Your Resume is your calling card. It is an overview. It should not tell everything about you. Rather, it should summarize your past accomplishments and imply what you can accomplish in the future.

Since your resume is usually the first impression a future employer has of you it should be short (no more than two pages) and easy to read.

All resumes should contain certain vital information, including:

Heading: Name, address and telephone number(s).

Professional Objective: a concise statement of what you want to do.

Summary of Qualifications: A concise statement summarizing experience, areas of expertise, technical or professional skills, traits, and any distinctions. It includes the strongest arguments for hiring you and is one of the first sections the employer will see. It should emphasize key information detailed in the body of the resume.

Employment History: company names, years employed and job titles should be included.

Responsibilities Statement: A summary of information selected from your job description, special assignments and general duties. Be sure to add all duties in which your future employer might be interested. One paragraph summarizing a recent job and one sentence for older jobs is adequate.

Accomplishment Statement: Statements that show your achievements and contributions to an organization are key tools that any future employer will be looking for. Include three or four for you most recent job and one or two for older jobs.

Education: A summary of your educational background including your highest degree, university and date. If you are a recent graduate it helps to include more details regarding special organizations you to which you belonged.

Professional Development and Training: List additional training or courses that support and are relevant to your job objective.

Memberships and Publications: Include memberships and offices held in professional associations as well as a list of any publications that may be relevant to your objective.

Resume Formats

There are many different types of resume formats in the marketplace. The two most common formats are the chronological resume and the functional resume. Sometimes a combination of the two is used.

The Chronological Resume

The chronological format is the most frequently used resume format. It lists work experience in reverse time sequence with an emphasis on responsibilities and accomplishments.

Because it is most frequently used, it is the most accepted form. Many employers are suspicious of a functional resume and would rather review a chronological resume. It provides clear information on job titles, areas of responsibility and periods of employment for each employer. Accomplishments are clearly tied to companies and time frames. The chronological format spells out your job history from the most recent job backwards, with the most recent job having the greatest emphasis.

The Functional Resume

The functional resume format is designed to stress the qualifications of the job seeker with less emphasis on specific employers and dates. Some functional formats don’t even include a work history. The functional format is particularly suited for individuals wanting to make a significant change in career. The decision to use a functional resume should be carefully weighed against the reality that most employers prefer a chronological resume.

Key Points to Remember

Support all activities and accomplishments with specific results and benefits: the more specific the details of your accomplishments the more impressive to the future employer.

Use a direct, active writing style. Make your statements short sentences. Begin sentences with action words.

Remember, keep the resume to one or two pages. Employers simply do not have the time to read a lengthy document and it gives them an excuse to put your resume aside.

Be aware of gaps in your work history and give explanations where necessary.

Do not include extraneous information, such as personal information, that does not support your objective.
In the end, proofread your resume carefully for correct spelling, punctuation and grammar. Have an independent, detail-minded person proofread for errors you may have missed. There is no greater turnoff for a future employer than a resume loaded with errors.