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Hi, all 

these are some tips for creating an effective resume,

1. Resume Essentials

before you write, take time to do a self-assessment on paper. Outline your skills and abilities as well as your work experience and extracurricular activities. This will make it easier to prepare a thorough resume.

2. The Content of Your Resume

Name, address, telephone, e-mail address, web site address

All your contact information should go at the top of your resume.

* Use a permanent address. Use your parents' address, a friend's address, or the address you plan to use after graduation.

* Use a permanent telephone number and include the area code. If you have an answering machine, record a neutral greeting.

* Add your e-mail address. Many employers will find it useful. (Note: Choose an e-mail address that sounds professional.)

* Include your web site address only if the web page reflects your professional ambitions.

Objective or Summary

An objective tells potential employers the sort of work you're hoping to do.

* Be specific about the job you want. For example: To obtain an entry-level position within a financial institution requiring strong analytical and organizational skills.

* Tailor your objective to each employer you target/every job you seek.

 

Education

 

New graduates without a lot of work experience should list their educational information first. Alumni can list it after the work experience section.

 

* Your most recent educational information is listed first.

* Include your degree (A.S., B.S., B.A., etc.), major, institution attended, minor/concentration.

* Add your grade point average (GPA) if it is higher than 3.0.

* Mention academic honors.

 

Work Experience

 

Briefly give the employer an overview of work that has taught you skills. Use action words to describe your job duties. Include your work experience in reverse chronological order—that is, put your last job first and work backward to your first, relevant job. Include:

 

* Title of position,

* Name of organization

* Location of work (town, state)

* Dates of employment

* Describe your work responsibilities with emphasis on specific skills and achievements.

 

Other information

 

A staff member at your career services office can advise you on other information to add to your resume. You may want to add:

 

* Key or special skills or competencies,

* Leadership experience in volunteer organizations,

* Participation in sports.

 

References

 

Ask people if they are willing to serve as references before you give their names to a potential employer.

 

Do not include your reference information on your resume. You may note at the bottom of your resume: "References furnished on request."

 

3. Resume Checkup

 

You've written your resume. It's time to have it reviewed and critiqued by a career counselor. You can also take the following steps to ensure quality:

 

Content:

 

* Run a spell check on your computer before anyone sees your resume.

* Get a friend (an English major would do nicely) to do a grammar review.

* Ask another friend to proofread. The more people who see your resume, the more likely that misspelled words and awkward phrases will be seen (and corrected).

 

i would also like to suggest some sites where you can create your own resume online quickly with professional touch,

http://www.interactiveresumebuilder.com

http://www.eresumemaker.com

http://www.resume-builder.net

 

Best of luck !!

 

hyubdoo23's picture

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rwwh's picture
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Mark & Mike have excellent advice on creating and maintaining your resume:

http://www.manager-tools.com/2005/10/your-resume-stinks

NvdVelde's picture

 Dear all,

I'm a graduate student with a short question about my resume. I have financed my studies by having several side-jobs next to my studies, of which the work experience is irrelevant to my Resume. (I have done relevant internships and projects I highlight). The relevant aspect, is that I always have been an active and independent student. In addition, these jobs have financed my travels to India and Peru. Should I mention these elements somewhere? If so, what would be the right place? 

Best,

 

Nick

 

STEVENM's picture

Do you think it might reflect well on you, or look good to an employer?  Then that's a compelling reason to add it.

My personal method for handling that was to add an accomplishments section for my time obtaining a degree as well as for the jobs I've taken after graduation.  I was lucky enough to have a few conversation starters that were unusual.  Not everyone will.  But if you do, go for it.  I've had nothing but positive responses with raised eyebrows if they noticed, and if they disregard it no harm done.

mmann's picture
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Hello Nick, welcome to the forums.

The purpose of your resume is to get an interview.  Maintain your focus on that.

Your resume is a reverse-chronological listing of your work experience and prominent accomplishments.  Omitting work experience isn't recommended.  It's borderline dishonest and represents a missed opportunity.  You should have had accomplishments in those jobs which show a hiring manager your drive and work ethic.

The story interest of India and Peru is best left to the interview IF it comes up in conversation.

  Good luck!
--Michael

STEVENM's picture

I think calling it borderline dishonest is a huge exaggeration.  To some extent you have to factor in relevance.  Who would even bat an eye at a CEO that doesn't list his teenage job at McDonalds? 

Find me that person and you've just shown me an ineffective member of the hiring process.  If someone were really making an issue of that kind of thing I'd probably take them out of that process if it was in my power.  It's just pointless to care.  It adds 0 value.  And I don't think anyone really does care.

That said, coming fresh out of a degree program it can be your best path to demonstrate your value and you should use that.

mmann's picture
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Clearly I missed that Nick is the CEO of the organization.

--Michael

STEVENM's picture

MMANN - Very funny.  :P  I don't really see the point in getting snarky here.  This forum has a purpose, and that isn't it.

That example was chosen to show a large disconnect.  But the disconnect between fast food employee and nearly anything someone with higher education is likely to want to get into is equally huge.  The argument stands whether it's CEO or entry level programmer/HR guy/Salesman/whatever else. That taco bell experience just isn't relevant skill-wise.  Anyone who would accuse someone of even unintentional dishonesty is being unreasonable.  Or worse, ~making the choice to be dishonest~ for not putting it on the resume... well, that's not someone I'd want involved in hiring.

When I was a teenager I worked for an auctioneer clearing out houses.  I'm not hiding anything by excluding it but it was ages ago, isn't relevant skill-wise to my career at all, was part time, and my resume is tight on space as it is.  Besides, I can't even remember the name of the place, or the boss I had at the time.  Too far in the past, too out of touch.  Are you actually out to say that because I've not included that I'm out to deceive someone?

To reiterate for the person who asked:

As I said, as a new graduate it could be your best chance to show certain traits.  So it may well be a good idea to do so.  But nobody (reasonable) is going to accuse you of lying for not including a college job with no relevance to what you're applying for.  And if someone did take issue with it I probably wouldn't suggest accepting the job anyway.  Not unless you like pain.  It'd be a big red flag that it's coming if they get combative over something like that.

mmann's picture
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...it's about giving advice.  You didn't like the way in which I gave my advice so you attacked it by creating a straw man logical fallacy.  You created a comparison exaggerated to such an extreme that it's easily refuted.  Then you proceeded to agree with my advice.

If, during an interview, a response from a grad-school graduate mentioned employment not included on the resume, I'd see it as a weakness requiring further investigation and follow-up questioning.  One question would be to determine any additional employment not included.

Would I refuse to hire the candidate merely because of the omission?  No.  If the candidate was perfect in all other aspects this would not be a concern. 

If I was presented with another candidate, equal in all ways and the work at Taco Bell was included, along with a bullet-pointed list of accomplishments while working there?  Well... I'll agree with you... I'm a challenging interviewer and I manage my directs to great achievements.  Some people equate the effort required to achieve great things as painful.  I'm glad none of them report to me!

  Respectfully,
--Michael

STEVENM's picture

"It's not about being snarky...

...it's about giving advice. You didn't like the way in which I gave my advice so you attacked it by creating a straw man logical fallacy. You created a comparison exaggerated to such an extreme that it's easily refuted. Then you proceeded to agree with my advice."

It was a little bit about being snarky.  Come on.

Let's be clear.  I gave the same advice you did.  For entirely different reasons.  And I think the difference in reasoning is important.  The comparison I made wasn't to construct a straw man, it was to show the gap between job A and B.  The gap being as wide as possible in my example helps me communicate that it's there.  But the gap is very real even if we swap from CEO to Jr. Programmer.  It's not a straw man.  It's an effective way to communicate the point.

And let's be clear about one more thing.  I gave the advice first between the two of us.  You were agreeing with mine. :D (Yes, that was a little snark)

"If, during an interview, a response from a grad-school graduate mentioned employment not included on the resume, I'd see it as a weakness requiring further investigation and follow-up questioning. One question would be to determine any additional employment not included."

The problem we have is that you've already stated (or at least implied strongly in your wording) that you assign intent.  "It's borderline dishonest" is really where I started taking issue.  I'm not opposed to questioning to get to the core of why, and what's there.

"If I was presented with another candidate, equal in all ways and the work at Taco Bell was included, along with a bullet-pointed list of accomplishments while working there? Well... I'll agree with you... I'm a challenging interviewer and I manage my directs to great achievements. Some people equate the effort required to achieve great things as painful. I'm glad none of them report to me!"

Again we come to assigning intent.  - some people equate the effort... as painful- The implication being that the reason someone made the choice not to list it is laziness is where I take issue.  That doesn't make you a challenging interviewer who manages your directs to great achievements.  It just means you're making valueless judgments about peoples intentions.  Which as far as I know directly contradicts the MT logic about intent v behavior.

I don't run your interviews, and you're free to do what you want.  I'm not even opposed to choosing the person who put that extra tidbit on their resume in an all else is equal situation for fresh grads.  I'd probably do the same as it's then the only differentiating factor.  It's part of why I suggested they do it earlier.  That much is fine, we have no real problem.  Until you get to assuming people are up to no good.  And you do... it's laced throughout your posts.

We can agree on what to do in a situation and I can still think you're being judgmental in a way that hurts you, your directs, and those who interview for you more than the alternative.  The two aren't mutually exclusive.

TomW's picture
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A short, one line sarcastic comment like "Clearly I missed that Nick is the CEO of the organization."really has no place in a professional forum.

"...it's about giving advice. You didn't like the way in which I gave my advice.." even more laughable. You didn't give any advice in that statement at all. Your previous post gave advice, but that's not the one we're talking about.

I'm guilty of making a point by taking it to an extreme, but I also make sure that I make that point. I don't just make a sarcastic comment.

If you advice to offer, give it. Comments that are not of use to others don't need to be shared.

Mark's picture
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Enough already.  when two advisors start arguing with each other, we've lost our way, now, haven't we?  :-)

At least this little silly mess was in a thread (the original, not the reincarnation) started by someone who was giving really bad advice.

Cheers all,

Mark (who is thus far only amused, but frequent visitors know there are other gears he is prepared to engage) 

Mark's picture
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Nick, If you're a recent graduate, include them.  If you're not, and you have enough OTHER experience (say, over 10+ years since graduating), then exclude those jobs you had while in school.

If this leaves you uncertain, then I - WE - probably don't have enough information to advise you precisely, and you'll have to get more granular in terms of your background.  Please do so.

And no, the fact that you went places doesn't go on your resume.

Mark 

STEVENM's picture

Aww.  :)

I'll bow out at having said my suggestion and being part of amusing a Horstman.  It feels like a victory to me.

And hey MMANN, for what it's worth, while I disagree with you I had fun with... well, whatever this was.  Virtual handshake.

mmann's picture
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I apologize for my behavior in this thread.  Reading through it again, I wouldn't categorize it as one of my finer moments.

  Better next time,
--Michael

Mark's picture
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 Would both of you send me a mail with your mailing addresses?? I have something for each of you.

Cheers,

Mark