GUIDELINES FOR WRITING A RESUME
THE RESUME A resume is a brief, written summary of your qualifications, skills, knowledge and education. The goal of your resume is to motivate an employer to interview you. Primarily, a “good resume” must meet the employer’s needs and must also meet your needs. • • • • • • • Cite numbers and specifics whenever possible. Write the way you speak – short sentences in the cover letter and short, descriptive phrases in the resume. Be honest and accurate. Avoid personal pronouns (“I”). Make it visually pleasing – use margins, bullets, italics and boldface type. Use good quality 8” X 11” resume, bonded paper. Review final draft with a friend or counselor to assure there are no typographical or grammatical errors.
Keeping all the above in mind, remember too, there is no one right way to write a resume. There are no hard, fast rules for specific styles, format and content. WHAT YOUR RESUME SHOULD COVER • • • • • • • • The type of position you are seeking Education Positions held, when and where Scope of responsibilities for each position held What you can offer an employer (may include in the cover letter) Your knowledge, skills, qualifications and talents Accomplishments Background training (as relevant and keep brief) RESUME FORMATS There are several basic resume formats. Know your needs and objectives before selecting a format. The format that you choose should be one which best highlights your work strengths, unique qualifications and skills. 1. Chronological – Emphasized previous experience, which is described in chronological order. This format is most advantageous if you have gained extensive experience that is directly related to your career objective. Chronological is not an advantage if your work history is spotty or you are changing career fields. (This is the traditional format for resumes, generally accepted everywhere and easily understood. Since the practice of social work includes the “use of self” and draws on the professional’s own life experiences, even positions held in non-social services may be relevant and may be included on a resume.) Functional – Experience and abilities are arranged and described in major skill and knowledge areas with or without dates. Accomplishments and transferable skills should be highlighted. The advantage will allow you to organize your resume in a way that supports your objective and focuses on capabilities you may have for a specific job. Targeted – This resume is highly focused and lists abilities and accomplishments directed to specific job objectives.
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Creative – A format which is most effective for people interested in a career in art, theatre, media or writing. It should be used only when creativity and individuality is related to the job target and must be extremely well done.
Preparing a good resume will require considerable time and effort. Research your career fields of interest. Review job descriptions. KEY ELEMENTS OF A GOOD RESUME Identity – Name, address, phone number (and email address) Career Objective – The key to what follows. Why are you seeking this job? Use a minimum of words and try to be focused. Examples of good job objectives: *Licensed clinical social worker, specializing in relationship problems and substance abuse, working with individuals, couples and families *Program development position working with elderly population *Social work position with University of California Medical Center *Professional psychotherapy position with public or private agency Education – List degrees earned (in reverse chronological order), colleges and graduation date (year only). If cumulative grade point average is above 3.0, you may include it and be sure to put the top of the scale after a slash (3.00/4.00). Qualifications Summary – Briefly describe three to five unique qualifications for skills which support your career objective. (This is optional on the resume. May be included in the cover letter.) Previous Experience – List employers in reverse chronological order, beginning with your most recent job. Briefly describe the major responsibilities and significant accomplishments for each job. (Include previous internships and identify as such.) Highlight your work strengths and problem solving abilities. (As appropriate, include the age group of the population of customers/clientele served in each position.) Related Experience – Briefly describe pertinent experience gained through cooperative education (and/or volunteer service) which is related to your career objective. (Again, the “use of self” concept applies here. These other experiences may be integrated into the chronological resume as long as each experience is appropriately labeled, i.e. volunteer, etc.) Professional Associations, Memberships or Activities (optional) – Again, list in reverse chronological order. References – Furnished upon request (optional). May list references on a separate sheet entitled “References for Mary Smith”, your address and phone number (and email address), list 3 to 5 references, including their titles, addresses and telephone numbers.
THE DAMN GOOD RESUME GUIDE These materials were distributed at the Resume Writing Workshop, Kent School of Social Work, Job Fair – March 27, 1993. Recent modifications to this document are noted by italicized words inside parentheses, June 1998.