*Airman and Family Readiness Center

•Resume is a key marketing tool in job search

• Remember the primary purpose of resume

• Make it easy for reader to find important information

• Package and present your qualifications in most effective way

•No one right way to write a resume

•Only 2 “absolutes”

• Error free (spelling and grammar)

• Truthful – don’t exaggerate!

Resume Basics -+

3-6

Chronological

• Emphasizes employment history

• Lists positions, employers in reverse chronological order

• Describes activities and accomplishments in each job

• Used by people changing jobs, advancing within a career field

• Preferred by defense contractors

10

Functional

• Emphasizes skills, de-emphasizes job

history

• Presents skills, experiences grouped by

specific functions

• Can be used by people with little or no

employment history

10

Combination

• Emphasizes job-related skills and presents employment history

• Presents skills, experiences grouped by functions

• Follows with reverse chronological listing of employers, jobs

• Used by career changers and people reentering job market

11

Heading

• Name, address, phone number, e-mail, web site

• Local and permanent address

Objective

• Gives focus

• Mandatory for resume databases

• Concise statement indicating:

• Industry, career field, or type of job sought

• Specific strengths you will bring to the job

15-19

Summary of Qualifications

• Highlight your strengths relative to job

• Write from perspective of employer’s needs

• Include job-related personal qualities

• Present in short, bulleted list

20

Formal Education

• List college or university degrees completed

• Start with most recent degree

• List degree, major, month and year graduated

• Provide name of university, city and state

• Include GPA if 3.0 or better

• Possible subheadings:

*Relevant Coursework

*Honors & Awards *

*Accomplishments *

• Include high school information if do not have a college degree

22

Professional Training

• Present relevant military training, trade schools

• List current certificates, licenses with month and year awarded

Experience

• Provide job title, months and years of employment

• List company/agency name, city and state or country

• Describe activities and accomplishments

*Use bulleted list

*Start with action words

*Highlight achievements

*Quantify where possible

22

*

Skills & Abilities

*Identify skill categories related to the type of

job sought

*List activities that provide evidence to support

each skill category

*Show accomplishments in terms of results

*Quantify, quantify, quantify! (measurable –

saving $ or time, etc.)

23-24

*

*Computer Skills

*Foreign Languages, Travel

*Professional Associations

*Community Involvement

*Leadership

*Publications

*Licenses & Certificates

25

DO NOT write on resume “references available upon request”

Get references’ OK before listing them

List on separate sheet with same heading as resume

* Names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mail

* Relationship to you

* Do include supervisors, instructors, co-workers

* Don’t include relatives

25

• Provide them a current copy of your resume

• Tell them your career goal, job objective

• Give them a “heads-up” regarding when to

expect a call

• Provide a copy of advertisement or job

description

Web based tools available

Wordle.net

• Write it yourself – if you hire someone – be sure you have read and corrected any misconceptions

• Resume is summary, not autobiography

• Use phrases, not complete sentences

• Start with verbs to describe experiences

• Write from the employer’s perspective

*Include only information that adds value

*Civilianize job titles, military jargon and terms

*Spell out acronyms 27

Less Experienced

• Start with Objective

• Follow with Education

• Highlight job activities

• Try to keep to 1 page

More Experienced

• Start with Summary of

Qualifications

• Follow with Experience

• Highlight accomplishments

• Continue to second page

Use a word processing program

• Word document, not a template

• Universal, easy-to-read font style and size

• Avoid underlining and italics

Use bold selectively – highlight key items

• Make your name bold, one font size larger

• Bold main section headings, in all caps

Be consistent across sections

• Dates in same style, position on page

• Months written out or numerical

• State spelled out or Two-letter abbreviation

Use spell-check – then proofread times 3

• Content

• Spelling, grammar, typo’s

• Visual impact

*White space

*Bolding

*Bullets

Select quality, conservative paper

Print to laser printer, if possible

E-mailing Resumes

• Send resume as attachment

• De-format

*Remove bolding, italics

*Substitute asterisks for bullets

*Align text to left margin

*Be sure headings are in all caps

*In word processor, “Save As” and change “File Type” to “text only”

• Cut and paste into body of e-mail below cover letter

• Or “Save As” a PDF document

• Introduce yourself and state position for

which you are applying

• Draw connection between employer’s

needs and your skills, abilities

• Convince reader of your value as

prospective employee

54

3-4 concise paragraphs

1st Paragraph – Introduction

• Start with interest-grabbing sentence

*“What can a former airman bring to . . . .”

*“Ms. Judy Doe of your organization suggested I contact you regarding . . . .”

• Show knowledge of employer and their needs

*“I read with great interest the recent article about your . . ”

*“Your recent acquisition of . . . .”

• Indicate position you are seeking and why

“Your opening for a computer programmer is a perfect match for my skills and career goals.”

2nd Paragraph – “The Bridge”

• Connect your strengths to requirements for position

“My expertise in database conversions and classroom teaching experience combine to form a perfect match for the qualifications you are seeking in an information technology trainer.”

• Describe unique contributions you can make

• Highlight relevant points not contained in resume

• Break into two paragraphs if lengthy

3rd Paragraph – “The Close”

• Refer to enclosed resume

*“I have enclosed a resume outlining my qualifications in greater detail.”

• Restate your interest in position

• Thank employer

• Refer to next step

*“I look forward to hearing from you soon.”

*“I will call you next week to discuss the position and to answer any questions you may have.”

• Address letter to specific individual, correct

title

• Write clearly and simply – avoid jargon

• Vary sentence structure and length

• Use active voice and action verbs (Analyzed /

Planned / Supervised)

• Organize paragraphs with logical “flow”

• Plan, draft, and re-work your letter

• Continue to refine until “perfect”

• Keep a copy for quick reference when

employer calls

• Modify and recycle best letters

• You never get a second chance to make that

first impression!

Visit our Discovery Resource Center

• Resume “how to” books

• Visit O’Net Online

(http://www.onetonline.org)

• Employer listings

• Job postings

*Microsoft Office Templates Home Page

http://office.microsoft.com/en-

us/templates/default.aspx?Application=OF&Ver=11