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How to Write a Resumé

· a brief summary of your carefully selected qualifications and experience · purpose is to convince prospective employers to contact you and obtain a job interview · a job-hunting as well as a selling tool that outlines skills and experiences · not an autobiography or a laundry list of facts Resumes must do their work quickly. On average, employers may look through hundreds of applications and may spend only a few seconds of their attention reviewing your resume. To get someone to look at it longer, it must quickly convey capability and competency to be worth interviewing as well as be highly readable. The more thoroughly it is prepared the more likely someone is to read it. Target your resume. Focus on a specific job title and address stated requirements for the position. The more known about the employer, duties and skills required the better it can be tailored to fit the job. Organize the resume Personal contact information at the top of the page. Try to achieve a balanced heading. your formal name (no title) (should be at least 18-point font); should be at the top of each page address(es) phone number(s) with the area code e-mail address if appropriate and/or fax (optional) best assets, whether education, experience, or skills, are listed first NOTE: A potential employer does not have a legal right to request personal information about age, sex, race, religion, marital status, health, physical appearance, or personal habits. Don't include such information on your resume. Such factors are irrelevant and cannot legally be considered in employment decisions.   There are two distinct types of resumes: Chronological organized by job titles with most recent position listed first most employers prefer this type and it is appropriate for the majority of new college graduates or for others whose background is directly supportive and consistent with their career objective. Works Best For: job seekers with solid experience and logical job history Functional emphasizes skills, talents, and accomplishments helpful if have little relevant job experience Some employers dislike functional resumes IF they find it difficult to match up skills with actual job titles, level of responsibility and dates of experience. You can, and SHOULD, avoid or minimize this objection by including the company name in the "bullet" describing each accomplishment. make it easy for employers to visualize overall chronological work history and link  accomplishment statements to it. Never omit a bare-bones chronological listing of work experience. Works Best For: have "mixed bag" work history: no clear thread uniting positions held a new graduate or entering the workforce making a career change-- changing industry or changing occupation Education often comes first in student resumes, especially if it is a strong asset list school from which you have or will graduate include degree(s), major(s), date of graduation, minors or course concentrations, foreign language proficiency, computer languages, publications, research projects, awards, scholarships, offices held, and academic honors. Can include special seminars, summer school, or night school. If just starting college, can include high school as well. Grade point average is optional. activities which imply competitiveness, leadership abilities and team-work should be included Experience present paid and volunteer experience in reverse chronological order if a chronological resume list the most important responsibilities or successes first; list similar tasks together if a functional resume need full names, in some cases full addresses, correct and consistent dates, and correct spellings emphasize collaborative or group-related tasks simple verb phrases summarize your main activities on the job (see action verb list). If a position did not have a specific title, make up one that best describes your activities. List internships, academic research projects, volunteer, extracurricular activities and military experience if applicable. Note leadership experience. Describe accomplishments, duties, responsibilities, and skills at each position. When ever possible quantify and qualify data with specific details and statistics that illustrate your potential. Language and Writing be concise; use telegram rather than narrative style; phrase-paragraph or sentence fragment form. use action words, often omitting the subjects of sentences avoid use of pronouns including "I" and flowery language consider word choice carefully cite numbers to make a point (e.g. number of people supervised; size of event). include "buzz" words only if you are sure of their meaning. tailor separate resumes to fit each career field in which you are job searching. sound positive and confident: neither too aggressive, nor overly modest. Skills list computer languages and software, research, laboratory, teaching or tutoring, communication, leadership, or athletics list foreign languages in which you have more than just some basic ability (indicate level of ability: basic conversational ability, proficiency, near-fluency, fluent) or the number of years of college-level study. Laboratory skills: create a list of lab skills. Sub-categories and skills mentioned should be relevant to the particular job. Accomplishments: Awards/Honors/Activities Use reverse chronological order; include titles, places, dates. List any academic awards (scholarships, fellowships, honors list), professional awards or recognition, or community awards (i.e. for athletic skills) that are relevant to career objective. List academic, professional, or community organizations in which you hold office or are currently a member; list professional and community activities, including volunteer work. Listing extra-curricular activities or hobbies is optional. Personal This section should include only a few lines. Useful for displaying information that doesn't fit in any other category. Although interests, languages spoken, computer knowledge, and activities can be separate categories, especially if they are very strong, they can be also be grouped here.   Objective (optional) a short, succinct, singular sentence expressing the specific type of employment you are seeking and/or the principal skills you want to use on the job. Some people prepare two or more resumes with different objectives. Once you formulate a clear objective, you can use it almost as a thesis for the remainder of your resume. Emphasize the data relevant to your career objective. If you are not clear on your career goals, you probably should not include an objective on your resume. Evaluation make it visually presentable no more than two typestyles appear; typestyles are conservative bold, italics, and capitalization are used minimally and consistently; use bold face to highlight job titles or company names margins and line spacing keep the page from looking too crowded printing is on one side of the sheet only, on high-quality bond--white or off-white (i.e. beige or ivory) reproduction is good, with no blurring, stray marks, or faint letters right side of the page is in ragged format not right-justified, (creates awkward white spaces) design your resume for easy skimming proof read carefully (make sure there are NO typos or spelling errors; some employers will refuse to consider candidates who submit resumes with spelling or typographical errors); have someone else critique and review final draft descriptions use active verbs, and verb tense is consistent; current job is in present tense; past jobs are in past tense repetition of words or phrases kept to a minimum punctuation and date formats are consistent; dates of employment are easy to find page can be easily reviewed: categories are clear, text is indented Length: for many resumes, two pages is the maximum length (NOTE: academic resume or curriculum vita can be five pages long). Bullets Some resumes use bullets instead of paragraphs. Each bullet draws attention to the information. Start each bulleted statement with an action verb. It is OK NOT to use bullets, to use them in one section and not another, or to mix and match throughout the resume - as long as you are careful that it does not appear "busy."   References state that references (and portfolio, if applicable) are available on request   ACTION VERBS:  This list of verbs is a handy reference for describing and categorizing your work experience:  accelerated coach draft initiated prepare sell accomplished collaborate edit innovated present serve as achieved collect educate inspect presided serve on acquire communicate eliminate install prioritized serviced act compare enable instruct processed set adapt compile encourage insured produce set up address complete engineer integrated program shaped adjust compose enlisted interpreted projected simplified administer computerized ensure interview promoted skilled advance conceive establish introduce proposed sold advise conceptualize estimate invent proved solidified allocate conclude evaluate investigated provided solved analyze contract examine kept publicized specified applied contribute execute launched publish stimulated appraise controlled expand lead purchased streamlined approve coordinate expedite lectured raise strengthened arrange corrected extract led recommend structured assemble correspond fabricate made reconcile suggest assess counsel facilitate maintain record summarized assign create formulate manage recruited supervise assist critique founded manufactured reduced surveyed assume responsibility cut function as market refer systemized attain dealt with gather maximized regulated tabulated audit decide gathered mediate rehabilitated taught author decrease generated meet with related teach automate defined  graded operate remodeled test balance delegate guided optimized reorganize train began delivered handle orchestrate repaired translated brought demonstrate handled order reported traveled budget design headed up ordered represent trimmed build determine hire organize researched type built develop identified originated review updated calculate devise illustrated outsold revise upgraded canceled diagnose implement overhauled revitalized validated carry out direct implemented oversaw save was promoted catalogue dispatch improve oversee scan work (effectively, with others) chair distinguish increased participated schedule write change distribute indoctrinated perform schooled channel diversify influenced persuaded screen clarified document informed plan selected Choose self-descriptive words, ADJECTIVES and NOUNS, that describe yourself positively and accurately: a negotiator capacity disciplined forceful objective responsible a supervisor collaborative discrete global optimistic self-reliant ability communication skills diversified handle stress other cultures sense of humor able to listen competence economical imaginative perceptive sincere actively competent effective independent personable sophisticated adaptable competent efficient in-depth pertinent substantially administrative complete energetic innovative pleasant systematic aggressive conscientious enterprising integrated positive tactful alert consistent enthusiastic intensive practical talented ambitious constructive exceptional logical productive teamwork analytical creative experienced loyal proficient technical attentive dedicated extensive mature qualified traveler broad scope dependable extroverted methodical realistic versatile broad-minded determined fair motivated reliable vigorous capable diplomatic flexible multi-disciplinary resourceful well- traveled (fluently) bilingual multilingual respective work well with… Bibliography Books The damn good resume guide: a crash course in resume writing. Parker, Yana. HF5383 .P35 2002. Developing a professional vita or resume. Carl McDaniels. HF5383 .M18 1999 High impact resumes & letters. Ronald L. Krannich. HF5383 .K7 1990 Just Resumes : 200 powerful and proven successful resumes to get that job. Kim Marino. HF5383 .M285 1997 The quick resume and cover letter book. J. Michael Farr. HF5383 .F32 1994 The resume makeover. Jeffrey G. Allen.HF5383 .A5633 1995 Resumes that get jobs. Jean Reed. HF5383 .G725 1990 What Color Is Your Parachute? Richard N. Bolles; HF5383 .B56. 1997 "What do employers really want in a resume?" by Wendy S. Enelow, 1994: http://www.jobweb.org/catapult/enelow-r.html Winning resumes. Robin Ryan. REFERENCE HF5383 .R934 1997 WOW! : resumes for creative jobs. Matthew J. DeLuca. HF5383 .D43 1997   Websites Damn Good Resume - http://www.damngood.com/ JobHuntersBible - http://www.jobhuntersbible.com/ JobStar: California Job Search Guide - http://jobstar.org/ The Riley Guide: Employment Opportunities and Job Resources on the Internet - http://www.rileyguide.com/ WorkSearch - http://www.garywill.com/worksearch/

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last updated 09/05