How Do I Cite My Former Work?

A bad resume can easily end up in the trash of a prospective employer.

A potential job does not begin on your first day of work or even during your first interview. It starts the moment you decide to submit your resume for consideration. Your resume is your first foot in the door of any job so it must be good. Your work history is the most important section of your resume and it is also the hardest to present with flare. A good work history section may determine whether you land the job or remain unemployed.

Instructions

1. Present what you did rather than your assigned duties at your previous jobs. Besides the company you worked for and your job title, everything else can be described in your own words. Delineate the skills you used and gained from the job rather than simple task descriptions. Instead of saying you were a receptionist, say you managed a 15-line phone system for six executives and were the first voice people heard when calling the company.

2. Use action words to describe your duties. Each line should catch the reviewer's attention. Facilitated, oversaw, managed, represented and the like, are all action words that present you as someone who was proactive at all your previous jobs.

3. Present your work history functionally rather than chronologically. A functional representation of your work will highlight how each job experience relates to the position you are applying for. It is a tailor made resume. A chronological representation presents your work in order of date and may drag on before a related experience catches the reviewer's eye.

4. Be concise. Be as informative about your previous work experience with as little words as possible. Wordiness comes off as compensating for lack of experience. A concise description saves the reviewer's time and instills key phrases and highlights into their mind.

References

• How to Write a Good Resume
• USA Today: Make Your Resume Snap