How to Write a Proper Resume

By Stephen Bucaro

Personnel departments receive thousands of resumes every day, they don't have the time to deal with resumes that don't fit into their system. That's why it's very important that your resume contain the proper documents in the proper format. A resume should include the following documents:

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Letter of Recommendation
• Curriculum Vitae

Cover Letter

A cover letter should always be sent with your resume. A cover letter states what job you're applying for, your skills and experience related to that job, why you're interested in the organization offering the job, and what you can you do for the organization related to performing the duties of that job.

Your cover letter should be specific to the job that you're applying for. Personnel departments receive thousands of resumes every day, so they don't have the time to read long cover letters. Your cover letter should be one page and your writing should clear and concise. If you're not sure what to write, review some of the many cover letter examples on the Internet.

Resume

The most important information to include in your resume is how to reach you, and that information should be at the top of your resume. At the top of your resume put your name, telephone number and address.

Next put a line or two about your job objective. A job objective states the type of work, and in which industry, you are seeking. And of course, your job objective should match up exactly with the job that the organization is offering. Personnel departments receive thousands of resumes every day, so they don't have the time to read all the resumes. First they look for keywords in the job objective statement. If they don't find the proper keywords related to the position they're offering, the resume goes in the circular file. When stating your job objective be sure to include those keywords, which you can usually derive from the job add.

Next the resume should include summaries of your education and work experience. Usually a summary of your work experience, in reverse chronological order, comes first. If you have many different jobs, just include the last three or four, unless an older job applies specifically to the position you're seeking.

Then include a summary of your education and any degrees or certificates you hold. If you have a college degree, listing a high school diploma is not necessary. If you haven't finished college or high school, include your expected graduation date and, if it's good, your GPA. Also include any training or classes you've taken that relate specifically to the job you're applying for.

Some people don't have a great deal of education or work experience. In that situation you should write a functional resume. A functional resume lists the skills that you have. These might include artistic skills, organizing skills, computer skills, craftsman skills, or skills at developing report and being persuasive with people. A functional resume is good for people making a career change. You may not have much experience in the specific field, but you have many skills developed in another field that transfer to the desired position.

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