A resume is an advertisement of who you are in terms of your competencies, accomplishments,
and future capabilities. It is your chief marketing tool or calling card for opening
the doors of prospective employers.
From the applicant's perspective, resumes are supposed to help get interviews which,
in turn, lead to job offers.
From the employer's perspective, resumes are supposed to communicate value, i.e.,
what applicants will do for them. In addition, resumes are mechanisms for screening
candidates.
Remember, employers are not seeking to hire your history - they want to know your
capabilities and competencies.
When writing a resume, always remember that you are advertising yourself for an
interview and not for a job. Job offers only come after interviews. An effective
resume should make a prospective employer want to meet you in person to discuss
your qualifications and possible contributions to solving his or her problems. It
should clearly and factually communicate to the employer what it is you can do for
them. Above all, it should be honest, positive, concise, easy to read and truly
reflect you.
You should write your own resume; you should not imitate or plagiarize someone else's
resume and letters. You must begin from your own ground of experience in developing
a resume and letters which clearly communicate who you are, what you want to do,
and what you are most likely to do in the future for an employer. This takes time,
effort, care, and professionalism on your part. No one should do this for you. However,
after doing a resume draft, you should get feedback from at least four others. We
invite you to make an appointment with one of our professionals for a resume review.
Benefits of building a resume:
- Resumes are integral to the job-search process.
- A specially tailored resume can get your reader's attention, generate interest,
and position you above your competition, including those who may be more qualified
than you.
- Preparing your resume is a self-assessment process that will sharpen your ability
to articulate your value while networking, interviewing, and negotiating offers.
- You' ll get a confidence boost when you see in print all that you've accomplished.
Confidence and your sense of worth are important factors in job-search success.
- A good resume can help structure the interview and keep a meandering interviewer
focused on your strengths.
Types of resumes:
- Chronological: This type of resume is used most frequently. With this format, you
present information in reverse chronological order (most recent first) and give
a detailed account of education, work experiences and other relevant skills.
- Functional: This type of resume includes functional skill categories that highlight
work experiences and transferable skills. A functional resume may be used if your
experience and/or education do not support your professional objective. Many employers
are suspicious when reviewing these resumes, as they may be used to hide evident
gaps in, or a lack of, work experience.
- Combination: This type of resume includes functional skill categories that highlight
work experiences and transferable skills within the reverse chronological listing
of work history.
Suggested Contents of Resume:
- Contact information: Place your name, address, telephone number, and email
address at the top of the resume. Your name should be the most obvious component
of your resume. List both school and permanent addresses if you plan to move within
a year.
- Job Objective: The objective appears near the top of your resume and tells
the reader about your career goals and/or expresses interest in a specific job or
vacancy. The objective gives direction and focus to your resume.
- Experience, Employment Summary: List employment, (may include internships
here or in a separate category) in reverse chronological order. Include your title,
name and location of employer and dates of employment, usually by year not by month.
If using chronological format, describe your accomplishments in each job using action
verbs. If using a combined format, may want to include a single statement describing
each company or summarizing each position.
- Education: If you are a recent college graduate, your educational credentials
should be prominent on your resume. Mention not only degrees, but also any honors
or special awards that you've achieved. Include courses or projects that might
be relevant for employers. Be sure to write out your degree (Bachelor of Science,
not B.S.), and include graduation date. Also include your GPA if it is 3.0 or higher.
If you transferred from another college, you may wish to include that information
as well. If so, list the college, city, and state. Leave out high school information
once you are halfway through college.
- Skills, Accomplishments: A combined format will require this section. Describe
accomplishments/skills you have acquired through work experience, academic background,
extracurricular/community/volunteer activities. These skills should relate to the
occupation and setting you want to enter. May be organized under separate skills
subheadings.
- Activities: This is an optional section where you can list campus activities,
as well as job-related professional, humanitarian, or other groups. These activities
may be worth mentioning, particularly if you were an officer or were active in some
other way.
- Recognition and Awards: If you have received any formal recognition or awards
that support your job objective, consider mentioning them. You might create a separate
section, or they can be put in the work experience, education, or activities sections.
- Certifications and Licenses: You can include professional credentials at
the top of the resume with your education. If you have more than one, you might
consider creating a separate section.
- References: Three references is a good number of references to include on
a resume. The format for attaching references is to include the person's name,
title, organization, email address, and telephone number. You can list references
as part of your resume or include them on a separate reference page to allow more
room on the resume itself. If you attach a separate sheet, include three to five
references, and divide them into "personal references" and "professional
references." Personal references should be professors, advisors, or resident
directors (i.e. a mentor or professional friendship); they are not relatives or
friends.
