Resume Writing

Noreen Zamir
University of Sahiwal
[email protected]
Objectives
• Understanding the nature and importance of employment
communication
• Knowing about résumé design and describe three acceptable résumé
styles: chronological, functional, and combination
• Knowing how to write a persuasive resume
A résumé packages your assets into a convincing
advertisement that sells you for a specific job.
• Mary Ellen Guffey
Introduction
• One page document
• Summarizes your work
• Specific to the job applying for
• Different from CV
• Describes the job you want and qualifications you have. Similar to the
back of a book, it motivates the reader to keep reading.
• Needs to be clear, concise, exciting and readable within 30 seconds.
Difference between resume & CV
Resume CV
One page Multiple pages
Includes job specific experience only All professional/academic experience
Updated to tailor to different job descriptions Updated to add accomplishments
Used to apply for jobs Used mostly in academic and research fields
Emphasizes professional achievements Emphasizes academic achievements
Always fits on a single page Grows longer overtime
• The design of a résumé largely depends on a person’s background,
employment needs, career goals, and professional conventions in the
area of specialization
The résumé design, the résumé must answer the
following questions:

(a) How can the employer contact the candidate?

(b) What are his/her career objectives?
(c) Which institutions have been attended?
(d) What courses (academic or professional) have been completed?
(e) What is his/her work experience?
(f) What are his/her career achievements?
(g) What are his/her special skills or capabilities?
(h) What are his/her awards or honors that he/she has received?
(i) What are his/her activities/special interests/hobbies?
(j) Who are his/her references?
• Answers to these questions will provide the employer with all the relevant information
needed to assess an applicant’s suitability for a particular position.
Resume formats
• Chorological
• Functional
• combination
Chronological
• Commonly called reverse chronological
• When to use:
• To illustrate your career progression over time
• To show upward career mobility
• Applying for a similar job to those on your resume
Chronological resume
• When not to use it
• Large employment gaps in your work history
• Change jobs frequently
• Starting a second career or switching fields
Functional Resume
• Focuses more on specific skills, accomplishments or awards
• When to use
• To highlight a set of skills or honors displaying those skills
• When going back to work after an extended period
• Changing careers or fields
Functional Resume
• When not to use
• You are entry level candidate that has little work experience
• Lack of professional skills or certificates
Combination Resume
• When to use
• To show you are extremely skilled in the job field you are applying
• To show a developed skill in the specific field
• When changing industries or careers
Combination Resume
• When not to use
• You are an entry-level job applicant
• Lack experience or a well defined professional skill set
• You want to make your education background stand out
Resume Sections
• 1 Contact information
• Name
• Address
• Phone Number
• Email
Resume Introduction
• Summary of qualifications

• You need a way to display a few skills sets

• You have lots of experience
• The job needs very specific abilities you need to show you have
Career objective
• When to use it
• When you are an entry-level applicant
• Recently graduated from high school or university
• Lack experience in the industry you are applying for
Professional profile
• Highlight major achievements in previous jobs
• Have special skills that might give you a competitive advantage
• Applying to a job similar to your previous positions
Work experience
• List job experience in reverse chronological manner
• Company name in bold/few font size bigger
• Position held and dates
• Recent and relevant experience
Education
• Name of institute
• Degree
• Year
Resume skills Do’s & Don’ts
Do’s Don’ts

Quantify wherever you can Include vague or rote skills

Use specific skills related to the job you are applying List random skills
for

Include unique and interesting soft skills Highlight soft skills that are overused or cliché
(dynamic, hardworking, friendly)
Additional Resume sections
• Awards, honors
• Certificates, licenses
• Publications
Resume styles
Do Don’t

Use clear fonts Use wacky fonts (comic sans)

Use different sizes for different items Make everything on the page with same size

Be consistent with a font Switching between fonts

Use black ink Using colors

Additional Tips
• Like a job application, a résumé is an important employment-seeking
document.
• It should be as persuasive as possible.
• As a résumé is created, reviewed, or revised, the following simple
points should be borne in mind:
Give the résumé a Professional Look
• In order to produce a clean, professional looking document, an
appropriate résumé style should be chosen according to the
background of the applicant, his/her employment needs, and the
requirements that the prospective employers may have.
• To improve the readability of a résumé, it should be designed and
formatted so that the main sections are noticeable and the individual
components of experience or education are distinct and separate
from each other.
• Well-defined headings and white space may be used to achieve this.
The résumé should be computer friendly, avoiding overly decorative
design and typography.
Be Factual, Complete and Objective
• Facts should be used to demonstrate the applicant’s skills and
capabilities.
• All facts and academic and professional data should be verified for
accuracy.
• Correct numbers, dates, names, and references should be used.
Postal address, e-mail address, and telephone number should be
included.
Use Appropriate Writing Style
• Principles of business writing should be applied and the writing style
should be carefully chosen.
• Consistency of phrasing should be maintained by using the same style of
phrasing for similar information in the résumé.
• Punctuation style should also be consistent.
• For example, “Responsible for the development and delivery of a wide
range of state-of-the-art products for global market” may be used instead
of “I am responsible for the development and delivery of a wide range of
state-of-the-art products for global market”, or “Performed design of
electro-mechanical sub-systems, micro mechanisms and transmission
systems” is acceptable in place of “I performed design of electro-
mechanical subsystems, micro mechanisms and transmission systems”.
Use Specific Details
• Specific details of the applicant’s education, training, experience,
references, and skills should be mentioned.
• Action verbs should be used to strengthen the résumé. Keywords that
describe skills, personality traits, and job requirements should be
emphasized.
• Organize the résumé properly.
• Take Care of Grammar, Usage, Vocabulary, Spelling and Punctuation.
Source:
• EFFECTIVE TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION by Ashraf Rizvi McGraw Hill
Education (India) Private Limited