Writing a Resume

Writing a Resume Presented by: RECA

Résumé General Tips Dos         

Develop an objective that is specific and tailored to the job Write bullet points instead of paragraphs List relevant work experience Use active voice verbs that specifically explain your duties, skills, and background (e.g., managed, directed, collaborated, communicated) Explain your leadership experiences for work and volunteer organizations Highlight your awards and honors from school and work experiences Note all computer, language, and specialized training skills Create a professional business document Eliminate any information that will detract from your résumé content

The above elements may separate you from other candidates!

Don'ts      

Make any spelling mistakes Inaccurately represent or falsify information about your education, work experience, or anything else on the résumé Use excessive lines, columns, graphics, or shading Include irrelevant information (e.g., high school experience and personal or private information) Use more than one page unless your field is scientific or highly technical List references—references typically are needed at the time of the background check

The above elements can immediately eliminate you from consideration!

Contact Information

The first part of a résumé should always be your contact information so that the prospective organization can contact you for an interview. The basic parts include the following: 

Your name No nicknames, but if your formal name is Thomas and you prefer to be called Tom in the workplace, then use Tom for your résumé; middle names are not necessary.  Home address or P.O. Box  Phone number o Your work number is fine if you are posting for an internal position; otherwise, use a cell number or a number with an answering machine. o Email address o For an internal position, the company e–mail address is appropriate. If external, be certain that the e–mail address is professional. A firstname.lastname@xyz.com is the preferred format. Avoid using e–mail addresses that have a catchy phrase. o In this era of technology, an e-mail address is necessary to be considered for an interview. Employers prefer to contact candidates via e–mail, since it saves time in scheduling. o

Formatting Note: When formatting the contact information, be sure to use different size fonts for the name versus the address, phone, and e–mail. However, use the same style font throughout the résumé. The spacing for the contact information should be a couple of spaces higher than the Objective and should be centered on the page. The résumé as a whole should have even spacing top–to–bottom as well as side–to–side.

Objective

The objective informs the employer what position you are interested in and, in general, what skills you believe will best meet the criteria for the job. Using the company name and the specific title in the objective is optimal, but if you are posting the résumé on a general search engine, a broad title will suffice. When posting to a specific company, be sure to use the correct title for the job. Often, details like this are overlooked, and they can eliminate you from consideration right away. You may replace the objective with a Summary of Qualifications heading instead which is sometimes more common in today’s résumés. A summary of qualifications has 1–2 sentences about your skills and includes keywords used in your field.

Examples:

Education

Name of the institution The education section of the résumé may come right after the objective; this is most appropriate for students graduating with a bachelor’s or associate’s degree. The education section may occur at the end of the résumé for students who are completing their master’s degree and have a significant amount of work experience to include.

The name of the institution should be in the largest font, with the location placed to the right and set with an even margin on the right side, or the date should be on the left side with an even margin. Consistency is the key here, so if you start with dates on the left, stick with it, and if dates are on the right, then continue with that format.

Degree obtained and area of specialization Next, list the degree which you have received. For an individual who started with an associate’s degree, then changed institutions for a bachelor’s degree, and then possibly transferred again (or completed at a later date) for a master’s degree, only the bachelor’s and master’s are necessary to list.

Along with the degree, the major should be listed. If a minor was awarded, include it as well. Candidates who have a major that is unrelated to the job and who have significant work history can choose to eliminate the major and simply name the degree, e.g., Bachelor of Science.

Graduation date Only the month and year of graduation are needed. For candidates who would prefer not to have this date disclosed and have a significant work history, it is acceptable not to include the date. Be aware, however, that on most employment applications, the month and year of completion of degree are required. At some point, you will need to provide that information.

Work Experience

The headings and skills within the Work Experience The headings and skills in this section depend on what type of résumé you are developing. A chronological résumé lists experience in chronological order under each employer. A functional résumé divides skills into areas and lists the experience before the employer information. 

Chronological Résumé The employer’s name is placed first, with a chronological listing (most recent to last) of the skills and overall work experience under each employer. If you had multiple positions within the same organization, list the organization, followed by a chronological listing of the positions held, including the date and skills used within that position.

o

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Functional Résumé o o

o

The headings and skills for work experience are placed before the list of employers.

This type of résumé is most appropriate for showing the employer that you have the specific type of desired experience, which is listed under separate qualifications or skills sections for ease in locating detailed skills.

This is also a format used frequently when a candidate has a broad range of experience that is best categorized rather than listed chronologically. o In a functional résumé, the work history is listed after the qualifications or skills sections. o Since the skills have already been listed in the qualifications section, the only elements under work history should be employer name, position, and dates of employment.

The position, organization, and date notations The organization should be listed first, with the job title noted in the next line. The dates should be aligned to the left or right (consistent with the alignment of the education date and the location of the company). The overall look of the résumé should not have excessive bolding or italics, but it is a best practice to use those to offset the titles of the positions in this section.

Job responsibilities, descriptions, and details This section is the bulk of the résumé that separates a good résumé from a great one. In most résumés, a bullet point format is best for the details of a position. Bullet points that begin with active verbs are easier to read and, thus, more effective than a general summary of responsibilities.

Try to provide specific and measurable information for this section. Use strong action verbs that clearly describe your work activities. Use only active voice in the bullets to create reader interest about your accomplishments. By writing these elements effectively, you will have a greater chance for an interview. Use present tense action verbs for your current job responsibilities, and use past tense action verbs for past job responsibilities.

A minimum of three bullet points should be under each position unless it is a distant past work experience, and in that case, two bullet points would be sufficient. If a position does not warrant two bullet points, think about whether it is valuable to your résumé. Wherever possible, develop bullet points to explain your value to the organization about your past work experiences.

Formatting Note: Beware of verbosity in these sentences. The overall purpose of a résumé is to motivate the reader into wanting to move you forward as a candidate in the interview process. If your document is wordy or difficult to read, you may not be considered for an interview. Balance interesting content with key qualities the employer is looking for in an ideal candidate.

Extracurricular Activities, Community Service, and Volunteer Experience sections

Not all résumés will have these sections, but the formats for each should be the same. An extracurricular activity could be a school-related club or group or an extracurricular (relevant) group such as Toastmasters.

Community service and volunteer experience can be interchangeable and could include nonprofit involvement and special interest groups.

The key is to consider how pertinent the experience is to your résumé and the opportunity you are interested in.

Keep in mind that a professional organization should be included only if the activities pertain to the position you are seeking. Any leadership or committee designations should always be included.

Professional Affiliations, Licenses, and Certifications

Not every résumé will have this content. Consider whether the affiliation, license, or certification is relevant to the position that you are applying for. Although a real estate license would be important for someone in real estate, development, construction, or city planning, the relevance of a real estate license for a teaching position would be less important.

Technological Skills or Computer Skills

Although some computer skills are necessary for most positions today, it is important to list the programs you are familiar with and proficient in. This section also allows the candidate to list other programs that are relevant to the position. For example, an executive assistant may need to be proficient in Outlook Express, while a market research director may need to have experience with SPSS. Adobe Acrobat, Photoshop, and Dreamweaver would be worthwhile to list for a graphic designer but not for a human resources director or finance manager. Think about what skills the position calls for and note any computer programs and skills you have that would be perceived as valuable to the employer.

Language Skills

This section may not be applicable to every résumé. With bilingual skills being critical in some positions, listing your degree of proficiency may affect the potential to be considered for certain positions. Consider your level of confidence in speaking, writing, and reading the language as well as how you would react if an interviewer began to speak in that language during the meeting.

Words that can add effect and clarification to this section include the following:   

Proficient Conversationally proficient Fluent

Sample Resume

Austin Doseck 4635 E. Elwood St. Phoenix, AZ 85040 (800) 555-0100 austin.doseck@gmail.com Objective

To obtain a career opportunity in pharmaceutical sales where I can use my communication, organization, and presentation skills to increase the company’s value to providers and to patients.

Education

Brooks University Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies Areas of Study: Business and Biology Graduation Date: May 2000

Fredericksburg, VA

Medical Work Experience February 1999 – Present

Albert Memorial Hospital Pulmonary Surgery Fellowship Program Program Coordinator        

Spring 2005

Create and maintain relationships with faculty, fellows, residents, interns, and medical students Coordinate conferences, clinics, call-schedules, faculty committee meetings and multidisciplinary seminars for Internal Medicine and Pulmonary Surgery Fellowship programs Develop national process for standardized credentials for fellowship program Collaborate with faculty and fellows on research projects Arrange interview schedules for fellowship program applicants Integrate faculty evaluation data Formulate faculty conflict resolution strategies Arrange fellowship programs for Albert Memorial Hospital

10th Annual Medicine Fellowship Program Coordinators Symposium Guest Presenter   

Fredericksburg, VA

Fredericksburg, VA

Developed workshop curricula and presentations for internal medicine and subspecialty program coordinators Maintain computer assisted accreditation report systems Implement board requirements when interacting with Residency Review Committee and national accrediting organizations

Community Service and Acknowledgement January 2008 – June 2008

Lunsford Family Trust Foundation

Fredericksburg, VA



Coordinated details for philanthropic events Promoted event attendance through sales of table locations Brooks University Dean’s List Recipient 

May 2000

Fredericksburg, VA

Organizations

Computer Skills Language Skills

Omega San Epsilon Fredericksburg, VA  House manager responsible for coordination of duties for over 100 members  New member mentor for two semesters resulting in 100% retention Proficient in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint Fluent in Spanish