RESUME:
Step 1 Three Kinds To Choose From
Your first decision will be to choose an appropriate resume format. There are three formats for resumes: chronological, functional, and combination. In this section, we will describe the different formats and offer examples of each. Deciding what format to use is an important decision...so give this some thought.
Reverse Chronological Resume Format
Example 1
This is the traditional style resume that lists your professional experience chronologically, starting with your most recent position. The majority of resumes are written in this format, and this is also the format most employers are accustomed to seeing. This style is particularly effective in the following cases:
- You have professional experience in the field of interest.
- You can demonstrate measurable results from their work activities - for example, "Marketed departmental events, resulting in 50% increase in attendance."
- You've held impressive job titles, and/or have worked for big-name employers.
Functional Resume Format
Example 2
This style resume became popular in the 1970's and 1980's but is still viewed skeptically by some employers. The functional resume format summarizes your professional "functions" or experience and avoids or minimizes your employment history. Keep this in mind: since employers are used to seeing reverse chronological resumes, make sure you have a definite reason for selecting a functional resume format. This format is often used in the following instances:
- "Older workers", since it minimizes dates.
- "Career changers", since it outlines transferrable work skills.
- Recent graduates who don't have a lot of professional experience in their field, but DO have relevant coursework or training.
- "Returning employees" after an absence from the workforce, since it minimizes dates.
OR - You want to emphasize skills you have that haven't been used in recent work experiences.
Combination Resume Format
Example 3
The combination resume utilizes the best components of the reverse chronological and functional styles. More recently, the combination resume has included accomplishments under each position or function, rather than simply outlining duties and responsibilities. This style allows for flexibility in designing a resume. Again, since employers are used to a reverse chronological format, consider this style when:
- Each position you held involved a different job description.
- You have held internships or volunteer positions that directly relate to field of interest.
Remember...you decide which will work best for you. Take some time looking at the examples, and pick the one that will best show off what you have to offer an employer!
Step2 How Do I Write This Thing?
Select the section below that you wish to learn about, and you will be introduced to the purpose of that section, shown examples of how the section can look, given the opportunity to make your own version of that section, and offered hints in case you're feeling stuck.
A) Identifying Information
B) The Objective
C) Summary of Qualifications
D) Education
E) Work Experience
F) Activities/Interests
.
A) Identifying Information
The first section of a resume is your name, address, phone number, fax and/or e-mail address. You need not write "resume" at the top, since as soon as your reader sees it, it becomes obvious what they are looking at. It is customary to put name, home address and home phone number in this section. It may also be helpful to put your work phone and perhaps fax and e-mail as well (if it is okay that you be contacted at your present job).
B) The Objective!
The objective is a purely optional part of the resume.
When used, an objective serves two purposes.
First, an objective tells an employer what position you are seeking. Rather than being a statement about your life goals, an objective refers just to the very next immediate step you hope will be on your career path.
Second, it indicates whether or not you are clear about what opportunities are available with a particular employer. If you are unclear about what position you are seeking, and/or what positions an employer has available, it may be preferable to omit the objective, rather than to plug in something vague. For example, the objective "To utilize my skills in a challenging position which will afford advancement and professional growth" tells the employer nothing unique about the candidate.
If you choose to include an objective, here are some guidelines which can help you. An objective can contain up to four parts. An objective does not have to contain all four parts; just include as many parts as you know.
- First is the "level" of the position. Examples of position levels would be "internship", "co-op", "part-time", "fulltime", "entry level", "experienced", "supervisory" and "executive". If you know what level of position you are seeking, select one of the above terms, or create one of your own. For some folks俗话说, position level is not an important piece of an objective, and can be left off.
- Part two is the skills you hope to use in that position. Refer to the list of action verbs to help you identify what skills you like and/or have experience using. For example, you may be seeking "A position in consulting, software design, development and support". For some individuals, the skills are the only piece of the objective they know. An objective including only the skills you want to use is respectable because it still conveys information which the employer will want.
- Part three is the position function, also sometimes called position title. If you are responding to a job posting, the position function can often be found in the employer's text. Examples of functions are "chemist", "administrative assistant", "process engineer", "accountant", "project manager", "consultant" and "grant writer". For those with broad skill sets, many position titles may apply. Find out what a specific employer calls this function within their organization during your informational interview or from an acquaintance who works in that field. You may also choose to invent a title that is broad enough to encompass your unique vision.
- Finally, part four is the field or industry, in which you hope to work. Examples of fields or industries include "telecommunications", "higher education", "banking", "pharmaceuticals", "social services", "event planning" and "resort/travel industry". Your particular position may well be found in a variety of fields or industries. For example, accountants work in all of the above industries. If your career vision is not field or industry specific, you may wish to omit this part of the objective.
Integrating all four parts into a cohesive whole is easy. The following objective contains all four parts. See if you can identify them.
"A full-time engineering position in the computer industry, utilizing my ability to work as a team member and contribute to marketing, support, design and testing of products and services."
Examples
Here are just a couple of ways that others have communicated their objectives.
C) Summary of Qualifications
(also called "Executive Summary")
Summary statements are a relatively recent phenomenon in resume writing. They often replace The Objective, though in some circumstances, both can be used. The Summary statement allows you to state your skills, values, interests, and other pieces of information that is most relevant to the position to which you are applying. If you knew that a hiring authority would only read one section of your resume, this would be it!
The Summary statement is usually at the top of your resume, the first thing after your Identifying Information. You may use a paragraph or bullet format, but bulleting is usually easier to read. Avoid using words like I, me, or my.
Sometimes its easier to create these statements AFTER you work on the main part of your resume. You will also create or re-word your summary statement for each job position you pursue. Most of all, after reading this statement, the potential employer will be able to see that you have the basic competencies needed for their job!
Examples
Here's one way of writing it.
D) Education
This section is designed to show an employer that you have the necessary educational credentials to do the job. It includes your credit-based traditional degrees and certificates as well as non-credit professional learning. It can show your academic breadth and intellectual accomplishments. It can even imply something about your industriousness and desire to improve yourself. Continuous learning is a must in order to be competitive in today's job world and this section can show what you have done to stay up-to-date in your current field, and also how you continue to learn.
In your "Education" section, you will want to be sure to include higher education degrees and certificates, academic awards or scholarships, relevant courses and professional credentials. Sometimes, it may also benefit you to include your grade point average and/or rank in class.
E) Work Experience
In this exercise, you will learn how to write an entry for your Work Experience section as you would if you were writing a reverse chronological resume. If you decide that a functional format would be better for you, you will still use many of the things you will learn from this page. The major difference will be that you will group your experiences by job responsibility category (accounting skills, supervisory skills) as opposed to job title (Accountant: University of Minnesota).
Your work experience section should tell the employer what you've accomplished in past work experiences...which will suggest what you can accomplish for them in the next job! Basically, this is an extremely important section of your resume. First, let's look at some examples of Work Experience Sections...
This person used bullets well. I like the way this individual quantifies things: supervised 8 junior accountants, and implemented software 2 months ahead of schedule. Notice he/she also mentioned that they were promoted!
Here's a way to describe your experience in paragraph form. Note the action verbs at the beginning of the sentences, and this person also did a nice job of quantifying results (raised over $10,000).
F) Activities/Experience
First thing you need to know it that the Activities/Interest section of the resume is optional. Here's why you might decide to include it as you assemble your resume:
- to demonstrate a well-rounded person with more dimensions than just work
- to point out skills that have been demonstrated in your non-professional life
- to account for gaps in employment
- as a conversation starter (possibly the employer shares, or is intrigued by, your interest)
Activities and interests, while they sound similar, are actually different things. Activities are structured...as with clubs, professional associations, etc. Examples would be Member of Computer Club, President of Alumni Association, Church Choir Member, Red Cross Volunteer, etc. When listing activities, indicate the name of the organization, your role (e.g. member, volunteer, office held), and years of participation. For example: "Volunteer, Habitat for Humanity, 1992 - 95".
Interests, on the other hand, are unstructured individual pursuits. Examples would be reading, cross country skiing, sewing, managing personal investments, tennis, etc. When listing interests, typically (but not always) your role is obvious, and years are not relevant.
One word of caution. When you choose to include activities and interests on your resume, be aware of when and how you include HOT BUTTONS. A HOT BUTTON is an activity or interest to which some employers may have a strong positive or negative reaction. Anything which indicates a religious or political affiliation, or a position on a controversial political issue may be a HOT BUTTON. When you have an activity or interest that is a HOT BUTTON, you have three options:
- You can choose to include this information on your resume. Many job applicants feel strongly that the employer must know who they are, inside and outside of the workplace. You don't want to work for an employer who can't accept you as a whole individual.
- You can choose to omit this information. You may want to have the opportunity to present yourself as a candidate, to know the employer face to face, and to be genuinely considered for the position, rather than prematurely discounted due to the employer's bias.
- You can choose to disguise these activities/interests, by presenting them in a generic format. For example, say that you are a "member of a choir", without specifying religion or denomination.
Any option you select is respectable. Make an informed, reflective choice. If you choose to include this section, here are a couple of examples.
Examples
Note: there are a variety of headings you can use for this section, and a couple are listed below.
Step 3 You Be the Judge!
Take a look at what you've created!
The resume needs to be strong and concise. It should clearly state your career goal with the body of the resume logically supporting this objective. Your resume makes a personal statement about you and your career. It's a written snapshot of your work and education life. It is important that you feel comfortable with your resume format and content. If the final product doesn't make you feel proud to use it as your personal sales tool, take time to make the changes necessary to achieve this goal.
Here is one way you can evaluate your resume.
Step 4 Words 'o' Wisdom
Here's a place where many questions you may have about resumes can get answered.
Click on the questions of interest to you, press the "Process My Workbook Page" button, and you will be given a page with the answers you want!
| | Is it okay to send the same resume to different employers, or do I have to write a new resume for each position? |
| | Is it okay to have a two page resume? |
| | How old is too old to include a work experience in my resume, 5 years, 10 years etc? |
Step 5 For Example...
Want to see some examples? Here are some that I thought were good. ( see file "more examples" )
WARNING! You must remember that there are many different ways to write a resume, and there are many different opinions about what is good. You need to be ABSOLUTELY SURE that your resume reflects who you are. In other words, don't copy these resumes and simply insert your information.
Another disclaimer:
- Many of these resumes have come from real people, and the names have been changed to protect their anonymity. This is also why the black boxes have been added over parts of their address. (Don't put black boxes on your resume. This would not be a good idea.)
Cover Letter:
What makes a Good Cover Letter?
- No spelling or typing errors. Not even one.
- Address it to the person who can hire you. Resumes sent to the personnel department have a tougher time of it. If you can find out (through networking and researching) exactly who is making the hiring decision, address the letter to that person. Be sure the name is spelled correctly and the title is correct. A touch of formality is good too: address the person as "Mr.," "Ms.," "Mrs.," "Miss," "Dr.," or "Professor." (Yes, life is complicated.)
- Write it in your own words so that it sounds like you--not like something out of a book. Employers are looking for knowledge, enthusiasm, focus.
- Being "natural" makes many people nervous. And then even more nervous because they are trying to avoid spelling errors and grammatical mistakes.
- Show that you know something about the company and the industry.. You know who they are, what they do and you have chosen them!
- Use terms and phrases that are meaningful to the employer. If you are applying for an advertised position, use the requirements in the ad and put them in BOLD type. For example: the ad says--
"2 years' experience processing magnetic media (cartridge, tape, disc); interface with benefit plan design, contracts and claims; and business background with strong analytical & technical skills--dBase, Excel, R&R, SQL."
Make sure your cover letter contains each of these requirements and shows how you measure up.
. Cover Letter Template
Your name
Mailing address
City, state, and zip
Telephone number(s)
Email address
Today's date
Your addressee's name
Professional title
Organization name
Mailing address
City, state and zip
Dear Mr. (or Ms.) last name,
Start your letter with a grabber―a statement that establishes a connection with your reader, a probing question, or a quotable quote. Briefly say what job you are applying for.
The mid-section of your letter should be one or two short paragraphs that make relevant points about your qualifications. You should not summarize your resume! You may incorporate a column or bullet point format here.
Your last paragraph should initiate action by explaining what you will do next (e.g., call the employer) or instigate the reader to contact you to set up an interview. Close by saying "thank you."
Sincerely yours,
Your handwritten signature
Your name (typed)
Enclosure: resume
Examples:
1.
BRENDA J. WILSON | |
|
| Office/Voicemail: |
Metropolitan Children's Hospital
Attn: Robin Boyd, Human Resources
Re: Director for Patient Financial Services
Dear Mrs. Boyd:
I was very interested to see your advertisement for a Director of Patient Financial Services in the Philadelphia Inquirer (
Of particular note for you and the members of your team as you consider this management placement are my strong accomplishments in reducing outstandings and reorganizing accounting and collections functions to achieve improved operating efficiency internally and improved cashflow for the institution as a whole.
Consider the following:
- Reduced A/R days from 110 to 60.4.
- Reduced staff by 6.5 FTEs with concurrent increase in total departmental performance.
- Reduced patient complaints with simultaneous increase in A/R collected.
- Improved cashflow by $1.6 million per month.
Additionally, my contributions have been mainly achieved by improving information flow within the patient financial services function, improving patient financial services utilization of already available MIS services, and improving cooperation between patient services and admissions,
After fifteen years in patient accounting, I have a thorough understanding of every aspect of this function in a modern hospital/medical center setting. My current employer is very happy with my performance, but I view myself as somewhat of a troubleshooter, and most of the reorganizations initiated here have already come to fruition, so I am eager to consider new challenges.
If you are seeking a manager who stays abreast of her field, who understands technology, who earns 100% staff support, and who is as career-committed as it takes to achieve total success, then please consider what I have to offer. I would be happy to have a preliminary discussion with you or members of your committee to see if we can establish a mutual interest. I will call you within the week to answer any initial questions you may have, and to hear about your hiring process.
Thank you for your attention to these materials. I certainly look forward to exploring this further.
Yours truly,
Brenda J. Wilson
Enclosure
2.
Kimberly Lee
123-555-1234
klee@bamboo.com
Mr. Frank Randall, Partner
Randall, Jerneys and Calpert Inc.
Dear Mr. Randall,
There's a reason why:
• Friends hand me the dinner bill to divvy up
• My checkbook always balances at the end of each month
• My three kids are never late for events
• Community groups look to me to organize events
I'm a "detail person" ― the kind of person you need as your administrative assistant.
For the last five years, I've handled all the scheduling, finances, and logistics for my family of five. It's time for me to get back into the corporate work force and put my organizational talents to use there.
I'll contact you in the next few days to see if you or one of your associates needs an assistant.
Thank you!
Kimberly Lee
Enclosure: resume
3.
Eric Stadler
123-555-1234
Mr. Robert Morris
Morris Construction.
Dear Mr. Morris,
John Lovell advised me of a foreman position that's available at your company. From my enclosed resume, you will find that my experience meets the requirements you've outlined for the position.
As the former manager of a small business, I appreciate the importance of a following that comes from the recommendations of satisfied clients. I am considered a diplomatic manager, which enables me to get along well with clients, supervisors, and crew. My ability to maintain high morale among workers increases retention and contributes to safety, a crucial factor in the success of construction work.
On Monday, I'll call you to see when we can meet for an interview.
Sincerely,
Eric Stadler
Enclosure: resume
Some websites for further use：
www.rockportinstitute.com/resumes.html
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