CREATING EFFECTIVE RESUMES

In the employment process, you must have a resume. A resume is a document that quickly shows an employer all your relevant skills and experience. It is often the first line of contact that you have with a potential employer and is the employer's first impression of you.

The goal of a resume is to effectively summarize and highlight your qualifications in a way that makes the employer want to reach out and schedule an interview with you.

Types of Resumes

You need two types of resumes: a master resume and a targeted resume.

• A master resume stores all your work experience, accomplishments, degrees, training, and awards in one document.

• A targeted resume highlights skills and experience that are relevant to a specific position.

Resume Styles

There are three styles you can use to organize the information on your resume: chronological, functional, and combination. We will focus on the chronological resume style due to its popularity among employers, but you should be familiar with all three types.

Chronological ‐ Time Based
Most perferred by employers, as it lists the jobs you have held, starting with your most recent position and then proceeding in reverse chronological order. It also describes your experiences and accomplishments in each position.

Combination ‐ Time & Skill Based
Incorporates features of both the chronological and functional format by categorizing your skills followed by a work history.

Functional ‐ Skill Based
Allows you to group your skills and accomplishments into one or more categories (for example, technical expertise with a particular type of equipment, experience with administrative service or developing/delivering training, and time spent as a supervisor).

Resume Format

Employers often spend less than 30 seconds looking at your resume on the first review. To pass the initial screening, ensure your resume format is visually appealing and easy for an employer to quickly scan. There are many resume formats and templates, so find one that works best for you.

Remember, your resume introduces you to a potential employer. Be sure your resume makes an excellent first impression. Misspellings, inconsistent use of font and type size, and misaligned margins indicate a lack of attention to detail.

A Basic Chronological Resume includes:

1. Contact Information
Provide your phone number, email account, and LinkedIn URL (if applicable).

2. Summary of Qualifications
Briefly summarize what makes you qualified for the position by listing off your skill set. Use language from the job posting.

3. Experience
Describe your responsibilities and achievements in terms of impact and results. Use examples, but keep it short.

4. Education & Training
List your most recent, relevant education and training courses and certificates.

5. Skills & Awards
This is an optional section for you to highlight your skills and awards that are relevant to the position. They are the first thing to be deleted if space is an issue. Awards should be personal, not unit awards. Instead of adding an awards section, you may include awards under the job where the award was obtained

(This article was paraphrased from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment Fundamentals of Career Transition. Download here for more in training in its entirety.)