Resumes 101

By Jayne Hayden

Career Resource Centre Manager

University of Waterloo

We'd like to think that an employer will pick up our resume, thoughtfully analyze it, and discover we're perfect for the job. The truth is, however, that for most jobs, employers have stacks of resumes to go through, and will probably spend no more than 30 seconds scanning each one, looking for any excuse - no matter how small - to eliminate it, in order to shrink that pile.

A good resume is a marketing tool. It is a well-structured, easy-to-read presentation of your accomplishments, skills, and work history, designed to convince a potential employer to invite you to an interview.

Here are some tips to help you survive the first cut and keep you in the running:

· Target the employer. Effective resumes must be targeted to the employers to whom they are sent. Employers want to see why you are specifically applying to them as well as what you have to offer. This will also help you decide what is relevant to include, as well as what to leave out.

· Highlight your skills and accomplishments. It is imperative that your resume highlights those skills and accomplishments that meet the employer's needs. Include a “Skills Summary” section as the first section in your resume, and ensure you list only job-relevant skills and accomplishments there (which are truly reflective of you!) in decreasing order of importance (four to six points.) This is the snapshot of you and quickly tells the employer whether you have what s/he is looking for. The rest of the resume provides proof for what you claim here.

· Use only accurate and honest information . All information that is included on your resume should be accurate and honest. You must be able to prove the facts you have stated.

· Use action verbs . These help to create a sense of action, making your experiences stronger and more vivid in the employer's mind. Avoid use of such verbs as “assisted,” “participated in,” and “involved in,” as these do not give a clear picture of what you actually did.

· Keep descriptions as short as possible . After you get the initial idea down on paper (or computer), edit it until you have eliminated any superfluous language and are left with the essence of the idea. Make it easy for the employer to quickly read what you have done and accomplished. Use bulleted points instead of complete sentences and paragraphs. You will need to spell out acronyms, however, and do briefly describe any awards, etc. that are not readily understandable.

· Quantify wherever possible . Use of numbers and percentages help to demonstrate the extent and success of your accomplishments.

· Show your ability to communicate effectively . Resumes and cover letters (also very important!) are two documents that give you an opportunity to show how well you express yourself. They also reveal your writing style and your written communication skills. Employers pay close attention to phrasing, grammar, typos, and clarity. They often make decisions on this information alone, and, in fact, many discard resumes on the basis of typos alone.

· Do include your activities and interests . These help the employer relate to you and to get a better picture of who you are as a person. With regard to volunteer work, a prevailing attitude in the business world these days is that community is important, and companies want their employees to participate in community affairs, so be sure to include this information as well.

The above is an excerpt from The Last Job Search Guide You'll Ever Need: How to Find and Get the Job or Internship of Your Dreams, which is available for sale for $19.85 in our bookstore or $27.00 at Amazon.com but for free to those who subscriber to our free career newsletter. This hot new book contains job search secrets of the most experienced, most knowledgeable and most respected career experts. Learn career planning, job hunting tools and tactics, interviewing, cover letter and resume writing (lots of samples!), networking, and how to find an internship. Written by 149 career experts. To receive a free copy, subscribe to our free career newsletter.

Career Videos