Why do you need a resume? You need a resume because employers use it to screen prospective employees. The process of creating a resume also helps you to recognize and assess your strengths and accomplishments. This will help you articulate those during an interview.

Guidelines

• Include no personal information, such as marital status or anything that would indicate your race or religion.
  
• Do not use all caps.
  
• Include your name, address, phone number and e-mail address.
  
• List your employers with dates of employment, city and job title.
  
• Use no smaller than a 12 font. Use a serif type such as Times Roman or Courier. Sans-serif types like Ariel and Univers are difficult to read, as are all caps.
  
• Print on quality bond paper, white or off-white.
  
• Do not use booklets.
  
• Keep it to one page if you have little professional experience.
  
• Start phrases with action words.
  
• A resume should be accomplishment oriented and not a list of job descriptions.
  
• A resume should include major career highlights, not everything you have ever done in your life.

Three Types: Chronological, Functional and Combination

The chronological lists your work history and accomplishments in reverse chronological order.
It’s most effective for individuals:

• who have a steady record of employment in an industry or functional area or
  
• want to stay in the same line of work.

The functional lists your accomplishments in different categories.
Examples: Management, Social Policy, Clinical, Supervision.
It’s more effective if you are:

• making a career transition;
  
• want to return to a professional area you worked in earlier in your career;
  
• have large time gaps in your resume; or
  
• have extensive accomplishments in volunteer work or hobbies.

The combination combines elements of both.
It’s most effective with:

• those who want to emphasize unique skills and accomplishments or
  
• those who want to de-emphasize certain parts of their employment history.

Step #1 Develop a list of accomplishments.

• State what you did using strong action verbs.
  
• Specify the results or impact those actions had on the organization using numbers or percentages whenever possible.

Examples:

• Increased revenue by 15% while creating operational efficiencies resulting in 10% greater profit margins.
  
• Researched and identified target markets and added six new channels of distribution.

Step #2 Prepare your Resume

Elements of a Resume

Contact Information
Name, address, phone number (s), e-mail

Headline/Summary
A summary summarizes your expertise and also gives the reader a clear idea of what job you are seeking.

Example:

Senior VP of Operations with outstanding results controlling costs and developing new revenue streams for $15M company. Financial manager skilled in all aspects of cash management. Demonstrated strengths in marketing and new business development. MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School.

Employment History
Employer name, city, dates of employment and job title
If you are older, you can omit earlier periods of work history if they are not relevant to your current work objective.

Education/Training
If you are a new graduate, list this category first. Otherwise, it goes after your experience.
List in reverse chronological order.
List courses, seminars or workshops that relate to your job objective.

Additional Information
Professional Affiliations, publications, community activities, computer skills.

References
Should not be included on resume.
Have references ready if requested.

Length
Keep your resume to one page if you have little experience.

Conclusion

Many people procrastinate when it comes to resume preparation. The best time to look for a job is often when you are satisfied with your current position. An updated resume is a career development tool that can help you strategize your next career move. Entrepreneurs and independent practitioners can use an accomplishment-oriented resume to create their career development and marketing plans.