General Resume Tips

How To Prepare An Effective Resume

1. Resume Essential

Before you write, take tima to do a self-assessment on paper. Outline your skills and abilities as well as your work experience and extracurricullar activities. This wiil make it easier to prepare a thorough resume.

2. The Content of Your Resume

All your contact information should go at the top of your resume, including Name, address, telephone, e-mail address, web site address.

☻ Avoid nicknames.
☻ Use a permanent address. Use your parents' address, a friend address, or the address you plan to use after graduation.
☻ Use a permanent telephone number include the area code. If you have as answering machine, record a neutral greeting.
☻ Add your e-mail address. Many employers wiwll find it useful. (Note : Choose an e-mail address that sounds professional.)
☻ Include your web site address only if the web page reflects your professional ambitions.

Objective of Summary

An objective tells potential employers the sort of work you're hoping to do.

☻ Be specific about the job you want. For example : To obtain an entry-level position within a financial institution requiring strong analytical and organizational skills.
☻ Tailor your objective to each employer you target/everyjob you seek education.

New graduates without a lot of work experience should list their educational information first. Alumni can list is after the work experience section.

☻ Your most recent educational information is listed fisrt.
☻ Include your degree (A.S., B.S., B.A., etc.), major, institutional attended, minor/concentration.
☻ Add your grade point average (GPA) if it is higher than 3.0.
☻ Mention academic honors.

Work Experience

Brifly give the employer an overview of work that has taught you skills. Use action workds to describe ypur job duties. Include your work experience in reverse chronological order -- that is, put your last job first and work backward to your fisrt, relevant job. Include :

☻ Title of position,
☻ Name of organization
☻ Location of work (town, state)
☻ Dates of employement
☻ Describe your work responsibilities with emphasis on specific skills and achievements.

Other information

A staff member at your career services office can advise you on other information to add to your resume. You may want to add :

☻ Key or special skills or competencies.
☻ Leadership experience in voluntee organizations.
☻ Participation in sports.

References

Ask peaple if they are willing to serve as reference before you give their names to a potential employer.

Do not include your reference informations on your resume. You may not at the bottom of your resume : "Reference furnished on request."


3. Resume Checkup

You've written your resume. It's tima to have it reviewed and critiqued by a career counselor. You can also take the following steps t ensure quality :

Content :

☻ 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).

Disign :

These tips will make your resume easier to read and/or scan into an employer's data base.

☻ Use white or off-white paper.
☻ Use 8-1/2 x 11-inch paper.
☻ Print on one side of the paper.
☻ Use a font size of 10 to 14 points.
☻ Use nondecorative typefaces.
☻ Choose one typefaces and stick to it.
☻ 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 evelope.

What Employers Want

employers say they are implressed by job candidates who have excellent communication skills, good grooming habits and relevant work experience. Employers say they want trustworthy new hires who can move right in, get along with their co-workers and get the job done without having to be babied at each step.

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