Your resume is a very important document; with it rest your hopes and dreams for the future – that next step up the career ladder, a better position, more money, new challenges, etc. Your resume therefore has to represent the best you have to offer if you do not want to miss out on that job you saw which was ‘perfect’ for you.
So we’ve included a few pointers below to help you with the type of content that should be included in your resume.
Personal Details
You need to include your name, home address, college address (if applicable), phone number, and email address.
Education
You should list all high school or post secondary educational institutions where you have studied – the most recent education being listed first. Include subject options taken in each year of your course. Include any major, minor, special project, thesis, or dissertation work. Pre-college courses (high school, etc.) should then be included, and subjects taken and passed just before college will be of most interest.
Work experience
List your most recent experience first. Give the name of your employer, job title, and very important, what you actually did and achieved in that job. Part-time work should be included.
Interests
Depending on the position you are applying for, an employer will be particularly interested in activities that demonstrate your leadership or responsibility, or that involve you relating to others in a team. If you have been involved in any type of volunteer work, be sure to provide details.
Skills
Employers prefer candidates that are multifaceted, so the more skills you possess, the more attractive your resume will look to a potential employer. Things you should showcase are your experience with computers and software, abilities to speak other languages, and even possession of a valid driver’s license.
References
Employers generally look for three work-related references from candidates. If you are at the early stages of your career or are still in high school or post-secondary education, it is usually best to give at least two to three names from your place of study and from any work situation you have had.
Length
When making a resume it is possible that you might not be able to put all the details , but remember not to place all your information into one page – use two sheets if you need to, but do not go longer than this. Putting page numbers at the bottom of the pages isn’t necessary, but sometimes the little details can impress.
Visual Appearance It is acceptable to use bold typeface, underscoring, bullets, etc., be sure to only use these sparingly. A resume covered in bold type and underlined text does not look appealing to an employer. And most importantly – don’t forget to have someone else proofread your resume to look for any mistakes you may have missed!
Style
There are two generally accepted formats for resumes, Chronological and Functional.
- Chronological Format:
The chronological resume is one which presents your abilities through a historical sequence of job experiences, starting with your most recent. It may also contain a list of selected accomplishments after the responsibilities are outlined, or in place of listing responsibilities. This is the resume style recommended by most recruiters and is especially useful if your most recent work experience directly relates to the position you are applying for and if you have had a solid work history with demonstrated progression through the years. If you have little or no relevant work experience for the position of interest, if you wish to change career directions, or if there are noticeable gaps in your experience, then this format is not recommended.
- Functional Format:
Functional resumes, on the other hand, describe experiences by categories of skills such as “budgeting”, “administration”, etc. This resume format is flexible and the skill headings can be tailored to the job requirements. It is a good choice when your direct experience is limited, when you wish to change career directions, when your work history is sporadic or when your experience has been gained in activities outside traditional employment for e.g. volunteer work, academic studies, job placement or travel. It is also useful if your work experience is very repetitive. For those who have not done a skills assessment this style of resume is useful as it forces them to think in terms of job requirements and transferable skills. However, recruiters generally do not prefer this style; they are often suspicious that you are trying to hide some gaps in your work history or experience. They also find this resume style more difficult to screen as the information is usually presented in a fairly generic style which may not provide the recruiter with enough information to make an accurate assessment.
