| A
resume is a summary of a person's business or professional qualifications,
educational background and work experience for a particular
position. The purpose of a resume is to market capabilities,
qualifications and credentials to potential employers. |
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| There
are three basic types of resumes: chronological, functional
and combined. A chronological resume lists your work experience
in reverse chronological order beginning with your present or
most recent position. Include the name and address of the company,
the dates of employment, job titles and a description of your
responsibilities in order of importance. |
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| A
functional resume emphasizes your responsibilities and duties
instead of your employers, employment dates and job titles.
This format is useful to draw attention away from work areas
you do not wish to highlight and is commonly used when changing
career fields. |
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| A
combined resume is a hybrid of functional and chronological
resumes. This format is especially useful for Individuals who
have a long work history. It highlights aspects that are most
relevant to a desired position as well as summarizing the career
history. |
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| You
should use a chronological resume unless: |
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- Your
employment history is erratic or extremely long
- You
are seeking to change career fields
- You
are attempting to return to a previous career occupation
- You
posses an unusual combination of skills that you wish to
emphasize rather than a linear progression of your career
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| The
First Step in Writing a Resume |
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The
first step in writing a resume is to assess your skills. In
order to sell yourself to a potential employer you need to communicate
your strong points, skills, and accomplishments. Make a list
of your personal strengths. Your resume needs to communicate
how your personal strengths will benefit the employer. |
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| Elements
of A Resume |
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Personal
Information: Include your name, address,
phone number and e-mail (if you have one). |
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Objective:
An objective statement is used to define the position you are
applying for. It should be a clearly written, concise statement
that communicates your career objectives. |
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Experience:
List your work experience in reverse chronological order, most
recent experience first. If you are applying for your first
job list any odd jobs, volunteer work, and other unpaid work
experience you may have performed in the past. College students
should include any work-related experience that helped finance
their education. Give a description of the job function that
details and demonstrates your skills. |
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Skills:
Skills can be listed in the experience
section, where the job description is given or in a separate
section. Some high school students list their skills at the
top of the resume. Highlight skills to the job opening. |
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Education:
State your high school/college and dates of attendance. Give
your date of graduation if you have graduated. Or, you can give
the year of your expected graduation. If you are a good student
you can list your GPA. |
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Extracurricular
Activities or Accomplishments: This
is a miscellaneous section where you should list achievements,
awards and activities. |
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References:
Have a separate sheet ready with names
and phone numbers of references. Make sure you contact your
references and ask permission to use their names first |
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| It
is not required to keep the elements of a resume in the above
order. You can put Skills and Education at the top of your resume.
If you have skills or accomplishments that are very relevant
to the job you want, list them first. |
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| Resume
Do's |
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- Do
target your resume for the job you are applying for.
- Do
keep a copy on disk.
- Do
use a laser printer, (for professional-looking copy.)
- Do
stress accomplishments. Include figures to substantiate
your claims.
- Do
use strong action words:
Weak:
worked on integrated circuits…
Strong:
designed integrated circuits…
- Do
make the resume attractive and well organized for the eye
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| Resume
Dont's |
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- Don't
forget to proofread for errors.
- Don't
mention salary.
- Don't
volunteer too much information up front. Include only enough
information to encourage an employer to find out more.
- Don't
include references. Reference requests are generally made
when there is an actual hiring interest.
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