What Is the Format for a Professional Resume?
The first job of a resume is to get the potential employer's attention. An effective resume will give an employer a sense of your experience and get him thinking about how your background and experience might make you the right person for the job. Donald Asher, resume expert, points out that the resume is also useful for structuring the job interview and later reminding the employer about you and your expertise.
Other People Are Reading
-
Statement of Objective
-
Be clear at the outset about which job you are seeking. An employer may be advertising for many different positions at any one time. The more your cover letter and resume make it easy for him to get the idea of who you are and why you are contacting him, the better your chances are that he will be interested in you. Busy executives have no use for people who waste their time.
Professional Summary
-
This section summarizes your relevant skills and accomplishments. If you were a manager of a department that doubled its budget and staff while you were in charge, that's something you want to be sure to note. The experts at Quintcareers provide examples for this section such as "designed and changed websites" or "conducted competitor and marketing research." Elaborate enough on each point so the reader can get a sense of the range and scope of your responsibilities and achievements.
-
Employment History
-
This section is important if you are advancing along a fairly direct career path. It will show that you are progressing in your career and looking to move further ahead. If you are shifting careers or newly out of college without professional work experience, then this section may include unpaid internships and other activities that involved skills relevant to the job for which you are applying. In that case, you may want to call this section "Relevant Experience."
Education
-
List schools attended, degrees and dates. Carla Vaughn of Professional Resumes recommends that you spell out your degree without abbreviations. She also suggests that you give the month and year of your graduation or certification and that you list your major and minor. This is also the place to list any additional education such as training workshops, seminars and conferences.
Other Sections to Consider
-
Depending on your situation, there are additional sections that might be useful in your resume. You will want to create a place to list any special awards or commendations. Perhaps you have authored conference presentations or publications. Languages that you know, special skills and memberships in professional organizations are other pieces of information about yourself that can help make you more attractive to a potential employer.
-
