Writing Your Resume

The resume is a key piece to a successful job search. It should clearly describe who you are, your skills and abilities, educational and extra-curricular background and work experience. The more concise and neatly written your resume is the better chance of you being asked in for an interview. The resume has three major purposes:

1. To help you get a personal interview;

2. To provide the employer with information during the interview;

3. To remind the employer of you after the interview.

Steps To Writing Your Resume

1. Your personal information; name, address, phone number and e-mail address if you have one. (Make sure it is a professional e-mail address, not for example bargirl or hotshot or sexy69er @ yahoo or Hotmail – these email addresses are inappropriate for resumes) Make it clear and centered at the top of the page.

2. Your job objective; the work you want to do. Be specific.

WRITING JOB OBJECTIVES

There are two reasons for including an objective on your resume:

1. To show that there is a match between the kind of work you are seeking and the position being offered.
2. To clearly state your job target for the employer who needs assurance that you have clear goals. Potential employers may be hesitant to take a risk on a candidate who is unsure of his or her career direction.

The ideal resume and objective are tailored to a specific position and employer. The savvy job seeker modifies a resume to emphasize different skills and experience for different opportunities. The myth that one resume will do for all positions is just that, a myth. Remember you can change your job objective to more closely align with the position for which you are applying. Remember, the job objective is in the top third of your resume and will be carefully read by the employer so be specific and concise.

Sample Job Objectives

• A responsible position in retail sales.
• Seeking a position as a hostess and food server using customer service and cashiering skills.
• Seeking an entry level Office Assistant position, offering excellent computer skills.
• Seeking an internship position as a Health Aide helping other medical personnel assist patients and provide quality health care.
• Obtain a challenging, entry-level position in Broadcast Journalism, with a special interest in reporting, anchoring, and producing with a commercial television station.
• A web design position, using background in graphic arts and desktop publishing.
• Management Trainee, eventually qualifying for a position in sales management based upon performance and strong communication skills.
• An entry position in the media utilizing highly developed written and oral communication skills.
• Seeking a position as a preschool aide in a childcare facility.
• Entry-level accountant position using skills in database and spreadsheet management.

3. Special skills – identify those skills that would be important to the job objective. Use the Handout included in this packet labeled Personal Skills or the suggested statements listed below to help you with this process.

· Excellent oral and written communication skills	· Excellent ability to solve problems creatively
· Outstanding leadership skills	· Ability to work well under pressure
· Detailed oriented and well organized	· Enthusiastic team member
· Get along well with others	· Good time management skills
· Experience working with children	· Strong mechanical ability

4. Your education – list the school you are attending, when you plan on taking your GED, and courses or concepts learned that might be useful for the job you are applying for.

5. Your work experience – include both paid and volunteer work. Use reverse chronological order. Start with your current or most recent job and work backwards to your first job. Use action verbs to describe your work like “Managed the shop; Assisted in the development of…” See the list below for sample action verbs…

Achieved	Adjusted	Administered	Advised	Analyzed	Applied
Appointed	Appraised	Arranged	Assessed	Attended	Awarded
Built	Calculated	Catalogued	Communicated	Completed	Conducted
Conducted	Constructed	Coordinated	Corrected	Delivered	Demonstrated
Designed	Developed	Directed	Earned	Edited	Effected
Encouraged	Engineered	Enlarged	Enlisted	Established	Evaluated
Excelled	Expanded	Explained	Financed	Financed	Generated
Helped	Identified	Implemented	Improved	Increased	Initiated
Installed	Interpreted	Interviewed	Introduced	Invented	Investigated
Launched	Led	Maintained	Managed	Mastered	Maximized
Modified	Motivated	Negotiated	Observed	Operated	Ordered
Organized	Performed	Planned	Prepared	Presented	Produced
Produced	Programmed	Proofed	Proposed	Purchased	Received
Recommended	Recruited	Reported	Researched	Reviewed	Revised
Selected	Served	Simplified	Solved	Stated	Strengthened
Submitted	Succeeded	Suggested	Supervised	Supported	Tested
Tracked	Trained	Translated	Updated	Won	Wrote

6. Extracurricular Activities – write those special activities that you participated in or are currently involved in either at school or in the community. Indicate name of organization and dates.

7. Awards & Achievements– Recognition or awards you have received.

8. References – “Available Upon Request” Talk to those people who know you, your work ability and competence, ask them if they will be a reference for you. Once you have gotten approval to use someone as a reference, verify the address and phone number he/she wants you to use. Then on a separate sheet make a reference list. It is O.K. to include both personal and business references, as long as they are separate and distinct. Include the person’s name, address, phone number and job title for those business references. Your references will be critical in helping you obtain jobs, college admission, or acceptance to a special program.

Who makes a good reference? · Teacher · Coach · Counselor · Present or past employer · Religious Leader · Family Friend

References to Avoid: · Anyone under 18 · Personal friends · Family members · Anyone who cannot speak highly of you

Tips For A GREAT Resume

A resume is a summary of your abilities, education and work experience. It introduces who you are and what you have to offer the employer. A resume gives you an opportunity to present yourself in the best possible way. Therefore, it is important:

· that it is typed neatly and printed on a high quality paper. Save it on a computer disk so you can make changes when necessary.

· it is only one page long.

· use action verbs to showcase your skills and accomplishments.

· that margins are even and there is appropriate spacing between sections.

· it looks professional.

· that there are NO misspellings or grammatical errors. Always have someone else check it over for you.

· that all information is up-to-date and correct.

If you need assistance with your resume, you can visit:

The career center at your school,

Amber at The North Quabbin Adult Education Center 978-544-8917

The Franklin / Hampshire Career Center on Arch Place in Greenfield 774-4361

Google search Resume guides or tips on the WWW