Your resume is a snap shot of who you are, what you know and what you know how to do. That's why it is crucial that your resume is done in a professional manner and represents the image you want to project to potential employers.
Select a high-quality paper on which to print your resume. A medium weight paper, 20 lb. or so, in off-white or linen color is a good choice. Use a 12-point font, Times New Roman or other “basic” font that is easy to read. If your resume is to be sent as an attachment or in the body of an e-mail, be sure it is formatted properly so it won't be scrambled or jumbled when it's opened by the email recipient.
Your name, address, phone number and other contact information should be listed at the top of the resume, centered and may be in a slightly larger font than the body of the resume.
Several resume formats are popular today and depending upon your field, experience, age, background and education, you may select the format that works best for you.
Functional Format
This is a resume that lists your experience and background in a particular field, or area of employment. For instance, if a majority of your work experience is the IT field, the first part of your resume may list all the particular job skills you have in that field, in order of “importance” of the skill.
This type of resume does not include the names of employers or dates of employment. This resume format may be advisable if you are an older worker, and feel your age may be a deterrent or detriment, or if you have had several short-term jobs and it could look as if you have “job-hopped,” or if a majority of your experience is in one field.
Your education may be listed next. This section should include not only college courses and/or degrees, but also industry training, workshops and seminars.
You may or may not wish to list your community and volunteer activities. This is strictly a personal choice. If these activities could benefit you in terms of marketability, by all means, include them.
Chronological Format
This is the traditional resume format. It means exactly what it says: list your jobs in chronological order, beginning with your current or most recent job. Be sure to include your job title and to whom you reported. Use results oriented language, such as, “streamlined work flow procedure, resulting in a cost savings of $1,000 per year to the company.” Even if you can't list dollar amounts or concrete figures, use action words that will be eye-catching to the person reviewing your resume like implemented, created, improved, managed, etc.,
After your employment history, list your education and training, including industry training, workshops and seminars just as in the functional format.
Again, if volunteer, community or civic activities will indicate experience that could be beneficial to your potential employer, include it. Otherwise, it can be left off.
Combination format
This type of format combines elements of the functional and chronological resume formats. On the combination format, list your skills and abilities in one part of the resume. In another section, list the names of your employers, job titles and dates of employment, without listing specific duties of each position.
Regardless of the format you use, be sure your resume if free of typographical errors, is neatly done and consistently formatted.
Do not list professional or personal references on your resume. Do not indicate references are available upon request, either. This is assumed and unnecessary.
