Appendix
a)
Resume Basics
How To Write A Job Winning Resume That Puts
Yours On Top
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If you're eager to write a great
resume, and cover letter to help you ace the job interview and
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Many people would love to get a better job. And
most of
these same people have the proper training and
skills to achieve
this goal. Unfortunately, so many job hunters
have very poor
communication skills. They are unable to clearly
tell potential
employers about their job qualifications. In
short, they do not
have good job seeking skills. In many cases,
this prevents them
from getting a high paying job that they could
easily do. Often,
the job will go to someone who is less skilled
but who has
written an eye-catching resume.
Often, job seekers have a few mistaken opinions
about
potential employers. They believe that employers
are able to
easily separate the qualified job applicants
from the less
qualified applicants. But this is likely not
true. Sometimes
there are from 30 to 300 resumes for the same
job. So the
interviewer first does a fast screening of all
the resumes to
eliminate as many as possible. The "good"
resumes usually make it
through the screening process. Many times the
best job candidate
is screened out due to a poor resume.
In today's business world there is often many
qualified
applicants applying for the same job. What if,
out of all of
those who apply, one job seeker turns in a
skillful resume? Who
do you think stands the best chance of getting
the job? It's the
one with the "best" resume, of course. This is
so often true even
through some of the other applicants may be
better qualified for
the job.
In order to get a good job you must communicate
to the
employer that you are ready, willing, and able
to do the job. So
if you are capable of producing a top notch job
resume, you
definitely increase your chances of getting a
better job.
Virtually every potential employer will want to
see a resume
from you. The resume will determine who gets a
job interview.
Your resume is a mini-statement about yourself.
After reading
your resume the employer should have a better
"feel" for you as a
person and as a potential employer. It serves to
get acquainted
with the employer so that they can decide if
they want to know
more about you.
The resume is the first step, your introduction
to an
employer. First impressions really do count. If
you make a poor
first impression, you'll never get to step two
-- the job
interview.
To the purpose of your resume is to make a good
first impression.
In effect, your resume should tell the employer
that you have
good abilities and are truly interested in
working. This report
will help you make that good first impression.
And it could very
well help you to get the better job you're
looking for.
RESUME BASICS
All good resumes follow the same general basic
guidelines. While
there is some flexibility in these guidelines,
you don't want to
stray too far from them. You want a resume that
is bold,
exciting, and enticing. But not too much so. You
also want a
resume that is somewhat conservative. In other
words, it must be
bold. Not flashy. You must show that you have
confidence in your
abilities, but not sound like a braggart. You
must sound eager to
do the job, but not desperate. So there is a
fine line that you
must walk in order to produce the best possible
resume.
You want to use intelligent language. However,
you don't
want to try and impress the employer with long,
flowery, or
uncommon words or phrases. Use everyday language
whenever
possible. Of course, if you are applying for a
highly technical
position, it's acceptable to use some of the
special terms used
in that particular profession. But as a rule you
should keep it
simple and straight to the point.
The word resume comes from the French word
"resumer" which
means to summarize. So the exact purpose of a
resume is to
summarize your experience, knowledge, and
accomplishments.
Therefore, you must avoid being too wordy. Say
exactly what you
mean in the least number of words
possible.
The length of your resume is important. Resumes
should be
from 1 to 3 pages long. Don't be tempted to make
your resume
longer than 3 pages, even if you have a lot to
tell. Remember, a
resume is supposed to be a summary. A resume
that is too long
simply will bore the reader. There will be so
much material that
nothing will stand out and be
remembered.
RESUME APPEARANCE
The overall appearance of your resume is also
important. A
sloppy looking resume will greatly lessen your
chance of getting
a job interview. The first thing that an
employer, or personnel
manager, evaluating your resume will notice is
its appearance.
There are several different things that can be
easily done to
increase the overall appearance of your
resume.
The first of these appearance factors is the
paper that your
resume is printed on. There are many different
kinds of paper
other than regular typing paper. You could make
an improvement by
using a colored paper. I suggest a subdued color
like brown, off-
white, or gray.
Next, you could use a better grade of paper. Go
to a local
office supply store and examine the different
types of writing
paper. You'll notice some big differences. Pick
out a nice
looking, more expensive grade of paper for your
resume.
The next thing to consider is the quality of the
material
that is typed onto the resume. Never use a low
quality typewriter
to type your resume. If necessary, rent a good
quality
typewriter. Then make certain that it has a
fresh ribbon in it.
It's very important that you make sure the
writing on your resume
looks good. This means clean, crisp, and sharp
looking letters.
Another good way to produce a top looking resume
is by
having it typeset. If your resume was produced
using a computer
and saved on a disk, you can hire a commercial
typesetter who can
use this file. Or, you can locate another
computer user who owns
a laser printer. Laser printers can produce a
good grade of
typeset documents. The other alternative is to
find a local word
processing service that can typeset your resume
for you.
You can use the typeset master copy of your
resume to make
more copies. But be certain that you use a top
notch copying
machine. Otherwise, you'll still end up with
poor looking
resumes. Another alternative is to have the
typesetter produce as
many original copies as you need to ensure that
they all look
good.
A third aspect of your resume's appearance is
more
subjective. It takes into account such things as
the letter
spacing, how each section is arranged, and it's
overall
appearance. Some resumes simply look better
because of the way
they have been designed. At the end of this
report, you'll see an
example of a properly prepared
resume.
Never overcrowd the resume. Leave some "white
space" so that
important points can appear to pop out. Never
submit a resume
with handwritten corrections. You can highlight
sections of a
resume by using a different typeface or size or
by using
"bullets." If possible, use larger
letters for the headings used
in the separate sections of the
resume.
Never try to be too fancy by using wild colors,
cute
graphics, and so forth. Don't be overly
creative. A simple,
straightforward, factual resume will do nicely.
Make it stand
out, but stay conservative.
Another phase of your résumé’s appearance is its
accuracy.
Make sure there are no misspelled words!
Mistakes will create the
wrong image.
Make sure that the punctuation is correct. And
make sure
that all of your columns line up. See that all
of your facts are
correct. Don't say you attended 3 years of
college, but only show
two years worth of grades. Potential employers
will note all
inaccuracies and wonder why they appear in your
resume.
OPTIONAL DATA
There is a variety of personal data that may be
somewhat
controversial if included in your resume. In the
past it was
acceptable to include all kinds of personal
data, but times and
laws have changed. Affirmative Action laws have
made it illegal
to discriminate based on such things as age,
sex, marital status,
race, religion, and so forth. Therefore, most
experts recommend
against placing this kind of personal data into
your resume.
Your salary requirements should not be listed in
the resume,
if you can avoid it. The reason is that if you
put too low of a
salary, you might be paid less than the real
value of the job. If
you put down a figure that's too high, you may
not get considered
for the job. If an employer likes you, it may be
possible to
negotiate a higher salary during the interview
stage.
Another thing that your resume doesn't need is
your
photograph. Potential employers can decide if
they are interested
in you after reading your resume. They can see
what you look like
during the interview.
RESUME STYLES
There are several styles of resumes along with
numerous
variations. Your experience and the kind of job
you are applying
for will help to determine the style of resume
you use. The two
basic styles are: Chronological Resumes and
Functional Skills
Resumes. Some of the variations include the main
themes of
business, academic, general, student, standard,
professional, or
engineering.
A Chronological Resume lists work experience in
reverse
chronological order (the most recent experience
first). It
includes some descriptive text about each
position, usually
described in about one paragraph.
This type of resume offers several advantages:
it is widely
accepted, they are easy to read, and they show a
clear pattern of
your development. The disadvantages include: it
does not
highlight your major accomplishment(s), nor do
they effectively
show your other skills.
Functional Skills Resumes highlight your skills
and
accomplishments rather than providing a
chronological record of
your job history. Your accomplishments and
skills are listed at
the beginning. Your job history is listed at the
end of the
resume.
This type of resume allows you to call attention
to your
achievements. The major disadvantage is that
employers may find
it difficult to follow your work
experience.
Many people discover that a combination of these
two kinds
of resumes is the best way to go. You may want
to try several
different types of combinations before settling
upon a final
design.
WRITING YOUR RESUME
Some specific topics that your resume should
cover are:
(1) Job Objective -- lets the employer know that
you are
interested in a specific type of work. This can
be done in 2 or 3
sentences.
Example: work in an analytical chemistry
laboratory that
focuses on environmental samples. Oversee and
coordinate the
activities of other lab technicians.
(2) Summary of Qualifications -- is a short
paragraph that
summarizes your experience and skills. Example:
I have 8 years
experience working on all p samples for metals
C. Used CLIP and
SW846 methods phases of analytical
chemistry.
Including work with a wide variety of
instruments and computers.
Was second-in-command of a lab with 8
technicians.
(3) Professional Skills -- is the section where
you give
specific details about your qualifications.
Example:
INSTRUMENTS
OPERATED
A. Atomic Absorption Spectrometer
B. Microwave Digestion System
C. Polarograph
D. Laser Fluorimeter
E. IBM Computers
ADMINISTRATION
A. Supervised 8 technicians when the Department
head
was absent.
ANALYSIS
A. Waste oils for metals
B. Water and soil
(4) Work Experience -- in this section you give
a one
paragraph summary for each of your previous
jobs. This should
include starting and ending date, reason for
leaving, job title
and duties, and any special accomplishments for
each of the jobs.
(5) Education -- gives a summary of all schools
attended,
degrees earned, and special seminars or training
courses that you
have attended.
(6) Honors and Awards -- it's a good idea to
list any
special awards you have received.
(7) Personal -- information about your hobbies
and
activities should be included.
(8) Others -- professional organizations that
you belong to,
computer or programming skills, articles or
books published.
(9) References -- you can state something like,
"references
available upon request," or list at least 3 on
your resume.
It's important to include all of the basic
information on
your resume. But, what is also important, is the
way you say it.
Don't use dull, lifeless statements. Instead use
action words.
Here are some typical action words:
Accelerated, achieved, advised, approved,
assisted, built,
calculated, completed, conceived, controlled,
coordinated,
created, decreased, defined, designed,
developed, directed,
earned, edited, engineered, evaluated, found,
generated,
implemented, improved, invented, managed,
operated, organized,
planned, proved, revised, scheduled, tested,
trained, verified,
wrote.
These words give the correct impression that you
have been
responsible for do different kinds of jobs
tasks. In other words,
you weren't just a follower. Of course, you
should always be
truthful. Don't try to oversell yourself by
claiming you did
things that you didn't do.
As you can see, a resume is really a very simple
document.
It is not that difficult to produce a good
resume, if you follow
the simple steps outlined in this report. By
dividing it into
sections it becomes a much easier job. These
different sections
also help you to stay organized. If you have
worked on a special
project or had a lofty responsibility on a
previous job, you may
want to include that in a section all by itself.
Example: "I
organized a training department for AMCO
Scientific and was
responsible for overseeing the production of
training lessons."
Another good way to get familiar with proper
resume writing
techniques is to review a good resume. There's
an example
included in this report. You can use it as a
model. Then produce
several different resumes for yourself until you
find the best
possible combinations for your specific skills.
You may also want
to have a friend to read your resume and point
out any problems.
UNCOVERING JOBS
Many people do not have good job hunting skills.
They are
not experts at locating job openings for which
they may be
qualified. Here are some ideas to help you
uncover those jobs.
NEWSPAPER ADS -- usually draw the greatest
number of
applicants, so you'll end up with a lot of
competition. If you
have no geographic restrictions, you may want to
check out of
state newspapers.
Find a way to make your resume stand out so that
it isn't
lost among the many applicants. Here are a
couple of ideas:
(1) Send a customized cover letter with your
resume.
(2) Call before you send the resume in. If
possible, talk to
the person who will be doing the interview or
who you'll be
working for. If this isn't possible, talk to the
personnel
director about the job and let them know that
your resume is
coming. This will help them to remember your
name and may help
you get through the resume screening
process.
PRIVATE EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES -- these are
agencies that try
to match employees and employers. These agencies
vary in the way
they work. Some can be very helpful. Others are
somewhat
unscrupulous.
Your best chance is to go with an agency that
specializes in
your field. Beware of agencies that continually
run the same ad
because, often, they are just trying to build a
list of
candidates. I recommend that you only use
agencies that don't
require you to pay a fee.
TRADE JOURNALS AND PERIODICALS -- Are often the
best places
to look. This is one of the primary means of job
advertisement
for some types of professions. Example: The
magazine
Environmental Science continually carries ads
for environmental
professionals.
Other good places to look include: trade shows
and
professional conventions, personnel offices,
college placement
offices, friends you have that are in the same
profession as you.
Another method is to simply go through the
yellow pages and
look for companies which may need a person with
your skills. Then
contact these companies by phone and follow-up
by sending in your
resume.
Job seeking is a skill that requires
persistence. You must
not become discouraged. Keep making plenty of
contacts. Sooner or
later, you'll find the job that's right for
you.
SAMPLE RESUME
Jerry Jobseeker
12345 Main St.
Anytown,
U.S.A.
555-5555
SKILLS
Professional Skills: Experienced in operating a
wide variety of
analytical instruments including, Flame
and
Furnace AA, Microwave digestion, Laser
flourimeter, and more.
Familiar with the full range of EPA and
CLIP
methods and protocols for inorganic
analysis
Expert with IBM-PC computers and have over
ten
years of computer experience.
BUSINESS
EXPERIENCE
1971 to 1977
Austin Powder Company, McAuthur, Ohio
Chemistry
Chemist:
Performed a wide range of chemical
analysis
on
raw materials, finished products and
competitor's samples. Used classical wet
chemistry methods.
1977 to 1982
Mead Paper Company, Chillicothe, Ohio
Mead Research
Paper
Technologist:
Worked to improve paper formulations,
solve
problems, and improve quality using pilot
plant and mill studies. Performed a wide
range of paper tests, wrote reports, and
evaluated results.
1982 to Present
Martin Marietta, Piketon, Ohio
Senior Chemist:
Performed a full range of analytical
methods
for metals on all types of samples (soil,
water, air, waste samples). Responsible
for
quality control and in charge of
department
supervising 14 technicians when supervisor
was absent.
EDUCATION
Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
BS in Chemistry, 1971
Minor: History, Math
GPA: 2.4 Concentrated in inorganic
chemistry
PROFESSIONAL
SOCIETIES
1975 to Present
American Chemical Society
PERSONAL DATA
I am very active with a number of hobbies
including: golf, gardening, baseball,
computers, and writing. I have authored a
number of books about computers and
various
chemical related subjects.
REFERENCES
Available upon request.
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