GRAD SCHOOL n CAREER PLANNING n COLLEGE TO CAREER n CAREER EXPLORATION
JOB MARKET n JOB SEARCH n INTERVIEW PREP n RESUME WRITING n WORKPLACE ISSUES

-YANA PARKER

SUMMARIZE YOURSELF

Your resume is a sales brochure not an owner's manual.  It is an overview.  It is a brief summary.  It should be concise, compact and condensed.  Short and succinct. A good resume does not provide detailed information.  It is not an official document of your life.  It does not review your entire existence on earth.  It is not an account of every job you've ever held. It is not your job history or life story.

GOOD STUFF CLICK HERE FOR HELPFUL ARTICLES, RESOURCES, AND LINKS

About: Curriculum Vitae
About: Curriculum Vitae Samples
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Job Star: Curriculum Vitae
Quint Careers: Curriculum Vitae
Dartmouth: Writing Your Curriculum Vitae
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Career Builder: CV and Resume, What's the Difference?
Career Resource Center: Resume vs. Curriculum Vitae
Professional Samples: Resumes, CVs, Cover Letters
About: Portfolios for Employment
Amazon: Employment Portfolio

FIRST IMPRESSION

Your résumé represents you.  It acts as an ambassador in your behalf.  It is a calling card.  It is used to initiate contact.  It is oftentimes the first impression an employer has of you. It is up to you to make this first impression count. Your résumé is also a reminder.  After an initial meeting or after an interview,  your résumé serves as a record, and provides positive support for your personal impression.  It helps the interviewer remember you.

DOOR OPENER

Your résumé does not get you a job.  Your résumé only gets you an interview.  An interview gets you a job.  Your résumé should prompt the employer to exclaim,  "I want to meet this person!"   All you want is a chance to tell your story in person.  Your résumé opens the door, but it does not close the sale.

CHOICE CUTS

The information on your résumé should be positive, selective and relevant.  Keep your  presentation short and full of spark.  Your résumé should be a concise statement of what you've learned from past experiences and how they will help a future employer.  Your résumé must project a positive image.  It must fit both you and the circumstances. Most importantly, your résumé must appeal to the reader.  Target your résumé to the specific needs of the employer who is currently reading your résumé.  Insure that everything on your résumé is relevant to the job for which you are applying.

SPECIAL & UNIQUE

Your résumé should present information that clearly differentiates you from everyone else.  What is it about you that only you can offer?  What makes you special and unique?  What makes you stand out?  What separates you from the rest?  What are your distinct attributes?  In what ways are you better than your competition? Employers aren't looking for the "same old résumé."  They're looking for something special. To grab attention and spark interest, your résumé must go beyond the standard, typical, everyday, "run-of-the-mill" résumé.

JOB APPLICATION

Your résumé can be used to supplement information when filling out a job application.  Sometimes it can even replace a job application.  However, do not mistake your résumé for a job application.  A job application contains all the information about you that the employer wants to know.  Your résumé contains all the information about you that you want to tell the employer.  A job application is a standard official form created and controlled by the employer.  Your résumé belongs entirely to you.  Your résumé is your opportunity to present yourself to the employer in your own words, on your own terms, in your own way.  While your résumé and the job application should not contradict each other, it is important to remember that they greatly differ in the way they present you on paper.  You have complete control over the information in your résumé.  You may describe yourself in any manner you see fit.  You may include or exclude any detail you choose.

GOOD STUFF CLICK HERE FOR HELPFUL ARTICLES, RESOURCES, AND LINKS

Reference Letters
Follow Up / Thank You Letters
Virginia Tech: Follow Up and Thank you Letters
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Quint Careers: Thank You Letter Samples
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NACE: Writing Reference Letters
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About: Resignation Letters and Other Employment Letters
Write Express: Acceptance Letters
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Letter Expert
About: Letters, Templates, Samples and More

RÉSUMÉ WRITING

Résumé writing is a fine art.  It is not an exact science.  There is no one right way to write a résumé.  There are no rigid rules for designing or composing a résumé.  You should feel comfortable and confident that you can develop a résumé that is right for you...  one that is tailor-made for you...    one that fits your own specific background and goals.

You don't have to brag, lie, misrepresent or exaggerate on a résumé.  But, you should describe your experiences and abilities as positively as possible without excessive use of superlatives.   Avoid cuteness, cleverness, and fluff.  Don't ever say anything negative or irrelevant about yourself on a résumé.   Every element of your résumé must say:  "I am a perfect match!"

A résumé is an individually designed document that summarizes your background.  It is intended to demonstrate your fitness for a particular position.  It focuses on the most attractive and applicable aspects of your background.

Tell what you've learned, not only what you've done.  Provide evidence of skills, not just duties. Make sure your resume conveys what you have to offer, not what you want. Don't tell employers what you're looking for, tell what contributions you can make.

Write clearly and simply.  Stay away from fuzzy, vague or sweeping statements.  Use short, direct, active phrases, rather than complete sentences.   The collective descriptions of duties, responsibilities, achievements and skills should read like a list rather than a paragraph.  Statements should begin with action verbs.  Avoid personal pronouns  (I...  me...   my...).  Keep it brief.  One page resumes are best.

Make it visually appealing.  Use wide margins and easy-to-read type. Balance blocks of text with white space.  Be consistent in your format.

Support all activities and responsibilities with results and accomplishments.  Emphasize transferable skills.   Use statistics and quantifiable language whenever possible.  Use positive language.  Keep the reader in mind.

GRAD SCHOOL n CAREER PLANNING n COLLEGE TO CAREER n CAREER EXPLORATION
JOB MARKET n JOB SEARCH n INTERVIEW PREP n RESUME WRITING n WORKPLACE ISSUES