THE ELECTRONICALLY SCANNABLE RESUME
Many companies have adopted electronic resume scanning systems to help them screen job candidates. Some tips for producing a resume that will not be overlooked are:
- Mail your resume; do not fax it, as this impairs legibility.
- Choose a simple font, such OS courier.
- Avoid bullets, dashes, and underlining.
- Center your name, address, and phone number at the top of the resume.
- Use common buzzwords to describe your job experience.
A resume tells the prospective employer what you have accomplished in the past and what you can do for their company now.
Your resume's primary function is to sell your talents and skills to an employer clearly, forcefully, and quickly. In a sense, you are selling yourself, and the resume is your advertisement. It serves as your advance contact to awaken an employer's interest and to generate an interview.
WHEN IS A RESUME USED? Mass Mailing Campaigns
Resumes have been used frequently by job seekers to contact each and every potential employer in an industry or selected area. You may not know if the company has a job opening, but you want them to know that you are available and that your experience and talents can be an asset to the firm.
General mass mailings can be very expensive, and the odds of promoting an opening are slim. You can improve your chances of getting interviews by composing specific resumes for different companies. One suggestion is to sort your targeted companies into groups with similar characteristics, and write a resume highlighting your appropriate strengths for each group.
Responding to a Want Ad
The most effective resumes are tailored for a particular employer. If the job requirements listed in a want ad are vague or unclear, call the employer for more information. Try to get a clear picture of the job duties, education, and experience requirements. It's a good idea to list your questions before you call. Find out at the outset to which you are speaking. Also try to find out the name
When is a Resume Used?
and title of the individual who will review your resume. If you are speaking to someone in authority and the call is going well, try to schedule an interview. Remember to thank your information giver.
Interviewing
During an interview, your resume operates as a script for both you and the employer. When you compose your resume, keep in mind that it gives you the chance to choose those topics you wish to discuss during the interview. Be prepared to expand on all the accomplishments you listed. A rehearsal with friends and honest critics will help,
WHAT TO INCLUDE ON YOUR RESUME
Be prepared to spend some time and effort in writing an effective resume. You will need two types of information.
- About yourself: You need a clear picture of your job talents, work history, education, and career goals, (Look over the list you completed in Chapter 3, "Assessing Your Skills, Experience, and Interests.") It may be helpful to refer to the U.S. Employment Service's Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT), which contains generalized job descriptions to find all the jobs you held or those you wish to pursue in the future.
- About the job: Gather as much specific information as possible about the position for which you are applying. Your resume should show that your skills, education, achievements, work experience, and past job achievements are related to the position requirements. The DOT may prove helpful here as well.
"Completing Your Job Resource Toolbox," offers additional resume samples. If you need additional help, there are many sources of information on how to write the best resume.
MAKING YOURSELF MORE MARKETABLE-TRANSFERRING SKILLS
People who have held or who are seeking engineering management positions will be facing increased competition. To help pre pare for this increased challenge, it is important to emphasize transferable skills. When you are thinking about your past work history (especially your most recent positions), think about skills and responsibilities you had that you could perform on other jobs in different industries. Think about how your technical skills, as well OS your management, computer, accounting, communication, and analytical (continued)
Books
There are as many variations in resume styles and formats as there are books on the market. Most books describe these variations in great detail and provide numerous examples. Some are specific to particular industries or to specific groups of job seekers. Some of the books are listed in Chapter 12, "Completing Your Job Resource Toolbox." Check your local library or bookstore for them.
Computer Programs skills can be applied to another industry. To get a better idea of transferable skills, it might be helpful to look In the Occupational Outlook Handbook and the Dictionary of Occupational
Titles, Both publications contain job descriptions that include lists of skills. By emphasizing transferable skills, you will open up your potential job market.
There are several software programs that can inventory personal attributes and job history and then format a resume in the style of your choice. Check software listings at bookstores and computer stores.
Workshops
Many workshops run by public and nonprofit agencies will help you write a resume, as will private, fee-charging firms.
After completing this chapter, you might want to refer to one of these additional sources to ensure that you write the best possible resume.
TYPES OF RESUME
All of the resume styles described in books and computer programs are based on variations and combinations of two formats; reverse chronological and functional The key to writing an effective resume is choosing the right style for you-one that emphasizes your strengths and de-emphasizes your weaknesses.
Whichever resume style you choose, make sure you include examples of results that you produced that benefited your previous employer(s). Employers want to see measurable achievements. They want to know they are going to hire someone who can contribute to their organization's bottom line.
The Reverse Chronological Resume
The reverse chronological resume format lists jobs you've had by dates of employment, starting with your most recent job. The usual arrangement is dates of employment, job title, name and address of company, a brief description of the duties per formed, skills used, and major ways you have benefited the company. Make sure you include all transferable skills. This format stresses what you accomplished in each of the positions you held.
Use the reverse chronological format if
- you have progressed up a clearly defined career ladder and are looking for career advancement
- you have recent experience in the field you are
- List your most recent jobs first. Give dotes for each job.
- Briefly describe your main duties and your accomplishments in each job.
- Emphasize duties per formed and past accomplishments that ore important for the job you currently seek.
- you have a continuous work history in your field
- you have had many different types of jobs
- you have changed jobs frequently
- you are trying to switch fields
- you are just starting out
The functional resume format emphasizes your skills and accomplishments as they relate to the job for which you're applying. As with all resume formats, you should include your transferable skills. A functional resume presents a profile of your experience based on professional strengths or skill groupings. Your employment history usually follows, but in less detail than in a chronological resume.
Use the functional format if
- you have worked for only one employer but have performed a wide variety of jobs
- you are applying for a job that is different from your present or most recent job
- you have little or no job experience; for exam
- Study the duties for the job you are seeking. Identify a few general skills that are important to the job.
- Review your background and experience to find talents and accomplishments that demonstrate your ability to perform the required duties.
- List your talents and accomplishments under the job skills to which they are related.
- you have gaps in your work history
- you are re-entering the job market after several years of freelancing, consulting, homemaking, or unemployment Do not use this format if your work history is stable and continuous, because employers sometimes assume that a functional resume hides a spotty, unstable work history.
GENERAL GUIDE TO AN EFFECTIVE RESUME
The following suggestions apply to any type of resume. The order below is recommended, but you can be flexible.
Format Heading Your name, address, and phone number should be prominently displayed at the top of the page.
Summary or Objective
If you use a summary, highlight your experience and accomplishments in two or three sentences. Clearly communicate the type of job you want and what you can offer to an employer. If you prefer to state an objective, make it broad enough to embrace closely related jobs, but not so broad that you appear lacking in focus or willing to take anything. This should be done in one sentence.
Whether you choose a summary or an objective, indicate level, function, and industry for the position you are seeking. Be concise but general. Use your cover letter to make your summary or objective specific to a particular employer.
Experience
Indicate your major responsibilities. Emphasize accomplishments and measurable benefits to your former employer, such as situations improved, savings/earnings, and new concepts adopted by the firm. Achievements should be consistent with your career direction, with a concentration on recent successes.
Skills
List special skills, such as word processing or an ability to operate special equipment.
Education
Start with the most advanced degree and give name and location of the institution, major and minor fields, and all career-oriented scholarships and academic awards. Include career-related extracurricular activities, workshops, and seminars.
Licenses, Certifications, Publications include only those that are related to your career without elaboration.
Additional Personal Data
Include only if career-related, such as memberships in professional associations.
TIPS FOR A GREAT RESUME
- Develop more than one resume, especially if you are targeting different industries or types of jobs.
- Tailor your objective to the job title or description.
- Keep your resume short (one page, if possible) and easy to read.
- Have someone proofread your resume for grammar and spelling errors.
- Selecting and Using the Best Resume and Cover Letter
- Be positive.
- Identify your relevant accomplishments. They should be quantitatively stated where appropriate. Describe how they benefited the employer.
- Have friends who know your professional accomplishments comment on your resume and suggest items you may have forgotten or perhaps dismissed as unimportant.
- Be specific. Choose words carefully-?make every word count and eliminate unnecessary words,
- Use concise sentences. Use bullet entries for a clean, easy-to-read look.
- " Use action verbs.
- Don?t devote space to items not directly related to the job you are seeking, such as hobbies; personal data, such as height, weight, and marital status; or descriptions of former career jobs.
- Don't use more than a few lines to describe your accomplishments. Keep it short. A one- or two-page resume is best. However, if you have a long work history, your resume might be longer.
- Don't explain employment gaps.
- Don't include references. However, a separate list of references should be prepared ahead of time and should be available for distribution to employers on request, especially at the interview.
o Don't include salary requirements unless specifically requested by the employer. If the employer does ask for a salary range, then give an "optimum" salary or a general range. Be sure to state that your salary requirements are negotiable so that you are not eleminated based on your salary requirements alone.
Appearance Do:
- TV or word-process your resume, or have it professionally printed. If you use a computer printer, make sure the print is "letter quality." Use 81/2" X 11", quality white or cream paper. If you can, use 20-lb weight, 100% cotton bond paper.
- Use wide margins. Single space within sections, double space between sections.
- Center or left-justify and capitalize all headings.
- Make sure your resume "looks good"-?that is, it should be neat, readable, symmetrical, and visually balanced. Stay away from needless, attention-getting visual effects.
- Proofread your resume carefully, then have someone else proofread it. Be sure your spelling, grammar, and punctuation are flawless.
- Inspect your resume for clarity. Smudges and marks are unacceptable.
COVER LETTER
Each time you mail your resume, include a cover letter stating your interest in the firm. The letter, however, should not duplicate resume information. It should briefly highlight the skills or positions you held previously that are appropriate to the position you seek. It also can be used to add additional information that you think is important to the employer.
Your cover letter should
- describe how your skills and abilities will benefit the company
- induce the employer to read your resume
- request a job interview
Explain why you are writing. State the position you are seeking and the source of the job opening (e.g., newspaper ad, professional organization, and colleague).
Main Body
Highlight your qualifications and link them to the firm's needs. Show that you know something about the firm and are interested in the firm's products or services.
Explain why you chose this company; for example, you know someone who works there, you use their products, or you heard about their good reputation.
Closing
Request an interview. Suggest a specific date and time; for example, "I'll try to contact you on Monday morning to see when you might be able to meet with me."
Be sure to include your name, address, and telephone number in your cover letter and to thank the employer for his or her time and effort.
TIPS ON PREPARING A COVER LETTER
- Write an individualized cover letter for each prospective employer.
- Address the letter to the person you want to contact, preferably the one doing the hiring.
- Type letters on quality 8 1/2" X 11" paper.
- Use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
- Convey personal warmth and enthusiasm.
- Keep your letter short and to the point.
Use your job contact record shown in Chapter 12, "Completing Your Job Resource Toolbox/' or keep a tickler file of the resumes you send out and follow up with a phone call. Surveys have shown that only 2 percent of resumes mailed to employers result in an interview. If you follow up with a phone call, the success rate jumps to 20 percent.
