Need to Create a Powerful Resume?
Nothing is more important than having an up-to-date and carefully prepared resume.
The right resume is often the difference between getting an interview or not.
1. Basic Guidelines
All résumés share similar characteristics, but organize content differently. The
four most popular formats:
- The chronological or "basic" résumé
Employment history is listed in reverse chronological order. For most employers,
chronological resumes are the universal preference. They want to see the progression
of your experience. Chronological resumes are also easier to verify.
- The functional or "skills" résumé
Describes skills and talents and puts little emphasis on dates of employment
or job titles. Functional resumes are usually used by job seekers to highlight skills
versus past jobs or to avoid emphasizing large gaps in employment history. If you're
changing careers, a skills-based résumé is often best.
- The educational résumé
A listing of educational courses and experiences relevant to employment.
- The "combination platter"
Includes some or all of the above elements. If you went back to school and would
like to showcase some new course work, a combination résumé might the better choice.
Try several formats, and getting feedback from career counselors or professionals
in your field can be helpful. Keep the résumé concise; one page is
preferable. Keep the sentences short and tight. Avoid the use of "I" and
use action verbs wherever appropriate.
The presentation of the résumé and cover letter is very important.
They give potential employers a first impression of you. Be sure to use the same
kind of paper for both -- the higher the paper quality, the better. Use neutral
colors such as white, ivory or pale gray. Select a professional-looking font in
a 10- or 12-point size, and always use black ink. Avoid colors, images and unusual
fonts.
2. Helpful Hints
Writing short bullet-like phrases beginning with action verbs is generally better
than using lengthy paragraphs. Your resume should be a representative summary of
the experiences that qualify you for a specific position. Using phrases instead
of complete paragraphs will help you keep it short and focused. Using action verbs
at the beginning of these phrases, such as "Managed,” “Performed,”
“Supervised,” “Budgeted,” etc., will make it more dynamic
and create a stronger impression of what you have done. It's important to communicate
not just what your title was, but how you completed your job responsibilities.
In order to keep the length of your resume to a minimum, include more information
on your current position, gradually reducing information the further back you go.
Keeping your resume pertinent, short and readable will give its reader the best
impression.
List only positions relevant to the job that you are applying for on your resume.
Your resume is a sales tool, not your life story. As long as you do not say things
that are not true, you can present yourself in any manner that you feel will get
you the interview.
Listing salaries for past jobs in order to give the potential employer an idea of
salary ranges you would consider is NOT a good idea. Salary information is something
you should find out about before you get to the point of applying for the job. You
may be asked for past salaries on the application, but you do not need to bring
it up until asked.
Include specialized job-related skills, including computer proficiency. These things
should come out in the descriptions of your various jobs. If you developed these
skills elsewhere, you may want to have a special "Skills" section. Again, list only
the ones appropriate to the job in order to keep the resume to one page.
Do not include personal information such as height, weight, hobbies, or number of
children. Keep to the basics. Other information can lead to discrimination and is
unprofessional. Don't clutter your resume with unnecessary information.
When listing your educational record, it is a good idea to exclude dates so your
age is not immediately evident. You are not required to provide age information
on your resume, so why give any reason to speculate about your age? Even though
age discrimination is illegal, it can still be a factor in deciding whether or not
you get the interview. You may be asked to give this information later on their
application for verification.
It is better to put "References Available upon Request" at the end of
your resume than to include them on your resume. The purpose of your resume is to
entice the prospective employer into interviewing you, not to answer every question
they might have before they even talk to you. Bring your reference listing with
you to the interview, but don't give it out until they ask.
Provide any means by which an employer can find you, including your pager, fax machine,
voice mail and email address if you have them.