What's all this I hear about different resume formats, and which one is best for me?
People ask me this question all the time, and it is an important one. Before establishing what content to include on a resume, you must first determine which layout to use in presenting the information. Generally, there are two basic formats: the chronological resume and the qualitative resume. Experts have a host of different names for the second category, but the style remains the same. You may also find some people break it down into more specific categories, though I do not find this to be especially useful. The chronological resume is the more traditional, and I will discuss it first.
Chronological resumes are organized the way their name suggests, by delineating your professional and educational experience in sequential order beginning with the most recent. They are common in jobs looking for experience, such as many governmental jobs. Chronological resumes are appropriate for people with a fairly stable job history. If you are including experience from a number of different fields, this type of resume is probably not your best choice: it is most effective when it emphasizes growth and development in the field of the job you are applying for. A chronological resume is composed of:
- Personal Information
- Objective
- Work and Education Experience
- Professional Credentials
- Other Interests or Skills
- References
My next article will review the appropriate content to insert into each of these sections. Remember the following basics. Keep personal information concise; do not include unnecessary information, i.e. most jobs do not ask for sex, race, etc… Your objective should be composed of no more than one or two sentences. Experience should be the focus of your chronological resume. Be sure to include everything that you have done professionally and educationally. Where appropriate, cite skills or qualifications granted by the experience you are describing. Highlight the ways in which each work or educational experience contributed to making you a good candidate for the job. I can not stress this point enough: resist the temptation to ramble and be as short and concise as possible. After these, list any credentials, awards, degrees, qualifications, etc… you have obtained, again in chronological order, starting from the most recent. Then, take the opportunity to elucidate any other interests or skills you have that you think would make you a competitive candidate. Since this is not the focus of this type of resume, brevity is key. Lastly, list your references in sequential order as well.
Qualitative resumes are used when you want to draw the focus of the reviewer to specific skills or qualities that may not be emphasized when using a chronological format. Often, chronological resumes will emphasize experience over what was gained or learned from the experience. Thus, qualitative resumes are used to demonstrate applicants’ competency through elucidation of their skills and abilities. This arrangement can be particularly useful to people who have long gaps or absences in their work history, have a diverse job background, or are switching fields. It allows you to highlight skills and abilities from past jobs and experiences in different fields that make you a competative candidate for the job you are applying for now. A qualitative resume is composed of:
- Personal Information
- Objective
- Skills and Credentials
- Work Experience
- Educational Experience
- Other interests or awards
- References
The personal information and objective sections remain the same between the two formats. Where they diverge is at the skills and credentials section. Instead of listing your experiences in chronological order, create a list of specific skill categories, listed by order of importance. In these categories, cite specific examples of work, education, volunteer, or any other type of experience that developed or illustrate your abilities in that specific category. If needed, add additional work and educational experience sections, and list them in chronological order. Just like the chronological resume, end by listing any awards in chronological order, explaining any additional relevant interests, and citing your references, beginning with the most recent.
As for general structural advice for both formats, the generally accepted standard is a resume done in Microsoft Word, as plain as possible. Many people wonder about the length of their resume. In nearly all cases, a one page resume is preferable. Often, it is actually expected. Two pages are acceptable if you have years and years of experience or a lengthy list of relevant experiences, and even then, I would encourage you to carefully proofread your resume for redundancies and deviations from pertinent skills. During a recent interview, the Corporate Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Morrison Homes answered “try to limit [your resume] to two pages, though one page is even better,” when I asked her what length of resume she would recommend for people applying to jobs within the building industry. Also, you may wish to add horizontal rules (a single black line across the paper) to divide sections. I recommend you at least use one to separate the header from the body of the resume. Your header should include your personal information: name, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and mailing addresses. Do not distract your audience with fancy designs or paper; a professional, white, heavy paper is appropriate. Along similar lines, use a standard font, such as Times New Roman or Arial. I find that people frequently fail to realize they do not have to use Word's standard 12 point font size on their resume. Appropriate sizes range from 9 to 12 points, though I recommend staying around 10. This maximizes the amount of information you can fit on one page without forcing readers to strain their eyes. Also, be aware that Microsoft Word automatically sets the top and bottom margins at 1", and the side margins at 1.5". This just wasted space you can use for writing. Change all the margins to be the same thickness, between .8 and 1 inch.
A quick note on 'References': No matter what kind of resume you choose, the references section is not a necessary component. Half the resume experts suggest you have one, the other half say to never include it. Deciding not to include references can save you time and space on your resume. If you choose to do this, I recommend you compile a separate document simply titled "References", with all of your references and their contact information listed. Then, if an employer asks for your references after receiving your resume or during an interview, you will be prepared to supply them immediately, in a convenient and comprehensive manner.
I invite you to post your resume on TopBuildingJobs.com using the 'Quick Resume' and 'Resume Wizard' tools. Use the Quick Resume tool to select your own format, or use the Wizard to have it automatically formated for you! Note that the Resume Wizard allows you to add additional information such as credentials, other interests, and references in the 'Additional' section. It is a great way to automatically format and broadcast your resume to top firms around the nation.
There is also a recent trend, especially with younger generations, to use multimedia formats. These are known as “video resumes”, and can be distributed a number of ways such as the internet, pod casts, CDs/DVDs, among others. MSNBC.com recently reported on this through Newsweek. The article can be found here. I will cover this type of resume in more detail in my article on student resumes, as students or graduates are the primary group of people utilizing this format.
Please feel free to contact me at MWAvera@TopBuildingJobs.com.
RECOMMEND THIS ARTICLE
You must be logged in
to recommend articles
|
