How Do I Write My Resume?

Do It To Your Strengths

After that self-assessment, it is time to go into action – that is, to plunk yourself before the computer and compose a power resume. Any job hunter worth his salt knows a good resume is the key to an interview invitation and ultimately, to employment. Aside from a summary of your abilities, work experience and education, a resume should reveal your unique selling point to entice a potential employer to “buy” you.

The secret to an irresistible resume is to address the specific needs of a specific job. A tailored resume has infinitely more impact than a one-size-fits-all. To craft such a resume, you need to firstly organize information under specific headings such as education, academic achievement, work experience (if any), skills and activities. When you have them all paper, decide on the proper format to play up outstanding qualities that fit into the job’s requirements. Here are several kinds of resume for your proposal.

CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME is the most conventional as it emphasizes on an itemized employment history. Career milestones are presented in reverse chronological order, starting with the current position held. Each position contains a description of relevant responsibilities and accomplishment. Ideal for candidates with solid experience and progressive job history in a field or industry, and want to continue along a similar career path. Most employers prefer this style as it is based on fact and easily digestible.

FUNCTIONAL RESUME organizes work history into sections that highlight skills and accomplishments deemed most appropriate for the position. Job hoppers, career changers and fresh graduates may use this type to make sense of seemingly disconnected experiences and display transferable skills and related achievements. It could raise concerns that it is being used to cover information gaps and a spotty employment record. Employers might also encounter difficulties matching skills and accomplishments to actual job titles, dates and responsibilities. To avoid this, include the company name in the bulleted description of your accomplishment. Do not omit at least a brief chronological listing of your work experience.

COMBINATION RESUME tries to merge the best features of the chronological and functional types – incorporating both a chronological work history and a skills and achievements section. In this format, skills and accomplishments get top billing followed by employment history. The combination resume may not sit well with some employers who may find these longer resumes particularly repetitious and confusing. This format can be good tool, however, for someone with strong edition skills.

CURRICULUM VITAE is sometimes used interchangeably with resume but by formal definition, a curriculum vitae refers to a detailed, lengthy and structured outline of educational background, publications, awards and work history. It can run up to 20 pages and usually employed by educators and scientists boasting extensive academic and professional credentials and a seeking positions in education or research.

ELECTRONIC RESUME is one that can be sent by email or viewed on the internet and specially formatted for scanning and searching by optical scanning systems. This format is frequently used when sending resume to electronic resume banks and job sites. It is becoming an increasingly popular choice as it is fast, effective and convenient. It is can come in different file formats but experts recommend using ASCII text file formats as they are universally recognized by computer systems.