JobBlog

YOUR RESUME INVENTORY
It is important to compile
all the information and documentation for
verification purposes,
even if you do not include
it all in your resume.

o Compile the factual information you will need.

o Be as accurate and complete as possible.

o Check dates to make sure they are correct.

o Gather any necessary documents such as transcripts, certificates, awards, etc.

o Include the following information:

• School names, GPA, dates of graduation and degrees, licenses or certificates earned.
• Include study abroad, outdoor semester, etc.
• Conferences and professional development
• Skills acquired through coursework and experience that relate to the types of jobs you want
• Employment history, names of companies, job titles, dates of employment and job descriptions
• Internship, field experience and practicum
• Community service, volunteer work, activities, memberships and leadership positions
• Publications and presentations
• Honors and awards

No matter who reviews your resume, there are many factors that could eliminate you from further consideration. Negative impressions can be caused by:

PROBLEM SOLUTION

Poor Photocopies Send an original laser printed resume
Typographical/Grammatical Errors Use Spell-Check and Proofreaders
Hard to Read, Cluttered, Poor Format Make it Clear, Clean, Visually Appealing
Too much information List only relevant information
No clear objective List the job title or type of position
Trendy Paper White is Right
Inaccurate or outdated information Update your resume frequently
A generic resume Customize each resume for the company
No Cover Letter attached Always include a Cover Letter

What is a resume?

• A resume is a written thumbnail sketch of you.
• It is a way for you to advertise your talents.
• Resumes highlight your skills, achievements
and potential.
• To write a good resume you must have a great amount of self-knowledge and you must have a
goal in mind.

Why do I need a resume?

The purpose of a resume is to project a positive
image of yourself to a prospective employer so that he/she will want to interview you. If you send out resumes for jobs you feel you are qualified to fill and do not get an opportunity for an interview, then your resume is not working. You probably need to go back and rewrite it.

Employers get dozens of resumes each day. Reading them all can become tedious. So it is important to present yourself in the most professional way, giving only the most essential information, in order to attract the reader’s attention.

Experts say that employers spend about 15 seconds reading over a resume. That may sound disheartening to you after spending hours, maybe even weeks, putting together your power resume, only to find out that it was tossed on a pile after barely a glance from an employer.

I think a more accurate description of the way resumes are read is to imagine a busy office with lots of mail to go through. The reader scans each piece looking for key words or qualifications. If he/she finds them, the resume goes on a “possibilities” pile; if not, the resume is probably tossed aside. Once sorted, the employer will go back and read, in greater detail, the fine points of your resume to determine if an interview would be appropriate.

In a large corporation the hiring manager is not always the first person to see your resume. Often, human resource personnel will screen resumes and refer only the most qualified candidates for further consideration. The “screener” may compare your resume with all others received to determine who is best qualified.

In some companies and government organizations, the screener may compare your qualifications with the requirements for the job and rate you based on specific criteria. Still others may make judgments based on conclusions drawn from reading the resume.

For example:

A candidate may be an alumnus from the same school or a member of a mutual fraternity or association. Information that divulges age, sex, race, religion, marital or family status can have a negative or a positive effect depending on the circumstances.