Introduction

No amount of clever presentation will overcome a poorly organized, poorly written resume. Do not expect to create your final version in one or even two writing sessions. Try writing your resume in the following steps: 

1. write the first draft today; 

2. sleep on it overnight; 

3. be prepared to make major edits of your work; 

4. write the next draft; proof read over and over again; 

5. repeat steps two to five until you have created a resume that is clear, concise, accurate, organized, and well presented. 

The following points will help you to achieve a positive impact with your resume: 

• write clearly and concisely; 

• make sure the document has no spelling or typographical errors and that all spellings are consistently used; 

• use good grammar and be consistent in its use; 

• list experiences that match the application’s requirements; 

• present the information in a well organized and formatted manner. 

Items which do not impress the reader include: 

• spelling and or grammatical errors; 

• hard to read, wordy, vague and rambling narratives -- lack of clarity and focus; 

• hand written; 

• poorly organized and presented; 

• no dates; 

• too much or too little information; 

• a slick or canned appearance. 

It is best if the length of your resume does not exceed one page. This guideline is simply a bow to the reality that attention is hard to get. And, attention to a lengthy resume is not likely. Desktop publishing technology which allows easy change of type styles and type sizes helps fit more information on a single page.

The Components of a Resume

Your Name
Normally, it looks and works best to state your first name, middle initial and last name (e.g. Mary W. Smith). An exception arises for those whose parents gave them a first name which they have long since dropped (like Hawthorn). In this case, the resume may appropriately read "H. William Smith." If your friends call you Bill, Susie, or Harry, it is usually better to use only the formal name "Susan W. Smith" rather that "Susie Smith."

Mailing Address and Telephone Numbers 
It is imperative that you include a complete mailing address with a correct postal code along with your full telephone number and area code.

Relevant Experiences
In additional to educational and work experiences, consider including your experiences as a volunteer or member of an organized sports team, achievements in school or your community, awards, and extracurricular activities.

Objectives 
You’ll find conflicting advice in resume books over whether to state an objective and, if so, how. Similarly, if you are obviously applying for a specific job it is unnecessary to state the obvious in an objective.

In almost every case, a far better way to accomplish the purpose of the objective is to address it in the cover letter. For example, "I am seeking an opportunity to grow in the field of public relations and feel confident there is an excellent fit between your needs and my skills..."

The trend is leaning towards opting to omit an objective. Of course, there is an exception to every rule! If an objective is so clear that it shows a carefully thought-out career path which fits perfectly with the position, it might be considered, however, even these objectives can be covered as well or better in the cover letter.

Summary 
A summary is a listing of three to five highlights of your achievements and qualifications that 
should precede your work history or functional skills. Because your resume is likely to be in heavy competition for attention, the summary is excellent as a means of grabbing attention and inspiring the reader to carefully review the rest of your qualifications.

A typical summary might be: 

Effective problem solver using excellent written and verbal communication skills. 
Special talent for identifying clients’ needs and presenting effective solutions. 
M.B.A. from the University of Toronto in Business Management. 
Strong leadership skills while advancing a team player approach. 
Positive motivator combining creativity with strong verbal and writing skills. 

Skills & Experiences
Communicating skills and experience involves questions of both writing skills and personal integrity. The following concepts are important:

• Describe your successes and accomplishments with creativity and confidence. 

• Avoid simply listing your duties as if you were writing a company job description for your boss. 

• Avoid any negative works or descriptions. 

• Avoid using industry jargon and flowery words the reader may not understand.

• Incorporate numbers, percentages and statistics into your descriptions when you can.

• Keep your sentences short. Be brief and to the point. Many resumes contain lengthy, convoluted sentences which sound like intentional mumbo-jumbo.

• Avoid using the pronoun "I." Write in abbreviated third person. For example, instead of writing "I recruited, trained and coordinated activities of 10,000 volunteers," try writing "Recruited, trained and coordinated activities of 10,000 volunteers." 

Use action verbs to describe your skills and achievements.

Education
Knowing where to place your education depends on many factors: years of experience, level of education and the relevance of your education to the position you are pursuing. Regardless of the degrees you have attained, you will always list them in reverse chronological order, in other words, begin with the most recent.

Activities & Professional Affiliations
Listing irrelevant hobbies and organizational affiliations can actually backfire. On the other hand, well-chosen listings can demonstrate you are a well-rounded person, a person involved in your community, or a person advancing career knowledge outside the workplace.

Again, be aware of potential reaction and ask for input from objective advisors. As a guideline, list interests and affiliations only if they meet a least three of these criteria: 

• You have been a member of this organization within the past five years. 

• Your are/were an active member. 

• The organization relates to your career choice. 

• The activity is generally held to be healthful, wholesome or otherwise positive. 

• The activity will not offend or look silly to the reader. 

References
At some point in the interviewing process, your references will become crucial. Most likely to be checked are professional references. Most interviewers assume your mother, pastor and close friends think well of you!

It is almost never necessary to include references on the resume. They take valuable space. And the interviewer will not need them until you’ve survived the initial screening and, probably, an initial interview.

Many resumes simply state "References available upon request." As this is an obvious truth, it is equally acceptable to omit reference to references. An exception to this rule might be a professional reference of such weight that the opportunity to "name drop" might be helpful in grabbing the reader’s attention. Examples would be widely known industry figures, public figures or critics.

Personal Information, Photographs & Endorsements
You do not need to include such personal information as: age, race, religion, sex, or national origin. Data such as height, weight, health status, marital status, number of children, names and ages of family members, and personal likes and dislikes do not need to be listed.

In terms of a photograph of yourself, it is not necessary and not common. If some aspect of yourself is best communicated with a photograph, and if you (and your objective advisors) believe the photograph clearly gives you an edge, it is acceptable.

An endorsement is a quote from an associate, boss or teacher which describes your attributes or successes in a previous or current job. The endorsement is appropriate as part of a job description or functional skill description. An example of an endorsement follows:

Facilitated week-long courses on substance abuse prevention. Spoke before numerous community groups on family mental health issues. Excellent ability to entertain the audience, while educating them on important topics of concern. 
(Boss’ name, company.)

Using one or two endorsements, if space allows, can enhance your resume. Using more than two endorsements can make you or your resume appear self-exalting.

Resume Formats

There are over one hundred resume formats from which to choose. They actually break down into three basic types: 

• Chronological 

• Functional

• Combination of Functional and Chronological 
  

Chronological 
The chronological resume is a time line plotting your education, work or volunteer experiences in reverse chronological order. This format is most applicable if: your career path demonstrates a set of experiences directly relevant to the position being pursued; the progression of your career shows the kind of steady advancement which indicates you are a career winner; or the number of positions held and the number of career jumps is appropriate at this stage of your career.

Reversing the logic: if your experience isn’t directly relevant to the position being pursued or your career hasn’t progressed logically or you have hop scotched all over the industry, this format is almost certainly not the best choice. 

Functional 
The functional resume places it emphasis on experiences relevant to the position you are pursuing (e.g. public relations, marketing, curatorial). There is much less emphasis on dates. 

Your employment, volunteer and community involvement history is still important in this format, but you will place it near the end of your resume. Simply list the dates, employer names and positions held. You will not detail your responsibilities in that part of the resume. 

The functional resume is very common in difficult job markets because of the likely need to make significant career adjustments. For some, these adjustments involve convincing someone in another industry that your skills are transferable. Others are attempting jumps into new job categories. You must stress the skills you possess, communicating in such a way that it is clear your skills are transferable to the new situation.

Combination
The combination resume typically begins as a functional resume by listing those significant skills which are pertinent to obtaining the position you desire. The following section lists companies for which you have worked in reverse chronological order. However, in a combination resume, responsibilities and achievements are listed for each position. 

This resume is the choice of upwardly mobile professionals who are on the fast track in a particular career or industry, demonstrating both skills and a successful career track. Typically, the format is not used by those having less than 12-15 years in the workforce.

The Resume's Presentation

A resume can stand out by simple devices such as adding colour, use of white space, printing it on coloured paper, varying the size of the lettering and the style of font, a distinctive logo of your own or suitable graphic. The inclusion of such attention grabbing techniques should not detract from the ease by which your resume is read. 

A Few Great Reference Books
Offering Tips, Practical Advice & Creative Solutions

What Colour is Your Parachute?
Richard Nelson Bolles. Berkeley California: Ten Speed Press, 1996. (480 pages).
This is the best selling job hunting book for the past 25 years. It is revised and update annually. Parachute is a book about taking chances, gaining confidence and making changes in our careers and lives. The book is written in a light tone, which serves to hold the reader’s interest while showing that job hunting need not be a dull, arduous and awesome task. 

The Edge Resume and Job Search Strategy.
Bill Corbin and Shelbi Wright. Carmel, Indiana: Beckett-Highland Publishing, 1993. (168 pages)
A book that offers an exciting, sound and creative approach that is geared towards the 90s job market. The Edge is an innovative approach that will give the confident job searcher new and exciting ideas on how to conquer the job search process. It is imaginative and provides creative resumes samples. Highly recommended.

The Damn Good Resume Guide. 
Yana Parker. Berkeley, California: Ten Speed Press, 1989. (77 pages).
This book is a self marketing tool designed with one goal in mind - to get you a job interview. It is divided into two sections. The first part shows you how to determined your work history, training and job objectives. Part two outlines twenty-two sample resumes from high school graduates to seasoned professionals. Included is a section on how to write cover letter.

The Wizard of Work-88 Pages to Your Next Job. 
Richard Gaither. Berkeley, California: Ten Speed Press, 1995. (88 pages).
There’s nothing magical about looking for a job. This easy to read book is a punchy and practical plain talk guide of the best of Richard Gaither’s secrets. The book cuts to the chaff with simple and easy to implement suggestions that work for everyone.

Job Hunting for Dummies.
Max Messmer. Foster City, California: I.D.G. Books Worldwide, Inc., 1995. (371 pages).
An easy and fun book for excellent information about job search techniques, resume styles, cover letters, job leads, networking, and e-mail matters in job search and interviewing techniques.

Finding Your Perfect Work: The New Career Guide to Making a Living, Creating a Life. 
Paul & Sarah Edwards. New York, New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 1996. (465 pages).
In this revolutionary new career guide Paul and Sarah Edwards provide expert advice on how you can blend your personal goals and dreams with the practical realities of earning a meaningful and prosperous livelihood working on your own. Whether you are just out of school and new to the job market, thinking about changing careers or a seasoned pro faced with the specter of downsizing, finding your perfect work is the perfect book for you.

I Can Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was:
How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It. 
Barbara Sher with Barbara Smith. New York, New York: Del Publishing, 1994. (322 pages).
No matter what your age, no matter how unattainable your dreams, you can create and live a life you love.