Resume Roulette

Topics this post:

• My resume evolution
• General resume tips

So, I thought I switch it up a bit and talk about the "joys" of applying for jobs.  I'm in that process right now and literally spent 4 hours fixing my resume a few nights ago after having spent 6 hours in the past couple weeks fixing it.  It now looks semi-decent. So I figured I would entertain everyone with the story of the evolution (or creation if you prefer) of my resume followed by some resume tips.



Origin of the Resume
I really don't know when I actually created my first resume.  It was some time during undergrad though.  I think it was because I read somewhere that you should get a resume started before you start looking for your first professional job.  So I figured I get one started my mix of weird, yet decent jobs that I had held thus far in my life as well as the volunteer work I was doing at the time.  Was less than a page.

First Resume Edits
So, for my capstone class (in undergrad) we were required to submit a resume (as well as a cover letter) for both career services and the professor to give suggestions on.  The resume was easy, I already had one.  The cover letter (which the professor had written Auschwitz on but that's another story).  Anyways, when our resumes were returned, mine had a few corrections (most in regards to the objective statement that they said we needed but ironically, my grad school says don't put on, go figure).

I actually pulled out the resume a few moments ago and it looks juvenile, to say the least.  But, I didn't really need it except for applying to grad school which I got in to so the baby resume did it's job.

The Resume Evolves
So, after starting grad school, I was offered work study funds (yay!).  We were all also advised to visit the school's career services to 1) become familiar with them and 2) to have our resumes reviewed since they know what employers in the field are looking for.  So, after applying for some work study jobs and getting no calls, I realized that it might be time for my baby resume to grow up a little.  So, I made an appointment to have my resume reviewed and worked on changing it according to their tips online before my appointment.

At my appointment my resume was torn apart, as in red ink everywhere, not ripped up (which is what I felt like doing after the corrections).  So, baby resume received a harsh dose of the real world and had to change.  It became almost two pages long with all the added jobs since I have always held two jobs simultaneously since I was 18.  Then it entered it's teen years and landed it's first job.

Time to Grow
Well, with the occasional update the now grown up resume was doing pretty good, as far as finding work study and my current job (a temporary contract position).  However, now that I want to start looking for a real job, the resume needs to mature a little more.  So, I began to update it, getting rid of the volunteer section since none are relevant to my target job field, updated my job descriptions, and qualifications summary after receiving advice from my boss.  So, after multiple edits, I now have a resume that will hopefully help me land a job when meeting an excellent cover letter.



Resume Tips
Now to share some resume tips that I've picked up over the years from multiple sources.

• The Header
• Include your name and contact information on at least the first page.  Any following pages should include your name in case the pages get separated.
• Contact information includes:
• Name
• Phone number
• A professional sounding email address (ie firstname.lastname@whatever.com
• There is some debate whether or not to include your address.  If you are posting your resume online, then you may want to leave it out.  But, if you're sending it to a local job, it may benefit you to have your address listed since they may prefer to hire a local candidate.
• Qualification Summary
• This is optional but highlights skills/experience that the job you are applying lists for their preferred candidate.  Therefore, this section should change to reflect the skills that the potential employer is looking for.
• Education
• List degree, school, and (expected) graduation dates.
• List GPA only if you want to and if it's high.
• Note: If you list it for one degree, you must list it for any other programs.
• List any thesis/dissertation done in the program
• Job History
• You can organize this in multiple ways.  I did chronologically since it's the easiest.
• Make sure your position is listed along with the company.
• Add  important duties done while one the job. 
• Put these in bullets to make it easier for the employer to skim through.
• Volunteer Work
• Include this section only if:
• It's relevant for the position
• You don't really have any work experience.  It shows you're not a lazy bum essentially.
• Publications/Posters/Presentations
• These sections should actually be separated but they're pretty self explanatory if you've done them.
• Miscellaneous
• There are other sections that can be added but those sections above are the most common.  
• Make your resume stand out, don't use a template.  Organize it the way you find works best.
• As your list of jobs grow, you don't have to include every single job, especially the fast food job you held in high school.  Just stick to those that are relevant to the position.
• If you have no publications/posters/presentation sections, your resume should not surpass 2 pages.  Anything more that, you need to start analyzing if everything in it really needs to be included.
• If your resume has multiple pages, include page numbers.  This is for the same reason you should include your name, in case the pages get separated.
• Make sure job descriptions are not separated.  In other words, ALL the bullet points should be on the same page as your job title.

That's all the advice I have for now.  If you have any more advice or would like to wish me luck in my job search, feel free to comment.