This type of resume is a very effective outgrowth of the letter of application that was in common use until very recently, and that it was customary to present in person when calling on manufacturing plants, work shops, construction projects, mechanical establishments and similar organizations. It is very well suited to a semiskilled worker who is looking for a job locally or who wishes to relocate elsewhere. The basic resume is also well suited to those who enjoy physical exertion, like to follow instructions, enjoy the outdoors, possess manual and finger dexterity and are mechanically inclined.
This is a simple type of resume, elementary in its presentation. It has proved helpful not only to those who think they don't need a resume, but also to blue-collar workers and skilled manual craftsmen. In this resume you record any past work experience you have had, including part-time or summer work.
You also note in this resume the work you have done as a trainee, or under an on-the-job program, or as a regular employee, as well as the details of the formal education you have had, together with the applicable dates. To these facts you can add any skills you have developed in volunteer work you may have engaged in, or in the pursuit of leisure-time activities. Such a vocational pursuits or hobbies can sometimes be the means of acquiring valuable skills and experience.
The basic resume can be said to resemble a letter of application. It is prepared in the form of a letter, or what is known as a curriculum vitae.
Before you apply for a particular job, ieam some thing about the firm and its products or the services it offers. Possessing this information will give you confidence and will also, during the interview, impress the interviewer.
When you are about to start for your interview, make a list of the names, addresses and telephone numbers of former employers, and of persons who will provide references as to your qualifications and character. On this list also outline your personal traits, such as being quick to anger or being impatient about taking orders from others. Doing this will help you acquire self-discipline and give you a feeling of self-assurance during a job interview.
If you have any disability, it is a good idea to mention it, because a job offered you might entail activities for which you are not fit physically. It is best to be honest about this to avoid embarrassment later. Or you may be willing to accept a position that other applicants refuse. For example, a job might call for late-evening hours or for working some weekends, or it might be in a neighborhood that is regarded as undesirable. If you are willing to overlook such undesirable aspects the employer might be favorably inclined to ward you.
As we have already said, the basic resume can be regarded as curriculum vitae, or a very descriptive letter, especially suited to an unskilled or semiskilled person. It presents information on paper that usually (before the basic resume was devised) was presented verbally. It is really a modem development of the old verbal form, over which it is a decided improvement, since it presents all information about the applicant in a graphic, well-organized manner.
Dividing your personal information under the following headings will make a very interesting basic resume:
- Name and address.
- Kind of position wanted.
- Personal data: date of birth, condition of health, height, weight, marital status, number of children if any, willingness to relocate, etc.
- Work experience: what kind of work you have done up to the present, and what relation it has to the job you want.
- Training: what kind of schooling you have had. Did you learn your trade by means of an on-the-job program, or did you learn it through serving an apprenticeship?
- Of what organizations, societies or unions are you a member?
- State if your salary is open to negotiation or, if you are a union man or woman, whether it is in accord with union requirements. Also, if you are willing to relocate, you might bring up the matter of whether the salary of the job you are seeking is in line with your earnings in your previous job, particularly as regards the current cost of living.
PERSONAL DATA
This entry should include information on the fol lowing, or on the entries that you consider more important:
Age Citizenship Number of children Height Weight Physical limitations (if any) Birth place Single or married (optional) State of health
WORK RECORD
List your former positions and give as much infor mation as possible about each job, and length of experience in each field that interests you. Put all information in writing; later, you can extract perti nent sections for the resume you are preparing.
EMPLOYMENT YOU ARE TRYING TO SECURE
The kind of work you are willing to accept and for which you consider yourself better qualified.
WILLING TO RELOCATE
Somewhere in. the resume you should mention whether you are willing or not willing to relocate.
SALARY
Specify if the salary is open to negotiation, or the minimum salary that is acceptable, or whether you will take what the employer offers.
REFERENCES
Write down the names and addresses of persons or companies that will give you a reference. Use your judgment as to their importance or recency.
SERVICE
If you have any military background and there is a possibility of matching the work done in the armed forces to the job you are seeking, it can be helpful to mention it.
