Your Guide to Resume Writing: How to Prepare an Effective Resume

Your resume is often the first impression you get to make on a potential employer. Because it is such a vital part to the job search process, it is important to make your resume as effective as possible. Before you write, take time to do a self-assessment on paper. Outline your skills and abilities as well as your work experience and extracurricular activities. This will make it easier to prepare a thorough resume.

The Content of Your Resume

It is important to give careful thought to the content of your resume. You want to be informative and specific about your skills and qualifications, yet concise at the same time. Use the following outline to help you prepare a top-notch resume.

I. Contact Information

At the top of your resume, include your contact information: name, address, telephone number, e-mail address. Make sure to follow these tips to avoid some common pitfalls:

Do not use your nickname. If your name is ?Jonathan? but you go by ?Jon,? use your full name. When you meet the interviewer, you can ask that he/she call you Jon.
Use a permanent address. This is especially important for college students. Use your parents' address, a friend's address or the address you plan to use after graduation.
Use a permanent telephone number and include the area code. If you do not have an answering machine, provide your cell phone number, and make sure your voice mail recording sounds professional.
Don't forget to add your e-mail address. (Note: Make sure that your e-mail address is appropriate. Potential employers may be put off if your e-mail address is partygirl33@yahoo.com)

II. Objective or Summary

An objective tells potential employers the sort of work you're hoping to do. Be specific about the job you want. For example, an objective might say: To obtain an entry-level position within a financial institution requiring strong analytical and organizational skills. Be sure to tailor your objective to each employer you target and every job you seek.

III. Education

New graduates without a lot of work experience should list their educational information first. Alumni can list it after the work experience section. Your most recent educational information is listed first. Include your degree (B.S., B.A., A.S., etc.), major, institution attended and minor/concentration. If you took courses that weren't included in your major or minor but relate specifically to the job you are applying for, mention those as well. Add your grade point average (GPA) if it is higher than 3.0, and don't forget to mention any academic honors.

IV. Work Experience

Briefly give the employer an overview of your previous work experience. Use action words to describe your job duties (i.e.: ?launched,? ?implemented,? ?initiated,? ?organized.?) Even if your previous experience only includes waiting tables or working in retail, list that on your resume. Working in these types of positions teaches valuable interpersonal and problem-solving skills an employer may be looking for. Include your work experience in reverse chronological order ? put your most recent job first and work backward to your first, relevant job. Include:

Title of position
Name of organization
Location of work (city, state) and phone number
Name of Supervisor
Dates of employment
Describe your work responsibilities with emphasis on specific skills and achievements.

V. References

In general, it's a good idea to have at least three people you can use as references. These might be former employers, professors, friends of your parents, professionals in the field you're going into, etc. Make sure you ask someone before listing him/her as a reference. You can either list their contact information on your resume, or you may simply say ?References available upon request.? Either way, it might be good to ask your references to write you a letter of recommendation to include in your portfolio.

Resume Checkup

Now that you've written your resume, it's time to have it reviewed and critiqued to ensure that it is error-free. Don't forget to do these things:

Run a spell check on your computer before anyone sees your resume.
Get a friend (an English major would do nicely) to do a grammar review.
Ask another friend to proofread. The more people who see your resume, the more likely that misspelled words and awkward phrases will be seen (and corrected).

The design of your resume is also important. It should be easy to read, with a simple, common font. Keep in mind that many employers run their resumes through a scanner, and if your resume is full of special design elements, it might not be readable. These tips will make your resume easier to read and/or scan into an employer's data base:

Use 8-1/2- x 11-inch white or off-white paper.
Print on one side of the paper.
Use a font size of 10 to 14 points in a simple font such as Arial or Times New Roman. Choose one font style, and use it throughout. Avoid italics, script and underlined words.
Do not use horizontal or vertical lines, graphics or shading.
Do not fold or staple your resume.
If you must mail your resume, put it in a large envelope.

Source: www.jobweb.com

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