Preparing Your Resume with Traditional Tools

What position are you seeking? This question can be answered in your job objective statement. This brief statement is located at the top of your resume and describes the kind of job you want. It is optional; however, if you do use one, be careful not to be too specific or too vague. The job objective statement is tricky to use, because the company may not be looking for someone who exactly matches your job objective. You should either change it so that it is appropriate for every company you give your resume to or do not mention it at all. Here are some examples of job objective statements:

• Seeking a position as a General Manager in the food service industry.
• Seeking a position as a biologist in a research lab, specializing in fisheries biology.
• Seeking a position as an editorial assistant in book publishing.
  

What skills, abilities and knowledge do you possess? These qualifications should be in the form of accomplishment statements, using strong action words to alert employers of your qualifications. As you acquire more work experience, your skills and abilities become the most important items on your resume. Use "measurable accomplishments," such as how many people you have trained or how much you increased production to discuss your skills and abilities. You could have learned or used these skills or abilities on the job, or through an extra-curricular activity. Any skill or knowledge that you possess is applicable in your resume.



Examples:

1. Established and maintained membership services for 5,000 members on a database system, decreasing the cost of contacting them by twenty percent.
2. Researched, catalogued, and compiled water treatment reports using Lotus 1-2-3.
3. Organized fifty volunteers for a "Glean Up the Streets" campaign in which #2,000 of recyclable material was collected.
   

What is your work history? Your work history can be summarized either functionally or chronologically. Examples of both are seen in the next section. Employers are looking for two things: relevant experience for the position they are filling and/or a consistent work record. You could have held a position totally unrelated to the position they are seeking to fill, but if you show adaptability, they may take a look at you. They want to see that you have been active working or volunteering, and that you show a desire to accomplish something and be productive. If you have never held a "real" job, you can list things like baby-sitting, mowing lawns, or other similar experiences. For example:

Sept. 92 - Present Card Gage of America

Summer 1992 Riverside Pool

Sept. 91 - May 92 Kelly Services

Summer 1991 Volunteer for Special Olympics

List three jobs or activities in which you have been involved that have been important to you and that could help you land a job.

Have you held any positions that demonstrate a desire to accept responsibilities or utilize leadership skills? Employers like to see that you can take on responsibility and that they will not have to hold your hand every step of the way. These skills could have come from anywhere-leadership on a team, handling money, managing a store, or chairing a committee at school. You can highlight these skills in separate accomplishment statements or highlight them under a special heading such as LEADERSHIP SKILLS. For example:

" Presided over membership meetings for a national management chapter.

" Taught aerobics four nights a week to a class of 200.

" Coordinated food service for seminars and conferences for a national hotel.

List three situations where you held responsibility or showed leadership skills that would aid you in landing a job.

Do you participate in any extra-curricular activities or volunteer services? Well-rounded applicants are the top choice of most employers. Employers want to see someone who can be a team player and has other interests besides grades. If you are in school, your participation in activities outside the classroom or volunteer services shows that you can juggle several tasks at once; you can organize your time and still do well in school, and you would probably lend a hand at work or put in extra hours to see that a project reached its completion. For example:

" Basketball team member

" National Guard member

" Vacation Bible School Teacher

List three activities you participated in outside of the classroom that would help you land a job.

Do you have any education or training? Listing your education and training may sometimes be a prerequisite to landing a job. For instance, if you are a teacher, you must show that you received your degree in order to teach at a certain level. Also, if you are interested in any type of work that requires certification, you will need to highlight your certification in your resume. As a general rule, your educational experience becomes less important as you acquire more work experience. But in some cases, it is the most important qualification you can list.

Examples:

" Bachelor of Business Administration degree, Marshall University, Huntington, WV

" State of Nebraska: Elementary Education Teacher (Multi-Subject, K - 8)

" Certificate of Automotive Repair, Franklin Institute of Technology, Charleston, SC

" UNITED STATES AIR FORCE, Indiana Air National Guard, Interior Electrician, E5 - Staff Sergeant

List any education or training that would be important on your resume.

Who will recommend you? This question concerns your references-people who can vouch for your performance on the job. Your references are usually former employers, people who have seen you volunteer, or who know you as a student. If someone is interested in hiring you, they may want to contact your references. You should be ready to supply a list of people they can contact. Some job applicants state that their "References are available upon request" at the bottom of their resume-that is a matter of preference.

A reference could also come in the form of a letter of recommendation. This letter could describe you as a hard worker, pleasing to work with, willing to go the extra mile for a deadline, or as an outstanding performer. An employer may or may not hire you based on what your reference says about you. Make sure the references you choose will give a favorable impression of you if they are called. Do not send your list of references or letters of recommendation with your resume and cover letter prior to the employer asking for them. Employers don't want to sort through a lot of information, especially if it was not requested.

If you were gathering your list of references, who would you include? Name three professional references and three personal references who would supply a favorable reference for you.