A resume must relate your qualifications to a prospective employer in a way that makes them want to know you better. Many resumes fall short of this goal. There are a variety of reasons for this, including poor writing, typos, including the wrong information, repetition of skills, and more.

By following this guideline, you will have a better understanding of what a resume is, what it should include and how it should be designed.

There are 3 basic kinds of resume formats: chronological, functional and combination. Which one you choose depends upon a number of things. You will want to research which resume format best suits your needs. There are many sources for this on the web, such as: Professional-Resume-Example.com.

You do not have to know which format to use in order to complete the steps in the outline below, though. The information you will want to present remains the same from format to format. Read through each section first, then prepare your information as you read through it a second time. It really does make a difference when you understand the whole process before beginning it.

THE HEADING: This section will always appear at the top of your page regardless of which format you choose. It contains your name, address, phone number and email address.

THE OBJECTIVE: When writing out your job objective, focus not only on what you want to do, but also how you will be able to benefit the employer with your skills.

EDUCATION: The information that goes in this section is presented in reverse chronological order, meaning the most recent school you attended is listed first.

University of Texas
Bachelor of Science degree in Business
September 2000 – May 2004

If your GPA is good, list it. If it is not good, do not list it. If you have not completed your education, explain that you are pursuing a degree in you chosen field and the date you expect to complete the degree.

If you have any college education, do not list your high school information. If you have not taken any college courses, state the name of your high school, where it is located and the courses you enjoyed most. (Be sure they relate to the job you are seeking.) Also list the date you graduated.

EXPERIENCE/EMPLOYMENT HISTORY: This is perhaps the most important section of the resume. Do not simply use this section to state where you worked and what you did. Sell yourself. List your accomplishments, skills and abilities in a way that creates interest on the part of the employer. Give them a reason to want to meet you face to face.

Administrative Assistant
Collfield-Meyers, Inc.
Prepared sales reports for 15 branch offices in 3 states, scheduled meetings for upper level management, designed a spreadsheet to track commissions saving the company time and money, trained assistants for each of the offices as needed and assisted sales staff in preparing marketing materials for client presentations.
July 2004 – Present

List all of the jobs you have held for the past 5 years at least, depending upon how many positions you have held. Your resume should be no more than 2 pages long and preferably only one page in length.

Volunteer work is fine to list here if you do not have any - or much – paid employment.

OTHER: This section can include anything from publications, awards, hobbies (as long as they relate to the position being sought), honors, special skills, etc.

REFERENCES: Do not list your references on your resume. If you include this section at all, simply state that your references are available upon request.

Don't forget: A resume must relate your qualifications to a prospective employer in a way that makes them want to know you better. Be bold and let the employer know just how good you are. It is the only way to get your foot in the door.