Resumes
Why are Resumes Important?
Employers spend an average of seven seconds perusing each resume, looking for an ideal job match. Somehow you need to distinguish yourself from the many other job applicants, while coming across as a reliable person with an organized and professional resume. You want to convey to the employer that you are dependable, yet possess a unique set of skills, knowledge, and experiences that no one else can match.
The ideal resume is crafted with a specific job title and employer in mind. It conveys the applicant's knowledge, experience, skills, and abilities without adding every facet of their life story, so potential employers can get an immediate sense of your integrity, work ethic, and areas of expertise. Remember- this is often the first and only chance you'll get to introduce yourself.
Tips for creating the resume
Tailor your resume: Match your resume with the knowledge, skills, and experiences posted in the job description. For example, if the job requires previous experience in customer service positions, you might highlight your communication and interpersonal skills. Either way, choose skills that you feel are your strengths. When in doubt, ask trusted friends, former employers, or teachers to help identify your best traits. Oftentimes, skills you have cultivated as a student and employee will transfer to a specific job.
Include pre-requisites for the job: For example, if you are applying for an administrative assistant position, you would want to highlight your previous professional experiences in similar positions and any related computer and customer services skills. If, however, you are applying for an entry level social work position, you might want to highlight your previous academic experience within the field, including any related psychology, sociology or English coursework: let the job description dictate what you include.
Always include...
Your name and contact info, top and center: your phone number, email, and LinkedIn account (if you have one).
Professional job titles: for example, sales professional, physician’s assistant, human resource assistant...
A brief introduction that highlights your unique skills, abilities and knowledge: Add key “buzz” words from the actual job ad, such as collaborator, sales professional or educational expert. This is important since some companies, especially larger ones, may use a software program to search received resumes for specific buzz words.
Two or three accomplishments that are relevant to the job: company awards, professional goals you've met, or other relevant successes.
Relevant professional experience within the last five years: Begin with your most recent position and work back in time.
Education and training at the end of the resume: this conveys to employers not only your professional experience, but your academic achievements. Be sure to add any programs you are currently completing.
Organizations, committees, or volunteer groups: make note of groups you have been involved in that weren’t a specific requirement for past jobs and positions- especially for an applicant who doesn’t have extensive work experience.
Functional or Chronological?
The Functional Resume
The focus of the functional resume is to draw attention to particular skills instead of specific work experience.
The functional resume is organized by each skill and typically limited to two or three general areas – so as to not overwhelm the potential employer. Within each skill set, you can include a variety of work experiences that demonstrate your mastery of that particular skill. See our example functional resume below:
resume-functional_john-doe.pdfThe Chronological Resume
Most employers are more familiar with the chronological resume. This type of resume is organized by job experience and begins with the most recent position, then works backwards in time. Each job title should use active verbs to explain the duties and responsibilities for the position. For example, a store manager at Whole Foods might explain their job as “supervising teams of 25+ employees” or “developing new hiring practices.”
Ideally, the chronological resume includes 3-5 specific duties pertaining to each job. These should overlap with the responsibilities indicated in the original job description. For example, if the store manager at Whole Foods is applying for a corporate managerial position at Trader Joe's, she should intentionally tailor her resume to use key words from the original job description, and would want to include any experience related to organization or leadership, even if the previous job was not a management position.
See our career center's sample resume below. For more, see sample 2, sample 3, and sample 4.
Sample Chronological Resume Structure.docxResume Revision
Check for spelling and grammar: carefully read your cover letter and resume out loud multiple times, and give to others to read, too, in order to catch all errors. Need help? Visit the Aims Writing Center or the Career Services for professional review.
Keep it to one page: if your resume extends beyond one page due to extensive work experience, have it also extend to half of the second page. Avoid anything longer than 2-3 pages.
Make your accomplishments stand out: bold or italicize key words, phrases, or accomplishments.
Create variety: use bullet points and indentations, header lines and other quick visuals to make the resume more visually appealing.
Use traditional fonts: stick to Times New Roman, Garamond, or Georgia.
Quality over quantity: the description at the start of the resume should be no more than 5 lines. Also, choose a few dynamic verbs and rotate them throughout the resume. Instead of using completed, finished, or oversaw, choose collaborated, managed, organized, and initiated. Find more verbs here.
Google Guides to Resumes
This video series guides students through the completion of a resume
Want More Career Coaching?
Head over to your college career center. For Aims Students, find more career resources here.