How to Write a Resume for Office/Clerical

Use your resume to become an office professional.

A resume introduces an employer to a job-seeker. This resume provides a picture of strengths and skills for the employer to assess. The goal of a resume is to secure an interview for the person sending it. When writing a resume, potential employees must know how to present their work skills. Because office work requires concrete skills, writing a clerical resume is a straightforward process.

Instructions

1. Identify a job on which to focus the resume. A resume for a job as a receptionist will showcase different skills than a resume for an accounting clerk. Human resource professionals will select resumes from workers with a job-specific focus for interviews. To understand what a specific employer desires, explore the employer's website. Look at the company employment section to see potential job openings, and then look for job descriptions posted on the website. This information will provide a starting place.

2. Make a list of your work experience and skills. Pay special attention to skills essential to the targeted job. Training and coursework can be included, as can volunteer experience. Don't discount work experience in other fields. For example, fast-food workers operate the cash register and provide customer service. Each of these skills can be valuable in a clerical position.

3. Decide between a functional and a chronological format. Functional formats may be more effective for recent graduates with training but little employment history. A chronological resume works best when an individual has several years of relevant work history. Chronological resumes focus on work history beginning with the latest job and moving back consecutively to earlier jobs. Each entry will include job title, employer, location of employment and a brief job description. For instance, "Office Manager, XYZ Company, Kansas City, MO. Organized and coordinated office operations..." Include a section on education and training, as well. One of the advantages of the chronological format is that employers are familiar with it. They can easily see your job duties and job history.

   Functional resumes are a bit more work to assemble. Select three or four job skill sets; each will be a section on the resume. Common skill sets include: computer and software, customer service, or bookkeeping. The job desired and the individual's skill sets will determine the sections. A functional resume can group similar skills together, so this format is useful to people changing careers or individuals entering the job market. Other information on a functional resume includes a short bullet-point section listing job titles, employers and dates. A section on education and training is important for those new to the job force.

4. Compose a summary of qualifications section. This section is placed before the main body of the resume and provides a place to quickly view important data such as years of experience in a field, specialized skills, and honors or awards.

5. Once you decide on a format, use a word-processing program to type your resume. The resume sections include: job objective, summary of qualifications, work experience (whether functional or chronological) and education. A well-designed and error-free resume will showcase clerical skills. Proofread the resume. More than one person should proofread the resume to ensure no errors are missed. Resumes with errors on them will likely not be considered for a position.

Tips & Warnings

• Avoid using pronouns. Say, "Answered multi-line phone." Don't say, "I answered phones."

• Don't waste space with a line stating, "References Available on Request." An employer knows she can request references.

• Don't fabricate work experience on a resume. Employees have been terminated for this reason.

References

• Department of Labor, Transition Assistance Program: Create an Effective Resume
• Western Technical College: Resume Handbook

Resources

• The Riley Guide Employment Opportunities and Job Search Resources