Reference no: EM132281897

Assignment: Resume

In today's job market, many applicants compete for few openings. Whether you are applying for your first professional job or changing careers, you need to market your skills effectively. At each stage of the application process, you must stand out among the competition.

Assessing your Skills and Aptitudes (Begin your job search by assessing those qualities and skills you can offer a potential employer:

• Do I communicate well, and am I also a good listener?

• Do I work well in groups and with people from different backgrounds?

• Do I have experience or aptitude for a leadership role?

• Can I solve problems and get things done?

• Can I perform well under pressure?

• Can I work independently, with minima supervision?

• Do I have any special skills (public speaking, working with people, computer or other technical skills, aptitude with words, analytical skills, second or third languages, artistic/musical talent, mathematical aptitude?

• Do I have hobbies that could improve my job prospects?

• Would I prefer to work at a large company or a small one, or at a for-profit or a nonprofit organization?

Creating a Resume

Essentially an applicant's personal advertisement for employment, a resume, gives an employer an instant overview. Resumes contain these standard parts: contact information, career objectives, education, work experience, personal data and interests, and references.

• Contact Information: Name, Address, Phone Number, Cell Phone Number, Email address (when applicable)

• Career Objectives: Spell out the kind of job you want. Avoid vague statements such as "A position in which I can apply my education and experience." Be specific: "An intensive-care nursing position in a teaching hospital, with the eventual goal of supervising and instructing." Tailor your career objective statement as you apply for different jobs, in order to match yourself with each position. State your immediate and long-term goals, including any plans to continue your education.

• Education: Begin with your most recent schooling and work backward. Include the name of the school, degree completed, year completed, and your major and minor. Omit high school, unless the high school's prestige or your achievements there warrant its inclusion.

• Work Experience: If your experience relates to the job, list it before your education. List your most recent job and then earlier jobs. Include employers' names and dates of employment. Indicate whether a job was full-time, part-time (hours weekly), or season. Describe your exact duties for each job, indicating promotions. If it is to your advantage, state why you left each job. Include military experience and relevant volunteer work. If you lack paid experience, emphasize your education, including internships and special projects.

• Personal Data and Interests: List any awards, skills, activities, and interests that are relevant to the given position, such as memberships in professional organizations, demonstrations of leadership, languages, special skills, and hobbies that may be of interest to your employer.

• References: List three to five people who have agreed to provider strong assessments of your qualifications and who can speak on your behalf. Never list as references people who haven't first given you permission. Your references should not be family members or non-work-related friends; instead list former employers, professors, and community figures who know you well.

Checklist: Resume

1. Content

a. Is all my contact information accurate?

b. Does my statement of objective show a clear sense of purpose?

c. If I am willing to relocate, have I so indicated?

d. Did I include a summary of skills or qualifications, as needed?

e. Is my educational background clear and complete?

f. Did I accurately but briefly describe previous jobs?

g. Did I list references or offer to provide them?

h. Did I offer to provide a portfolio, as appropriate?

i. Am I being Scrupulously honest?

2. Arrangement

a. Did I place my strongest qualifications in positions of emphasis?

b. Are education versus experience sequenced to highlight my strengths?

c. Does my resume's organization (reverse chronological or functional) put my best characteristics forward?

d. In my scannable resume, did I use keywords and effective formatting?

3. Overall

a. Did I limit the resume to a single page, if possible?

b. Is the resume uncluttered and tasteful?

c. Did I use phrases instead of complete sentences?

d. Did I use action verbs and keywords?

e. Are highlighting and punctuation consistent and simple?

f. Have I proofread exhaustively?