Writing Resumes and Business Letters Created by

Transcript:Writing Resumes and Business Letters Created by:
Writing Resumes and Business Letters Created by Hunter Brown Summer 2013 Resumes “A resume is a structured summary of a person’s education, employment background, and job qualifications. Before you begin writing a resume, make sure you understand its true function—as a brief persuasive business message intended to stimulate an employer’s interest in meeting you and learning more about you. In other words, the purpose of a resume is not to get you a job but rather to get you an interview.” 1. Chronological resume The most common approach. Work experience section dominates and is placed immediately after contact information and introductory statement. Lists jobs in reverse chronological order. Types of Resumes 2. Functional resume Emphasizes your skills and capabilities. Stresses individual areas of competence rather than job history. Sometimes causes suspicion because it obscures work history. Types of Resumes 3. Combination resume Meshes skills focus of functional resume with job history focus of chronological resume. Allows you to emphasize your capabilities if you don’t have a long job history. A good choice for college students. Types of Resumes Created by Hunter Brown Summer 2013 This is a sample combination resume. Name and Contact Information Resumes should begin with the following contact information: Name Physical address Phone number(s) Email address URL of webpage (if you have one) The introductory statement can be structured in a number of ways: A career objective statement identifies either a specific job you want to land or a general career track you want to pursue. Avoid using unless you have no qualifications for, or employment background in, the career you are attempting to enter. A career summary offers a brief recap of your career. Use if you have a long work history. A qualifications summary offers a brief overview of your key qualifications. Use if you have a reasonably focused skill set but don’t yet have a long career history. John Smith has chosen to use a qualifications summary. Introductory Statement The education section is your strongest selling point if you are still in or freshly out of college. Education Section Starting with the most recent, list the name and location of each school you have attended, the month and year of your graduation (or “anticipated graduation in ___”), major and minor fields of study, significant skills and abilities developed, and degrees or certifications gained. Employment Section In the employment section, starting with the most recent,