What is a resume' and what is in it?
A resume' is an organized summarization of your professional skills, work history, education, and other relevant information to your profession. The information you provide in your resume' will allow potential employers to get an at-a-glance preview of what you have to offer them.
How long should it be?
A typical resume' is a page long. This makes viewing a resume' a lot easier for the potential employer. You want to do all you can to grab their attention and ensure they know everything they need to.
What font should be used?
Keeping in mind that the purpose of a resume' is to obtain work you will then want to ensure you use the proper font. The font is just as important to the resume' the information in it. You want to apply a font that is aesthetically pleasing. To do this you will want to use fonts like: Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri. These are simple, professional, and excepted by employers.
What are the different types of resumes?
The list is vast and wide and depends on your line of work. Here is a small example of the different types of resumes. If you have MS Word on your computer you can find a bigger list and templates of different resumes.
Entry Level: Less detailed, but includes a summary of ones experience
- Receptionist
- Administrative
- File clerk
Executive and Corporate: More job specific and education specific details
- Executive Assistant
- Corporate Controller
Medical:
- List of medical credentials
- educational background
- specific field information (pediatrics, OBGYN)
Entertainment Professionals: The information for this resume is placed on the back of the actor's headshot and includes recent shows they have been in and talents such as: singing, instruments, and versatility.
- Musician
- Cast
- Technical Stage Workers
For a more detailed list take a look at the templates available on your MS Word or go to the MS website. There is a ton of information and tools available. You can also find helpful tools and advice on sites like monster.com and Carreer Builder.
Dos and Don'ts!
When creating a resume it is important to keep in mind the relevance of the information. Do leave out anything unnecessary or unrelated to your field of work. Do not use fonts that are hard to read or fonts that are unprofessional (comic sans, scripts, and papyrus). Do be honest about your skills and work history. Believe they will find out if you are hired and they won't be happy. Do put a creative spin on the skills you do have! Instead of saying "I answered the phone" say something like "in charge of customer communications". This sounds a tad more official and professional. This also displays your writing abilities which a lot of employers look for.
Dissecting a Resume
There are essentially 5 sections in a resume. Each one has its purpose and value to the effectiveness of the resume'. When you begin to input data tap into your creative side. As I said before it is a good idea to put a creative spin on your skills and abilities. What I like to do is write a brief summary of my experience on a separate sheet of paper, then use that as a general guide and find creative ways to really jazz it up.
Example:
Scratch: In charge of filing documents.
Resume: Responsible for implement the organization of office documents.
Section 1: Personal information/contact
Usually placed at the top of the page is your personal information. This includes your name, address, phone number, and e-mail. The font in this portion of the resume is bold and larger (size 14) then any other fonts on the page.
In order of placement is the information that is needed in a basic resume'.
Section 2: Objective
An objective is one sentence that states your main professional goals concisely. This shows the potential employer what you are looking for quickly and clearly.
EXAMPLE: To obtain a challenging position that utilizes my skills and abilities.
Section 3: Skills
In this section you should supply a list of two to three categories of skills relevant to your profession and experience.
Example:
Computer Office Special Skills
MS Office Switchboard phone Dependable
Outlook Typing 60 wpm Office Management
QuickBooks Ten Key by Touch Event Planning
Section 4: Work History
This section is the most important. Here you will display your past and present employers and the experience you have gained. Include details such as: Dates of employment, your job title, company and supervisor name, location of employer, and a summary of your responsibilities at this job.
Example:
04/2004 to present Personal Assistant
Blank Company Inc. Mary Jane San Francisco, CA
Responsibilities include: Customer communications (answering phones),
creating marketing material, supporting staff, and a variety of other
fundamental office duties.
