Resume Tools

RESUME WRITING

A lot of preparation goes into an excellent resume. You do not simply begin by writing. First you have to complete an inventory or self-assessment of your education, work experiences, work related experiences, job duties and skills, work interests, and abilities. Then establish your employment goal. Once you know where you are in relation to getting a new job and what you are looking for in that job, you can begin organizing your information. Finally you will write, rewrite, and edit. Once completed, you will want to continuously work at keeping your perfected resume up-to-date. As you grow, your resume should grow with you; its development should mirror your personal and professional development.

Your resume should be an honest presentation of your best.

Do not overwhelm employers by providing more information than necessary. Do not try to be everything to everyone. The greatest challenge will not be deciding what to put into your resume, but what to leave out. An attention-getting resume must target a specific occupation, be concise, and clearly identify your qualifications. Focus on your skills and accomplishments with specific attention to tangible results.

Reprinted with permission from Job Service ND's How to Create Resumes and Cover Letters that Make an Impact.

RESUME FORMATS

Various resume-writing conventions - chronological and functional, to name a few - have evolved over the years to support different job-seeker goals. You might, for example, need to change careers or downplay an employment gap. Presenting your qualifications to hiring managers can be tricky. Do it wrong and your candidacy is sunk in less than 30 seconds. But there's no one format that fits all situations. How do you know what type of resume is right for your needs?

The Chronological Resume
This is the most common type of resume, and the one most employers prefer. The chronological resume presents work experience in reverse-chronological order, so that your current or most recent employer is listed first. Click here to view a sample.

The Functional Resume
In some instances, a functional resume is more appropriate. Functional resumes discuss work experience according to your functional strengths, not the employers for which you have worked. The emphasis is on what you have done, not where and when the work was done.

Click here for a brief article to see if this is the format for you.
Click here to see a sample functional resume.

Power Verbs
To make your resume come alive, it's essential to use power verbs to demonstrate your strengths and skills more compellingly. Click here for a page of power verbs organized by skill.

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Good Resume Writing Sites Online:

Career Journal by The Wall Street Journal - Offers a wide variety of articles that cover a gamut of resume and cover letter writing topics. Includes a resume gallery with pros and cons of using various resume formats.

How To Write a Masterpiece of a Resume - A great description of the entire process of resume writing, from the Rockport Institute.

Putting Volunteer Work on Your Resume A how-to article on making your altruism useful when looking for a job.

Fixing the top 10 resume boo-boos Advance Career & Professional Development offers its top 10 suggestions for creating a resume that's worth reading.

Chronicle of Philanthropy's Nonprofit Resume Tips Includes advice for explaining and justifying a mid-career switch.

Resume Writing Tips from Careers Without Borders Including a handy list of dos and don'ts.