One of your first steps to a professional resume will be to locate information about your education, background, accomplishments, training, professional certifications, memberships, awards, and references and put it in one place. Invest in an expanding file, and start to assemble your professional qualifications file today. Buy one with lots of room to grow; as the years pass you will be adding to your file to keep it current.
-Label each section according to the type of information you’ll need to build your resume:
-Work experience – job descriptions, letters of acceptance and resignation, performance reviews, and samples of work
-Education – degrees, diplomas, notes about dates attended; certified copies of transcripts and grade reports
-Training – copies of certificates of completion for on-the-job training or notes about training received
-Honors – honors, awards, and special recognition received at work or school
-Activities – notes about personal and professional activities, such as volunteer activities
-Certificates and licenses – professional licenses, certificates, and notes about criteria for attaining certification or a license
-Professional memberships – records of professional associations, membership duration, and criteria
-Special skills – records of special projects completed and skills honed through self-directed learning or acquired through hobbies
-References – copies of letters of reference from employers and teachers; lists of names, titles, addresses, and phone numbers of professional colleagues and personal contacts willing to provide a reference for you
Even if you don’t need all of these categories right now, build a “home” for them in your qualifications file. As your career evolves and time passes, you’ll have a convenient place to retain important information about your professional development. In addition to the categories above, keep copies of old resumes and cover letters. This gives you a starting point and a way to refresh your memory if you’re revamping a resume after some time has passed.
The Toolkit contains simple worksheets that you can download to help you extract key points from your files and compile them in a form that will be easy to use in developing your resume or Professional Qualifications File.
KNOWING WHAT TO INCLUDE
Certain elements of your resume are non-negotiable. That is, if you ignore or omit them you send a clear message to potential employers that you don’t understand their decision-making process. Other elements are more flexible, which allows you to tailor your content to suit the employer and your own style.
Resumes consist of a variety of category labels — experience, education, accomplishments, and so on — accompanied by brief descriptions. Resumes are one of the few formal writing examples where sentence fragments and tickler phrases are not only acceptable but desirable. The style should emphasize short, punchy statements, facts and figures, and examples. Action verbs produce the best resumes, and it’s completely possible to write an effective, direct resume without ever using the word “I”.
There are four essential elements that must be included in any professional resume. These are: the heading, work experience, education, and a note about references.
1. The heading is placed at the top of your resume and should contain this information: your full name, your complete home address and a telephone number (including the area code).
If you’re employed, don’t include your current office number unless you are 100 percent certain that receiving phone calls from possible employers will not affect your employment situation.
If you do not have a phone number or are relocating and your phone number will be changing, include a contact number where the employer can leave a message for you. Pick someone who will take messages in a professional manner and pass them on to you.
2. Whichever resume pattern you select, you’ll need to include work experience in some fashion. To help you organize this information, summarize your current or last job, your job title, the organization’s name, the year you started, and a list of tasks performed, projects completed, and results accomplished.
(Use the Resume Worksheet: Work Experience (See the Resume Worksheet: Work Experience) provided in the Toolkit to develop this same type of information for every job you’ve held.)
Match your summary of experience and qualifications against the skills and qualities employers value in a job seeker. This will help you emphasize the most important points.
3. Detail the education you’ve received, keeping in mind that no employer wants to read a list of every class you’ve taken or every training program you’ve attended.
(Use the Resume Worksheet: Education (See the Resume Worksheet: Education) provided in the Toolkit to develop this same type of information for every job you’ve held.)
Work to capture the highlights of your education, emphasizing those factors most closely related to your targeted job.
4. It’s important to include a note that indicates you have professional, personal, or educational references to offer. Employers may want to speak with someone who has worked with you or who knows your capabilities.
Don’t list full contact names and phone numbers, just note that references are available.
(Use the Resume Worksheet: List of References (See the Resume Worksheet: List of References) provided in the Toolkit to develop this same type of information for every job you’ve held.)
SKILLS AND QUALITIES EMPLOYERS VALUE
Basic skills:
-Reading
-Writing
-Mathematics
-Listening
-Speaking
Thinking skills:
-Creative thinking
-Decision making
-Problem solving
-Seeing things in the mind’s eye
-Knowing how to learn
-Reasoning
Personal qualities:
-Responsible
-Has self-esteem
-Sociable
-Self-managing
-Demonstrates honesty/integrity
— Adapted from US Department of Labor SCANS Report, 1991.
KNOWING WHAT TO OMIT
If you ask 10 people what to leave out of a resume, you’ll probably receive 20 different answers. Some items or information should never appear on your resume. These items include:
-Personal data, such as age, race, religion, martial status, non-related physical limitations, or sexual orientation
-Detailed lists of employment or character references
-Photographs
-Philosophical revelations or political statements
Some details are more difficult to determine. Among the items you might consider omitting are:
-High school education if you’ve received an associates or bachelor’s degree
-High school activities if you’ve been out of school for 10 years
-Extensive details of hobbies or personal interests
-Part-time or summer jobs held during high school and college if you’ve been out of school for several years
When deciding what to omit, use sound judgment. Leaving out information about recent jobs can be problematic, particularly if your employment was terminated by the employer. A potential employer who learns of such an omission may believe you’re hiding important information about your work record.
USING ACTIVE DESCRIPTIONS
Professional recruiters and experienced hiring decision makers may spend as little as 20 to 90 seconds reviewing your cover letter and resume before they make the decision to call you in for an interview — or move to the next candidate’s package.
In order to get an interview, you must construct and deliver a cover letter and resume that are focused, well-structured, short, and to the point. You’ll want to highlight critical pieces of information in your resume (using bold lettering, bullets, or italics) to identify major sections and call the reader’s attention to the most important content.
Action verbs and direct sentence structure are pivotal to success. Action words indicate movement, accomplishment, and initiative. Notice the difference between the two phrases:
Was responsible for administering budget programs and monitoring profit/loss ratio.
versus
Managed budget to improve profit/loss ratio.
The first phrase is sadly typical of many resumes. It implies responsibility, but shows little action and does not focus on purpose or results. In the second phrase, the writer clearly supervises the budgeting process and is directly involved in improving profit/loss ratios. The change is a simple one, but the end result is a dramatically more readable, powerful, and persuasive resume. Adopting this approach has many benefits. It will increase your chances of being called in for an interview, it will reduce the number of words you use to describe your work and accomplishments, and it will speak to the employer who’s seeking an action-oriented employee.
Study the list of action words, and take a moment to examine the sample resumes in this section. Then, strive to see how many dull phrases you can eliminate by using these words.
ACTIVE WORDS
A
-administered
-advised
-analyzed
-arranged
-assembled
B
-billed
-built
C
-channeled
-collected
-communicated
-compiled
-completed
-conducted
-coordinated
-counseled
-created
-cut
D
-decided
-decreased
-designed
-developed
-directed
-distributed
-dissected
-documented
E
-edited
-executed
-expanded
G
-gathered
-handled
-hired
I
-implemented
-improved
-increased
-inspected
-introduced
-invented
-investigated
M
-maintained
-managed
-motivated
N
-negotiated
O
-operated
-ordered
-organized
P
-performed
-planned
-prepared
-presented
-produced
-programmed
-published
-purchased
R
-recommended
-recorded
-reduced
-represented
-researched
-reviewed
S
-saved
-screened
-sold
-suggested
-supervised
T
-taught
-tested
-trained
-typed
W
-wrote
ANALYZING SAMPLE RESUMES
There are three widely accepted resume patterns: the chronological, the functional and the combination resume. Each approach has advantages and disadvantages for presenting your unique experience and background information in the most effective manner.
While some elements of a resume are required, others are optional. Four elements are common to all three resume structures, although the manner in which they are addressed differs greatly. These elements are:
-Heading – Provide your name, address and phone number.
-Work experience – Cite positions, dates, and company name in reverse chronological order, accompanied by brief descriptions of duties and accomplishments.
-Education – List degrees and institutions in reverse chronological order. Include a brief description of achievements related to each degree if appropriate.
-References – Note that references are available on request. Don’t list reference contact names on your resume.
Examining a chronological resume
The chronological resume is just that — a recap of your experience based on time and sequence of events. This type of resume is most effective when your education and experience is closely related, and your goal is to advance within the same career field. For example, if you have a degree in urban planning and hands-on experience as a city planner, and your long-range goal is to become a director of urban planning, the chronological resume allows you to highlight your accomplishments and unwavering commitment to this field.
A classic chronological resume consists of these elements, usually presented in roughly this sequence:
-Heading
-Objective
-Work experience
-Education
-Honors
-Activities
-Certificates and licenses
-Professional memberships
-Special skills
-References
Keep in mind that you probably won’t need to use each category cited. Include the information that is accurate and honest for your individual history, and omit any topic that doesn’t apply.
View sample: Chronological Resume (See graphic)
Examining a functional resume
The functional resume highlights specific activities in which you have education and experience, while it de-emphasizes your linear educational and work experience. Some typical business functions are finance, accounting, purchasing, operations, production, recruitment, wages and benefits management, labor relations, engineering, and research and design.
A functional resume, therefore, will emphasize skills and accomplishments in a few select functions and relate these to the desired career goal. Functional resumes are powerful tools when they’re used properly. They allow you to consolidate and emphasize experience you’ve gained during your education, at work, as a volunteer, through hobbies, and more.
A typical functional resume would include the following categories:
-Heading
-Summary of qualifications
-Accomplishments
-Employment history
-Education
-References
Keep in mind that you probably won’t need to use each category cited. Include the information that is accurate and honest for your individual history, and omit any topic that doesn’t apply.
View sample: Functional Resume (See graphic)
Examining a combination resume
The combination resume includes elements of both the functional and chronological resume. Its purpose is to respond in a very results-oriented way to the requirements of a specific job advertisement or a particular type of career opportunity. Of the three resume styles, the combination resume tends to be the most persuasive, since each element of the resume is structured to respond as closely as possible to the requirements of a specific position or field.
As a result, the combination resume might include an overview of your experiences, highlighting skills related to the desired position or field, followed by a description of functional expertise and a quick recap of your job history. A typical functional resume would include the following categories:
-Heading
-Objective
-Professional profile
-Employment history
-Education
-References
Contrast the combination resume with the functional and chronological structures. Choose the type of resume that will allow you to showcase your abilities to best effect.
Keep in mind that you probably won’t need to use each category cited. Include the information that is accurate and honest for your individual history, and omit any topic that doesn’t apply.
View sample: Combination Resume (See graphics.)
SOLVING COMMON PROBLEMS
As you develop your resume it’s important to remember that few people have perfect work records. Perhaps you’ve lost your job due to layoffs or cutbacks; perhaps you left work to raise your children or return to school; perhaps you quit an unbearable situation or you were fired. All of these challenges can be handled gracefully, if you take the time to think through the best way to present the information.
Two of the most common problems when preparing a resume are:
-Employment gaps
-Limited experience
Dealing with gaps in employment
In the past, a job applicant may well have been judged negatively for not having a perfectly stable, non-stop work history. Luckily, times have changed. Almost every employer today understands that perfectly competent people may lose their job because a company is sold, streamlined, or reorganized. If this is your situation, make it clear on your resume or in your cover letter that you’re unemployed due to company cutbacks, then briefly explain the specifics. You might also want to take more time and space in your cover letter and resume to emphasize your special talents, qualifications, and accomplishments.
If you have major gaps in your employment, avoid using a chronological structure, as this will merely emphasize every “hole” in your employment history. Review the examples for combination and functional resumes, and present your work history in one of these formats. This gives you two advantages. First, you highlight your skills, results, and accomplishments. Second, you downwplay the amount of time you were out of the work force.
Overcoming limited experience
If you’ve never held a full-time, responsible position, it’s easy to feel as if you’ll never land a job. Whether you’re a student graduating from high school or college, or a full-time homemaker launching your first paid career, there’s hope. The key is to make the most of the experience you do have, and work even harder to develop a superb cover letter and resume package.
When you’re developing your Professional Qualifications File, take time to list every activity, volunteer effort, unpaid work experience, and club or organization you’ve been involved with. Search for ways to define the results and outcomes you accomplished in these unpaid capacities.
For example, perhaps you organized a community coalition to persuade the city council to restructure the zoning regulations governing your neighborhood. This is valuable experience, which you should examine carefully for job-related skills and abilities. Ask yourself:
-What did I learn?
-How did I keep people motivated?
-How did I coordinate activities and responsibilities?
-Did I learn to delegate tasks to qualified individuals?
-Did I gain media exposure through the newspapers or TV?
-Did I receive any compliments, awards, or commendations?
These and similar questions will help you identify valuable experience that parallels the skills, abilities, and personal qualities today’s employers are seeking. Homemakers, in many instances, are masters of many functions, ranging from budget planning and money management to nutrition and medical emergency skills.
If you’re having difficulty identifying what makes you marketable to potential employers, sit down with a friend, academic advisor or career counselor and ask for their insights. Often others can see the valuable skills, abilities, knowledge, and personal qualities that we overlook or take for granted.
DESIGNING PROFESSIONAL RESUMES
Those who make hiring decisions have their own personal preferences, so there’s no way to know exactly what strategies they love best. Since many employers spend only 20 to 90 seconds reviewing a resume before they make their decision to contact or not contact you for an interview, the physical appearance and design of your resume package take on great importance.
Elements of style
Adopt some basic ground rules for effective resumes and they’ll serve you well. Remember that white space isn’t a nicety, it’s essential for readability as well as visual appeal. Keep your resumes and cover letters simple and straightforward (KISS). Eliminate visual clutter and fussy details, because they only distract the reader and obscure the important points you’re trying to convey.
Be sure not to sacrifice the quality of your content for the sake of a pretty layout. Follow these basic rules to produce a clean, readable resume:
1. Provide healthy margins at the top, bottom and sides; usually 1″ to 1 1/2″ is perfect.
2. Leave space between major sections.
3. Limit your selection of fonts and type styles to one or two and stick with them throughout your resume.
4. Use bold or all capital letters to highlight section headings.
5. Use the same type and treatments for the similar items. For example, if you emphasize the heading Employment with bold print, don’t switch to italics for a similar heading, Education.
6. Use the same sequence or structure for similar items. For example, if you put your degree, university, description, and year attained in the education section, list employment in a parallel sequence of job title, company, description, and employment dates.
7. Limit your resume to one or two pages. Stick to one page if you have only one degree or a few years experience. Two are acceptable when you have the substantive work experience to justify it.
8. Use a combination of bullet lists and small descriptive paragraphs. This is one time sentence fragments are acceptable.
Most employers emphasize content over flashy layouts. Your goal is to produce a clear, crisp presentation of experience and qualifications. Your layout should assist you in this goal, but it should not become a goal in and of itself.
To find a resume layout that suits you, study the examples provided and emulate the features that you like. Also, show your resume to people who can share informed opinions and advice.
Mailing your resume
For decades, there has been a running debate about whether to staple or clip your cover letter to your resume. You may prefer to staple them because when you’re replying to an ad, it’s likely the employer will receive many resumes and cover letters. Your items won’t become separated by accident if they arrive stapled together. If you prefer paper clips, then use them instead.
It’s wise to mail your cover letter and resume in a full-sized business envelope (9 x 12 inches). These critical pieces, which you’ve worked so hard to polish and perfect, will arrive flat and readable, rather than permanently creased. Also, when a stack of mail arrives, many people will open large envelopes first. Your resume and cover letter may receive just a bit more attention as a result.
