resources:resumes

What is a resume?

The resume is your way of getting in the door. It doesn't get you a job but it can get you an interview. A resume is a document that describes your education, skills, and experience. For college students or recent graduates the resume is usually limited to one page. As you earn more experience the resume may expand to two or three pages in length.

Because it's good practice to customize the resume to the job you are applying for, I recommend that students create a comprehensive resume that serves as a warehouse of career information about yourself. You can then cut and paste relevant pieces to a new document when applying for jobs. A comprehensive resume is also a good record of jobs, responsibilities, dates, and even personal addresses when you're applying for jobs in the future.

For college students and recent grads, real-world experience may be limited. However you can list some of the major projects you completed if they are relevant to the position you are applying for. Keep in mind that you will probably be asked about these projects in the interview, so be able to explain the purpose of the project and the steps you took to solve the problem. If you worked as a team, mention that: in addition to being honest, many companies want to see that you have experience working as part of a team.

Content

Start with either a job objective or summary of relevant experience. Remember that the objective is often used to route the resume to the appropriate person, so be as specific as possible, using the job title if you have it. If you are applying for a specific job then identifying that job title or description will help the recruiter or human resources person determine who needs to review your resume. Otherwise list a few (2-5) specific skills or experiences that match the type of job you want. Tailor this part of the resume to each company you are contacting.

Focus on the employer's needs, not your own. The company has a need – that’s why they are hiring. How will you fit the company’s need? The easiest way is to highlight keywords in the job ad and be sure to use them in your resume and cover letter.

Place the most important info at the top. For students and recent graduates, that would be Education and your anticipated date of graduation to let them know when you'll be available to work. Once you've been in the work force a while, move Experience to the top.

Include relevant coursework. This tells the recruiter what you can do and what the areas in which you are likely to succeed.

Highlight your coursework, projects, achievements and activities. Remember that you are competing with a lot of other people. What sets you apart from the crowd? What experience do you have? Recruiters understand that recent grads and interns won't have much professional experience but they do want to know that you have the skills and knowledge to do tasks associated with the job. Show them that you can, and have!

Describe previous jobs. List previous jobs in reverse chronological order (most recent job first). Remember that what you've done is usually more informative than where you did it so list the job title first, followed by the employer and the dates of employment.

Focus on accomplishments and generalizable skills. Rather than just listing duties be specific about what you did and what you learned. Quantify your achievements when possible, because results count. Examples: Trained XX employees, managed XX accounts, Improved efficiency by XX%,or Reduced errors by XX%. And if you've had jobs that seem totally unrelated to your professional career then focus on the skills that you learned that you can adapt to a job. For instance, in my three years waiting tables I learned a lot about time management, multitasking, customer service, and especially working with difficult people and resolving complaints. Those skills are useful anywhere.

Use action words for emphasis. Vary the sentences to make it an interesting read.

Never use first person in a resume.

Don’t lie. You could pay for it later by losing your job.

Formatting

Make the document easy to read. Include lots of whitespace such as blank lines between headings and margins of 1-1.25 inches. Make headings and other important information stand out using emphasis techniques like bold, italics, color, rules (lines), CAPS, or indents. Chunk related information together within sections.

Avoid large empty areas, particularly at the end of the page.

Use bullet points to set of information (this also helps fill the page).

Be careful to avoid misspellings and typos. Errors are a good way to end up in the garbage can.

Use 10-12 point easily readable font. Traditional ones include Times New Roman, Helvetica, Arial but you can try variations like Georgia, Palatino, Calibri, and other fonts that are clear and clean.

Use a high quality printer – no streaks, smears, or handwritten corrections.

For entry-level jobs or recent grads, limit yourself to one page. If you've earned some good, relevant job experience then you can expand to two pages.

Set a Professional Tone

List your home phone number and a personal e-mail address. Don’t list your work number or work e-mail on your resume because it gives a bad impression - if you are looking for work on someone else's time, you may be likely to do it in the new job, too. If you use a free e-mail account, use a name that is simple and professional - imahottie@hotmail.com is the wrong message to send.

Leave a mature, professional message on your machine. The prospective employer may call with questions or to schedule an interview.

Do NOT list personal info such as marital status, age, weight, or religion. It is illegal for the employer to ask until you get the job, and may be used against you if you volunteer it.

Elements of a Resume

Objective

The objective indicates the type of position or field you want to enter, and how you can help the company. Tailor your objective statement to each company and job you apply for. Also, focus on what you can do for the employer, not what the employer can do for you.

BAD

To obtain a long-term career with an organization which has a strong background where I can grow professionally and be rewarded financially. (too focused on your needs)

BETTER

A position in research and development where my talents can be utilized to create new products, increase market share, and optimize company profit. (still a bit vague)

EVEN BETTER

Employment as a marketing specialist at Mankato Marketing and Public Relations. (clearly identifies the job title and company you want)

An alternative is to use a summary statement instead of an objective. Using either bullets or sentences, list three or four skills that you have that apply to the job you are applying for.

Education

• Major(s) & minor(s)
• Educational Institutions (name and location)
• Anticipated date of graduation
• GPA (only if it is 3.0 or above)
• Honors & awards (Dean's List, scholarships)
• Courses that are relevant to the position
• Post-high school only (technical college, junior college, university, other special training)

B.A. in Technical Communication.

Minnesota State University, Mankato. May 20--

A.A.

South Central College (Mankato, MN). May 20--

Experience

• Job title
• Employer & Location
• Dates you held the position
• Quantify as much as you can by giving numbers to back up your statements
• Use action words to describe your work
• Consider including relevant course projects but be sure to label them appropriately and accurately.

Waitress, Ground Pat'i Restaurant.

March 19-- to August 20--

Trained 9 new waitstaff. Developed a standard coding system for completing ticket orders. Designed a training manual for new waitstaff. Developed time management and multitasking skills. Responsible for customer service. Learned how to working with difficult people and resolve complaints.

Relevant Activities/Honors

• Certifications
• Publications, presentations, research
• Group projects
• Memberships in professional associations
• Leadership positions in organizations
• Military
• Community service experience
• Special skills, such as languages.
• Optional: Percent of college expenses earned

Member, Society for Technical Communication

Proficient in French.

References

Don't include references in the resume unless the recruiting ad asks for them. This is a power move: if the company is interested in you, they will contact you for your references. When going to an interview, list your references on a separate page, using the same paper and formatting as the resume.

The phrase "Available upon request" is considered unnecessary, for employers know that you will supply them if asked. If you need a little extra space or if you are using a 10-point font, skip this section and use an 11- or 12-point font instead.

Self-Evaluating Your Resume

Does the resume…

…clearly identify you, your contact information, your education? [Rhetorical Situation]

…respond to the keywords and responsibilities of the job ad, leaving out information that is not relevant to this particular job? [Rhetorical Situation]

...use a chronological format, presenting the most recent information first within each section? [Organization]

…present the sections in order of relevance and importance to the position you are applying for? [Organization]

…describe your education, work history, activities, etc. using action verbs and clearly detailed statements? [Message, Style & Syntax]

…avoid using the first person or spelling or grammar errors? [Style & Syntax]

…confine the information to one page (unless you have considerable experience that is directly related to the position)? [Delivery]

…use the characteristics of good resume design, including contrast, whitespace? [Delivery]