Think of your resume like an advertising copywriter thinks about an advertisement. You are promoting something – You! Ask yourself, "How can I catch the attention of the reader to make myself stand out from every other candidate?" Create a desire for the employer to invite you in for an interview by proving your ability to meet their needs and showing them how you produce results. Zero in on what the employer needs, not what you want. Position your strongest selling points on the top half of the first page. Don’t hide them at the end.

Consider these steps as you prepare your resume:

• What kind of job are you looking for? Every word you put on your resume should somehow be relevant to that job.
• Brainstorm and make a list of the skills, knowledge, and experience you have and are needed for the desired job.
• For each skill you list, think of accomplishments that illustrate the skill and describe each accomplishment in terms of how it benefited the employer.
• Make a list of all the jobs you’ve had. Include internships, volunteer work, part-time work, and school or community activities.
• Make another list of your training and education related to the job.
• Create multiple resumes for multiple job targets. One resume doesn’t fit all jobs.

Chronological
This style focuses on where and when you’ve worked, beginning with your most recent employment, and goes backward in reverse chronological order. It works best for individuals with consistent work histories with no gaps. It also works well for those who have had increasing responsibility and who are advancing in the same field. Many employers prefer this format.

Functional
This style focuses on the job functions you have performed rather than where and when you performed them. The functional resume is especially useful for those who have had several jobs, have gaps in their work history, are changing careers, or are re-entering the job market. Employers are sometimes suspicious of this format, thinking the candidate is trying to hide employment gaps or something worse. It is also more difficult to write.

Combination
Providing your job functions at the top and your job history in a list at the bottom of the resume is known as the combination format. This style may benefit individuals whose situations are similar to the functional resume writers.

Contact Information
At the top of the page, include your proper name, current address with zip code, phone number with area code where you can be reached from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and e-mail address (which is appropriate for any serious job seeker) if you have one. Make it as easy as possible for employers to contact you. Your name should be in a size 14 font in bold to make it stand out. The rest of your resume should preferably be in a size 12 font, using Times New Roman, Arial or Courier fonts.

Job Objective
Some people prefer to include their objective in a summary statement. Most people find that including an objective helps them give focus to their resume. Put the objective after the contact information. For the objective to be effective, it needs to include: the specific kind of work you want to do, the industry in which you want to do it, the level at which you want to work (e.g., entry), and the benefit you bring to the employer.

EXAMPLE: A store manager position for a leader in the men’s clothing industry where my experience in retail and business education will be an asset.

Qualifications Summary
Most current resumes include either a bulleted or paragraph summary of the job candidate’s key selling points. It is accomplishment-oriented and includes many key words in the target job category. A typical group of highlights includes:

• How much relevant experience you have in the targeted field
• What your formal training and credentials are, if relevant
• One significant accomplishment, very broadly stated
• One or two outstanding skills or abilities relevant to the field
• A reference to your values, commitment, or philosophy if appropriate

EXAMPLE (of a summary with a corresponding job objective): Objective: Position as an account clerk in a business that can use my recently acquired cutting-edge skills. Qualifications Summary Internship experience using newest accounting computer programs A.A.S. degree with honors in accounting President of student accounting club -- initiated speakers program Demonstrated ability in organizing, follow-through to the last detail Committed to producing results above and beyond what’s expected

Education
Most recent college graduates put their education before their experience because that is often more relevant to their job target. If it isn’t, put your experience first. List the degree you are pursuing or have earned, the institution you are attending with the city and state, and your graduation date. Include your GPA if it is higher than 3.0, and any academic honors. It is also a good idea to list relevant courses if you have no experience in the field, so employers can ascertain your knowledge in the field. You may also want to describe any research or design projects. List other degrees or relevant education in reverse chronological order. Rarely is any reference to high school needed.

EXAMPLE: A.A.S. Accounting, Mercer County Community College, West Windsor, NJ, May 2005 GPA 3.2, Dean’s List Spring 2004 Relevant Coursework Principles of Financial Accounting Principles of Managerial Accounting Computerized Accounting Microeconomics   Introduction to Business Intermediate Accounting I and II Cost Accounting Business Law

(If you haven’t completed your degree, insert something like the word "candidate" before the degree and include your anticipated graduation date.)

Experience
In a chronological resume, begin with your current/most recent position and work backward, chronologically. Include part-time work and unpaid work such as internships and volunteer work. Start each position with a job title, follow with name of organization, city and state, and years (months not necessary) employed there. Use action words to describe responsibilities and accomplishments.

EXAMPLE: Telecommunications Aide, Comcast, Neptune, NJ            2002-present

Describe each position, stressing the major accomplishments and responsibilities that demonstrate your competency. Don’t include all responsibilities; some are assumed by employers. Start each phrase with an action word. Tailor your descriptions to your job target. Do not repeat skills that are common to several positions.

Most recent college graduates can include all necessary information in one page. If you are preparing a two-page resume, include your name at the top of the second page and make sure the most marketable information appears at the top half of the first page. You can also divide your experience into relevant and additional experience, rather than one reverse chronological list.

Special Skills
If you think these could add to your qualifications, identify computer skills, technical skills, knowledge of foreign languages, and special training at the bottom of your resume.

References
Do not list your references on your resume. You may say "References available upon request," but it is not necessary. Prepare a separate list with names, titles, addresses and phone numbers of individuals who have agreed to provide reference information. You should also specify what relationship you had/have with them (e.g., co-worker, supervisor, clergy person, professor).

Do...

• Proofread, have a friend proofread, then proofread again.
• Be clear, concise, specific and honest. Never lie on a resume.
• Print on quality white or off-white paper using a laser printer.
• Make your resume visually appealing and easy to read.
• Remember, your resume is a marketing tool. It reflects what you have to offer.
• Try to fit your resume on one page, or two pages if you’ve had more than 10 years of work experience.

Don’t...

• Specify salary requirements or reveal salary history.
• Write long paragraphs or sentences.
• Exaggerate your accomplishments.
• Forget the purpose of the resume: to get an interview.
• Use resume templates if you want an unusual format.
• Include personal information such as age, religion, ethnic background, marital status, height and weight.

The following "action" words can be used as the first word of sentence fragments in your resume. Always begin your statements with an action word that describes a certain skill or ability you possess. A thesaurus can be a helpful tool in this process!

accelerated accomplished achieved adapted administered analyzed approved completed conceived conducted conferred constructed contracted controlled converted coordinated

created cut delegated delivered demonstrated designed developed devised directed doubled drafted edited effected eliminated enlarged equipped

established evaluated exhibited expanded expedited formulated generated guided helped implemented improved increased influenced initiated installed interpreted

invented launched lectured maintained managed motivated negotiated operated organized originated participated performed pinpointed planned prepared produced

programmed promoted proposed proved provided recommended recorded reduced reinforced researched revamped reviewed revised scheduled set up simplified

sold solved streamlined structured succeeded supervised supported taught trained translated trimmed tripled uncovered unraveled widened wrote

Due to the greater number of job openings and job candidates along with smaller Human Resource staffs, most large organizations use computers rather than humans to accept, process, store and review resumes. This means that most job seekers need to have two versions of "computer friendly" resumes in addition to a paper one. Consequently, new formats are needed that will enable the computer to scan your resume in a readable format. The scannable resume can be mailed to the employer. The electronic or e-mail resume is sent as an e-mail message, or attachment, to the employer.

Scannable Resumes

• Use standard typefaces such as Arial, Times Roman, or Courier New in font size 10 to 12 points.
• Avoid italics, script, bold, and underlining. Instead, use capital letters for highlighting.
• Eliminate graphics, borders, boxes, and shading. Do not use horizontal or vertical lines.
• Use asterisks or plain round bullets.
• Print on white or off-white paper from a laser printer, which delivers the most contrast.
• Do not fold or staple your resume. Mail in a large envelope.
• Keep text left-justified, with a ragged right margin.
• Position your name, and nothing else, on the top line of the resume.

Resumes for E-mailing
Many employers will not accept attachments due to the possibility of viruses. Send your resume as an e-mail message with your cover letter as part of the document. To avoid formatting problems, you will need to create a new version of your resume by following these steps:

• With your typed resume on the screen in your word processing program, change the left margin to 1.0 and the right margin to 2.0, then select the Save As feature and click on "text only," "plain text" or ASCII. Rename file.
• Close the file and then open the text editor program in your computer, such as Notepad, and review how the resume will look to the employer. You’ll see that your resume has been reformatted and the text is left-justified. You’ll need to do some cleaning up of the new version.
• Fix any glitches. Set off category headings by using ALL CAPS.
• Save your changes in Notepad. Do a test run; send an e-mail to yourself by selecting and copying your e-resume, then open your e-mail program and type a brief cover letter. Two lines below that, press Ctrl + v to paste in your e-resume.

When e-mailing, you want to motivate employers to open your e-mail and read your resume. Put in the Subject area of your e-mail something like "Award-winning Web designer, 6 years exp." -- more than the words "job seeker."

Resumes
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Cover Letters
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