Creating a Resume

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library

Thursday, May 20

10:30 A.M.

Creating a resume

That will knock their socks off.

What you need to get started A working telephone number where you can be reached.

A physical mailing address where you can be contacted.

An e-mail address where you can be contacted. (You will need an e-mail address so potential employers can contact you.)

A list of your previous jobs, going back at least 7-10 years and covering at least three separate employers, if your work history extends that far.

City and state Dates Duties and accomplishments

A list of the schools you attended City and state Dates Degrees, certificates, etc..

A list of your most marketable skills (computer skills, typing/keyboarding rate, customer service, specific mechanical skills, etc.).

The basics A great resume doesn’t have to be long. (Or fit

on one page.)

It does need to be clear, concise, easy to read, and grammatically correct.

What goes where?

Tour of a resume

NameAddress

Telephone #

E-mail address

Objective: A specific statement of your goals (Often omitted)

Experience: Most current or most relevant first.

Skills: computer programs, languages, anything related to job

Optional headings: Include if relevant

This is not a traditional objective. It’s more of a personal summary.

Notice bullet points

Headings are in all caps to make them stand out. Accomplishm

ents, not just duties.

Notice how all the bullets line up!

What do I put for … ? My skills - The things you can do; any computer programs,

typing, languages, unique systems you might have used in other jobs. If you are having trouble identifying skills, try using powerwords, which we’ll talk about in a minute.

My experience - Your work experience from the past 7-10 years. Give the name of employer, city and state, years worked, duties.

My education - Your highest level of education completed, date completed and any other degrees or certifications that would relate to the job for which you are applying.

My objective - A statement of your goal, such as: “To obtain a position using my customer service skills.” Many experts say you can omit the objective entirely.

Power words

How to use power words A job description without power words:

“Operated cash register”

The same description using power words: “Assisted customers with processing and payment of

selected items, managed customer relations at point of sale”

Use these words to describe your past accomplishments and tasks. Be careful! These words should increase the clarity of your job

descriptions, not make them more confusing.

Also useful as skills.

All information on your resume should be accurate and current.

 

To template or not to template

Template pros Template cons

Nice little extras like lines, symbols, etc.

Does formatting for you

Can be hard to add more information later without messing up formatting

Can look overly familiar

A few final tips Always have a separate cover letter that highlights your

qualifications for the specific job you are applying for.

Should match your resume in font, style

Have a list of at least three references with their addresses and phone numbers ready to supply to the employer if asked.

Type it up in the same font and style as your resume.

Contact your references to verify their information, ask for their permission to use them as a reference, and make sure they are in town and available.

Many people put “References available upon request” at the bottom of their resume if they have room, but it isn’t necessary.