Resume Structure
In the resume shown; the heading for the resume is the same as the heading for the cover letter. This does not have to be the case. You may decide to get creative and be bold here. Make sure that the heading does not overpower the page. There needs to be balance. One common mistake I have seen is when a person types their address and phone number so small that when it is faxed to me, I can't read it. Faxing many times causes a lot of distortion and if the font is very small it can be indistinguishable. You won't get called if they can't read your phone number.
Resume - Objective
There are many schools of thought on the objective of a resume. Some say that it must be very specific to the job you are applying for, using keywords for your industry. Others say that it can be a general overall objective. I say that it is a personal preference. I myself rarely read the objective if ever, but I always put one on my own resume. The reason I don't read them is that they are usually canned blurbs stating the fact that they are trying to gain a position with the company. To me that is stating the obvious. However, I would never want to keep my resume from being read just because I failed to put an objective at the top of the resume.
Resume - Employment History
There are three types of resumes. One is chronological, one is functional and the third is a combination of the two. My preference is to see employment listed chronologically with the most current employment at the top of the page. With employment listed in this manner it is easy to get a picture of the flow of the work. It is also easy to see any gaps in employment, which is something that employers always look for. You may explain gaps in employment like this:
Lakeshore Tennis and Fitness Center 11/97 – 4/98 Sales Associate/Customer Service
• Sales, bookkeeping, and merchandising
Baylor University 9/92 – 11/97 Full-time student (did not work outside of school during this period of time)
• Attended class on a full-time basis
Schlitterbahn 4/92 – 9/92 Lifeguard
• Observed customers to ensure safety and security
Or like this:
Lakeshore Tennis and Fitness Center 11/97 – 4/98 Sales Associate/Customer Service
• Sales, bookkeeping, and merchandising
Homemaker 9/92 – 11/97 Full-time homemaker (did not work outside the home during this period of time)
• Attended to all duties involved in running a home such as meal planning, cleaning and bill paying.
Schlitterbahn 4/92 – 9/92 Lifeguard
• Observed customers to ensure safety and security
Each job must be clearly separated from the other. The sample resume on page 48 lists the title of the position held first with the dates underneath. Under the position and dates of employment you will see a short description of the duties performed while on the job. Another option would be to list bullet points stating tasks or duties preformed.
Next is the name of a supervising reference and their phone number. This resume lists direct supervisors. When asked for professional references it is good to include as many direct supervisors as possible. I myself won't consider any reference except a direct supervisor.
A candidate would never give the name of an enemy or a business contact that would not give a glowing reference. But you can't dispute the role of a direct supervisor. References in regards to employment are to see how the candidate performed the duties of the job, not discuss personal matters.
It is also appropriate and may be preferable to attach a separate list of references to the back of the resume rather than list each one by the position held. There are pros and cons to either way. If you list the supervisor with the position held, the potential employer can easily match up the supervisor with the job. If they choose to call them they will have handy the duties which you say you performed while at that job and the dates you were there.
Many times someone else in the company is responsible for calling references. In this instance the separate sheet would be handy for them to pass off to the person in charge of references. If you do prepare a separate sheet, make sure your name, address and phone numbers are on that page in case it should get separated from the resume itself.
If a job is part-time you may also list that on an appropriate place in the resume as well as the reason for leaving each position. This is an especially good suggestion if you have had frequent job changes and valid reasons for leaving each job. Otherwise, you could be labeled a "job hopper".
When writing the description of your past employment it is good to use what are called keywords. These are words or short phrases that describe the type of work, experience or education you have.
Each industry has its own set of keywords so it would be very difficult to include an exhaustive list of keywords in this curriculum. If you are involved in a particular industry, you will know what those keywords are. If you are changing industries you will need to learn what the keywords are for that industry. To find out what they are, read industry magazines and publications. There should be a common reoccurrence of certain terms and phrases.
Some well known companies such at AT&T, Hewlett Packard, IBM are employer keywords. Harvard, Yale and Princeton are examples of keywords for universities.
One purpose of keywords is due to the increased use of technology. Resume databases that scan in a resume and then store them so that they can be pulled up when a prospective employer does a search in the system, use keywords for those searches. An employer might be looking for someone with UNIX programming experience. If so, they would enter UNIX in the system and do a search on that keyword.
You can also find keywords in the advertisements for the position. If an ad states that they are looking for a "full-charge bookkeeper", then somewhere in your resume or cover letter you would want to put "full-charge bookkeeper". If you have never held that title or done that particular job, you could put that term in the cover letter or objective stating that you are applying for the position of "full-charge bookkeeper". Make sure it is spelled correctly and punctuated exactly as it is shown in the ad unless it is spelled incorrectly in the ad.
Remember - Always tell the truth when compiling your resume. Do not shortchange your experience, but do not lie about things you have done, experience you have gained or your education. Most large employers have gone to doing full background checks, which include checking your education or degree. Even if you don't get caught, it is just not ethical.
When listing your job duties it is good to give quantifiable statements. Here is a sample list below:
• Exceeded sales quotas by 150% each month.
• Saved the company $100,000 by developing cost analysis procedures.
• Increased market share by 27% in my first year.
• Managed a $100,000 operating budget.
• Increased effective core account base by 38% through category development.
• Managed a 5-state territory with a sales volume of $8 million.
• Supervised 29 technicians and contractors in a massive computer upgrade program.
• Achieved placement rates 50% above national average.
• Recruited 50 senior-level corporate executives.
• Developed and administered a $2 million dollar budget.
• Saved $10,000 in charges relating to the annual sales customer meetings.
• Achieved a 15% drop in on-site accidents during first year.
• Increased program value 100% from $9.8 million to more than $21 million.
The functional resume was birthed in the '80's. It lists the skills and jobs in a group without listing dates. The resume on the next page is a cross between a chronological and functional, which is the third type of resume. (In the book I show an example, but to same space I didn't put it here. Google for Functional Resume and you will find examples.)
This person was applying for a position as a teacher. One positive characteristic of this type of resume is the fact that it gives a comprehensive view of experience. The reason I don't like to receive these types of resumes is that I cannot determine at which job what experience was gained. But, the combination resume is recommended if you desire this type of effect. Recruiters are very wary of purely functional resumes which do not have the employers and dates worked listed.
Resume - Skills List
A summarized list of skills is a good addition to any resume. You may choose to place them at the end or beginning of your resume, either is acceptable. When making this list, use the worksheet you did previously to determine your skill set. You will not want to list all skills here. Pick an assortment of those skills you feel would be most valued or desired. The others may be discussed later in the interview process.
Once you have determined which skills you will use, then word them using keywords. Only abbreviate where an abbreviation is commonly known to everyone. If it is easily confused with another abbreviation, then spell it out fully.
Resume - Education
Always list your education level and where you attended if you graduated from high school or college. If you did not, there is no need to draw attention to education. Focus on other assets. List all education including pertinent seminars and internships. List all degrees and certifications as well.
If you have just graduated from high school or college and do not have very much relevant work experience, then place your education at the top of your resume. As your relevant work history grows, move your education towards the bottom of the page.
It is not appropriate to list high school activities unless you are under 20 years of age. If you have training or education beyond high school then it is not appropriate to list it at all. If you went to college, it is assumed that you graduated high school.
Resume - Salary Requirements
This is optional. Many ads ask for salary history to be stated in the cover letter or on the resume. In this example the candidate states her current salary in the cover letter and her desired salary in the resume. The reason for this is to avoid calls on positions that will not pay the salary she needs. If an employer sees the desired salary they know up front what you wish to make. If at that time they choose to call you, you know they don't feel your salary request is out of line with what the position is paying.
Always put negotiable by the salary statement. You want to be flexible, especially since it is a good practice to state a salary a little higher that you actually are willing to take. This leaves some room for negotiating.
The salary statement can be looked at in another way. When someone states a particular salary, it says to the employer in essence, "this is what I am worth". In my job I routinely call candidates from whom I have received resumes and do an initial phone screen. The very first question I ask is what their minimum base salary is. I can tell right off if that person has progressed very far in their career and how much valid experience they have had in the industry. It is also a measure of how successful they have been.
On the other hand it isn't wise to over inflate a desired salary and price yourself out of the job market. Look at your budget and add about 20% to the amount. If you desire $30,000, then state on the resume $36,000. Each time I have changed jobs and sent out my resume, I upped the desired salary considerably and each time, I got it.
Reference Letter
This candidate chose to attach a letter of reference with her resume. You may choose to do that as well. However I would never send more than two reference letters with a resume. Once again consider the time of the potential employer. They are not going to read through reams of paper.
Instead of a reference letter you may choose to send a copy of an outstanding award or something of that nature. If you do, make sure it is pertinent to the job you are applying for. If you are applying for a sales job it is appropriate to attach a letter showing you were the top salesperson in the company for the year. It would not be appropriate to attach a letter of that nature if you were applying for a secretarial position.
Nancy Jackson, daydreamer extraordinaire
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