Resume Writing Guide

What is a resume?

Before you begin writing your resume, it is important to understand what exactly a resume is: an advertisement. It advertises you to potential employers. The main purpose of a resume is to get you an interview with potential employers. It should present you in the best possible light, convincing the employer that you are the best candidate for the position. A resume is not merely just a list of past jobs. It needs to be about you, and your responsibilities and accomplishments at those past jobs.

Resume Sections

A resume is broken up into a variety of different components, where each section serves a specific function or purpose.

These sections are as follows:

• Heading
• Objective
• Work Experience
• Education
• Skills
• Achievements
• References

Heading

As the name suggests, the heading should be placed at the top of your resume and should include your name, home address, and telephone numbers. It is important to always include at least one phone number on your resume, as it is crucial that when prospective employers wish to contact you, they can. You may also include your e-mail address in your heading, though most employers will not contact you this way, unless they received your resume via e-mail.

Objective

One of the most common resume mistakes made by job hunters is to leave out an objective. The objective is normally one sentence long and describes your employment goals clearly and concisely. Its purpose is to help employers know the direction that you see yourself heading, enabling them to determine whether your goals are in line with the position available.

The job objective will vary depending on the type of person you are, the field you are in, and the type of goals you have. It can be either specific or general, but should always be to the point.

Here is a simple, but effective, format for an objective statement:

Objective: An XXX position in an organization where YYY and ZZZ would be an asset

XXX is the name of the position you are applying for. YYY and ZZZ are the most compelling qualities, abilities or achievements that will make you stand out from the other applicants. You may need to do a bit of research about the company to determine what qualities or attributes the employer is looking for.

There are certain cases where an objective can be left out, though it is still usually a good idea to include one. For instance, if you are not sure of the exact job title you are applying for, you may opt to leave out the objective. Also, try not to be too specific when writing your objective, as this may result in you not being considered for a number of positions you are eligible for.

Work Experience

This section is one of the most important parts of your resume. It is important that this section is as complete and accurate as possible, as this is where employers will spend most of their time reading. You should only include the information that is necessary for each job, such as the job title, dates, employer’s name, city, province, and a description of your duties. Someone just out of school, or young, will have less experience than someone who has been working for a number of employers, but the amount of information is not the important thing; what is most important is the way in which it is presented, and how it highlights you as a worker and as a person.

The most common way in which to list your work experiences is in reverse chronological order, which means to start with your most recent job and work your way backwards. This allows a prospective employer to see your most recent (and often most important) job before seeing your past jobs. If you have very little work experience, include all of your jobs, no matter how short-term they were. Include all of the jobs that show experience related to your objective even if they were short term or unpaid. Include any job that’s not particularly related to your current job goal if they help to create a picture of your stability, but don’t describe them in detail. Include unpaid work if it helps to prove you have skills and experience or it fills in a gap in your work experiences. You could also include a period of training or education in your work experiences if that helps to fill in a gap.

Education

This section is the second most important part of your resume, as your education background is often a deciding factor in an employer’s decision to hire you. If you are looking for your first job, your education will most likely be your greatest asset, since your work experience will most likely be minimal. As with your work experience, you should list your most recent schooling first. If your education goes beyond high school, include any academic credentials and your degree, even if they aren’t directly related to your job goal. Generally, in this case you would omit the mention of high school. You can also mention college work even if you don’t plan to get a degree.

Skills

This section of your resume is for mentioning any special abilities that you have that could relate to the job you are seeking. In this part of the resume, you have the opportunity to demonstrate certain talents and experiences that are not necessarily part of your education or work experience. Some common examples include fluency in a language, or the knowledge of a particular computer program. Special skills can encompass a wide range of your talents – remember that whatever skills you list should relate to the job you are applying for.

Achievements

Here, you should list any awards, honours, or accomplishments that you have received / done. Typically these related back to your schooling, but can also be from work, sports, clubs, or other activities. Always be sure to include the name of the organization honouring you and the date(s) received.

References

References are not usually listed on the resume, but prospective employers need to know that you have a list of references available if they should request them. All that is necessary is to include in your resume regarding references is a sentence at the bottom stating, “References available upon request”. If a prospective employer requests your list of references, be sure to have one ready. Also, make sure you check with whomever you list to see if it is all right for you to use them as a reference. Forewarn them that they may receive a call regarding a reference for you. This way they can be prepared to give you the best reference possible.

Types of Resumes

There are three basic types of resumes: chronological, functional, and a combination of the two.

Chronological

A chronological resume is the more common structure, placing more emphasis on your job titles and your employment history. This is carried out by putting the focus on the Work Experience section, listing your previous jobs by date, and describing each in some detail.

Functional

A functional resume places emphasis on your major skills and accomplishments. This is carried out by placing a skills and accomplishments section at the beginning of the resume, while eliminating the description included with your list of past jobs, only including company names, titles and dates employed. This structure helps the reader see clearly what you can do for them, rather than having to read through the job descriptions to find out.

Combined

Sometimes you may find that the best structure for your resume is a combination of the chronological and functional structures. It may be a short chronology of job descriptions preceded by a short “Skills and Accomplishments” section, or it could also be a standard functional resume with the accomplishments under headings of different jobs held.

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