of certification, date, and certifying agency. All entries within this section should be in reverse chronological order (in order from newest to oldest).
4. Employment History: In reverse chronological order, list all the places you have worked. Emphasize the positions of leadership and responsibility you have held, and particularly emphasize any experiences which you have had in your work history that qualify you for the position for which you are applying. Use this section to highlight and demonstrate any skills or competences you may have acquired. Use active verbs and measurable criteria, as much as possible, to emphasize your accomplishments.
5. Honors/Awards/Professional Affiliations: This section again tries to highlight the skills and competencies you have acquired. Honors and awards that are academic, professional, or civic qualify. Membership and especially leadership in professional, civic, or other types of organizations demonstrate much about who you are and your leadership ability and social skills.
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Resume Formats
There are many formats available for resumes. The format you choose will depend on your experiences and the particular job for which you are applying. Often you can combine formats. Books are available in the library, and at local bookstores. The Career Center resource library also provides many reference books with examples of different resume formats. Below are four types of resume formats – the chronological, functional, the combination, and an electronic resume.
Chronological: The chronological resume presents work experience and education in reverse sequence and lists responsibilities and achievements under each job category. This is the most widely used resume format and probably the one most personnel officers prefer. Although it is the most popular, it may not be the best format for you (Bloch. p. 62).
Functional: The functional resume includes details of work experience under major skill headings with degree, job titles, employers, and dates listed separately. This format is especially good for people who are re-entering the workforce. The emphasis of this resume is on your accomplishments and skills. It will take into consideration skills acquired in nontraditional roles, such as volunteer groups or community organizations.
Combination: The combination resume is a hybrid of the chronological and the functional resume. It combines elements of both. This format is especially good for newly graduated students who have little work experience in their field. It will allow a student to highlight their educational classes that qualify them for a specific job. It also summarizes their work history to show the employer that the applicant has a successful work history.
Electronic: A resume composed and optimized specifically to be posted on the Web or sent via email.
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