Join the crowd. It may surprise you, but most people feel exactly the same way. If they graduated with a 3.2 CPA, they think it should have been a 3.4. If they majored in history, they now wish it had been business. If they worked at many different part-time jobs that were non-career related, they're convinced that their experience has no application for future employment. In short, they're convinced that whatever they've done, it isn't good enough. Why does this happen, and how do you deal with it?
The reason the resume writing process is so threatening is because most people know very little about the functions of a resume. They have no idea how employers use the resume or what they do with it. So when they sit down and try to figure out particulars, such as whether or not they should include a career objective, or what employers are looking for in the educational background section, they're at a loss. They can only project what employers might be interested in. And if you're a recent college graduate with limited work experience, you somehow sense that the value of your projections is questionable. After all, the only people who really know how they use resumes are employers, and they're not going to tell you their secrets. Or are they? When asked, personnel officials gave the following observations on the use and importance of resumes.
Q: What is the importance of the resume in the job search process?
"A resume as an introduction is of extreme value. It's a good initial screening tool to see whether you want to interview a student...The initial contact with an organization is through the resume."
As you can see, while employers may differ on specific points, they seem to agree on the basics. To generalize, all the employers inter viewed believe the resume is very important. It is a screening device. It is your introduction to their company. It is your opportunity to put your best foot forward in writing. And in order to be able to do that, you've got to understand the basics of resume writing.
The purpose
Some people will tell you the purpose of the resume is to summarize your background. This is only partially accurate. The real purpose of your resume is to generate an interview, and summarizing your back ground is not enough. You've got to present your background in such a way that a potential employer will want to meet with you. You've got to stress your accomplishments. Look at the two resumes that follow. These women have exactly the same background, but they've presented it differently. Which one would you hire?
The answer should be obvious. In general, Martha Kelley's resume looks like an employment application, not a resume. It's not interesting visually; in fact, it's cluttered. She has included too much information that's not of interest, and not enough about her accomplishments.
We are left with no real idea of what she's able to do. On the other hand, Cindy Martin's resume is much more appealing. It looks good visually. It's easy to read. And we can clearly see that Cindy is an achiever. She highlights her honors and activities. She's been successful at work. She lets us know that she's a top salesperson, that she's been in a supervisory position, and that she's got organizational skills. Who would you want to interview?
It is important to stress that there is no single right way to write a resume. There are many ways to present your educational and work background, keeping several ground rules in mind.
The resume should be tightly written, neatly arranged, and uncluttered; it should place your work and educational experiences in the best possible light, emphasizing your accomplishments and responsibilities; and it should clearly demonstrate your qualifications for the job you are seeking.
The three resumes which follow differ greatly in emphasis and design, yet each serves as a good general example of a resume that will be read instead of being placed in the circular file.
The content
As you can see from the sample, there are only eight elements that compose most resumes. The first and last elements are easy to complete. The first is your name, address, and telephone number. The last refers to references, and the standard statement is always, References will be furnished upon request. So we are left with six elements.
The first of these elements is the career objective. A career objective is typically where you state the job, job function, company, or industry you're interested in. There are different opinions on the value of including a career objective in your resume, as is evident by the following comments of these employers.
Q: What is the value of a career objective?
"What's realistic in a career objective is for them to say. These are the areas I’ve studied. I've done well in such-and-such. I'm interested in such-and-such.' They should put down several objectives so that I can make a fit between what the company needs and what the student wants. What I'm interested in is: what do you want to do? What can you do?''
Including a career objective is optional, and you've got to make your own decision. On the positive side, since employers receive dozens of resumes daily, a clearly-stated objective allows them to save time by enabling them to quickly categorize your area of interest. An employer who receives a resume stating that a recent college graduate is interested in "an entry-level position in the sales department of a computer company" knows what position that graduate is looking for. On the negative side, if that computer company has already filled all their sales positions, but they do have a position in some other department, you may have specialized yourself out of a job. So what's the solution? There is no solution. If you do decide to include it, your objective should reflect your short-term goals and convey your current employment interests. Be specific without limiting yourself. Stay away from clichés and meaningless phrases, such as "growth position", "dynamic company", or "responsible position". Try to include the following components: the level of the job you're interested in, the functions and abilities you want to utilize, and the type of industry or work environment that you want to work in.
