By David Pilley on November 21, 2011
.jpg.aspx) I recently attended a workshop to find out more about searching for employment. One of the most important factors in getting a job is your résumé. A résumé will not get you a job; its purpose is to get you an interview for a job. What information do I need to supply? In what order should it be? These questions and more will be answered below.
First, you need to put your personal information at the very top. Your name, address, phone number, and email address should be centered in the header of your document in that order. Type your name in all caps and bold it, so it can stand out.
Below your header, you need to start with an objective. In your objective, you need to indicate the general type of job or a specific position you are seeking. The objective is the most difficult part to write, and often times it is the only part of the résumé that is read. If you want your entire résumé to be read, you must start with a clear objective. It needs to be no more than two sentences, so be concise. If you know the company you’re applying to, list which specific job title you are seeking, as well as how much experience you are bringing to the table.
What to list next is up to you. Some people post their education underneath the objective, while others list their work experience. Whichever is your major selling point, put that immediately below your objective. For me, I would start with the education part since I graduated from college last year. Under education you should list where you graduated (public university, business school, etc.) and what type of degree you attained. You do not need to list your GPA unless it’s something you want to stress (3.0 or higher). If you also minored in a subject, list it, but put it after the major. You may also list a couple of courses you took that are related to the job you are seeking. If you have not graduated from college but you are currently taking classes, disclose this information.
If you didn’t go to college, never fear. You will most likely want to put work experience immediately after your objective. This is where you need to sell yourself. Yes, be proud of what you have achieved! For me, this part is the most difficult because I’m not used to telling everyone what I’ve done, but if you don’t want your résumé to be overlooked, you need to explain why you are qualified for the job. Remember to use past-tense verbs for what you did in the past and present-tense verbs for what you are doing right now. It’s also important to know “who, what, where, when, and why.” If you “coached,” what did you coach and who were you coaching? If you “analyzed,” what type of information did you analyze and for what purpose? Don’t just say you were an accountant or you are a writer; remember to use action verbs so the person reading your résumé can see what you are writing or for whom you accounted. (If you are submitting your résumé electronically, you can also supply a link to an example of your work). Something that you did 15 years ago may not be pertinent to the present, so make sure you write about your recent work experience. If you have related skills or experience with computer programs, you can also list this information in a separate section.
Finally, you may have a reference section. You don’t need to list any of your references on your résumé; simply state that they are “available upon request.” Keep your résumé to no longer than two pages; employers are not reading about your entire life story! Also make sure to modify your objective for each individual job to which you are applying. Follow this outline, and I assure that you will be getting more interviews in the near future!
Image courtesy of Penny Mathews
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