| 7
steps can change your future
|
Step 1 Summarize
your Qualifications.
Step 2 Education
Step 3 Work Experience
Step 4 Additional Information
Step 5 References
Step 6 Power Words
Step 7 The Cover Letter
Step 1 Summarize your
Qualifications.
Summarize your qualifications by writing a summary paragraph that
highlights your professional background as it relates to the
needs of the company. Hiring managers need to see immediately that
you have the skills and experience they need. If an employer has to
figure out what you can do for him, the odds are you won't get an
interview.
Over 15 years of diverse and challenging experience, combined with
powerful presentation skills, a disciplined approach to the task at
hand and the innate ability to anticipate potential obstacles are
attributes that contribute to a strong record of excellence and
acknowledgement for "getting the job done."
An accomplished senior executive with outstanding credentials and a
proven record of results……Constantly progressed in an
organization that demands a broad business perspective to achieve
accelerated growth in sales and profits.
Fourteen years experience with a major international organization on
a career path which supported increased levels of responsibility in
the areas of management, communication and training.
Over 12 years of technical sales and marketing experience including:
electronic component sales knowledge of Unix, Pascal, Sun work
station, Fortran new software business start-up and market
presentation international marketing penetration.
The Objective
There is much debate regarding the inclusion/exclusion of a job
objective-use your judgment. It is usually placed right under the
heading. The job objective is a targeted, brief description of the
specific kind of job you are seeking: legal administrator,
bookkeeper, medical transcriber, diesel mechanic, etc. Avoid
vagueness here, if you can't be specific leave it off the resume. It
should be specific to the point of repeating what the
advertisement/announcement stated. Since you may need a different
resume for each opening you locate, you may also need to change the
job objective. You can always discuss your objective in the cover
letter.
Do not assume that any job objective is better than no job
objective. If your objective is vague or unfocused, you will appear
unable to decide what you want to do with the next part of your
life. Target it to the specific kind of job you are seeking, e.g.,
secretary, bookkeeper, sales representative, medical transcriber,
backhoe operator, etc.
Example: Position teaching science and/or math at the secondary
school level. Position within a financial institution requiring
strong analytical and organizational skills. The profile is an
alternative to an objective statement. It gives you the opportunity
to present your strengths at the very beginning of the résumé.
Example: Profile
Marketing...Finance...Management
Eager to contribute to the growth of a progressive company with
quality products or services. Qualified by business education,
customer service and administrative experience. Professional
appearance and advanced interpersonal communication. Highly
motivated, strong work ethic; available as needed for training,
travel, overtime, etc. Financed 80% of college tuition and expenses;
additional 20% through scholarships. In writing the major areas of
your résumé, it is important to emphasize your abilities and
accomplishments more than past duties. You may also want to indicate
how well you performed. This will help infuse personal qualities
such as character and personality into your résumé.
Step 2
Education
This category is particularly important if you have not had a great
deal of work experience. Remember, your most recent educational
experience should be listed first.
Include your degree (A.S., B.S., B.A., etc.), major, institution(s)
attended, date of graduation, minors or concentrations, and any
special workshops, seminars, related coursework or senior projects.
A G.P.A. of higher than a 3.0 (either overall G.P.A. or G.P.A. in
major) should also be noted here.
Step 3
Work Experience
If you are a student, recent college graduate or have limited paid
work experience, but have been involved in volunteer, internship,
practicum or student teaching work experiences, be sure to point
this out to the employer. This is what your skills are and what you
can do on the job. Be sure to include all significant work
experience in reverse chronological order.
Note to teacher candidates: Be sure to include your student teaching
experience on your résumé.
You should include:
-
The title of your position
-
The name of the organization
-
The location of work (town, state)
-
The dates of jobs held
You should describe your work responsibilities
with an emphasis on achievements using action words to communicate
your skills. List the most important and related responsibilities
first. Identify the most relevant work experiences and describe them
fully. Be brief with the irrelevant experiences or omit them. It is
sometimes useful to divide your work experience into two categories:
Relevant Experience and Other Experience. You may want to add that
work was performed to earn a certain percent of college expenses.
Example: Earned 75% of college expenses
through the following part-time jobs
Step 4 Additional
Information
This category is useful for displaying information that doesn't fit
in any other category. Although Interests, Computer Knowledge, and
Activities can be separate categories, especially if they are very
strong, they can be listed here as well. Languages spoken, or any
extra, relevant bit of information can be placed here as well.
Interests
This is sometimes used to evaluate your suitability to a
geographic area or to understand your "personality type".
Include this section if you have available space. Include social or
civic activities, health and fitness or sports activities, or
hobbies which indicate how you spend your leisure time. Computer
Knowledge: If using computers is a necessary skill for the job you
are seeking, be sure to highlight your knowledge in this section.
Example:
Databases: Oracle 8.x, SQL Server, Sybase
Client/Server: Power Builder 3.x/4.x/5.x/6.x/7.x,
Visual Basic Oracle Skills: SQL, PL/SQL, Replication, Database
Administration, Oracle Web toolkit
Web skills: HTML, XML, Sybase EA Server, Power
Dynamo, Power Site, Jaguar Component Transaction Server, Oracle
Application Server Data modeling: Erwin Object modeling: Rational Rose, BPWin
Hardware: Sun Workstations Operating Systems: Windows NT,
UNIX Programming Languages: Java, C, C++, Perl
Activities, Honors, and Leadership are also
important categories to include. If the activities involved work
responsibility, note it in some detail. The employer is interested
in the skills you have developed whether through volunteer or paid
experiences. If you were elected to offices or committees, mention
it. Recognition and demonstration of leadership roles are valuable.
Step 5
References
Be sure to ask individuals if they would be willing to be a
reference for you prior to mentioning their names to prospective
employers. Names of individuals are not usually listed on the résumé
(unless there is space available at the end), but you should prepare
a typed list of three references to provide at the interview. This
list should include name, title, employer, address, business and
home telephone number. You may also state at the bottom of your résumé
"References furnished upon request."
Step 6
Power Words
Employers today want to know concrete things about you, and what you
can produce. Most résumés today are filled with empty
generalizations, failing to be distinguished in any way from the
crowd of respondents. By beginning sentences with Action or Power
Words, you are showing employers you are capable of tactical
strategic thinking and have proven results. Here are some Power
Words to get you started:
-
accelerated
-
accomplished
-
achieved
-
adapted
-
administered
-
analyzed
-
approved
-
conceived
-
conducted
-
completed
-
controlled
-
coordinated
-
created
-
delegated
-
demonstrated
-
designed
-
developed
-
directed
-
earned
-
effected
-
eliminated
-
established
-
evaluated
-
expanded
-
expedited
-
facilitated
-
found
-
generated
-
implemented
-
improved
-
increased
-
influenced
-
initiated
-
inspected
-
instructed
-
interpreted
-
launched
-
led
-
lectured
-
maintained
-
managed
|
-
mastered
-
motivated
-
operated
-
ordered
-
originated
-
organized
-
participated
-
performed
-
pinpointed
-
planned
-
prepared
-
produced
-
programmed
-
proposed
-
proved
-
provided
-
proficient in
-
purchased
-
recommended
-
reduced
-
reinforced
-
reorganized
-
revamped
-
reviewed
-
revised
-
scheduled
-
simplified
-
set up
-
solved
-
streamlined
-
structured
-
supervised
-
supported
-
surpassed
-
taught
-
trained
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translated
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used
-
utilized
-
won
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wrote
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Never send a résumé without a cover letter.
The purpose of a cover letter is to express your interest in an
organization and to request an interview. The opening paragraph
must get the reader's attention and interest in your employment
potential. This paragraph should also refer to the specific
position sought and areas in your background that make you an
attractive candidate for it.
The development section (usually one or two paragraphs) highlights
specific aspects of your education, training, and experience that
relate to the position or organization to which you are applying.
It also refers the reader to your enclosed résumé for further
details.
The concluding paragraph should request action by the reader. You
should request an opportunity to meet with the person to discuss
your qualifications and employment potential in greater detail.
Include information on how you can be contacted by providing both
day and evening phone numbers.
Important: If you are expecting a prospective employer to
contact you at home and you have an answering machine, this may be
a good time to review your outgoing message. This is the employers
first contact with you. Be sure your outgoing message is
respectable
