The Meat: What do you say?
The most important parts of a résumé are education, experience, and computer (or other) skills. Other possible headings include objective, list of qualifications, references, interests and achievements/awards/activities.
Include an objective if you need to fill up the one page and if you wish to find work in a new field or new type of position. Therefore, recent graduates will usually need an objective. It doesn’t have to be complex, but it should be specific, such as "An administrative position (yeah, I know I’ve worked in a plant for 5 years) that would allow me to learn and grow with the company/organization." (My typing speed isn’t anything to crow about but I’m sure if you give me a chance that I’ll prove to be an asset to you.)
Or…"that provide opportunities for advancement" (I have plans and ambition). You can more specific than that because by now you should have some clearer idea of what kind of job or what kind of company you are looking for. Employers like specific objectives—just be sure your objective matches the position you are applying for. You might write several different résumés for different types of positions or have one with and one without an objective. Thanks to computers, having multiple résumés is a snap nowadays.
Using a list of qualifications can be an excellent way to showcase those success skills. Do understand that employers are always more interested in descriptions of your previous jobs. Don’t short your descriptions or other pertinent information in order to insert this list. This type of list is best used for job seekers with strong education and work backgrounds as a summation statement. Among the most desirable items: "Able to establish effective working relationships with supervisors and co-workers" "Able to provide excellent customer service even in difficult situations" "Excellent communication skills". Bulleting this list makes the reader read each line or else skip it entirely. Nothing is lost either way. If you decide to use a list like this, make sure of several things. 1) Be sure your terminology sounds professional—‘get along well with others’ still reeks of kindergarten. 2) Make sure these truly are your skills—listing communication skills and then misspelling a word is a definite no-no. 3) Don’t walk on water. Make these skills believable for your age and background.
Use a reference line as filler, not as a necessity. Of course if your references aren’t available, you have a major problem, but prospective employers assume you can provide references when asked. Do not list your actual references on a one-page résumé unless you are truly desperate to fill space. Do keep a list handy of possible (3 to 5) references with pertinent addresses and phone numbers in case you are asked for it.
Only list interests if they coincide with your employer’s needs or if you participate in a corporate sport like golf or racquetball. You can list other sports but listing interests usually doesn’t improve your chances for getting a job. It should be a rare résumé that includes an interest line.
Of course, name your scholastic, business or community awards and achievements. Try to avoid listing potential minefields like president of the local abortion (or anti-abortion) society. References to politics, religion, race and national origin can easily cause your résumé to hit the trashcan before anyone else’s.
In listing your education and experience, there are a couple of key points to remember. If you have any post-secondary education at all, do not list your high school or GED. It’s just not necessary.
You also don’t have to list any information that is over five years old. If you’re short on information without it, don’t hesitate to write down since it is still pertinent. If your résumé is running slightly over a page, however, this might be something that could be shortened or eliminated.
You don’t have to specify months in addition to years of employment. 1997 to 1999 could be one full year of employment but could also hide the fact that the job only lasted 3 months. Don’t list dates on the left-hand margin mixed in among your headings. This makes it too easy for the employer to find points against you before he even gets to reading the job descriptions. There just aren’t that many people today who have extended stays on one job, so don’t be ashamed of short-term employment. Just try not to make it stand out on a résumé.
The same goes for the actual jobs themselves. If you have worked at three fast food joints and only stayed a short time at one of them, leave it off the résumé. This is a space saver and a face saver. Of course, admit to such jobs when asked in the interview or when filling out an application. A résumé is a presentation, not a statement of all the factual history. It is a door opener only. Make it the most effective door opener possible.
You needn’t list your immediate supervisor on each job nor supply complete addresses for the businesses. Keep it simple and brief. Leave space for your job description. Try to keep it to one italicized line if possible: Burger King, Athens, GA. 1998 to 1999. Assistant Manager. You may skip a line after this information if you are in need of filler; otherwise indent the beginning of your job description. Then skip a line between jobs. These types of typesetting are just guidelines to make it easier to read. Also, avoid complete sentences. Don’t waste space being correct!
Job descriptions are always the most difficult part of writing a résumé. This is what a reputable résumé writing service should be able to do best. There’s never any harm to seeking help with your job descriptions but it probably isn’t necessary to hire someone. There are certain types of employment duties that speak volumes to a prospective employer and they fall under two categories, money and people. Did you handle money and did you supervise or even just train another employee? Being trusted with a business’s money is an indication of trust, responsibility, reliability and some of those other success skills. Supervising and training employees shows responsibility, competence, possible communication skills, etc. If you were a supervisor, you might be able to list hiring, firing, training, counseling as well as supervising as abilities. If you handled money, you might be able to list operating cash register, balancing receipts, and making deposits as your job duties. All of the above are valued skills that make you look good. Also, be sure to emphasize any promotions or changes in your employment within an organization.
All experience is valuable. Never discount a job because it doesn’t sound impressive. One young man once asked me what he should say about his job: he was "only a gas station attendant". When asked about his specific job duties, he was able to admit to operating a cash register, providing customer service/mechanical advice, possessing the technical skills of operating machinery, and working independently when his boss left him by himself to run errands. That same day he interviewed for a position and his awareness of his skills and experience must have been apparent because he was offered the job on the spot. If you aren’t sure what skills or duties to list, especially on menial, manufacturing or fast food jobs, brainstorm with other students and teachers. Get ideas!
Possible duties for retail include operating a cash register, balancing cash drawers, customer service, inventory counting, ordering, receiving, stocking, maintenance. Fast food jobs might list cash register operation, balancing cash drawers, maintenance, food preparation, cooking, ordering, customer service. Don’t hesitate to list lessons learned such as in this description of a newspaper carrier: "learned to deal with difficult customers". (I hated being cussed out by customers who had not been able to find their 25 cent newspaper!) "Improved my communications skills during my tenure there" is another choice possibility. Most of us do learn something from each job. The lesson might well be that you never ever want to work in that industry again; so use that bit of news. Explain what you gained from your experience, especially if you need to expand your sketchy job description.
One other warning, if your grammar and vocabulary skills are not strong and your résumé reads extremely well with vocabulary you would never think of using, be honest in the interview. Most interviewers will notice the difference between the résumé and your actual speech. Don’t ever be afraid to admit to having help with the writing on the résumé. Your honesty will be appreciated and if they are looking for excellent writing skills, you won’t get stuck in a job you can’t do.
The résumé is only a door opener. It can help you get the interview, but you have to get the job through the interview, by proving you are the right candidate for the job.