To make your task more manageable, you may want to enlist the help of employers, co workers, professors, friends, acquaintances, and anyone else who may recall some of your more memorable and noteworthy exploits.
Certain documents such as school transcripts, old job descriptions, and letters of recommendation could also come in handy. If you have trouble recalling the details of a job, you may want to consult the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (located in most major libraries), which offers a concise description for just about every occupation imaginable.
In compiling your personal history inventory, be as thorough and descriptive as possible. You can always edit later on. Also, although some of the information may not end up on the final draft of your resume, it may prove helpful when you fill out a job application. Because of this, always bring a copy of your completed inventory with you on interviews. You never know when you'll be asked to submit an employment application.
Informal Education
List the classes, seminars, and workshops you have attended that were not part of your formal curriculum. For example, perhaps you are taking private acting lessons, or maybe you attended several lectures and workshops at the American Psychological Association's national convention. Make sure to indicate the name of the class, the name and location of the organization that offered it, and the year you attended.
Work Experience
Include paid and volunteer positions, as well as internships.
Work Experience #1
- Name of employer _
- Employer's address _
- Type of business, industry, or field_
- Dates of employment (month and year)_
- Reason for leaving_
- Nome and phone number of direct supervisor (will this person be a reference?)_
- What were your major accomplishments on the job? (Were you promoted? Did you receive on award or special recognition for your service? What did you initiate, create, design, revamp?)
- What were your major job responsibilities? In what types of tasks or activities were you typically engaged? Try to recall and record what seem like even the most mundane and obvious responsibilities.
- What new knowledge or insights did you gain? Did you learn the ins and outs of how casting agencies operate or what makes Wall Street tick? This question is especially relevant for those who you have served as interns or volunteers.
While working in a non paid capacity it is quite common that one's responsibilities are rather menial and that the real value of the position is derived from being exposed to a field from the inside.
- What skills did you acquire or improve upon? (e.g., did you become adept at public speaking?)
List your participation in both school and extracurricular activities, such as student government, clubs and organizations (academic, career related, social, religious, political or service), fraternities and sororities, sports, publications, and hobbies (e.g., photography, guitar playing, and so on).
Skills
This list should be comprised mainly of your technical or "hard" skills. "Soft'' skills such as communicating, organizing, managing, and the like should be omitted from this section. For each of the skills you list, try to qualify your level of competency (beginning, intermediate, advanced). The categories below are by no means exhaustive, but they're a good place to start.
- Computers software packages, hardware, and programming languages
- Foreign languages specify whether and with what degree of proficiency you have the ability to write, read, speak, interpret, or translate
- Math and science statistics, research methodology, lab procedures
- Business cost accounting, financial analysis, economic forecasting
- Arts film editing, camera operation, set design, graphic design
You now have all the raw material necessary for the first draft of your resume, as well as a few chapters of your autobiography. Put your Personal History Inventory aside for now.
