PRDV102: Resume Writing

Read this chapter to learn about several types of résumés and see samples of each. Pay attention to the difference between a curriculum vitae (CV) and a conventional résumé. You will also benefit from a list of common action words you can use to describe your job experience. One tip in this article that may not get the attention it deserves is about proofreading your résumé. Does your résumé have a consistent, appropriate format? Are there errors or typos? Read your résumé and cover letter for content because the spell check function on your computer does not guarantee accuracy!

This article explains the purpose and the goals of a résumé and describes seven things your résumé can do for you. Your interviewer’s first impression of you is not when you speak on the phone or in person. Rather, your résumé and cover letter represent you as a good fit for the company and position, or not well-suited as an interview prospect. Your résumé should impress a potential employer with your abilities, past accomplishments, and potential contributions as an employee.

In this article, we learn that a chronological résumé is the most popular résumé format because most online job search sites prefer it. The author describes the résumé components and advises us that times have changed. Today, few job candidates use the objective line. Much of the power of your résumé comes from your summary statement, which briefly describes your skills, talents, and successes. The challenge of writing an impressive chronological résumé is not the format, but the "quality of the writing and the use of engaging text".

Here the author gives advice for what to include in each component of a chronological résumé. Click on the links for more information on each topic. Again, your challenge is not the format, but how you are able to convince an employer that you fulfill the overall requirements of the position and deserve an interview.

Use a functional résumé format to package your skills, talents, and abilities in a way that showcases your strengths as required for a specific type of job. The information you plug into a chronological format regarding your education and experience may not reflect the type of job you are now seeking. The objective section of a functional résumé should have a narrow focus: tell the reader how your various skills and accomplishments make you a competitive candidate. Read this article to learn more about this type of résumé.

In this article, we learn that one of the most challenging aspects of a functional résumé format is deciding what information to include and where to present it. Should you minimize your work history, or even omit it completely? How can you present your background in a way that convinces your reader that your skills are transferable? This article gives several examples of functional résumés, but keep in mind that your story is unique. You need to decide which aspects of your background are your most powerful selling points for your stated job objective.

Read this chapter to learn more about functional résumé and curriculum vitae (CV) formats. It offers several categories for the functional format, such as communication, teamwork, and leadership, which you can use to emphasize your skills and accomplishments in an impactful way. If you are applying for an academic or research-oriented position, you may want to use a CV format, which is considerably longer than a traditional résumé and includes published material and conference information.

Read this article to learn why a functional résumé may be best if you are just out of school, have been a stay-at-home parent, or will only discuss your volunteer work during an interview. You can use this type of format to present your functions, skills, training, and volunteer work in an effective way. A well-thought-out functional résumé can cure the challenge of having too much or too little experience for the job for which you are applying.

Read this article to learn about the curricula vitae (CV) format. Contrary to a resume, a CV is more lengthy and is updated frequently with recent projects, publications, etc. Although there is no one standard way to present your credentials in a CV, this article describes the various components and offers formatting advice. If you are not sure whether to present a résumé or CV when applying for a particular position, ask the agency or employer what they prefer.

In this resource we learn the importance of making a good first impression. It spells out the information you should include in the header and objective of your résumé. An important tip is to have a professional voicemail recording that contributes to a positive first impression.

Read this article to learn how to grab the attention of busy recruiters and employers. Many recruiters only scan the top half of the first page of your resume, above-the-fold. Since they will not spend the time to read your entire résumé, you must provide clear and minimal contact information. List the phone number you use most often since contact will probably be by phone, text, or email. Consider creating a separate email account for your job search: use a professional username in which your last name is embedded.

In this article, we learn that an objective statement may be appropriate for college graduates, career changers, and those applying for a specific job. However, many job seekers have replaced an objective statement with a summary of their accomplishments – a one-sentence sales pitch for a particular job can indicate you are a can-do person for a busy recruiter or human resources professional.

Because some recruiters and hiring managers will not even consider hiring a job candidate who lacks certain education credentials, you need to highlight your academic achievements appropriately. Perhaps you recently graduated from college and have little work experience. In this case, you may choose to emphasize your education by placing it before any work history. Again, market yourself effectively by featuring your strongest asset first. Is it education or experience? This article gives suggestions on how to present your educational qualifications.

This article continues the discussion on how to present your education credentials in your résumé. Résumé writing is an art and a science. Whether you present your education before your experience depends on your situation and what you want to emphasize. For example, if you have just completed a degree in a field that is relevant to the position opening, you may want to place this information before your work experience. Pay attention to the section on miscellaneous rules, which covers a variety of scenarios and how they affect education placement on your résumé.

What is the best way to present your work experience to your reader? This section is arguably the most important component of your résumé since employers are looking to see if you have the skills and experience to perform the responsibilities listed in the job description. Read this article for suggestions on how to present your qualifications. For example, your work history should highlight how your experiences align directly with what the employers are looking for. Keep your reader in mind and avoid long descriptions. Use bullets and quantify your accomplishments and responsibilities by using percents, number of dollars saved, number of people managed, etc.

This article gives a treasure trove of information about job skills. O-Net Online describes six categories of skill groups. Go to their website to select skills that relate to your current status or ones you plan to obtain and to see jobs that require those skills and the experience and job training these jobs reflect.

This article describes how to highlight specific accomplishments and skills you possess to enhance your chances of getting hired and perform well on the job. Again, remember to match your skills with what the employer values. Pay attention to the discussion on how to present your references. An employer may ask for your references before, during, or after your interview. Learn how to format this information and follow etiquette rules to inform your references while you are interviewing.

Should you include your hobbies on your résumé or CV? This article gives tips and examples on how to describe the relevant skills and experience you obtained through this type of work.

This article describes how to offset a lack of paid work history and attract positive attention. For example, most recruiters say that candidates with international volunteering experience stand out and are more likely to get the job!

This article discusses what you should include in your cover letter, such as matching your strengths with what appears in the job description. What strengths do you want to emphasize and how do they relate to the job for which you are applying? The author describes the three main sections of the cover letter, provides helpful examples, and explains how to create a portfolio to show examples of your work.

Your cover letter should convince the reader of their need to learn more about you. The only standard convention for your cover letter is to use the same font and margins as in your résumé. The author advises using STAR statements to market your strengths, such as your leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills. Present all information clearly and concisely.

This article takes you one step closer to writing a professional cover letter. Keep your audience in mind as you market yourself. Some research is required since you need to know what the employer is interested in and how you may fit into the company’s plans. For example, visit the website, talk with others in the same industry, and read their annual reports.

Look at several sample cover letters in this resource to get ideas you might use in your own letter.

Read this article to learn how you can create a "portfolio taster" with photographs, still images from film, and pieces created around and within the CV format to attract and impress the reader.

Are you a graphic artist, journalist or historian? This article gives five tips for creating a compelling ePortfolio. For example, keep your information up to date: your projects may have earned high marks several years ago, but your target employers want to see that you are staying current in your field.

This article poses questions to help you present yourself in an organized, dynamic, and professional manner. For example, remove résumé items that no longer fit, eliminate irrelevant sections, and trim down descriptions to create a concise and powerful résumé.

This article explains how to take your résumé from an informative, but dull list of your qualifications, to an expression of your passion for what you do and what you will bring to the employer.

You should use STAR statements because "recruiters and hiring managers prefer to read success stories, not a list of duties". Does your résumé describe memorable events, put your work in context, and highlight the benefits of your efforts? Include at least one STAR statement for each unique task in your résumé.

Hiring managers and recruiters need to make a connection between your course work, internships, volunteer work, and their business needs. This article advises students to keep this in mind when describing their educational history and work background.

You may need to adjust your résumé to account for employment gaps or jobs you only held for a short time. Your failure to address these gaps may eliminate you from consideration. Perhaps you needed to leave the labor force to raise your family or care for a family member. Employers will perceive you to be a viable, competitive candidate if you describe how you took advantage of this time to continue learning and obtaining relevant skills.

Hiring managers will not overlook gaps in your work history. Address these gaps by providing constructive information about career-related, worthy activities you obtained during this time. Although you never want to be deceptive, the author describes ways to hide gaps or make them less obvious on your résumé.

This article reminds us that spell check does not guarantee accuracy. Be sure to check for proper grammar, use appropriate keywords, and present a visually-appealing résumé. Your goal is not to wow the reader with fancy fonts and colors, but to tell your story in a business-like way with no spelling, grammatical errors, or distractions.

Does your résumé effectively market your skills and talents? Think about your presentation from the viewpoint of the hiring manager or recruiter. By advertising your relevant qualifications that make you the perfect candidate for the job, your resume is a marketing tool to help you get an interview, not a tool to complain about past failures.

This article describes three elements of a well-defined, targeted job search strategy. It explains how to narrow your search and filter the possibilities.

This article gives additional advice on how to make your résumé relevant and show you have the skills and qualifications the job description specifies. You can document your early career details and storing them away for future use. However, your resume should reflect your current career status and potential. It needs to be forward-looking and relevant.

Some position openings lack a job description and you need to speculate on the job requirements. This article helps you construct your best sales pitch when must make some assumptions about the job criteria. Use STAR statements and action words to convince the reader you have a results-oriented work ethic.

To ensure companies can find you easily, consider creating a social media presence and making your résumé accessible online. This article cites the advantages of this, but also cautions you against posting personal information on social networking sites. Nothing remains private once it is on the web. Keep in mind that employers will access your professional information on several social media sites in addition to LinkedIn and Facebook.

This article explains how to use social media to promote yourself online and post your résumé or CV. It discusses the social media sites LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and some niche online communities.

Many employers use LinkedIn to search for qualified job applicants. This article lists the information you should include in your LinkedIn profile. Remember to proofread your materials and include keywords that relate to the skills you think your targeted employers are searching for.

Read this article to learn how LinkedIn contrasts with Facebook and how to get the most out of your LinkedIn account. The power of LinkedIn is the number of employers who look at your résumé, and the relationships you maintain and build as part of your network.

What should you include in your online profile? This article addresses how to balance the need to provide information to employers via social media, and the need to protect your privacy. Recruiters and employers need information to make decisions about interviews, hiring, and promotions, but identity thieves, marketing spammers, and computer hackers can take advantage of those who provide too much information which may cause major havoc to their personal lives. This is a balancing act since you do not want to make your information so obscure that employers are unable to contact you.