HOME

A résumé is a one or two page summary of your skills, accomplishments, experiences, and education designed to capture a prospective employer's interest. The purpose of a résumé is to secure an interview. It is the primary tool of your job search and may take several drafts to prepare effectively. This article is designed to assist you by offering suggestions and guidelines for you to use as you construct, write and print your résumé.

Before you can write an effective résumé, you must first be able to identify your skills and abilities as well as your special needs relating to the work environment, salary, geographic location, and people environment. This step will help you to develop a career objective. The following exercises will help you identify some things about yourself, which you may want to express in your résumé.

A. List at least 10 skills, which you have developed in each of the following areas: Education/Work/Internships or Volunteer/Extracurricular. Use action words.

to develop one-liner summaries.

B. Circle each of the skills noted in part A that you would like to use in your employment. Are there other talents you possess that you would like to use on the job? If so, add them to the list of circled skills. Now rank these skills in order of those you most want to use.

C. Make a list of what you consider to be 5 great accomplishments in your life. What personal qualities helped you reach each goal?

Collecting information regarding the required skills and qualifications of occupations, which interest you, is an extremely important step. This information will help you decide if and how these requirements relate to your own skills and needs. Using the books available at your institution's career center or making an appointment with a counsellor can be helpful in identifying and exploring careers and can also help you in developing a career objective.

As you organize your résumé, keep in mind the needs of the employer who will be reading it. Consider what s/he is looking for in a candidate and make it easy for the reader to pick out those skills by selecting appropriate categories, using underlining, boldfacing or capitalizing and presenting relevant experience and skill areas higher on the page.

Keep in mind the following suggestions as you begin developing your résumé:

1.  Sell yourself. Create a good first impression by highlighting skills and abilities appropriate to the position.
2.  Use active language.
3.  Articulate marketable skills acquired through your positions. Example: Salesperson, Smith Shoe Store, Portland, Maine. Assisted clients with selection of shoes, developed and promoted special marketing events, trained new employees, monitored cash. Store increased in sales by 7 percent in 6-month period.
4.  Be consistent. Choose a pattern of spacing, an order of information presentation or a format of highlighting and be consistent throughout.
5.  Present information in reverse chronological order within categories. List education and work experiences starting with the most recent first.
6.  Check for grammar. Misspellings and poorly constructed sentences communicate negative impressions about a candidate.
7.  Ensure that your résumé is neat and visually appealing. Choose high quality paper in white, off-white or other conservative colors. Have the final version professionally reproduced.

Feel free to develop your own categories to highlight your special relevant experiences and skills. It is frequently useful to separate your related or professional experiences from your other work experience by creating separate categories for these content areas. In this way, you can call more attention to your relevant skills by putting them in categories closer to the top of the résumé so they are read first.

Here Are Some Examples:

• Student Teaching Experience
• Related Experience
• Experience With Children
• Related Courses
• Community Volunteer Work
• Workshops & Conferences Attended
• Technical Skills
• Special Skills
• Computer Skills
• Certificates
• Travel
• Leadership
• Accomplishments
• Professional Memberships
• Military Experience
• Language Proficiencies
• Additional Information

In place of Related Experience you might wish to indicate your field of experience in the category heading.

Examples: Business Experience, Engineering Experience, Human Services Experience, Sales Experience, etc.

The following categories can be used as guideline to assist you in organizing a résumé. In constructing a rough draft, do not be concerned with length. Remember that categories may be omitted or added in later revisions. There is no absolute correct way to organize your résumé. Creativity is encouraged. The following are descriptions of the basic categories of the standard résumé:

Present yourself with the name you use in your personal and business life (nicknames should be avoided). If you have a campus address that does not apply during vacations or after graduation, you should present both a college and permanent address. Use your parents' home address, a post office box, or someone who will know where to contact you at all times. Also, always include phone numbers with area codes. If you have an e-mail address, you might want to include that as well.

The objective is one of the most important parts of a résumé and should not be overlooked. It informs potential employers that you are moving in a certain direction, relates your work preference(s), and serves as a focal point from which to review and analyze your résumé. It should be brief, clearly stated, and consistent with the accomplishments and demonstrated skills as documented on your résumé. If you are considering more than one professional goal, you should consider developing more than one résumé, each presenting a different objective.

Example:

• Position teaching science and/or math at the secondary school level.
• Position within a financial institution requiring strong analytical and organizational skills.

The profile is an alternative to an objective statement. It gives you the opportunity to present your strengths at the very beginning of the résumé.

Example:
Profile Marketing...Finance...Management

• Eager to contribute to the growth of a progressive company with quality products or services.
• Qualified by business education, customer service and administrative experience.
• Professional appearance and advanced interpersonal communication.
• Highly motivated, strong work ethic; available as needed for training, travel, overtime, etc.
• Financed 80% of college tuition and expenses; additional 20% through scholarships.

In writing the major areas of your résumé, it is important to emphasize your abilities and accomplishments more than past duties. You may also want to indicate how well you performed. This will help infuse personal qualities such as character and personality into your résumé.

This category is particularly important if you have not had a great deal of work experience. Remember, your most recent educational experience should be listed first.

Include your degree (A.S., B.S., B.A., etc.), major, institution(s) attended, date of graduation, minors or concentrations, and any special workshops, seminars, related coursework or senior projects. A G.P.A. of higher than a 3.0 (either overall G.P.A. or G.P.A. in major) should also be noted here.

Many students have limited paid work experience, but have been involved in volunteer, internship, practicum or student teaching work experiences. The important point to the employer is what your skills are and what you can do on the job. Be sure to include all significant work experience in reverse chronological order. Note to teacher candidates: be sure to include your student teaching experience on your résumé.

• You should include: (1) the title of your position, (2) name of organization, (3) location of work (town, state), and (4) dates (ex. Summer 1994; 1994-95 academic year)
• You should describe your work responsibilities with an emphasis on achievements using action words to communicate your skills. List the most important and related responsibilities first.
• Identify the most relevant work experiences and describe them fully. Be brief with the irrelevant experiences or omit them. It is sometimes useful to divide your work experience into two categories: Relevant Experience and Other Experience.
• You may want to add that work was performed to earn a certain percent of college expenses. Example: Earned 75% of college expenses through the following part-time jobs.

This category is useful for displaying information that doesn't fit in any other category. Although Interests, Computer Knowledge, and Activities can be separate categories, especially if they are very strong, they can be listed here as well. Languages spoken, or any extra, relevant bit of information can be placed here as well.

• Interests: This is sometimes used to evaluate your suitability to a geographic area or to understand your "personality type". Include this section if you have available space. Include social or civic activities, health and fitness or sports activities, or hobbies, which indicate how you spend your leisure time.
• Computer Knowledge: If using computers is a necessary skill for the job you are seeking, be sure to highlight your knowledge in this section. Example:
• Software: Lotus, dBASE III, WordPerfect 5.1, Microsoft Word, Excel, Real World Accounting
• Hardware: IBM 3090 Mainframe, AT&T 386, IBM PC, Macintosh
• Activities, Honors, and Leadership are also important categories to include. If the activities involved work responsibility, note it in some detail. The employer is interested in the skills you have developed whether through volunteer or paid experiences. If you were elected to offices or committees, mention it. Recognition and demonstration of leadership roles are valuable.
• References:

Be sure to ask individuals if they would be willing to be a reference for you prior to mentioning their names to prospective employers. Names of individuals are not usually listed on the résumé (unless there is space available at the end), but you should prepare a typed list of three references to provide at the interview. This list should include name, title, employer, address, business and home telephone number. You may also state at the bottom of your résumé "References furnished upon request."

A good résumé cannot get you a job, but a bad résumé can prevent you from getting your foot in the door.

We believe the best way to explain the new "rules" of résumé writing is to explain what you should always do and what you should never do. You can also review tips on creating an internet-ready résumé.

The new rules for better résumés start with the fact that there are fewer rules. There's an opportunity for some creativity, but not for gimmicks. What works today is a conservative style and a focus on key achievements -- especially those that are of particular interest to the potential employer.

Remember, what interests one employer for example -- a legal secretary, may not interest another employer hiring a case clerk. That's why it is essential that people who qualify for several different jobs (and many do) have several different résumés. All résumés should be accurate and truthful, but each should highlight different strengths as they relate to the job opening.

Obtaining a better job today has become more competitive than in the '70s and '80s. And this competitiveness will continue, as better positions require more specialized skills.

Since the résumé is a primary tool in obtaining more attractive positions, extra time spent on its preparation is a good investment. In fact, some astute people constantly update their résumés.

ALWAYS

1. Update your résumé as you approach completion of each temporary assignment.
2. Use "bullet" format where appropriate.
3. Use conventional English. Stay away from multi-syllable words when a one- or two-syllable word is clearer.
4. Use short paragraphs -- preferably no longer than five lines.
5. Make sure the résumé and the cover letter are error-free. Proofread, and have others proofread for you too.
6. Rewrite a résumé for a specific position with a specific company. It's extra work but may very well pay off.
7. Include your significant contributions at each one of your jobs.
8. Allow the most space for the positions that are most relevant to the position you are applying for.
9. List your activity with professional, trade and civic associations -- but only if they are appropriate.
10. Keep a permanent file of your achievements, no matter how inconsequential they may appear to be. This is the basis for a good résumé.
11. Give each of your references a copy of your résumé.
12. Re-read your résumé before every interview -- chances are the interviewer did just that, too.
13. Send your résumé in the most timely manner as possible. Fax or e-mail your résumé whenever possible.

NEVER

1. Give reasons for termination or leaving a job. In almost all cases, the reader can find negative connotations to even the best explanation.
2. List hobbies, sports and social activities.
3. Include in your experience technologies for which you have no work experience.
4. State "References Available on Request." It's assumed, and only clutters up the résumé. Other things to leave out include your Social Security number, your spouse's occupation and your personal philosophies.
5. List references on the résumé.
6. Use exact dates. Months and years are sufficient.
7. Include the date your résumé was prepared. If your search takes longer then a few months, the résumé will appear outdated.
8. Include your company phone number unless your immediate boss is aware of your departure.
9. Include your height, weight or remarks about your physical appearance or health.
10. List your high school or grammar school if you're a college graduate.
11. State your objectives on your résumé unless the résumé is targeted to that position or occupation.
12. Use professional jargon unless you're sure the résumé will be read by someone who understands the buzz-words.
13. Use the so-called "action words" like sparked, accelerated and streamlined. They're passe.
14. Provide salary information on the résumé. Save it for the interview. If you are required to give that information, reveal it in the cover letter.
15. Lie.

We've all become so used to the advanced features of our word processing packages, that creating any kind of ASCII file may seem to be a simple task. However, judging by the quality of some of the résumés we get, there is some definite room for education on a few fine points.

Use the following guidelines when creating your ASCII résumé...

Line Length - The most common mistake people make is assuming that the recipient of the résumé has the same line length set in their text editor. Line lengths in excess of 80 characters have a very good chance of wrapping the line prematurely, creating an annoying double-spaced window.

Tip: If you're using Word for Windows, use 10 point Courier and set the page width at 4-¾". Be sure to save the file as "Text with Line Breaks". Put a hard return at the end of each line. This will make your line length bullet-proof.

Vertical Alignment - The second most common mistake is to assume that your résumé will appear with the same vertical alignment it has on your home system. Vertical alignment is achieved by using an equal number of spaces from the left-hand margin.

Tip: Be sure to convert all the text in your résumé to 10 point Courier or another suitable fixed-width font. Proportional fonts like Helvetica or Arial have different widths for different characters (you'll never get things lined up with these fonts). Using spaces with the correct line length (see above) will make things line up properly.

Other Issues - If your résumé design depends on columns, bullets or bitmapped graphics, you may want to consider a simpler layout for sending via the Internet.

Consider this a creative challenge and take advantage of suitable ASCII characters like dashes (-), asterisks (*), and arrows (>).

Sample 1

Address

May 6, 1999

Dear [Name]

I am interested in working as a Senior Programmer for your organization. I am an expert programmer with over 10 years of experience to offer you. I enclose my résumé as a first step in exploring the possibilities of employment with Ensel Software Ltd.

My most recent experience was designing an automated billing system for a trade magazine publisher. I was responsible for the overall product design, including the user interface. In addition, I developed the first draft of the operator's guide.

As a Senior Programmer with your organization, I would bring a focus on quality and ease of use to your system development. Furthermore, I work well with others, and I am experienced in project management.

I would appreciate your keeping this inquiry confidential. I will call you in a few days to arrange an interview at a convenient time for you. Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Your Name

Sample 2

Dear Sir/Madam:

I am seeking a challenging position with a company in the Boston area. I got my Masters degree in Computational Mathematics at the University of Cambridge. I am applying for the position of Network systems Analyst, recently advertised in the Boston Post. I have an extensive background in building and maintaining Wide Area Networks. I also have experience in creating network-enabled applications for secure online transactions.

My résumé is attached for your consideration. If the position has been already filled, I would appreciate your consideration in the future.

Thank you.

Sample 3

I am seeking a challenging position with a company that is rapidly expanding and offers good advancement potential. I would like a position with a strong emphasis on database design, with scope for theoretical work as well as programming. I would also like to use my knowledge of Numerical Analysis to create new generation database technologies.

Never discuss salary until the job’s been offered. You run the risk of over or under-pricing yourself before you get started. Don’t be pressed - explain that you really need to know more about the position before discussing salary. (If they continue to ONLY discuss salary, I'd take a second look at the company. They are either desperate or broke, why wait to take the job to find out!) Remember too, that benefits and bonuses are part of the negotiations - an excellent vacation/health/flex-time package or educational reimbursement may make up for a lower salary.

Again, research the company including its financial position, and try to secure information about the range of salaries for the position you seek. (www.jobsmart.org) is a great place to do some salary research and find out the going rates. During negotiations, you need to appear professional, interested, and confident - not overly competitive. Let it be known that you are BOTH working toward a mutually beneficial arrangement. Restate what you feel you are worth and why, and let them make the counter offer. This is still a crucial selling stage of the game - it is important to continue to establish how hiring you will contribute to the company’s bottom-line objectives, as well as your interest in joining their organization. Remind them of past accomplishments, your qualifications, and ideas for the future. Having a plan written out is also a good idea. For example, if you are being brought on as the new Telemarketing/Customer Service Manager, present them with a list of goals and changes you plan to implement. Anything you've presented in writing is always a plus to you, especially if you are part of a large group of candidates.

If you are really fixed on a salary, try to negotiate some of the benefits you don't need. For example, if your spouse has an excellent health care policy, you might not need your company's – suggest a higher salary instead; same goes for losing a week's vacation, etc. Offering compromises will help you display your flexibility to the employer; you are willing to work with them. After an acceptable offer is made, don’t say YES right away. Be enthusiastic and appreciative, and ask for at least a day to think about it. You still need time to determine whether this is the job and salary for you. If you’re still not satisfied, let them know - you’ll learn how adaptable they are. Once you’ve decided, GET IT IN WRITING - including any discussions of bonuses/percentages, performance review schedules, etc. Whatever you discuss which pertains to money or "promises," write them down, with the potential employer. If they balk at getting anything in ink, say goodbye and move on to the next offer.

Written by Saikat Basak on May 1999