On a quick scan (which is all you can count on your resume receiving), the next area that demands the reader's attention is the "education" section, with Abigail's summer business seminar listed first.Again, she has prominently positioned the most relevant item to entry into the industry as a manager: the summer business seminar courses in management and marketing.
Notice that the descriptions of her various positions are written in an abbreviated style.This allows Abigail not only to give the impression that she understands that the reader's time is valuable, but also to use concise, active phrases to strengthen the impact of each idea: top sales rep; served customers; supervised; performed.
Abigail's resume has been set in an attractive, easy to read typeface (Times Roman), although a word processor's standard typewriter face (such as Courier), could have been substituted without any real change in the overall professional appearance.The resume has plenty of whitespace, does not appear to overwhelm the reader with facts,and is confined to one page.
The Functional Resume
With a functional resume, Abigail is able to distill her experiences into a format that latest presents her back ground as it relates to the job she's trying to get in this case, a sales related one.Note that this resume is of particular interest to an employer in the shoe industry,but demonstrates achievements relevant to virtually any company with a sales force.
Acting on the indications she's received from her research, Abigail has highlighted her experiences in sales,management, and communications, and has emphasized skills rather than paying jobs.This decision has resulted ina bit more space to expand on her experiences, while still allowing the resume to retain an uncluttered appearance.
This style does have one potential drawback: the reader may become frustrated if he or she has difficulty determining exactly how you gained the skills you specify."Wherever possible, support your claims with pertinent details.
The Industry Targeted Resume
Abigail has learned of a position in the operations department of a major national shoe firm that requires some management background, familiarity with the retail shoe market, and two to four years of sales or related consumer sensitive experience."While she does not bring a perfect"package" to the job (having never held a full management position), her resume does highlight the strong points of contact between her record and a formal description.
This resume, which combines aspects of both the chronological and functional resumes, should be used whenever possible.It is possible that fifteen uses of this resume in your job search will result in your generating fifteen different resumes.Even though there is a degree of effort in designing these "customized" resumes, doing so is usually well worth the trouble.
An industry targeted resume presents your experience in the same order that the employer is hoping to find it.It helps the reader by outlining an experience most important to the job description first, and labels the pertinent elements of your background appropriately.In addition, this resume format gives you the flexibility to deemphasize jobs that don't help your candidacy, and strengthen the more relevant it ems by adding descriptive material targeted to a specific opening.
If you wish to broaden the resume's audience by adding more than one experience section, do so, but beware of diluting the document's impact.This style's appeal is mainly in its direct appeal to employer needs.
The Avoid At All Costs Resume: Don't ever use this resume.
This resume features a number of serious flaws you should avoid.
To begin with the most obvious drawback this document presents, always use a good quality typewriter or computer printer for the final copy of your resume.The example shown here was obviously set on a circa 1933 yard sale special. Equally important is the resume's content.Do not include your "vital statistics" in any resume (who cares?) and do not highlight the job objective with artsy "tricks" that wild is tract your reader particularly if the objective is a meaningless one.(As we've learned, the objective itself is something of a dispensable item anyway.)
Notice any telephone numbers on the Avoid At All Costs specimen? Neither will the employer in the unlikely event that he or she wishes to contact the author.The employer will notice, however, the sloppy typing and proofreading.What else is there to notice at the very top of the resume?Let's see.Abigail, it would appear, skis.Abigail plays the piano.Abigail plays tennis.See Abigail ski, play the piano,and play tennis.See Abigail lose the job.
Once you've been out of college for two or three years,"Education" should be listed after work experience and in reverse chronological order.Listing your activities is fine,but why not specify when each activity occurred? Is A big all still a candy striper? Maybe. Maybe not. Why was candy stripe work an important experience?Maybe the employer will try to work that question out.Then again... maybe not.Don't expect the reader to deduce anything.
Of course, the resume fails spectacularly in its selection and presentation of topics from beginning to end, not mere laying the "Activities" section.In the summary of previous positions, the most recent of Abigail's positions appears last,while the ancient history is served up as Item Number One.Few of the details of Abigail's professional background are provided, and the tangibles that do appear are of only marginal interest.The headings are no help, either."Work History," a cumbersome and weak phrase, might be replaced with the more straightforward "Experience."
Make sure you use a service that will keep your resume on file. Of course, if you have or have access to a personal computer and a high quality printer, you may be able to do the job yourself!
