The Resume (The CV)

1.Definition and Design

A resume/ curriculum vitae is a selective record of a
persons background, basically containing such details as
educational history, work experience, certifications and
abilities, which is sent, sometimes accompanied by an
application letter, to potential employers when seeking job
interviews.
The essential characteristics of a competitive resume are
readability, effective design, and adaptation to audience
expectations.
A well designed resume contains three sections: the
heading, the body, and the conclusion. Each of these
sections has fairly common contents.
The heading is the top third of the resume that contains
your name, phone numbers, address, and other details such
as your occupation, titles, and so on. Headings can also
contain a goals and objectives subsection and a highlights
subsection.
The body is the middle section, taking up a half or more
of the total space of the resume. In this section, you present
the details of your work, education, and military experience.
This information is arranged in reverse chronological order.
In the body section, you also include your
accomplishments:
publications,
certifications,
and
equipment you are familiar with. As we are going to see in
the following subsection, this information can be divided
either chronologically (into separate sections for work
experience and education), or functionally/thematically
(into separate sections for the different areas of your
experience and education).

The conclusion is the final third or quarter of the

resume, presenting other related information on your
background, such as activities, professional associations,
memberships, hobbies, and interests. At the bottom of the
resume, you should write "REFERENCES AVAILABLE
ON REQUEST" and the date of preparation of the resume.
There are two main criteria according to which resume
designs are classified.
1. According to how information on work and
educational experience is organized, there is the functional
design, and the thematic design.
* The functional design starts with a heading; then
presents either education or work experience, whichever is
stronger or more relevant; then presents the other of these
two sections; and ends with a section on skills and
certifications and one on personal information. Students
who have not yet begun their careers often find this design
the best for their purposes.
* The thematic design divides your experience and
education into categories such as project management,
budgetary planning, financial tracking, personnel
management,
customer
sales,
technical
support,
publications whichever areas describe your experience.
Often, these categories are based directly on typical or
specific employment advertisements. and bookkeeping
courses you took in college, the seminars on Lotus 123 or
EXCEL you took, and the jobs where you actually used
these skills.
2. According to the amount and kind of information
they present, resumes can be:
* Objective resumes that just provide dates, names,
titles, and no qualitative information. These are very brief

and terse resumes, and they are generally avoided. This

style is useful only in resumes that use the thematic
approach, which is ambiguous about the history of
employment, or that emphasize the highlights section.
* Detailed resumes provide not only dates, titles, and
names, but also details about your responsibilities and
statements about the quality and effectiveness of your work.
This is the type most widely used by applicants.
General Layout and Detail Formats in Resumes
No matter what writing techniques or design you choose,
the compulsory elements to be included in your resume
are:
* Occupation, position, job title;
* Company or organization name;
* Time period you worked there;
* Key details about your accomplishments and
responsibilities while working there.
The planning, writing, and reviewing your resume,
should take into account the following points:
* Readability. Avoid dense paragraphs over 6 lines.
* White space. Find ways to incorporate more white
space in the margins and between sections of the resume
and avoid cramming the text on the page in order to
facilitate reading.
* Special format. Make sure that you use special format
consistently throughout the resume.
* Terse writing style. This writing style is advisable up to
a point, as length is generally an issue in resume writing,
where there is the challenge to get the content on one page,
or maximum two if there is a lot of information to present.
Instead of writing: I supervised a team of five technicians,

write: Supervised a team of five technicians. However, don't

leave out normal words such as articles.
* Special typography. Use special typography, but
without exaggerations. Resumes are documents in which
you can use such word-processing features as bold, italics,
different fonts, and different type sizes. However, remember
that too much fancy typography can be distracting and
make people think you are hyperactive.
* Page fill. Do everything you can to make your resume
fill out one full page and to keep it from spilling over by 4
or 5 lines to a second page. If you need a two-page resume,
see that the second page is full or nearly full.
* Clarity of boundary lines between major sections.
Design and format your resume so that the main sections
are noticeable, whereas the individual segments of work
experience or education are distinct and separate from each
other. To this purpose, resort to well-defined headings and
white space.
* Reverse chronological order. Remember to list your
education and work-experience items starting with the
current or most recent and working backwards in time.
* Consistency of bold, italics, different type size, caps,
other typographical special effects. Also, avoid all-caps text
because it's less readable.
* Consistency of phrasing. Use the same style of phrasing
for similar information in a resume. For example, keep past
tense verbs for all work descriptions.
* Consistency of punctuation style. For similar sections
of information use the same kind of punctuation for
example, periods, commas, colons, or nothing.
* Translations for "inside" information. Don't assume
readers will know what certain abbreviations, acronyms, or

symbols mean, and take time to describe the organizations

you are a member of.
* Grammar, spelling, usage. These should be carefully
checked, as errors of this kind make the worst impression
possible, and can seriously affect the competitiveness of
your resume.
Once all these problems are solved, it's time to produce
the final copy the one that goes to the prospective
employer. This is the time to take every step of to produce a
professional-looking resume. The first two steps are to
choose paper of good quality and use a good printer.
Although some people feel tempted to use colored paper to
catch the readers attention, remember that white paper is
the safest, and the most professional.
2. Basic Resume Formats
The resume is a primary tool in finding a good job. The
first and the most important step in writing a competitive
resume is selecting its format. Choosing the right resume
format is a major strategic decision, as it has a decisive
impact on the receptivity of your potential employers.
According to its overall structure, the resume can appear
under three basic formats:
The Chronological Format.
The primary organizing principle for this format is your
employment record.
The merits of this format is that it accentuates your
formal qualifications for the work you are seeking.
Therefore, it is appropriate for directly qualified candidates,
who can offer a record of clearly pertinent, often
increasingly responsible experiences, by emphasizing a

variety of job challenges is. Recruiters are accustomed to,

and often prefer, such a traditional format, finding it
familiar, straightforward and easy to use when making
preliminary decisions of inclusion and exclusion.
There are also several drawbacks of this format. For
instance, in the case of candidates who are starting or
changing a career, this format emphasizes the lack of direct
in the targeted career area. It spotlights gaps in employment
and time periods elapsed since certain qualifying
experiences, being a somewhat dry enumeration of job
responsibilities, rather than accenting accomplishments on
the job.
Consequently, the chronological format is particularly
effective for people with clear-cut qualifications, who are
continuing or advancing in a particular career direction.
This format can be productive if you cite relevant skills and
tasks that support your objective .
In a chronological resume you have to list your job
experience in date order, starting with the most recent first.
The sections of a chronological resume are:
* Personal Details: name, phone, email address, postal
address.
* Personal Profile or Job Objective: This section defines
your career objectives in about three lines.
* Career & Related Accomplishments: This section
contains a summary of your resume, stressing your
achievements and value to the company. Keywords and
action verbs should be used here to create a dynamic and
impressive message.
* Work Experience: This is the section that includes all
your work related experience, even if wasn't directly
employment based. Here, you should focus on the benefits

the organization had when you were employed there,

avoiding the use of padding. The kind of details your work
experience should include: the position held, the date the
employment started/ finished and any achievements gained.
Use action verbs and keywords when describing your
experience. When using this format you'll need to highlight
job experience, especially when applying for work with
traditional companies or when you held an impressive
position.
* Education: If you have work experience, place this
section just below it. If you have just graduated and have no
work experience, place this section first in your
chronological resume. Include the schools you have
attended and list any degrees, diplomas, majors, minors,
honors and awards you achieved.
* Professional Affiliations & Interest: Only include this
section if there is enough space on your resume. If you are a
member of any professional organizations, list them here.
* References: This is where you write: References (are)
available on request, without including the reference
contact details.

* Sample of chronological resume

JANICE BROWN
678 Rapid Falls Drive
River City, CA 91000
(312) 555-6210
e-mail: [email protected]

OBJECTIVE: Position as a receptionist for a company in

need of my two years experience as a reliable, personable
receptionist.
WORK EXPERIENCE:
1999 Present: Receptionist ABC Company, River City,
California
Employed as the lead receptionist for an
advertising firm.
* Greeted visitors
* Answered telephones
* Delivered messages
*Scheduledappointments
* Provided information about company
services
* Prepared letters and forms using Word
Perfect and Excel 97 software packages
1997 1999: Clerk Typist Ace Automotive, River City,
California
Employed in the billing office of an
automotive repair shop.
* Answered telephones
* Typed forms
* Processed mail
* Maintained filing system

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1994 1997: General Office Clerk Lincoln School, River

City, California
Worked as a volunteer school office
assistant.
* Greeted students and parents
* Answered telephones
* Filed documents
EDUCATION: Washington Heights High School, River
City, California. High School diploma with emphasis in
business education.
MEMBER: National Honor Society
References available on request
The Functional Format.
The primary organizing principles of this format are your
key skills, knowledge and related accomplishments,
supported by relevant examples. Functional resumes are
best used in situations where specific skills and
accomplishments gained through experience or academic
qualifications will demonstrate the candidate's competency.
Your skills should be listed in order of their importance.
The merits of this format are that it provides an
opportunity to establish the transferability of skills and
accomplishments for candidates who are starting or
changing a career, pointing out their ability to function in a
new situation, which the conventional resume format dilutes
or contradicts. This format widens the scope of informal

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experiences supportive of your career objective, including

special projects, internships, community service and
relevant hobbies.
Its drawbacks primarily concern directly qualified
candidates with a linear progression path, this format
challenges the standard presentation of personal strengths.
Executive recruiters and other employment professionals
prefer a job-by-job description to trace with clarity exactly
what has been done, where and when. Some employers
assume that this format hides background information of
importance. In a purely functional resume, key time/space
anchors that employers expect are not given. This
information can be essential to credibility.
Therefore the functional format is particularly
effective and highly recommended for people without direct
experience in the area of their career objective. The
functional resume is ideal when you're looking for a
complete career change, or for students who have no
previous work experience and are applying for their first
job. Avoid the functional resume when you are applying for
traditional jobs, especially positions within government or
institutions.
A functional resume contains:
* Personal Details: your name, surname, postal address,
email address, contact phone numbers.
* Career Objective: A definition of your career objective
in no more than three lines.
* Professional Experience: This is the most important
section of a professional resume. This section should list
your key skills along with proof of how you gained these
skills. For example, if one of your skills is event

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organization, list the events and conventions you have

organized.
* Work Experience (optional): This section contains a list
of previous jobs, also including unpaid or voluntary work. It
is optional, as your work history isn't strictly required in a
functional resume If you work history is irregular, there
may well be more disadvantages than
benefits by listing it, in which case, it is advisable to skip
this part. If you decide to provide this information as well,
include: year start - year finish, job title, name of
organization, job description in each of your work history
items.
* Professional Affiliations: This section lists any relevant,
active professional affiliations
* Education: Here you should include the highest
qualification you gained and any special courses that you
think will help you secure the position.
* Awards: Any awards relevant for the pursued position.
* Sample of functional resume
William E. Dacotua
2222 SW 22nd Street
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 555-2222
Objective: Entry Level Architectural Drafting/Design
Highlights of Qualifications
*
*

Strong CAD skills

Experience in many areas of light construction

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*
Ability to turn general ideas into drawings
*
Enjoy working with clients to develop suitable
designs
Skills & Accomplishments
Drafting
*
Create full sets of working drawings using
AutoCAD (13, 14) and board tools
*
Layout of electrical and plumbing systems
*
Calculate and dimension structural members
*
Interpret blueprints
Design
*
Create and redesign residential and light commercial
plans using client profiles and flow diagrams
*
Draw perspectives, isometric and freehand sketches
*
Build models
Technical
*
Develop specifications and cost estimates
*
Sight survey for elevations and contours
Work Experience
- Architectural Drafting Intern, Designatech Plan Service,
Portland, OR, 1998
- General Construction, Various Construction Companies,
Summers 1994 - 1997
Education
A.A.S. in Architectural Drafting, Portland Community
College, June, 1998
Graduate, Benson High School, Drafting Studies, June 1995

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References and Portfolio Available on Request

The Combination Format

This format is the most widely used, since it eliminates
the inherent drawbacks of both the chronological and
functional formats used in their pure forms and blends the
best elements of each. The pure chronological resume is too
mundane, being actually a bland work autobiography, and
tends not to be persuasive about personal qualifications. On
the other hand, the pure functional resume is too freefloating and provides a unverifiable information about the
applicants abilities.
This type of format is a good tool to use when you need
to focus on your accomplishments as well as listing your
work history in chronological order.
The major sections of the combination resume are:
* Professional Objectives
* Education
* Work Experience
This format is generally used in targeted resumes, when
you have a clear idea of the job you are applying for, as
well as of its requirements. This kind of resume is to be
used once only and for a particular job vacancy.
*Sample 1 (targeted)
JOSEPH TYLER
2015 North Fillmore
Nixa, Missouri 65714
Home: (417) 123-4567 Work: (417) 765-4321

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OBJECTIVE: Seeking a sales position representing Bass

Pro Shops at regional conferences.
PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
Merchandising, Sales, and Promotional:
* Demonstrate/sell products to hotels, motels, restaurants,
and residential care homes.
* Conceptualized, organized, and conducted Missouris
First Annual Motel/Hotel Trade Show for buds Clubs,
March 1994 at Table Rock Lake.
* Promote product lines and achieve marketing goals by
effective time management.
* Consistently recognized as leading salesperson for
membership/merchandising sales.
* Proven planner, organizer, and conductor of state and
regional trade shows.

Management and Administrative:

* Owned and operated restaurant and lounge; responsible
for ordering, inventory, sales, cash management,
advertising, promotions, and personnel management.
* Responsible for all aspects of store management
including advertising, pricing, inventory control, ordering,
purchasing, promotion, and personnel management.

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* Taught junior and senior high school courses in Life

Sciences, Physical Science, General Science, Biology,
Physics, and Chemistry.
Personal/Self Management:
* Strong personal initiative; quick learner in mastering
job requirements.
* Energetic, dedicated professional with record of
building strong working relationships achieving exceptional
results.
* Hard worker; committed to efficient and productive
operations.
* Flexible; work well as a team member of alone.
EDUCATION AND ASSOCIATIONS
* Bachelor of Science in Education, Southwest Missouri
State University, Springfield, Missouri
* Missouri Residential Care Association Missouri
Restaurant Association
* Springfield Chamber of Commerce Table Rock Area
Chamber of Commerce
WORK EXPERIENCE
* Merchandise Representative, Buds Wholesale Club,
Springfield, Missouri, 1990 to pesent
* Assistant Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Springfield, Missouri,
1988 to 1990
* Owner/Manager, Battlefield Restaurant Clever,
Missouri, 1982 to 1988

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* Teacher, Rogersville R-IV, Rogersville, Missouri, 1981

to 1983

REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

* Sample 2 (no previous work history)
Althea Adams
12 Countryside Drive
Summerstown, NH 01234
(432)666-2222
[email protected]
OBJECTIVE: A full- time or internship position in public
relations
EDUCATION
- Bachelor Of Interdisciplinary Studies. Emphasis areas:
Business and Communication, December, 2001, Arizona
State University, Tempe AZ; overall GPA: 3.6
EXPERIENCE
- Social Chairperson, Communication Student AssociationArizona State University
Tempe, AZ Spring 2000
- Planned events designed to promote community and
relationship building

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- Determined venues for major social events, negotiated

pricing, and coordinated event logistics with facility
management
- New Membership Chairperson, Kappa Kappa Gamma
Sorority, Mississippi State College
- Oxford, MS Spring 1998-1999
- Planned new membership activities and theme night
parties designed to encourage affiliation with the
organization. Increased membership by 33%
- Taught new and existing members specialized
conversation tools including persuasion techniques and nonverbal cues determination to improve interpersonal
communication effectiveness
- Controlled budget spending and reduced costs by
accurately projecting and ordering refreshment needs for
new member events
- Volunteer/ Co-Chairperson-Donations, Safe Haven
Womens Shelter Oxford, MS Spring 1999
- Exceeded fundraising goals by successfully securing
donations from local businesses for prize giveaways at
fundraising events
- Organized fundraisers, assisted with setup and registered
guests
COMPUTER SKILLS
- Filemaker Pro, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and
Access
- Internet and World Wide Web Applications
TEAM PROJECTS
- Advertising campaign for Rhino Internet Solutions

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- Determined customer base for local internet solutions

company and developed campaign devised to increase
awareness within this target group
- Developed methods to strengthen branding efforts through
company logo awareness
- Created publicity campaigns for various media including
radio, TV, print, and outdoor venues
- Provided suggestions to improve customer interaction
with publicity activities
- Created a survey and polled ASU business students to
determine reactions regarding the renaming
- Entered results into SPSS data analysis program to find
correlation between student reactions and company
awareness
- Evaluated results with national data and created report
detailing findings
RELEVANT COURSEWORK
- Public Speaking: Developed professional speaking skills
through delivering a diversity of both prepared and
impromptu speeches to a class of 35. Used Microsoft
PowerPoint and Vision graphics in presentations.
- Journalism News Writing: Researched articles using
personal interviews, Internet sources and other investigative
tools. Wrote articles for print media.
- Communication and Consumerism: Evaluated political,
social, and commercial communication mediums and
messages. Assessed more appropriate means for
communication given specific circumstances.
References available on request

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* Sample 3 (graduate with related degree and nonrelated experience)

Althea Adams
12 Countryside Drive
Summerstown, NH 01234
(432)666-2222
[email protected]
PROFESSIONAL OBJECTIVE: A position in Human
Resources in which I will
contribute to corporate
profitability and employee growth.
EDUCATION
- Masters Degree in Human Resource Administration 1991,
G.P.A. 3.8
- Graduate School of Business, Rivier College, Nashua, NH
- Bachelors Degree in Psychology 1981, G.P.A. 3.8, State
University of New York
RELATED ACCOMPLISHMENTS
- Human Resource Training and Development
* Assisted in the design and implementation of three
adult technical training programs. * Recruited technical
faculty and support staff, facilitated curriculum design,
and planned learning objectives based on industry needs,
thus guaranteeing trainee job placement.
* Initiated task force which developed training programs
or counselors and staff of emotionally disturbed children.
Worked with management to introduce seminars in passive
self-defense, group dynamics and communication skills.
- Career Development and Career Planning

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* Designed and executed model career development

program for chronically unemployed adults. Presented
biweekly classes on job search techniques and acculturation
exercises. Upon completion 100% of students obtained
employment at their skill level, 70% more than target
expectations.
* Instituted innovative career development program for
at risk youth. Conducted daily workshops on career
planning and work skills, stressing group dynamics, conflict
resolution and willingness to try new tasks. Eighteen month
follow-up revealed over half of participants no long
categorized as "at-risk" by school officials.
- Benefits and Compensation
* Developed formal compensation program for
growing firm. Wrote job descriptions and performance
appraisal program. Instituted salary surveys. Compensation
program helped to locate employment and training needs
and decrease turnover by 40%.
EMPLOYMENT SUMMARY
1988-1990: Career Development and Placement Specialist,
Assistant Project Manager, Northern Essex Community
College, Haverhill, MA 01830.
1987-1988: Account Executive, Jolicoeur Publishing Co.,
Manchester Journal, Salem, NH.
1986 1987: Alcohol and Drug Counselor Student Intern,
Mount Auburn Hospital Center for Alcohol and Drug
Abuse, Cambridge, MA.
1984-1986: Counselor, Memorial Hospital for Children,
Brighton, MA.

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COMPUTER LITERACY
* Proficient on IBM and MacIntosh personal computers.
* Experience with LOTUS 123, WordPerfect, Aldus
PageMaker, MacWrite, MacDraw, and MacPaint.
REFERENCES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST
3. Basic Resume Writing Rules
1. Format and style rules.
Dos:
- print your resume on standard letter size, white or
ivory rag paper.
- have the resume professionally typed, with plenty of
space between paragraphs, and allow for adequate
margins.
- bold and enlarge your name at the top.
- keep the sections lined up and consistent
- use an Arial or Times New Roman font (or similar).
- If you have a two-page resume, make sure to fill at
least half of the second page.
- use conventional English, but avoid multi-syllable
words.
- use short paragraphs - preferably no longer than five
lines.
- make sure the resume and the cover letter are errorfree.
- include your significant contributions at each one of
your jobs.
- allow the most space to the jobs that are most
relevant to the job you are applying for.

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list your activity with professional, trade and civic

associations only if they are appropriate.
re-read your resume before interview.

Donts:
- give reasons for termination or leaving a job on the
resume. In almost all cases, the reader can find
negative connotations to even the best reason. It is
much better to explaining it in person.
- take more than two lines to list hobbies, sports and
social activities.
- use exact dates. Months and years are sufficient.
- use the pronoun I.
- include your company phone number unless your
immediate boss is aware of your departure.
- include details about your physical appearance or
health, photos, and unrelated hobbies, unless you are
an actor/actress or model..
- list your high school or grammar school if you are a
college graduate.
- state your objectives on your resume unless the
resume is targeted to that job or occupation.
- use professional jargon unless you are sure the
resume will be read by someone who understands it.
- provide salary information on the resume. Save it for
the interview. If you are required to give that
information, reveal it in the cover letter.
provide inaccurate information .
- use font size smaller than 11pt or larger than 12pt,
except for your name and headings.
2. References in your Resume

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A resume reference is a person who can verify your

credentials and all or part of the information you have
written in your resume. References are usually contacted in
the last stages of the job selection procedure, probably after
the candidate has attended the first interview.
You have to know your references well and be sure that
they can give good feedback, to anybody asking questions
about your past.
Resume references can be
* Former teachers or professors
* Clients
* Former project managers or supervisors
* Other contacts from industry associations
It is best to check your references before you give them
to a potential employer.
Resume references have to be able to answer questions
on the following subjects :
* Professional Conduct / Personal Character
* Academic Qualifications
* Work Experience
o Job titles
o Responsibilities
o Employment Dates
* Communication Skills
o Oral
o Written
* Strengths & Weaknesses
* Management / Leadership Skills
* Attitude
o Attendance
o Punctuality
o Dependability

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In a resume you generally do not list your references

unless it is specified in the job advert. The phrase
'References available upon request' is one of the most
common phrases in resumes. Make sure you have reliable
references, as a good reference can substantiate the contents
of your resume and can be the decisive factor in your job
search.

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