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| BUILDING YOUR RESUME | As you embark on your job search, it is important that you are able to develop the best possible way to present yourself to your potential employers. Bear in mind that since you will be competing with different individuals possessing varying credentials, the first impression is critical. Of course, how you conduct yourself during interviews play a big role in whether your employers will hire you, yet you may never have the opportunity to present yourself in an interview unless your application letter and resume have been well-written.
The resume provides a concise and logical presentation of you and your experiences that can aid a potential employer in the evaluation of your qualifications. In writing your resume, it is important that you remain honest and direct to the point. Employers generally have very little time to go over your Resume, so every word counts. | | | | A. Format | | Your Resume is a sales tool. Be selective in choosing entries that will present you in the best light. Presentation and readability is the key. As you write your resume, do not be too concerned with its length. Bear in mind that you will always have the opportunity to amend your resume later on. It is easier to edit a working draft than attempt a perfect version of your resume initially. As regards to the number of pages, ideally there should only be 1 page or a maximum of 2 pages. Do not make your resume too flashy and stick to using conservative fonts. | | | | There is no strict rule in formatting and organizing a resume although we would suggest that your resumes contain the following information: | | | Name and Address Header
Your name should be the first and last thing the employer sees when they go through your resume. It is recommended that you put both your temporary and permanent addresses and make sure that your contact details are correct so they can easily reach you. Keep your voicemail on as well, so you would not miss important calls.
Professional or Career Objective
Your objective should be given careful thought. It shows the employer that you have an understanding of your career goals and is often used to determine your suitability for placement. If you plan on sending your resume to different employers, you must remember to customize your job objective accordingly.
The objective should be concise, and may describe a specific position you are applying for or the skills you wish to use and develop.
Education
This section should include, in reverse chronological order, your educational background. List the name of the college/university you expect to graduate from, the degree you will receive and include the year that it will be awarded. For internship applications, you should also include the high school you came from. You may also want to list down academic citations such as being part of the Dean’s List or Academic Scholarship Grants. Certifications may also be included (eg. Les Roches Certificate, ServeSafe Certificate, or Alain Ducasse Certificate). Usually, you need not include institutions that you attended but did not graduate from. But in some instances, it may be appropriate depending on the program and nature of the degree. Remember that the important thing here is whether or not the additional information will serve to enhance your chances for an interview.
Work Experience
Describing your work experience is important whether or not you have career related experiences. Most employers look for transferable skills, work consistency, responsibility and maturity, regardless of the position.
This section should be listed in reverse chronological order, listing the most recent to the least recent. It must include the complete names of establishments you have worked for, the range of your employment (in months) and the position you held. It is important to include a brief list of your duties and responsibilities and make sure that you only use positive action verbs in your description.
Extra-curricular Activities
This section is where you list down your non-academic affiliations, which include club memberships, community or school volunteer works.
Other Skills
You may want to include your language fluency and computer related skills in this section. Avoid including the list of your references as it is already assumed that references can be provided once asked for.
| The Top 5 Pitfalls in Resume Writing |
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Too long. Length should be restricted to 1 or 2 pages maximum. | | 2. | Typographical, grammatical or spelling errors, thus, it is best to have at least 2 people proofread your resume. | | 3. | Too verbose and hard to read. Since employers have to scan a number or resumes at a time, you should remember to keep your resume reader-friendly. | | 4. | Generic. Customize your resume to reflect the position you're applying for, this would include tweaking the job objective and work - related experiences. | | 5. | Too modest. Bear in mind that you are in competition with other applicants for the position. There is no room for modesty but make sure that you do not misrepresent yourself by exaggerating your qualifications. | | | |
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