 | Your resume must look like you: Don't copy. |
| Keeping your style, correction is important - Arrange with someone to proof-read it. |
| Begin brainstorming all the information in a piece of paper, and after arrange it all in sections. Try to remember the interesting details. They give color to the picture. |
| When the time comes to think about the design, your name should be the most important thing in the paper. |
| Try to produce a different resume for each different job. |
| Use action verbs, ex: I did, I worked, but avoid focusing everything on yourself. |
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In the resume, be very careful with the use of Simple Past x Present Perfect. Review the subject before starting. |
| 1 | Information | Everything that might be useful to the employer: name, address, phone number; in some cases age, marital status, nationality... |
| 2 | Objective | What kind of career do you want? What kind of job do you want? |
| 3 | Education | Begin with what's most recent. Include job related courses. Only the related ones! |
| 4 | Work experience | Again begin with what happened last. |
| 5 | Skills | What else do you know that's interesting for this job? |
| 6 | References | If it's the case. |
| What's a letter of application? |
The letter of application is a sales letter. It should accompany the resume and it should sell the applicant for the position, showing how well fitted he is to fill it. The letter should present those specific qualifications the applicant has that no one else has. It is there to arouse the interest of the reader in the applicant.
ex: "... A successful Business organization such as yours needs the services of experienced managers. Let me show you how my experience in this occupation will be valuable to you."
| What's the difference between a Curriculum Vitae and a Resume? |
Basically they are just two names for the same thing, although CV is more associated with a chronological style resume (you may use it like this also - "CV"). In English Resume is more used. Sometimes you'll see it written as in French - Résumé. But this is also just another name for the same thing.
Now, your resume can have different styles, and you need to choose the one more appropriate to the job in hand: functional, skills, chronological, or imaginative. The style you choose depends upon what you want to highlight.
Functional is the style you use when your experience is more meaningful than the companies you have worked for. Use this kind of resume when you have paid or unpaid experience that relates to the job you want. It will highlight your job titles. To use this style:
1) begin each entry with your job title highlighted by underlining or boldface print.
2) list experience in order of importance regardless of chronological sequence.
3) make special note of increasing responsibilities, either through job titles, or through
descriptive details.
Skills is especially useful when the skills you've acquired through activities, jobs, or experience are more impressive than the jobs you've had (or when you are changing career paths). To use this resume style you should:
1) relate your skills headings to the job you want;
2) arrange skills and headings in order of importance.
Chronological (this is the style usually associated with the name "Curriculum Vitae") is the style that will highlight your employer's name, so use it if you have worked for an important company, like IBM, but had an unimpressive job title, like assistant clerk. This style was the old standard and has been replaced in many fields, but some conservative employers still prefer it. for this resume style you should:
1) begin each entry with the employer's name and your dates of employment;
2) use borders or special pictures you create yourself.
Imaginative is the style you use when attitude is more important than facts. Just arrange the data and use the visual aids in the way you believe to be more effective in each situation. if you choose to follow this style do it with conviction but please, do it well done!
| How often should I review my Resume? |
Ideally you should write one different resume for each position you are applying to. In order to be really effective your resume must address the needs that exist in the employers mind... and each employer has different needs. How can you know the employers needs if you don't know him? You can't... but you can do some research! Check the company web site, look for articles in magazines that talk about it, talk to current employees or former employees. The most you can know beforehand the best. If it's impossible to know anything beforehand send it anyway but you should add a little prayer!
Even if you are currently employed it's good to keep your resume updated. This way when an opportunity comes, you don't have to start it from scratch... and waste a lot of time and effort rushing and getting stressed.
