 |
()
Ideally, a resume is a concisely written summary
of professional expertise, experience, skills and accomplishments.
It may include the following sections:
Contact Information
Career Objective
Work Experience including volunteer work
Education/Training
Honours/Awards
Personal interests may be included to the extent
that they relate to the prospective position.
References should be provided during the interview
and only upon request. A formal statement that references are
available upon request is a good way to end the resume.
Detailed listings of specialized technical skills
and academic publications should be included in appendices and
NOT in the body of the resume.
Resume Style/ Content
There are countless resume styles and formats to choose from.
Your ideal style will depend on your personality, personal and
professional background and career goals. Whether or not to tailor
your resume to each position is a matter of personal preference.
However, if you do so, it is important to keep track of the different
resume versions. If your resume is generic, your cover letter
should draw the parallels between your resume and the prospective
position. The following is a list of tips on writing the body
of the resume:
Be concise yet specific
Remember that your resume is a summary. Include only information
that would be of interest to an employer. Outline just the last
15-20 years of your work history. If you are a seasoned professional,
the best way to address this is with a summary statement in your
cover letter indicating your years of industry experience. Leave
out personal information such as your height, weight, marital
status etc. as well as salary expectations. Do not include copies
of transcripts, letters of recommendation or awards. Use the interview
as an opportunity to present this information.
Choose your words carefully
The wording of your resume should reflect the level of position
and salary that you are seeking. For example, if you are seeking
a management position, choose words that emphasize your initiative,
supervisory abilities and competence. Analyze the job ad for key
words. Try to write in verb phrases and not sentences. Do not
use personal pronouns. In addition, always remember to check your
spelling and grammar.
Prioritize the content
Use a reverse chronological approach (most recent information
first) and include specific dates. In addition, be sure to list
the most important information first to grab the reader's attention.
Remember that busy recruiters and employers will only give each
resume an initial 5-10 second glance.
Appearances
Your resume should have a unified appearance with consistencies
in type settings, margins, spacing, page breaks and fonts For
most professional and technical positions your resume should be
e-mailed. This will avoid problems caused by scanning and character
recognization. Make sure to check that it is in a format that
any application can read. If you are uncertain, send it out in
multiple versions (i.e. MS Word and Rich Text Format). Don't cut
and paste your resume. It is best to send your cover letter and
resume as one attachment. In addition, don't use fancy fonts that
are not commonly distributed. Finally, be sure that your e-mail
address is professional.
No Excuses
Do not include a statement of the reason that you are no longer
working with a particular organization. If necessary, address
this during the interview process.
Honesty
Never fabricate information to impress. While it is important
to present yourself in a positive light, only do so to the extent
that you are fully able to justify your claims. Your resume should
be as accurate as possible.
Handling Special Circumstances
1. Being out of work-Include any interim activities
relating to employment such as self-employment, volunteer
work etc.
2. Being Fired-Include this employer on your resume to avoid
appearing dishonest. However, be sure to prepare yourself
on how to address this during the interview.
3. Varied Job History/Changing Careers/Too Little Experience-If
your work experience is sparse, varied and/or unrelated to
your present career goals, you may wish to write a skills-based
resume. This will give you the ability to sell yourself based
on your transferable skills. If you choose this format make
sure you include your career history in reverse-chronological
order with your title, dates and a brief description of your
duties as well.
4. Lack of Education-You may opt to omit the education section
entirely or alternately, to outline specific courses completed,
even if you did not obtain the degree/diploma.
The Cover Letter
Your cover letter should be written in standard business
letter format, with proper spelling and grammar (consult a writing
handbook if necessary). Once you have chosen your ideal format,
reflect on what you want to communicate. Ideally, your letter
should be personalized. Obtain the name of the hiring manager
so that you can formally address him/her. In addition, include
information about the organization in your letter. Some good sources
of company information include brochures, annual reports or web-sites.
Most importantly however, your cover letter
should explain why you are ideal for the job. It should concisely
summarize your RELEVANT work experience, education/training and
personal/professional skills/expertise as it relates to the position
that you are applying for. It should also highlight your professional
accomplishments and relay how they relate to the job in question.
It is important that your letter draw parallels between your strengths
as a candidate and the position in question.
Sample Resume 1-Traditional Style
|
|
| CAREER
OBJECTIVE: |
A
sales management position that will challenge my customer
service, administrative and interpersonal skills.
|
| EDUCATION: |
1985,
M.Sc., Biochemistry, McGill University
1980, B.Sc., Chemistry, University of Western Ontario
|
EMPLOYMENT
EXPERIENCE:
|
Sales Manager, JBS Pharmaceuticals,
Eastern Ontario Division, 1996-present
Responsibilities/Achievements:
Managed 6,000 customer accounts
Supervised and trained 150 sales reps
Developed and administered reward program
Tools/Techniques: Verilog, Cadence, Synopsis, TCP/IP, etc
Sales Associate, Dynamic Pharmaceuticals,
1990-96
Responsibilities/Achievements:
Achieved record sales growth
Initiated and developed and new customer
relations
Administered existing client profiles
Tools/Techniques: Verilog, Cadence, Synopsis, TCP/IP, etc
Sales Representative, Chemist Biomaterials, 1985-90
Responsibilities/Achievements:
Continuously exceeded annual sales goals
Created client sales presentations
Maintained customer service for existing
clients
Tools/Techniques: Verilog, Cadence, Synopsis, TCP/IP, etc
|
| VOLUNTEER
WORK: |
Chemistry
Instructor, United College, 1990-present
Co-designed course material for up to 40
students
Supervised and monitored student progress
|
| PROFESSIONAL
AFFILIATIONS:
|
Executive
Director, The Chemists' Club, 1986-present
President, The Biochemistry Society, 1984-87
Member, Chemistry Today, 1980-present
|
| HONOURS/AWARDS: |
Volunteer
of the Year, The Chemists' Club, 1995
|
| |
|
| References
Available Upon Request |
| |
|
()
|
|
