The Power of a Resume

Your resume is your foot in the door, a printed introduction and one of your most important sales tools. “But, I am in human services,” you say… “I have nothing to sell.” But yes you do. When you are job-seeking you are selling a highly important commodity – yourself.

A Good Impression

Your resume is often the first impression an employer has of you. In general, the resume should be no longer than two pages (back to back if possible) and should be free of spelling and printing errors.

A Way to Lead the Interview: Once you are granted an interview, bring extra copies of your resume. If the resume is a logical progression of the areas you wish to cover, it can be a great tool to help you lead the interviewer from point to point. “As it says in my resume…” can be a great way to answer questions or begin a topic.

A Lasting Impression: Quite often employers screen many candidates for a job and share resumes with colleagues for their input. Memories of the qualifications of candidates can fade and blur together. Your resume can leave a lasting positive impression and ensure that you, and your qualifications, are not forgotten.

What type of resume is best?

There are many formats. Often people who have not recently been in the job market assume the chronological resume is the standard. However, there are several good formats and your objectives dictate which format you should be using.

The Functional Format

Why use this format?

• Your career history does not quite match the position you are applying for but you feel your background can bring valuable skills and knowledge to the organization.
• You are making a career transition with a new direction.
• Your job history is not stable, consistent or current.

What is the format like?

The Functional format highlights the accomplishments, skills and knowledge you have gained. It may or may not include a job history. In the human services field, it would be best to include a job history after the functional summary.

Components may include:

• Heading: Name, address, telephone, e-mail.
• Career Goal
• A listing of well-written accomplishments (consider measurable) or,
• A listing of key skills and knowledge you bring to the position
• You may follow this with an employment history
• Education: Most recent and highest degree first
• Other pertinent information: Community service, honors, etc.

In some entrepreneurial environments a functional resume alone, without job history or education is acceptable and, if written well, can be a job candidate’s foot in the door.

What NOT to Put on Your Resume

Your resume is one way you put your best foot forward. It can also be your fastest way out the door!  Here are some things to avoid when writing your resume:

• Misspellings, grammatical errors and printing errors. (I once was given a resume to read that was so light and uneven that I knew the person’s printer was running out of toner!)
• “Interesting” explanations of gaps in employment history. (One resume that came across my desk listed “Mr. Mom” as the reason for a 5 year gap in employment.) While upfront and honest, this might be best discussed when in the interview.
• Personal data. Do not list things that the interviewer cannot legally ask such as marital status, ages of children, church affiliation, ethnicity.
• References. Keep your references on a separate sheet of paper and be ready to hand them to the interviewer after your interview.
• Technical abbreviations and jargon. Unless it is clear to the interviewer, use easy to understand language.
• Decorative touches. It is best to use white or off white paper without decorations and photos. Save those for your holiday letters.
• Irrelevant history. (I always wondered why a Masters level social worker with 9 years experience listed a part-time job in a pet shop during her high school years).
• Curriculum Vitae. Unless you are applying for an academic position, a resume is appropriate. CV’s usually are overpowering and contain way too much information.

Samet Bilir writes about technology trends, camera reviews, and photography, such as Induro Tripods and Olympus TG-810. To read more articles from him visit his website at chi-photography.