Report On Headings And Objective 1a

Writing Effective Resumes

Introduction 1

Two Types of Resumes 2
Experience 3
Academic Achievements 3a
Additional Recommendations 4
Writing Effective Resumes
Writing a resume can be an imposing task. However, everyone must learn how to write an effective resume before their job search. Writing an effective resume is certainly a challenge, but if the task of resume writing is broken down into a sequence of steps, anyone can write a professionally-appealing resume that sums up one's work history, and relevant skills in an organized, coherent manner. Indeed, learning how to write an effective resume could mean the difference between landing one's dream job, or languishing in a perpetual void of unemployment and disillusion with a job search. The purpose of this essay is to learn how to write an effective resume, thus improving the odds of success in the labor force, and ultimately improving the chances of landing the ideal job in the ideal field.
First, it is vitally important to follow an acceptable, standard format. Thus, a heading is necessary. The heading of your resume will include your name at the top of the resume, typed in bold caps along with your physical address, phone number, and email address (ucsd.edu, 2010, internet). In addition, if you plan on moving soon, it is wise to use your school address as well as your permanent address (ucsd.edu, internet). Like any business report, all headings should be "descriptive, parallel, and sequential in transition" (Thompson, 2005, p. 170).
Defining your career objective takes time, and cannot be rushed. Therefore, it is a good idea to write down your goals on a separate piece of paper -- including strengths and weaknesses. Obviously, you will want to focus on your strengths when you finally define your career objective. An excellent rule-of-thumb to remember is the "rule of thumbs" (bucknell.edu, n.d., p. 3). Literally speaking, it is important to note where your thumbs are when you pick up your resume (or anyone's resume, for that matter). When a prospective employer picks up a resume, they will, as a rule, only glance at the top half of the page -- above their thumbs, in other words. Also, the 20-second rule applies: if you have not made your point in your resume after 20 seconds, the employer will, as a rule, relegate your resume to "File B" -- the trash can (bucknell.edu, 3). Thus, your career objective should be short and to the point, as well as very clear. Most employers do not have the time to wade through wordy, or highly-technical career objectives. It is important to save technical terms for what you did in school, or on the job -- if absolutely necessary.
There are two types of resume formats: the chronological type and the combination type (bucknell.edu, 4). The chronological type of resume format is great for prospective employees who have gained a lot of experience with one company, in one field. "Job duties are listed under the job title, organization, and dates" (bucknell.edu, 4). This type of resume works its way back to schooling, thus the term "chronological" type. On the other hand, the combination type of resume is an excellent format for those who have changed careers -- even those who have changed careers multiple times, as well as those with significant gaps in their employment history, or even those who want to emphasize a preferred set of skills, as opposed to jobs, and job duties (bucknell.edu, 4). Thus, it is important that job seekers know the difference between the two types of resume formats, as this will affect how jobs and skill sets are listed.
Every component of a resume weighs in with its own significance, but employers are especially looking at your past jobs, as well as those jobs' required duties. It is important to emphasize job duties, but in the highly-competitive job market, it is perhaps more important to emphasize accomplishments. As prospective employers -- especially in the applied sciences such as engineering -- are looking for candidates who are problem solvers, it is of the utmost importance that you identify particular problems in your past workplace(s) that you solved (Borysek, 2011, internet). Employers want to know what kind of problem solving skill set you possess -- and the only way they will know this information is by what is listed in your professional resume. Researching the company you are applying to, as well as the position you are applying for, will give you some idea of what kinds of problems an organization has that need to be solved by an employee in your position (Borysek, 2011, internet). Borysek (2011) recommends that the top two lines of your job be reserved for duties, while the rest of the space allocated for your job be used to list specific accomplishments. In addition, it is important to mentally formulate (and type) what the accomplishments meant to the overall organization, in terms of efficiency, revenue, employee retention, resource allocation, etc.
Design is a customized signature on your resume. Thus, if you are a so-called "creative", you will also have more creative license with regards to design. Photographers, models, actors, writers, musicians, and the like may exhibit their skills far less conservatively than teachers, professors, engineers, or human resource professionals. Thus, while it is important to impress employers with your personalized style, it is better to "err on the side of being conservative stylistically" (Borysek, internet).
Educational accomplishments are an extremely critical aspect of any resume. Thus, it behooves job applicants to master this section. With respect to positioning, the education section may appear before, or after the experience section. Education should be listed in a reverse chronology format, with your degree, graduation month and year, name of your institution, and the city and state of its location (osu.edu, 2015, internet). Other items, such as GPA, are better left omitted, as they may not be very high, and generally do not predict actual job performance (osu.edu, internet). If you are a recent high school graduate, only list relevant high school accomplishments if you graduated as class salutatorian or class valedictorian.
With regards to activities, non-work activities and extracurricular activities should be included, especially as they show that you are well-rounded and have gained experience via other avenues (osu.edu, internet). These kinds of activities are especially significant if you played any kind of leadership role. Volunteerism, or activities that include religious or political organizations are better left omitted, as their inclusion might polarize a potential boss. For example, a Republican Party volunteer, in spite of all their hard campaign work, would not impress a potential boss who leans Democratic (osu.edu, internet).
It is also important to list honors and awards. For example, being on the Dean's List or membership in an academic organization are valuable assets, as well as sports experience, especially athletic experience that resulted in a varsity "letter" or garnered a trophy, or placed you in a position of leadership (osu.edu, internet).
Finally, it is important to network. Networking is the singular most important activity you can engage in, once you have completed your professional resume. Networking means dropping off your resume with important contacts -- as well as their contacts -- at every conceivable opportunity, such as job and career fairs, employment center, organizations of your alma mater, contacts from the past such as vendors and sales representatives, and as many of your business contacts as possible. The idea is to get your resume in circulation. Indeed, drafting and finalizing a professional resume can be a daunting task, but it can be done without a costly resume preparation service -- merely by organizing a strategy, following recommendations, keeping current, and networking as much as possible (Borysek, internet). The professionalism and time that goes into a professional resume can make or break a successful job search.

Works Cited

Alumni Career Services: Bucknell University. (n.d.). "Creating an Effective Resume." Retrieved on 16 Apr 2015 from http://www.bucknell.edu/documents/CDC/Creating_An_Effective_Resume.pdf
Borysek, Marilyn. (Mar, 2011). "6 Tips for Writing an Effective Resume." Retrieved on 16 Apr 2015 from https://www.asme.org/career-education/articles/job-hunting/6-tips-for- writing-an-effective-resume
Career Services Center. (2010). "Writing an Effective Resume." Retrieved on 16 Apr 2015 from http://career.ucsd.edu/undergraduates/prepar-resume-covlet/writing-effective- resume.html
Center for the Study and Teaching of Writing. (2015). "Writing an Effective Resume." Retrieved on 16 Apr 2015 from https://cstw.osu.edu/writing-center/handouts/resumes
Thompson, Alan. (2005). Entrepreneurship and Business. Retrieved on 16 Apr 2015 from http://bestentrepreneur.murdoch.edu.au/Guide_To_Report_Writing.pdf