PREPARING A RESUME
Content is crucial because your resume may be all that the recruiter sees.
Resumes should be concise. One printed page is preferrable. But the length of
E-resumes is not a critical issue since electronic resumes are not limited by the size of
the paper.
Try to use no more than two printed pages, but make the resume as
long as necessary to include all information that might be important to the
employer. All relevant information should be contained in the resume itself
because cover letters are frequently separated.
Use at least 12pt (10cpi) font size. Print a clean copy using either a laserjet or
a inkjet printer. Print on white paper and use an easily read
font such as Times New Roman or Helvetica. If you mail the resume
use a 8.5" by 11" envelope to avoid folds which can cause problems when
scanning a document.
Put your name and address first, but remember that the resume may stay on file
for up to a year. Therefore include alternative ways to make contact such as
your campus address, permanent address, telephone numbers, beeper number, and
e-mail address.
The objective statement should tell the reader what type of position interests
you. Include specific job titles or announcement numbers, if available, since
it is easy to modify electronic resumes to fit each employer.
Avoid flowery
phrases such as "a challenging, rewarding career with opportunity for growth
and advancement." Instead use focused terms such as "entry level management"
or "staff accountant". You might also include your geographic preference if any.
Put the education first because it is the most important section immediately
after graduation. After a few years of work, the experience will become more
important.
The education section should include attendance dates, degrees earned (if any),
name and address of the schools, overall and major grade point average.
Place the most recent schools first, all the way back to high school.
Avoid listing specific courses. For example, instead of putting "Introduction
to Computers", list the specific applications that were taught such as Word,
WordPerfect, Excel, Lotus, etc. Better yet, prepare a separate section for computer skills.
The experience section, including unpaid internships, should include dates of
employment; job title; employer's name, address and telephone number;
supervisor's name; and important duties and skills. Key terms should either
be familiar industry acronyms, or spelled out completely.
Especially include
duties that demonstrate responsibility or supervision of others. Use action verbs to describe your job duties. Example phrases include "answer telephone",
"file documents", or "prepare reports". Use the present tense to describe a current job
and the past tense to describe jobs that you no longer hold.
The honors section should include scholarships, semester honor lists,
membership in honor societies, special awards, graduation honors, and other
achievements.
The extracurricular activities section should include academic
organizations, sports, and band participation. Particularly highlight
leadership skills as shown by holding offices and chairing activities.
Hobbies or personal interests should only be included if they are relevant to work.
For example, a computer hobby or a second language could enhance your job
prospects. Otherwise do not include personal information such as age, martial
status, etc.
Do NOT list references until a company asks.
Recruiters assume that applicants can provide references, so actually there is no need
to say anything about them in the resume. However the phrase "References
upon request" may be included at the end of the resume.
Contact beforehand
the people that will be listed as references. Verify their addresses and telephone
numbers. Include teachers, employers, and religious leaders.
Preparing a resume is just the first step in the process of job hunting.
Once your resume is saved in a word-processing format, it can be customized
to fit the job for which you are applying. At least change the objective on your resume.
Employers use cover letters and resumes to choose whom to interview.
Conscientious
applicants will send documents that reflect much thought and research into
the company. Cover letters/resumes that are not well prepared and sent according to company
specifications are simply discarded.
Many companies post information for job applicants on their world-wide web
home pages; and some also make provision there for e-mail messages to which
resume files may be attached. Visit the home page of a prospective employer
to find an address to send your resume, and to research the company. Use a
search engine such Yahoo or Alta Vista to find the company's home page or
visit Equal Opportunity's site.
Most large companies now perform computerized
searches of resume databases to identify qualified candidates. Resumes that
do not contain key words that match company needs are passed over in the
database search. Read the help wanted ads or access America's Job Bank,
the Monster Board job bank or other job listings on the Internet to find the key words that employers are
likely to use.
Even resumes that are
faxed or sent through the mail are frequently converted to electronic format.
First the images of the documents are scanned into computer memory, and then
Optical Character Recognition technology transforms the images to computer files.
Employers increasingly request resumes by e-mail. Attach the resume computer file to an e-mail message that serves as a cover
letter. Perhaps write that you are a graduating senior and would like to
arrange an interview during the holidays or over a semester break. If relevant
tell how you found out about the opening or remind the recipient when and
where you met them.
E-mailing properly prepared electronic resumes not only meets many employers'
specifications, but also demonstrates computer proficiency. Search the web to
find opportunities and information regarding prospective employers. Mastering
the skills necessary to prepare and send an electronic resume is the best
route to a good job.
Faxing is another method for sending the cover letter and resume. Most word
processing applications allow "printing" to the fax modem; though dedicated
fax machines require a printed copy.
Any word processing computer application, or even a word processing machine
that saves text files on floppy disks, is suitable to prepare an electronic
version of your resume. First, save your resume as
a text file (also known as DOS Text, ASCII, or flat file). Text files use only
printed characters and spaces. In other words, text files do not use tabs, underlines,
italics, bold type, bullets, or other special characters. Then line up
everything along the left margin.
RESUMES for GOVERNMENT JOBS
In the interest of reducing paperwork the federal government decided to accept
resumes instead of Form 171. But in true bureaucratic fashion, a new form was
created to substitute for a resume. The new Form 612 may be downloaded from
the Federal Office of Personnel Management site (click on "Links" on the left),
completed with any word processing application, and may be faxed or mailed to
the appropriate office.
Since the Federal government requires specific
information, Form 612 is better than a regular resume for the purpose.
Once you have completed the form, you only need to change a few lines to apply
for another Federal job. But send your resume in addition to Form 612.
Many state personnel offices also provide applications in the form of computer
files. You may also post your resume at many Internet sites by copying and pasting
from a wordprocessor application.
Especially use job banks to search for government positions because legally
they must be advertised. Click on "Links" (on the left) for links for job banks.
However be wary of applying electronically because government positions often
require additional information. Instead call and request an application packet.
Click on COVER LETTERS, PAPER RESUME, OR E-RESUME to the left to see examples.
