An important tool in any job search is the resume. A resume is a record or brief summary of your history and experiences. It gives the potential employer a look at your qualifications and past employment history. Often it is the single document that gets you an initial interview.

How important is the resume? Let’s take a look at a typical scenario. I am an employer with a management position that I need to fill. I posted an ad, with job descriptions and requirements, on an internet mega-job board Tuesday afternoon. By Wednesday morning, when I get back to my office, I could have a hundred, a thousand, or possibly more resumes in my email inbox. If I spend 10 seconds visually scanning 1,000 resumes, it will take me 2.78 hours to do the initial scan and select the resumes.

That means you only have, at best, 10 seconds to get my attention. Is the abstract important? Yes it is.

There are many styles, formats, and types of resumes to choose from. Different styles work better for different professions. The key to a successful resume is that it should look professional. Remember, this is not a piece of paper that you are sending, it is you that is sending it.

Let’s look at a generic resume and the do’s and don’ts of developing a resume based on my experiences as a job seeker and recruiter over the years.

The first step is to find a good format that fits your needs and the profession in which you find yourself. With the proliferation of computers and word processing software, this can be easily accomplished. You can develop your own professional resume in a few easy steps by following the templates provided. Yes, you should write it down not just because you have to email it, but because it looks more professional. In the last six months I have received a handwritten resume and I assure you that I did not spend the 10 seconds that I mentioned above to scan it.

Use a standard font with minimal highlighting, bold, or italics. This is not the time to use fancy graphics, you want the document to be easy to scan and read. The only attention fancy graphics get is negative attention.

Your resume should be printed on standard heavy-weight paper, preferably white. Do not use fancy colored paper. A cream colored bond paper is fine.

Make sure all your sentences, paragraphs, indents, bullets, and alignments are properly spaced and justified. Don’t just check this out on the computer screen but also on a hard copy. There are times when what you see on the screen is not what ends up on paper.

Another important point that can sabotage an excellent resume is spelling and/or grammar. Don’t just rely on “spell check,” but go through and reread your resume several times. Have someone who is good at spelling and grammar proofread your resume before you submit it. It would be terrible to miss out on a great job because you misspelled a few words.

Try to keep your resume to a one page document. If you have a lot of work history, you can add a second page if necessary. If you think you need a second page, ask yourself if past history is really relevant to this job search. Often it is not and can be omitted.

Keep your points simple and concise. This is not the time to write an eloquent essay on his work history, full of long adjectives and descriptors. Each of his employers and job role should have a brief description of what his labor union was and a few bullet points of his major accomplishments.

Let’s look at the various elements of a resume and what should be covered. This particular format is one I like, but the basic elements are the same in most formats.

the header

The header must include your name and contact information (address, phone number, and email address). I prefer it to be centered at the top of the page. You don’t have to put “Resume Of” as this is supposed to and is a waste of space.

Aim

The only time I use an objective line on a resume is when it’s being submitted for a specific job offer. Then I put the specific job title as the goal. In all other generic resumes, I don’t use this line because it may limit your options.

Summary of qualifications

This is a short list of four or five top-tier qualifications that you, as a candidate, have to offer. They are listed in a bulleted format.

This is a good place to use the “keyword phrases” you found in the Job Description/Job Requirements section of the company’s job posting.

Experience

This is where you list your employment history and experiences. You must be listed in reverse chronological order from your most recent employer to your first employer.

Each listing must include the time of employment by month and year for the start and end. Employer name and city and state location must be included. Your last job title as listed by that employer must also be given.

Please provide a brief description of the company’s primary function, your specific role, and your responsibilities. You must provide more information about the most recent and/or relevant works.

Then list two to five bullet points of your major accomplishments. Remember, he will be asked, in an interview, to explain them, so he must be prepared to do so.

Education

I list my education at the end of the resume instead of at the beginning so that the recruiter focuses on my work history and experiences first.

Please list the last school you attended and its location. List her degree and the date she graduated.

If you attended more than one college and received multiple degrees, you must list each one.

Then list all postgraduate training, by date and topic, that is relevant. “Statistical process controls” would be relevant to manufacturing, but may not be relevant to basketry.

This is a lot of information to get into a one or two page document, but it can be done if you keep it concise. The purpose of the resume is to introduce yourself and get that initial interview. The interview is where you will fill in all the details that are not on the resume.

Remember, it is very important that the resume is accurate and truthful. You will be required to explain most of the points and especially the relevant achievements.

Sooner or later the truth will come out. One of the things I hated to do was fire a good new employee when it was discovered that he had misrepresented the information on his resume or application.

Even in today’s world of computer profiling, a good resume is essential. Everyone should have a good resume that is up to date and ready to go. I always say, “The first thing you do when you get a new job is update your resume.”

What have been some of your successes and experiences with the curriculum?