La Sierra University - Career Center




	It can be humbling, indeed, to think that your professional life can be summed up in one page and/or one minute. When dealing with resumes, that is all conventional wisdom allows -one page- for you to summarize yourself and about half a minute for a manager to give it the once over. However brief or quickly reviewed, the resume is a big step toward your next job. A good one might get you an interview; an incomplete and sloppy one will keep you on the outside looking in.

Its brevity and significance only magnify the importance of what you put in it and how you present it. Use nothing extraneous The idea is to give your potential employer enough information to think that you might be a fit for the position his or her company has to offer. Combined with a cover letter, it's your first chance to sell yourself as the ideal candidate.

"A resume needs to 'shake down' a bit; after it's completed, it should be considered as only a 'draft' for at least a day or two, until the owner has 'slept on it' and some knowledgeable others have looked i t over and given feedback."

Yana Parker, from
The Resume Catalog,
200 Damn Good Examples

For a most effective resume:

Present your employment and educational background in a clear, concise manner.
The resume is more than just an outline of what you've done; it is a sample of your written communication skills. Not only must you demonstrate that you are a viable candidate for the position, you must also show that you are able to present ideas in an organized manner. Use subject headings such as "Employment History," "Education," "Special Skills, " and "Honors and Awards," to give an overview of your accomplishments to the potential employer.

Use active verbs and figures to punctuate achievements.
"Developed new training program for a staff of 35...", "Established guidelines for...", "Generated 15% additional business by...". These words by themselves show accomplishment. Avoid passive phrases such as "was responsible for," "duties included," etc.

Proofread your resume and have someone else proofread it as well.
Poor grammar and misspellings show sloppiness. A clean resume is an example of your professionalism.

Use proper format.
Resumes generally come in three styles: Chronological, Functional and Combination.

Chronological is just that. It lists your employment and educational history in reverse chronological order. This is the most common format and is often used by those looking for a new job in the same field and by first-time job seekers.
The Functional format organizes your experience according to specific skills or functions. Career changers find this format useful to highlight their applicable skills. Also, those out of the workforce for any length of time find this format helpful when they decide to return.
The Combination format uses elements of both the Chronological and Functional resumes. By combining certain skills with chronological highlights, someone with a lengthy career, for instance, can pre sent more effectively his or her accomplishments.

Create an attractive package.
Looks count. There's no need to be flashy, but smart use of white space, bullets, italics and bold type makes it easier for your prospective employer to read. Use a high-quality typewriter or, better yet, a personal computer. If you don't have your own, rent time on a computer and laser printer offered at most copy centers. You will get a sharp printout which you can reproduce on the quality stock white or off-white paper sold at these same places. The investment is minimal, especially when you are trying to impress.