RESUME WRITING

Making Your Resume

Why do you need a resume?
 A marketing tool
 To obtain an interview, not a job
 Requirement of many organizations
Resume- hidden messages

Resume You
 Neat  Neat

 Well-organized  Well-organized

 Error free  Attention to detail

 Professional  Careful &

appearance Competent
Sections of a Resume
The Header
 What should be included?
 Name

 Permanent and present address

 E-mail address

 Telephone number

 Where should contact information go?

 Top of the page
 Objective Statement
 Purpose
 Communicate the type of position you are
interested in

 Examples
 Management trainee position with a specialty
retailer.
 Technical sales with an energy related industry
in the Southwest. Long range goals of regional
sales management.
 To obtain a position as field service
representative with XYZ Software Corporation.
Education
 Name of Institution
 Include city and state if not part of the title
 Name of your degree and major
 Bachelor of _________ in ___________
 Bachelorof Science in Business Administration:
Accounting
 List degrees in reverse chronological
order
 Most recent degree is listed first
Education
 Date or expected date of graduation
 GraduationDate: May 2014
 Expected Graduation Date: May 2015

 GPA
 Majoror overall at least 3.0
 Round down to the nearest tenth
 3.0not 3.062
 GPA: 4.0, Summa Cum Laude

 High School Information

 Do not include after Sophomore year
Experience
 Use the term "experience"
 What is considered experience?
Full and part-time jobs
Self-employment
Volunteer work
Practicum, field, and cooperative education
 Information to include
Job Title
Dates of employment
Company name
City & State
Listing Responsibilities
 Use bullet points
 Start of each line with an action verb
 Present tense if currently employed
 Past tense if no longer employed

 Vary your choice of verbs

 Tailor skills and experiences to the position

for which you are applying
 Be concise while providing enough detail
Honors & Awards
 Order by dates
 Reverse chronological

 Rank order by importance to the career

objective
Professional Affiliations & Activities

 Order by date
 Reverse chronological

 Rank order by importance to the career

objective
 Do not say Member of …
 Emphasize your leadership roles
 Spell out the organization’s name:
 Do not use abbreviations or acronyms
Resume Dos

 Use action verbs

 Use short, concise sentences
 Keep resume easy to read
 Keep resume about one page
Resume Don’ts
 Do not use the pronouns such as I, me, my, etc.
 Do not include references
 Do not clutter your resume with nonessential
information
 Do not make any misrepresentations
 Do not include personal information
 age, sex, height, weight, marital status,
photograph, etc.
Types of resume
 Chronological
 Functional
 Combination
chronological Resume

 A chronological resume starts by listing your work history, with the most
recent position listed first. Below your most recent job, you list your other
jobs in reverse chronological order. Employers typically prefer this type
of resume because it's easy to see what jobs you have held and when you
have worked at them. This is the most common resume type.
 This type of resume works well for job seekers with a strong, solid work
history. If you are starting your career, or if you are changing career
fields, you might consider a different resume type.
When should you use a chronological resume?

 A chronological resume format is the most

common resume type, which suits those
people who have an extensive work history
that is in the same line of work as the job for
which they are applying. It’s a safe choice for
virtually all job seekers.
Chronological resume structure

 A chronological resume often includes an eye-catching career

summary at the top. Then you should define chronology of your
previous work experience and make it as clear as possible - it’s
the main part of such resumes. Education, certifications, and
special skills are also included in this type of resume but are
listed after your work experience section.
 Have a look at a chronological resume example to get a clearer
visual understanding.
A proper reverse chronological resume order should be as follows:

 Contact information
 Resume summary or resume objective
 Work experience
 Education
 Skills
 Additional Sections
Functional Resume

 What is a functional resume?

 The functional resume format allows you to take the pressure off your
work history and focus more on your skills and abilities. That’s why it’s
also called the skills-based resume format. The focus is shifted from job
titles and dates to your actual relevant skill set.
When should you use a functional resume?

 It is typically used by job seekers who are changing

careers, who have gaps in their employment history,
students with less working experience or people,
whose work history is not directly related to the job. If
you are looking for a job in creative industries, where
your portfolio matters more than your resume, go
ahead and use creative functional resumes.
Functional resume structure

 No worry, if you don’t have a perfect work experience with a treasure

trove of relevant skills and competencies. You’re not the only one and
there are numbers of strategies you can employ to cover up gaps on your
resume. To get an idea of how a functional resume can conceal your work
gaps, you must understand the structure of current resume format.

 Take a look at the functional resume example and let it become clear to
you.
Functional resume…
 The resume introduction and skills
section are more substantial than usual

 Work experience is de-emphasized

 https://resumegenius.com/blog/resume-
help/functional-resume
Keep in mind the correct functional resume order:

 Contact information
 Resume objective
 Skills Summary
 Additional Skills
 Work Experience
 Education
 Remember, even if you don’t have much work experience, you
should still link your skills with either your academic
achievements or part-time jobs and volunteer experience. The
functional resume can be an ideal resume format for fresher as its
ultimate goal is to make the hiring manager see your potential
and desire to work.

Combination Resume

 The combination resume format (or hybrid resume) is a middle ground

between the reverse chronological resume and functional one. As the
name suggests, it combines the aspects of the other two resume types.
The combination style focuses more on skills but leaves plenty of room
to provide details on your past work.

 Shortly, it focuses on skills without throwing off the work experience

section.
When should you use a combination resume?

 Combination resumes were designed for job seekers who already have a relevant
work experience or even looking to jump into a new industry.
 Moreover, if you’re applying for a position that requires a lot of technical skills and
expertise, using a combination format is the best way to showcase these abilities
to the hiring manager.
 If you had an impressive set of accomplishments and job duties in previous
positions and want to highlight the skills you’ve developed over the years this
style is perfect to help you succeed in a career path.
A proper combination resume order should be as follows:

 Contact information
 Skills Summary
 Additional Skills
 Work Experience
 Education