Resumes, Cover Letters, and References

What is a "Resume"?

A resume is traditionally defined as a brief summary of your skills, education, experience, personal qualifications and information which an employer would want to know when considering you as a candidate for a job. However, resumes are sometimes used for purposes such as school applications, scholarships and various other occasions in which a brief presentation of your background is required.

There are a lot of people with very strong opinions about what a resume should or should not be. The truth is that there is no right or wrong format. You have two or three pages of a resume and cover letter in which to communicate your uniqueness, personal motivation, and skills. You must decide what you want to communicate.

"Preparing Your Resume" will outline some "traditional" steps to follow when writing a resume. Keep in mind, it usually takes two or three drafts to perfect your resume. So spend some time writing, getting advice, and then writing some more. The result will be a resume and cover letter that you can be proud of.

Preparing Your Resume

1. Take some time to pull together all the background information that you have about yourself. It is a good idea to keep a file of this information for future reference. Include dates of previous employment, rates of pay, promotions, achievements, honors and course lists. Keep copies of all of your resumes and any other employment correspondence.
2. Gather specific information on the job you're applying for. Include job duties (to match your skills to the skills needed for the job), education and experience requirements, hours and shifts usually worked and pay range. This information should be found on the job announcement, but if the announcement or ad is vague, call the employer and ask for a more complete description of the job duties.
3. Decide which resume format you want to use. There are two commonly used formats. These are functional and reverse chronological.

Resume Formats

There are many different kinds of resumes. The two most common formats are:

1. --an arrangement of your qualifications in reverse chronological order, that is, the most recent information listed first. This is the resume format that most employers prefer.
2. Functional--an arrangement by skills and abilities possessed. This style is often used by career changers and some students who have no work experience.

Some of the other formats include:

1. Combination--as the name implies, this style is a combination of a functional and a chronological resume. It highlights most relevant skills and accomplishments while still showing when the skills were acquired. It can be very confusing if not well organized and requires more effort and creativity to prepare.
2. Target--personalized to company, shows research and written specifically to employer's needs. This style should be revised for each employer and can be time consuming to prepare. Any of the other styles can be made into a targeted resume.

Cover Letters

The purpose of a cover letter is to introduce yourself and personalize your resume. It also serves to interest an employer and encourage an interview. A cover letter is sent to accompany your resume. It is a standard introductory letter, usually responding to a known job opening. It is designed to let the potential employer see you as a unique individual whose interests and experiences match the needs of his/her organization.