Writing a Resume

What Is a Resume?

A resume is a highly personal and individualized summary of your educational background and training, your work experience, and your skills. It is the first glimpse an employer has of you. A resume is the most important deciding factor in determining whether or not you get the sought-for interview with the employer. At best (assuming your job skills are in demand), a resume will help you to get an interview. Unsolicitated resumes mailed to 100 likely employers will get you approximately five responses. That is only a 5 percent success rate! The responses you receive are more likely to be of the "Don’t call us; we’ll call you" variety than invitations to interview. In spite of this, there are some good reasons to have a resume. One is that prospective employers ask for them; another is that it will force you to put your relevant history on paper in a structured way. If well done, this will help you to be better prepared for the interview—where real action is. It is important to interest the prospective employer quickly: the average first look at any resume received in response to a classified ad is 20 seconds.

A resume will vary, depending on the type of job for which you are applying. A good resume may not get you the job, even though it may spark an employer’s interest in your potential; a poor resume, however, may eliminate you from further consideration. A good resume can:

1. Focus on your strong points.
2. Minimize the impact of times when you were unemployed.
3. Demonstrate that you are a professional, even if you have never been paid for what you do.
4. Show how you are well qualified for work in a different field from your present one.

The objective of a resume is to introduce to a potential employer the functional skills you can bring to a job. The hardest part—but the part that makes your resume unique and impressive—answer the question why this (or any other) employer should hire you. It is necessary to describe, honestly and without modesty, what makes you special. If you do not have a great deal of experience for the job, write what you can offer that would make an employer select you over someone with more experience.

Deciding on a Format

A resume should look appealing. The easier it is to follow, the more likely it is to be read. Use spacing, indenting, underlining, and a variety of lettering styles and sizes to separate different types of information. Keep it simple. White or off-white paper is best. Loud colors, signs, or fancy shapes and sizes can be a turn-off. Include only information that will reflect positively on you as a prospective employee. It is important to use action words and short sentences in a resume. Employers want to know what you accomplished in previous jobs, school, and volunteer work. This is no time to be shy! There is no "right" format. In many cases, a combination of styles is appropriate. Study sample resumes to decide what best suits your needs.

The two basic types of resume formats are:

1. Chronological. This format lists your work history by dates and by places of employment.
2. Functional. This format can direct attention away from a lack of education or large employment gaps.

The Chronological Format

This is the format most people use. It includes the following:

1. Name. Use your formal name rather than a nickname, if possible.
2. Address. Be complete—include ZIP codes and avoid abbreviations. If you might move, use the mailing address of a friend or relative or be certain to arrange a forwarding address.
3. Telephone number. Since employers were are very likely to try to reach you by phone, have an answering machine at your home or arrange for messages to be taken at another number.
4. Job objective. This is optional for a basic resume.
5. Education and training. Include your formal education as well as any special training that relates to the job you seek. Include military training and any special achievements. If you did not complete a formal program or degree, list what you did complete.
6. Previous experience. This is the heart of a chronological resume. The standard format lists the dates you were employed in each job; company names; company location; and your duties and responsibilities.
7. Personal data. Height, weight, date of birth, marital status is not relevant. You could choose to include something that an employer may find of interest but does not fit easily elsewhere. (Example: Fluency in foreign language or experience in a hobby that is closely related to the job for which you are applying.)
8. Reference. Do not include references. If employers want them, they will ask.

The Functional Resume Format

A functional resume is a very helpful in hiding a lack of formal education or job experience, gaps between jobs, and other liabilities that are obvious on a standard chronological resume. A functional resume focuses on your most important skills, supported by examples of how you have applied them. Job titles, names of employing companies, and dates of employment can even be deleted.

Resume Basics

Regardless of the format you use, there is basic information that every resume needs. The basic parts of a resume are:

1. Vital Statistics
2. Job objective
3. Work History
4. Education and Training
5. Skill assessment

Vital statistics. Include your name, address, and telephone number. If you are living away at school, you may wish to indicate two addresses—your school address and your permanent home address

Job objectives. Everything on your job resume serves to enhance your job objective. When writing a job objective, state the type of position for which you are applying. Be clear, but not too narrow—you may limit your opportunities. It is important to know the career area(s) in which you are interested. If you do not know what you are looking for, it is not likely you will find it. Avoid vague job objectives such as "I want to work with people." If you are interested in several career areas, develop appropriate objectives for each and have some of your resumes duplicated with one of objective and the rest with another objective. You do not necessarily have to re-do your entire resume. A job objective should include:

1. A short phrase indicating the type of function you want to perform.
2. The type of organization or industry in which you prefer to work.
3. Any qualifying phrase mentioning your special skills or interests.

Sample job objectives:

• To work in a bank, training in all areas of operation initially, with eventual responsibility in loan management.
• To obtain an entry-level position in resident hall administration which utilizes my skills in program planning, administration, and leadership training.

Work history. This is probably the core of your resume. It should include the places you have worked dates of employment, positions you have held, and a brief description of each position. Use specific examples of your skills and accomplishments. Use numbers, percentages, dollars, and other quantifiable data. Take credit for what you did well, even if no one else seemed to notice! Emphasize those skills you will need for your present job objective; de-emphasize those that are less important.

Organize your work history very carefully, beginning with your present position or your last one if you are presently unemployed. List, in this order:

1. Your job title
2. Company/ employer name
3. City and state of company/ employer
4. Dates you worked there (month and year only)
5. Summary of your accomplishments. (If a particular goal was realized such as reorganizing the bookkeeping system or saving the company a certain amount of money, be sure to state this.)
6. Relevant awards, such as employee of the month.

If you have had many jobs, list only the three to five that relate most closely to your present career goals, or those going back 10-15 years. Summer jobs can be summarized in one entry if you feel they should be included. If you have only minimum work experience, include some volunteer activities that show your sense of responsibility.

Do not write in the third person and so not overuse the pronoun "I." Use action verbs to describe what you have done and be consistent in the verb tense you use.. (Example: "Supervised staff of ten" not "I supervised a staff of ten.") Avoid abbreviations except in listing your degrees. ("BA" and "MS" are acceptable, but write "Office Assistant," not "OA")

Education and Training. Indicate the details of your training since high school. Include the names and locations of the schools, graduation date, major, degree received. These should be listed in reverse chronological order (most recent is first on the list). Include courses which may be pertinent and of interest to an employer. A grade point average may be indicated if it is good. If you have not received a degree, list any continuing education courses of years of attendance at an institution.

Your educational history should begin with your highest level of education and work backwards. Organize your information this way:

1. Name the school and location
2. Name the degree (BS Marketing; MBA Business Administration)
3. Dates attended or years of completed degree

List internships, company courses, special training, awards, publications or any additional credits that reflect on your employment potential. Also list other interesting items about yourself that are relevant to your career field: travel or study in foreign countries, speaking a foreign language, etc.

Skill Assessment. This section allows you to provide very specific information on job-related skills that may not fit in other sections. They tell an employer what you can do. You may also include personality traits and other characteristics an employer would find important, such as good attendance ad willingness to learn.

You may also wish to include the following categories at the end of your resume:

Professional organizations. These may include business fraternities, professional affiliations, etc. If you are not involved in professional associations, you may substitute extracurricular activities for this section. Discuss positions you have held in clubs, hall activities, etc.

Awards, Honors. Indicate any special recognition you have received for achievements or services. Things to include here are scholarships, recognition certificates, sports awards, etc.

Special Tips

Job Gaps. The standard format will prominently display any gaps in your employment history. If you have any legitimate explanation, use it. (Example: "1979—Continued my education at…" or "1980—Had a baby"; "1981—Traveled extensively in…") Use entire years or even seasons of years to avoid displaying a shorter gap you cannot explain easily. Save difficult explanations for the interview.

Job Titles. As long as it is not an outright misrepresentation, it is often acceptable to modify your actual job title if the new one better describes what you did. Check with a previous employer if you are not sure.

Emphasize Accomplishments. Everyone did something well in even the worst job experience. Think! Perhaps your attendance was perfect, you covered the work of another as well as your own during vacations, and you met a tight deadline. Be specific and include numbers, even if you have to estimate them.

Promotions. If you were promoted in responsibility, note it; even if your title or pay did not change.

Irrelevant Jobs. Some jobs do not seem to relate at all to the job you now seek. Perhaps they were very short term or in a different field or were held some time ago. Cluster these together if necessary, or delete them completely.

Putting It All Together

Assemble the five parts of your resume—vital statistics, job objective, work history, education and training, and skills assessment—and type up a draft copy. Keep it to one page if you can. If you MUST have two pages, present your "aces" on page one (job objective and skills) and use page two for the back-up documentation (education and work history). Show your rough draft to family and friends and ask for ideas on improving the wording or layout. Your education and work history are interchangeable; put whichever one you want to emphasize first. (Example: If your educational qualifications are stronger than your work history, place the education section first.)

If your resume is too crowded, it will discourage the reader and will not work to your benefit. Employers say they would rather see two pages than one that is overcrowded. Get it typed in the very best way, even if you have to hire someone to do it for you. It is worth it. Have it copied by the best process possible or have it printed on a laser printer. Use neutral colored, good quality paper.

Having someone else help you with your resume is fine, but having someone else write it for you will make you less prepared for a job interview. Even if you are a good writer, have someone else check for spelling errors and poor grammar. Poor copy quality, cheap paper, smudges, and a generally poor physical appearance will turn off employers to the best of resume content. Spend some money on good typing and copies if necessary. Everything in your resume must directly relate to your job objective. If it does not, delete it. If you overstate your qualifications and cannot handle the job you get under false pretenses, you have only yourself to blame. Be positive. Emphasize your accomplishments and document your results. This is no place to display your faults, either! Use short sentences and action words. Delete irrelevant data. Keep the resume to one page. Be specific--say "Supervised three people in the mail room and increased their productivity by 30%" rather than "Good with people."

Delete anything personal and unrelated to the job: age, marital status, height/weight, irrelevant hobbies. These can only create reasons for your resume to be screened out, possibly on the basis of just one person’s prejudice. Salary requirements may be discussed at a later point in an interview, but not on a resume. Reasons for leaving a previous position might come up in your interview but not be mentioned on your resume. A resume is not a confessional—it is YOUR document, designed to present you in the most favorable light. Never sent a carbon copy of your resume to an employer. Avoid using abbreviations and do not over use "etc." If it is important, it should be spelled out in your resume. Typographical errors are a no-no! Do several rough drafts before you come to your final resume. Do not use white-out. For final review, read your resume backwards-— sure-fire way of catching typos! Ask a friend to read it; you may become oblivious to mistakes after working so much on it. Do not use jargon.

Ten Most Common Resume Writing Mistakes

1. Too long
2. Disorganized; hard to follow
3. Poorly typed and printed; looks unprofessional
4. Overwritten; takes too long to say too little
5. Too sparse/bare
6. Not oriented for results
7. Too many irrelevant facts (personal items)
8. Misspellings; typos, poor grammar
9. Tries too hard (fancy paper, elaborate typesetting)
10. Misdirected; no/poor cover letter

Final Inspection Checklist

1. Resume presents a good first impression.
2. Use of 8-1/2 x 11" paper; good bond or other quality paper.
3. Name, address, telephone numbers are properly centered (list a phone number where you can be reached).
4. Resume is brief and concise; does not exceed two pages.
5. Graphically pleasing (centered on page, use of white space, even margins all around).
6. Layout makes reading easy.
7. Typing is clean, neat (use typewriter with good ribbon or letter quality printer).
8. Indention used to organize/highlight information.
9. Use underlining, bullets, boldface, capitol and lowercase letters to emphasize material.
10. No spelling, grammar or punctuation errors.
11. Past tense action verbs used to emphasize accomplishments/work experience.
12. Think staccato—use short phrases.
13. Avoid use of pronouns "I," "me," "my."
14. Clearly demonstrate abilities honestly and accurately.
15. Stress accomplishments; be positive about yourself.
16. Omit anything that would limit scope.
17. Education OR experience listed first (whichever is stronger); both listed in reverse chronological order.
18. Entries arranged in order of importance.
19. Quantify—cite numbers and statistics whenever possible (use "3" not "three").
20. Unnecessary and redundant information has been eliminated.
21. Exclude personal information.
22. Review final draft with advisor or friend.
23. PROOFREAD; PROOFREAD; PROOFREAD.

Cover Letters

(Below is an example of a typical cover letter)

Dear Sir or Madam:

I am responding to your employment listing. I have the commitment to excel, to surpass expectations, and to be a team and goal-oriented performer. I know that I could make a significant contribution to your company. I welcome the opportunity to work with you as a member of a dynamic team.

Sincerely,

Joe Job Search

This all-purpose cover letter is an exercise in insincerity; killer flaw employers can spot a mile away and is a classic example of one reason why people who answer zillions of ads never hear the phone ring. A good cover letter is a work of art. It is not easy to do. It must:

1. Address someone in authority (by name and title) that could hire you. If it is impossible to get that information, use the functional title, even if you have to guess ("Dear Manager" or Dear Selection Committee).
2. Demonstrate that you have done some homework on the company and can see their point of view (their current problems, their interests, and their priorities).
3. Convey your enthusiasm and commitment—even passion—for this line of work.
4. Balance professionalism with personal warmth and friendliness. Avoid using generic, say-nothing, alienating phases such as "enclosed please find" or "Dear Sir or Madam." This should be a PERSONAL letter.
5. Identify at least one thing about yourself that is unique. This should be something that goes beyond the basic requirements of the position, that distinguishes you, and that is relevant to the position.
6. Be appropriate to the field you are exploring. Do not use gimmicky phrases.
7. Outline specifically what you are asking and offering.
8. Point directly to the next step, telling just what YOU intend to do next.
9. Remain as brief and focused as possible.

The following tips will help you prepare an appropriate cover letter to accompany your resume.

1. Do not exceed one page.
2. Address the letter to a specific individual. Call to request the name of the person responsible for hiring in your career area. The next best thing is to direct the letter to someone with a specific job title, such as "Director of Editorial Services," rather than to "Personnel." In that case, the proper salutation is either "To the Director of Editorial Services."
3. Sound positive and confident. Your cover letter should motivate the reader to find out more about you; that is, to read your resume and maybe even interview you.
4. Write an attention-getting introducing. Remember the three basic functions of an opening: to invite, inform, and entice.
5. State the position for which you are applying and point out your relevant qualifications. Tell why you are uniquely suited for the job you are seeking.
6. Focus on certain qualifications you wish to emphasize. Do not merely repeat the contents of your resume. Select specific experiences relevant to the job and talk about details. Fill in the blanks your resume leaves open.
7. Tailor you letter to the needs of the company and the requirements of the position. How will the employer benefit by employing you? Want ads and company publications offer clues about what to stress. Get inside information about the workings of your chosen industry by reading trade publications and business magazines and by contacting trade associations.
8. Inform employers of your intention to contact them within the next few weeks. Make a follow-up call once the resume and letter have been sent.
9. Match your stationery and resume stock in both size and shade. Traditionally, the 8-1/2" x 11" paper selected for cover letters and resumes is white, off-white, ivory or light gray.
10. Take time to demonstrate your enthusiasm and creativity in this important part of your total sales pitch for the job.

If you have not received a response to your resume and cover letter within two to three weeks, you are justified in telephoning or sending follow-up inquiry. Chances are the employer still has the resume and letter on file, so you need not repeat all the information contained in your cover letter. You just want to refresh his/her memory and perhaps highlight the qualifications you already stated.

Action Verbs
accelerated	classified	directed	handled	monitored	received
accomplished	cleared up	discovered	hastened	motivated	recognized
accounted for	closed	distributed	heightened	moved	recommended
achieved	combined	drafted	helped		rectified
acquired	communicated	dramatized	highlighted		reduced
actively	compared	drew up	hiked		related
adapted	complied	dropped	housed		renovated
added	completed	earned	hunted	named	reorganized
adjust	composed	edited	identified	neatness	reported
administered	computed	educated	implemented	negotiated	rescued
advised	conceived	effected	improved	netted	responsible
asked	concluded	elected	included	observed	resulted in
alphabetized	conditioned	employed	incorporated	opened	returned
analyzed	conducted	encouraged	increased	operated	revamped
anticipated	conferred	enjoyed	indicated	ordered	revealed
applied	constructed	enlarged	influenced	organized	reviewed
appointed	continued	enlisted		paid	revised
appraised	contracted	ensure		painted	said
approved	controlled	entered		participated	saved
arbitrated	convinced	established		perceived	saw
argued	coordinated	estimated		performed	scheduled
arranged	copied	evaluated	initiated	persuaded	shouted
assessed	corrected	examined	innovated	pioneered	screened
assisted	counseled	excelled	inspected	planned	scrutinized
assumed	counted	execute	instructed	played	selected
assured	crafted	exercised	insured	policed	served
attended	created	expanded	interpreted	prepared	showed
authored	critiqued	expedited	interviewed	presided	set up
authorized	dealt	explained	introduced	prevailed	shored up
awarded	debated	explored	investigated	processed	shipped
began	decided	familiarized	joined	produced	seated
bolstered	defined	filed	kept	proficient at	solicited
boosted	delegated	financed	labored	profited	sought
bought	delivered	forecast	launched	programmed	specified
briefed	demonstrated	foresaw	lectured	prohibited	spoke
brought		formulated	led	projected	stated
budgeted		forwarded	liaison	promoted	stopped
built		fostered	licensed	proofed	straightened
calculated		founded	located	proved	stripped
cataloged		gained	looked	proposed	studied
caught		gathered	made	provided	supported
caused	designed	gave	maintained	purchased	surmounted
chaired	determined	generated	managed	put	synchronized
changed	developed	grabbed	mapped out	qualified	tightened
checked	devised	goaded	marketed	quickened	toured
chopped	did	greeted	maximized	ran	uncovered
chose	digested	grossed	met	rated	unearthed
	diminished	guided	modified	realized

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Company_______________ 19_______________-_____, 199?

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Degree             Major                         School        Location                                           Date

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FUNCTIONAL RESUME

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ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Use past tense action verbs to list responsibilities______________________________

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WORK HISTORY

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Degree Major School Location Date

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