Along with a cover letter, your resume represents you to your prospective employer in your search for a job. A good impression is all important in securing the job.
- Place your full name, address, and phone number (plus fax number and e-mail address if you have them), at the top of your resume. Be sure your typing is easy to read.
- A common all purpose resume lists all relevant employment from most recent years to oldest. Include the name of the company and the month and year you started and ended employment, your title, a description of your duties, and a brief description of your accomplishments.
- A skills resume is designed to highlight your abilities instead of your work history. List shills, accomplishments, and special knowledge. Refer to specific jobs as necessary. Skills resumes work well when you are planning on changing careers or reentering the work force. They mask any gaps in employment and emphasize your strengths.
- A goal resume works best if you know exactly what kind of job you are looking for and have experience in the field. Here you state a career objective or goal below the heading and list past job experience that relate directly to it in chronological form. It should be sharp, focused, specific, and doable.
- If you are a recent college graduate you may want to put your educational history at the top of the resume, before skills or experience. Otherwise put it below. Be sure to include from most recent to oldest, the name of each school and the years you attended, the degree you received, your grade point average and any honors or awards.
- Do not include a photograph of yourself or state your salary requirements. List interests and hobbies only if they relate to your experience. You need not include your age, marital status, family information or reasons for leaving past jobs. Do add the line "Reference available on request." Prepare a separate page listing references if the employer calls for it.
- Your resume should cover only one page. Fit in as much information as possible without cluttering the page or making the print too small to read. Make sure the design of the page is well organized, neat and readable. Use bold underlined, and italic print to highlight important information, for example put jobs in bold type and job titles in italic type.
- The information on your resume should be true and accurate, but by no means should you be modest or objective. Boost yourself up and make yourself look as good as possible.
