Resume, Letter, Interview
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Tips on Writing a Resume
A resumé is a sales document designed to win you the interview.
Keep in mind it is not necessarily the best applicant who ultimately
wins the job, but the person who can present themselves in the best
possible light.
When writing your resumé you need to ask yourself the following:
* Do I know enough about myself to be able to compile a resumé? In
other words, am I clear on what skills and specific areas of
knowledge I am 'selling' an employer.
* How do I wish to present myself to an employer and what image am I
trying to project? What skills should I emphasise? What information
should I include and why?
* How should I organise my information? What headings should I use?
* Is a functional resumé more appropriate than a chronological? Do I
know the difference?
* How can I minimise my weaknesses?
* Which format should I use? Keeping in mind that the most important
and relevant information should be on the first page.
A resumé is an individual sales document and as such, it is more
than simply a summary of chronological events.
* There is no one formula for resumé writing uniquely required by
all employers.
* A resumé maximises strengths and minimises weaknesses.
* Presentation, content and format are important.
* Good use of spacing makes the resumé easier to read.
* Less is more! No more than three pages.
* Tell what is relevant, omit the irrelevant.
* A resumé needs to be tailored according to each position.
Before writing your resumé, you need to:
1. Find out as much as possible about the job.
2. Find out as much as possible about the company/organisation.
3. Analyse the job requirements.
4. Analyse your skills and match/compare these with the job
requirements.
Resumé writing is a skill itself
can take a great deal of time and preparation to write a good
resumé. Once you have mastered the skill you will be able to change
your resumé as required.
The following information is specifically designed to help you
construct your perfect resumé.
With the employer in mind, you should construct you resumé using
positive action verbs and phrases that promote you skills and
minimises potential problems. The following is an example of the
sort of information a resumé should contain:
Name (Full name)
If this allows any doubt about your gender, put in your title. A
phonetic pronunciation (in brackets) is useful if your name is
difficult to pronounce!
Address
Full address with postcode.
Telephone numbers
Include home phone number or a number where you can be reached
during the day. Alternatively, leave the number of a reliable friend
or family member for messages.
Marital status
Not necessary to include in a resumé. Remember in Australia it is
illegal to discriminate against race, religion, ethnicity and
marital status and age.
Date of birth
Despite whatever anti-discrimination legislation may dictate, it is
customary to include your date of birth. Employers can easily
calculate your age from when you completed your secondary education
and may be distracted by having to calculate you age!
This information can either be included in a section 'Personal
details', or alternatively you can simply centre this in a small
block at the top of the first page. eg.
Fred Jobseeker
27 Worker Pde. Jobsville, 3005
Telephone 9905 3000
D.O.B. 27/4/'76
Education
If you are a recent university graduate (or almost graduate), state
clearly your university course, date of completion (or expected date
of completion). Highlight academic achievements. It is not necessary
to list every single to list every single subject and the result.
Employers much prefer to see a copy of your academic transcript
attached to the resumé.
If you are a secondary school student, highlight academic
achievements, including any awards.
It is more impressive to include academic highlights or a brief
synopsis of a project for which you received an excellent grade,
than a list of subjects which may include several passes and even a
fail. Why bring these to an employer's attention on the very first
page!
Remember, Tertiary Education first!
Include secondary education, dates to and from, name of course
completed and the school attended. Additionally, include any notable
achievements. Some employers like to know the subjects you have
studied and the result as it forms a baseline for academic
potential.
Extracurricular activities
Employers are keen to know if you participate in university and school
life, particularly in clubs and societies. Include dates, as employers
are also keen to know the length of your involvement. Include any
positions of responsibility and duties where appropriate. You can
include extracurricular activities as a sub-heading of secondary and
tertiary education, unless you have several to include. In the case it
may deserve a separate section.
Professional membership
If you are a student member of a professional association it is useful
to include this in a seperate section under this heading.
Skills summary
This section may be included after Education, depending on the extent of
your experience. Think about what you want to emphasise to the employer
and about the job you are applying for. What are the key strengths
required to do this job well? What is the employer looking for? Then
think about the skills you have gained through study, part-time work,
voluntary work or even through interests that may be relevant to this
position. You can include skills as single points or alternatively group
them into sections such as 'organisational skills', 'computer skills' or
'leadership skills' for example. Don't forget languages.
Work experience
Like Education, this section needs to be in reverse chronological order,
ie. most recent job first. Include dates to and from, the name of the
company, your job title, whether it was part-time, casual or vacation
employment.
Outline your duties using brief statements. Remember to use those
positive action verbs! Include any particular achievements or new
initiatives for which you were responsible. If you have extensive course
related work experience, include this as a seperate section, possible
before other employment.
Leisure interests
Employers are keen to know that you are a well rounded human being who
has other interests apart from working. Be careful not to include too
many as you run the risk of being perceived as too busy to work! Find a
happy medium. If you list reading, specify what you like to read. If you
have any sporting achievements that you are proud of, they could be
included here.
Referees
Include to least two referees. One or two academic and one or two work
referees. Avoid using personal referees, as employers know that they
will only give you a glowing reference. Make sure you ask your referees
whether they are prepared to give you a reference before you include
them on your resumé. Also ask them what they will say about you. If you
obtain a duty statement or job description, give you referees a copy, it
will make it easier for them to talk about in reference to the position
you are applying for.
Format
Your resumé needs to be neat, easy to read, and well set out on A4-size
paper. Choose a font and font size that is easy to read. Use bold,
italics and CAPITALS to highlight information. As employers skim resumés
in only 2-3 minutes, make sure you have easily identifiable groups of
information, ie. bite size chunks. Keep your resumé no longer than 3
pages.
References to assist you.
There are volumes of information available on resumé writing. Be
selective, use the information available in a careers library as a
guide. You can obtain ideas on setting out, how to group information
together and even how to express skills. |
