What is a resume?

A resume is a one or two page summary of your education, skills, accomplishments, and experience.

Your résumé's purpose is to get your foot in the door. A resume does its job successfully if it does not exclude you from consideration.

To prepare a successful resume, you need to know how to review, summarize, and present your experiences and achievements on one or two pages.

Outline your achievements briefly and concisely.

Resume Types

CHRONOLOGICAL

The chronological resume is the more traditional structure for a resume. The Experience section is the focus of the resume; each job (or the last several jobs) is described in some detail, and there is no major section of skills or accomplishments at the beginning of the resume. This structure is primarily used when you are staying in the same profession, in the same type of work, particularly in very conservative fields. It is also used in certain fields such as law and academia

The advantages: May appeal to older, more traditional readers and be best in very conservative fields. Makes it easier to understand what you did in what job. May help the name of the employer stand out more, if this is impressive.

The disadvantage is that it is much more difficult to highlight what you do best. This format is rarely appropriate for

someone making a career change

FUNCTIONAL

The functional resume highlights your major skills and accomplishments from the very beginning. It helps the reader see clearly what you can do for them, rather than having to read through the job descriptions to find out. It helps target the resume into a new direction or field, by lifting up from all past jobs the key skills and qualifications to help prove you will be successful in this new direction or field. Actual company names and positions are in a subordinate position, with no

description under each.

Advantages: It will help you most in reaching for a new goal or direction. It is a very effective type of resume, and is highly recommended.

The disadvantage is that it is hard for the employer to know exactly what you did in which job, which may be a problem for some conservative interviewers.

COMBINED

A combined resume includes elements of both the chronological and functional formats. It may be a shorter chronology of job descriptions preceded by a short "Skills and Accomplishments" section (or with a longer Summary including a skills list or a list of "qualifications"); or, it may be a standard functional resume with the accomplishments under headings of different jobs held.

There are obvious advantages to this combined approach: It maximizes the advantages of both kinds of resumes, avoiding potential negative effects of either type.

One disadvantage is that it tends to be a longer resume. Another is that it can be repetitious: Accomplishments and skills may have to be repeated in both the "functional" section

and the "chronological" job descriptions.

PRESENTATION

The resume is visually enticing, a work of art. Simple clean structure. Very easy to read. Symmetrical. Balanced. As much white space between sections of writing as possible; sections of writing that are no longer than six lines, and shorter if possible.

There is uniformity and consistency in the use of italics, capital letters, bullets, boldface, and underlining. Absolute parallelism in design decisions. For example, if a period is at the end of one job's dates, a period should be at the end of all jobs' dates; if one degree is in boldface, all degrees should be in boldface.

There are absolutely no errors. No typographical errors. No spelling errors. No grammar, syntax, or punctuation errors. No errors of fact.

All the basic, expected information is included. A resume must have the following key information: your name, address, phone number, and your email address at the top of the first page, a listing of jobs held, in reverse chronological order, educational degrees including the highest degree received, in reverse chronological order.

Jobs listed include a title, the name of the firm, the city and state of the firm, and the years. Jobs earlier in a career can be summarized, or omitted if prior to the highest degree, and extra part-time jobs can be omitted. If no educational degrees have been completed, it is still expected to include some mention of education (professional study or training, partial study toward a degree, etc.) acquired after high school.

It has focus. A resume needs an initial focus to help the reader understand immediately. Don't make the reader go through the whole resume to figure out what your profession is and what you can do. Think of the resume as an essay with a title and a summative opening sentence. An initial focus may be as simple as the name of your profession ("Commercial Real Estate Agent," "Resume Writer") centered under the name and address; it may be in the form of an Objective; it may be in the form of a Summary Statement or, better, a Summary Statement beginning with a phrase identifying your profession.

Show you are results-oriented. Wherever possible, prove that you have the desired qualifications through clear strong statement of accomplishments, rather than a statement of potentials, talents, or responsibilities. Indicate results of work done, and quantify these accomplishment whenever appropriate. For example: "Initiated and directed complete automation of the Personnel Department, resulting in time-cost savings of over 25%." Additionally, preface skill and experience statements with the adjectives "proven" and "demonstrated" to create this results-orientation.

Writing is concise and to the point. Keep sentences as short and direct as possible. Eliminate any extraneous information and any repetitions. Don't use three examples when one will suffice. Say what you want to say in the most direct way possible, rather than trying to impress with bigger words or more complex sentences

Make it look great. Use a laser printer or an ink jet printer that produces high- quality results. A laser is best because the ink won't run if it gets wet. It should look typeset. Do not compromise. If you do, your resume will look pathetic next to ones that have a perfect appearance. Use a standard conservative typeface (font) in 11 or 12 point. Don't make them squint to read it. Use off-white, ivory or bright white 8 1/2 x 11-inch paper, in the highest quality affordable. If you are applying for a senior-level position, use Crane's 100% rag paper and make sure the water-mark is facing the right way. Use absolutely clean paper without smudges, without staples and with a generous border. Don't have your resume look like you squeezed too much on the page.

Shorter is usually better

The only useful rule is to not write one more word than you need to get them to pick up the phone and call you. Don't bore them with the details. Leave them wanting more. Remember, this is an ad to market you, not your life history.

Break it up. A good rule is to have no more than six lines of writing in any one writing "block" or paragraph (summary, skill section, accomplishment statement, job description, etc.). If any more than this is necessary, start a new section or a new paragraph.

Experience before education...usually. Experience sections should come first, before education, in most every case. This is because you have more qualifications developed from your experience than from your education. The exceptions would be 1) if you have just received or are completing a degree in a new professional field, if this new degree study proves stronger qualifications than does your work experience, 2) if you are a lawyer, with the peculiar professional tradition of listing your law degrees first, 3) if you are an undergraduate student, or 4) if you have just completed a particularly impressive degree from a particularly impressive school, even if you are staying in the same field, for example, an MBA from Harvard.

Telephone number that will be answered. Be sure the phone number on the resume will, without exception, be answered by a person or an answering machine Monday through Friday 8-5pm. You do not want to lose the prize interview merely because there was no answer to your phone, and the caller gave up. Include the area code of the telephone number. If you don't have an answering machine, get one. Include e-mail and fax numbers, if you have them.

INTERVIEWS

Having reviewed your resume, the company that you are interested in has just notified you that you will be coming in for an interview. As you feel this sense of elation and joy of getting passed this first roadblock, you may also feel a torturous knot in your stomach. The thought of an interview creates this uneasy feeling for a lot of people. Although some nervous energy is profitable in order to keep you on your toes during the interview, too much of it is detrimental to your success .

The interview is a means by which a company gets to know the individual better, analyze his/her analytical/problem-solving skills as well as to see if your personality would mesh well with the corporate culture of that enterprise.

This is all done in a very short time span, usually less than 30 minutes. This interview process is very important as it the vehicle by which you make an impression of yourself to the prospective employer. The ultimate goal is for the company to have a positive impression of you. The main goal is to come across politely and sincerely, promoting yourself as someone who would be an asset to their company as well as fusing well with the existing order.

Interview Preparation

Go in Relaxed

In preparation- you must try to do everything in your power to prepare yourself so when the day of the interview arrives you go in confident and most importantly relaxed.

Do your Research

Research the company and the industry. Make sure you know about the position you are applying for- what the company is all about as well as the success of the company. You can research this at a library through newspaper clippings or finding the Annual Report. The annual report is actually a very good means of learning about the company and its executive. You will be able to see its structure, services, growth, its forecasted growth as well as all its financial information. You might also be able to find a lot of this information on the internet. Go to the company’s website and do a search from there .

What is the Company's Interview Style

You might also want to find out as much as possible about the interview methods of the company or organization. Is it a one on one interview. Are you being interviewed by a panel? Are there other candidates in the room with you?- You might also want to try and find out if it is a one on one interview who it is that is interviewing. Knowing their name and proper pronunciation of it is key. Know what position they hold

within the company.

Learn from your Peers

If you are interviewing for a position in an industry that comes to recruit on campus every year (i.e. Investment Banking, Management Consulting), ask your peers who might of interviewed with them the preceding year, to give you their honest appraisal of the interview as well tips on what they were looking for. It is unlikely that from one year to the next the interview style would change dramatically. This way you can have a feel of what to expect.

Practice Makes Perfect

You can prepare yourself with practice questions- give yourself a mock interview. Practice until you are at ease with what flows out of your mouth. You do not want to sound too rehearsed but you want the answers to flow smoothly and confidently when asked. Be able to answer about what skills you can bring in to the company.

Line up a Few Questions for Them

At the end of the interview you will certainly have questions to ask the interviewer. Make sure to have these questions thought out in advance so that you sound on the ball when asking them. By having questions, it shows the interviewers) that you are sincerely interested in the job and in the company. Yet be careful- ask general questions about the company’s thoughts of expansion, or the long term goals of the company, or how they see the department evolving in the next few years. Try and stay away from questions about salary, or benefits. This will all come up in due time during final round interviewing or when an offer is made. You do not want to jump the gun.

Interview Presentation

Punctuality is Essential

This is fundamentally important- Be absolutely punctual for your interview. Be on the safe side and leave early. You never know when an accident on the road may occur, or when the subway inconveniently has mechanical problems. You cannot make an excuse if you are late. So leave an extra 15 minutes early so that you have a couple of minutes to compose yourself in the waiting room and go in relaxed. Even if you arrive on location half an hour early, grab a coffee, walk around and relax. You would like to enter the office and reception area approximately 10 minutes early.

Dress for the Job

Attire for an interview is important. Dress for the job. If you are interviewing at a tattoo parlor- you are aware that a suit is not necessary. If you are, however, interviewing in the financial world, dress conservatively. Even if it is for an industry such as advertising, where they are more relaxed about the dress code- go in for your interview in proper, suitable attire. You will never be penalized for overdressing (no bowtie or prom dress though). Just be well groomed. A proper and neat appearance for an interview is essential.

Know all the Facts

Make sure you know the proper name of the interviewer and its pronunciation. You do not want to embarrass yourself by mispronouncing it during the interview. If you have to, call up the company a few days ahead for them to spell the person’s name and ask them for the proper pronunciation.

No Limp Handshake

As useless as this may sound- have a firm handshake. Many people’s impression of others is grounded on that first initial handshake. A limp loose handshake is not liked. Do not break their hand with brute force, but a good solid handshake says a lot about a person.

Eye Contact is Key

Eye contact during the interview is fundamental. People with shifty eyes who look everywhere but at the person puts people on edge and may make them uncomfortable. Proper eye contact is just a sign of respect that you are paying attention to them and you are interested in the conversation or topic at hand. Make sure if your interview is in front of a panel of people to address all of them with your eyes. Even if only one individual is doing the asking, they are all there to evaluate you.

Sit Down when Asked to Sit

As you are invited into the interviewer’s office wait until he or she asks you to have a seat before making yourself comfortable. This is just the more polite thing to do.

Carry your Resume with You

Carry around a couple copies of your resume to the interview in case you get asked for one.

The Interview

Make sure you Understand the Question before you Answer

Since the main purpose of the interview is to gauge your responses to the interviewer’s questions make sure you properly understood the question. If it is not totally clear, ask them to either repeat the question or clarify it. The worst thing to do is to answer incorrectly because you misunderstood the question. If you do so or not content with your answer, there is room to redeem yourself. You might want to say that you would like to rephrase your answer.

Take your Time

Take the time you need during the interview. You might regret answering too quickly. You might have been able to answer more coherently and concisely if taken a little more time to formulate your answer in your head .

Honesty is the Best Policy

You want to come across as an honest person during the job interview. Be honest in your answers but make sure not to be too negative. Try and take a positive approach to your answers. You will come across much better.

Enthusiasm will take you Far

Be enthusiastic during the job interview. Someone who speaks in a monotonous tone and not excited by what he or she is talking about will quickly be forgotten.

Keep Calm

Do not fiddle with your pen or display any sort of nervous tick. Unfortunately the interviewer will catch it right away and may become annoyed. Knee shaking, nail biting, pen twirling are no-no’s during the interview.

Develop a Rapport with the Interviewer

Try and develop a rapport with the interviewer. Not all interviews are regimented question and answer periods. There is room for discussion and dialogue. You might feel comfortable right off the bat with your interviewer. You might even slip in some humour. Do not overdo it on the humour- the last thing you want is to offend someone or make them uncomfortable.

Do not Forget to Thank Them

When the job interview is concluded, do not forget to thank the interviewer for his/her time and that you are looking forward to hearing from them.

Second and Third Round Interviews

Although many of the information and questions posed to you in first round interviews may be posed to you once again in these final rounds, you are meeting with several people now. These are most probably individuals who are managers in the department you are seeking work rather than Human resources personnel. Specifics will be asked in these cases. There is also the possibility that the interview might not be held in a confined office, but during a dinner or a lunch. Here are some simple rules to follow if you are not sure of proper etiquette in this situation: