Cultivating Career Success
Resume Writing
One week our supervisors told us to expect layoffs in the months ahead. The next week they asked us to work overtime as much as possible because there was so much work. And then again we were told to expect layoffs. My pay had not changed in over two years. The work was becoming pretty easy for me, almost boring. As much as I enjoyed my relationships with my co-workers, the seeming fickleness of management, the poor compensation and my decreased satisfaction in the work itself moved me to a decision: it was time to move on. One of the first tasks in my job change plan was to freshen up my resume.
This module will guide you in freshening up your resume, or writing your first if you haven’t written one before. When you’ve completed this module you will have a resume that communicates to employers they things they are most interested to learn about you.
Objectives
- Describe the value of a resume and its role in the job search process.
- Identify your immediate and longer-range employment goals.
- Assemble the necessary information.
- Select a resume format, giving rationale for choice.
- Produce your resume.
Download this module.
Download the paper-saver version (2 pages on one sheet).
Additional Resources
These optional resources can take you beyond the core of the Resume module.
Prepare Your Resume for Emailing or Posting on the Internet
Using precise words to describe your skills and experience can give your resume an edge on the competition. This list of Resume PowerWords might help you think of the perfect word to describe that work you did in that previous job.
Reflecting on Your Resume
This module gives lots of guidance in creating your resume. The module suggests that you might revise your resume for each job you apply for. If you had access to a "resume professional" to help you make such revisions, here are some key questions she would ask you:
- What key qualifications will this employer be looking for?
- What things about you and your background make you stand out for this job?
- What are your strongest areas of skill and expertise? Knowledge? Experience?
- What sorts of results are particularly impressive to people in this field?
- What results have you produced in these areas?
- What are the "buzz words" that people in this field expect you to use? Which should be included in your resume?