The First Step in Constructing Your Resume

Resume writing begins with data gathering and thinking about yourself. Use the data groups below to help organize your material. Do not expect to use all these headings in your resume, however. Just get the raw facts down on blank paper; if you dig enough you will fill the paper.

This gathering of material shouldn't be mechanical. Now is the time to really think about yourself, all you've done, and how your accomplishments fit into the new job you are seeking. Remember, this material will not only be the basis of your resume it will also help you to be accurate and sharp in interviews.

In this chapter we will look at seventeen basic parts of a resume which can be included depending on the necessity.



Data from the first five areas will normally appear on your resume. Areas six through nine will often appear, if it is to your advantage. Areas ten through seventeen are listed to alert you to the possibility that one or more may be pertinent to the job you seek. If so, include them. Otherwise, omit these from your resume. Your individual circumstances will govern which items you include in your resume. So get started. Read the comments here in the handbook about each item or category. Do all the easy parts first. By the time you start on the most vital area, your work history, you'll be experienced in gathering data.

NAME AND ADDRESS

Use your first name, middle initial, and last name if you normally would in your employment situation. If you usually use initials only, do that. Use a first and last name only, without a middle initial, if that is your practice. Omit nicknames.

Your address is where you expect any correspondence to be sent; it is, in most cases, where you reside. Avoid using a P.O. Box. The phone number you include must be the number at which you can be reached, where a responsible adult will take a business message, or at least, where you can be reached in the evening. Your current office number can be very helpful to a caller; however, you must realize the inherent danger if your present employer is unaware of your efforts to change jobs.

OBJECTIVE

It is essential to state your job objective at the beginning of a resume. Let's think about those who will read your resume and how what you say in your job objective statement will affect them.

1. The person who decides whether or not you should be interviewed. He or she may or may not be the one with the final authority to hire.
   
   
2. The executive recruiter who seeks an individual who will fit a current search assignment.
   
   
3. Your various contacts that can help you get an interview.
   

Each of these individuals looks at you somewhat differently. Of course, they all eventually need some idea of what you are seeking, but how you tell them is key. So before you automatically begin to shape up your phraseology for your objective, consider some reasons why you will want to be very, very careful in doing so.

1. You may limit yourself to what you say. What if the potential employer sees a possibility for you in another area of work? (Be flexible in an interview. See how the wind blows.)
   
   
2. If you have two or even three objectives, you might dilute your chances in each area by including them all in one objective. (Solve this by using several resumes.)
   
   
3. Your wording may not coincide with what the employer has in mind, even though you actually both seek the same thing.
   
   
4. You may overemphasize what you want. Employers are primarily interested in what they want.
   
   
5. You could irritate your readers with trite phrases, buzz words (e.g., "impact," "challenging," "growth-oriented," "expertise"), or even poor grammar or spelling.
   

Look at the following job-objective statements that have been taken from actual resume. Undoubtedly these are all well-intentioned, honest objectives, written primarily by top-level people. Most are too lengthy, however, and state the obvious. Would you use anything similar? Some were copied from other resumes that in turn were copied from other resumes, and so on. Wouldn't the shorter versions be better?

Career Objective:

• Challenging Sales/Marketing position with a growth-oriented organization
  

Don't we all want a job with a challenge? Doesn't almost every organization think of itself as growth oriented? Since these become empty words, why waste space? Why not say simply "Sales/Marketing"?

Any top financial officer needs, and usually has, solid financial and accounting management experience. Now remove the two unnecessary descriptive embellishments discussed above, and what is left? How about "Senior Financial Management"?

• To join a dynamic organization and contribute experience, operations, expertise, and leadership in order to significantly impact company growth and profitability.
  

This jobseeker fails to say what he or she wants to do. What is more, the writing is bad. You might contribute "to operations" but you can't contribute "operations". The word "impact" when used as a verb means "to force tightly together". You probably wouldn't want to do that to company growth and profitability!

• As an executive with strong drive and the ability to "get things done" quickly and efficiently, I seek a position in the financial community that offers career opportunity, significant responsibility, and immediate challenge. I am particularly qualified as president of a small to medium-size financial institution, chief administrative officer, or chief financial officer.
  

This could well be a capable, fine executive. But the objective is far too long, has too much descriptive material, and perhaps shows a bit too much ego. The personal pronoun "I" is best omitted from any part of the resume. This could be shortened to "President/Chief Administrative Officer-Financial Institution."

• Director of public relations/communications (high-technology industry desirable) with opportunity to combine interpersonal, developmental, and organizational skills with a progressive marketing strategy to produce a diverse, effective program
  

How's that again? Somehow this writing seems to lack the common touch. It is lengthy. And if sent to any industry other than high-tech, it will be less than effective. (What organization wants to be second choice?) It would be much simpler to say "Director of Public Relations/ Communications."

• Associate with a company in the area of sales and marketing where previous experience in medical products and equipment as well as consumer products will contribute to company growth, presenting opportunity for a challenge in management responsibility and mutual long-range advancement.
  

Since we can't determine the level of this jobseeker, the objective might be condensed to "Sales and Marketing- Medical Products and Equipment/Consumer Products."

Don't hesitate to prepare different resume or similar resumes with different objectives. Although multiple resumes add up to increased typing and printing costs, they are usually well worth the extra outlay. One pertinent point: In the resume you send to executive search consultants, an objective should be included, succinctly stated but in terms broad enough so that you do not limit yourself to one position.

In all cases, your objective must be stated somewhere. In addition to your resume, refer to it in your cover letters, notes, phone calls, and face-to-face conversations. Resumes should never be sent out alone, so a cover letter is an ideal way to say what you are aiming for.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE SUMMARY

Use concise one, two, or three-word phrases that accurately describe your experience /knowledge not a detailed list of your accomplishments, just what you most certainly know. Not what you should know, but what you do know. Be conservative, for you may be asked to elaborate on one or two items. A weak answer and your interviewer will lose interest. Develop your own list to support your objective. Use five to fifteen phrases, no more.

EDUCATION

First show the college or university granting your degree. Include your major and minor if they are a plus-that is, if they are related to your objective. If you received your degree after attending several colleges, list the degree-granting college first. Do not include colleges attended for only a short time. If you have no degree, begin your list of colleges attended with the school generally held in highest regard.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS AND CERTIFICATION

Include professional and trade association memberships pertinent to your work; extraneous listings just fill space. If you have a professional certification, such as CLU, CPA, or Registered Engineer, include this.

AVAILABILITY

If you are now employed, you must give notice. Thus, if thirty or sixty days' notice is required, say so. Avoid printing an exact date in your resume. If unemployed, it is often best to omit this item.

PRESENT EMPLOYER CONTACT

This is a very important item. If you do not wish your present employer to be asked about you at this time, say so in your resume. In circumstances in which your current boss knows that you are leaving, it can often be a big plus if he or she will give you a good send-off. In summary, it depends on whether your superior is aware that you are planning to change jobs and whether he or she will give you a good recommendation.

RELOCATION

If you are seeking a job in a field that might require you to relocate, then it is favorable to say so in your resume. If you absolutely will not move for any reason, you might as well say that. (Say, "Prefer not to relocate" rather than "Will not relocate.") If the subject is an open one with you and your family, it is best to omit this item altogether.

PERSONAL DATA

As a rule of thumb, include what is beneficial to you or is generally looked upon as "normal." Remember, a potential employer will be impressed with what he or she thinks you can do for the organization. Factors such as youth, age, and sex are no longer given the importance they once had. If you think that your birth-date might be a negative, don't include it. (Exception: Executive search consultants really like to know your vital statistics.)
 
What do height and weight have to do with your anticipated contribution? Not much. Health problems can reasonably be a job factor. You should not lie about such a problem, but it may be best to omit it from your resume. But if height, weight, age, and health are "normal" (whatever that is!), you won't go wrong by including them, probably as the last item in your resume. If current trends continue into the future, the marital status of individuals may be changing with frequency, so include this or not, as you think best. The number and ages of your children are not vital to most jobs.

TRAVEL

If you know that extensive travel will be involved in your potential new job, you might as well express your willingness to travel as required. Otherwise, this is an item for your personal consideration, not for your resume.

INTERESTS AND ACTIVITIES

If any of your hobbies or interests are truly relevant, this is a good resume item, if space permits. Otherwise, remind yourself about them, but omit.

SERVICE TO YOUR COMMUNITY

Community service is generally not for the r6sum£, unless such service is a part of your job. Many executive positions require this kind of contribution, however, so if space permits and if the activities are relevant, include them in your resume. At any rate, for your own knowledge, review what you've done in the way of community service in your present and past communities. This may be useful in interviews and as luncheon ice-breakers.

FOREIGN LANGUAGES

Do you speak, read, and/or write a foreign language? If you are not fluent, best to forget it. This is not for your resume, unless pertinent to the sought-after job.

EXFOREIGN TRAVEL PERIENCE

Again, not for the resume, unless past travel experience is a plus in the new position you are seeking.

MILITARY SERVICE

Exclude this from the resume. If you've been in the Service and the subject comes up, use it in conversation.
 
BUSINESS REFERENCES

Do not use business references in the resume. References change, as situations change. Personal references are almost never used, as they have little practical value. Business or professional references are essential, however. Arrange for these with individuals who know your contributions. Prepare a typed list of three or four, with names, titles, organizations, addresses, and phone numbers. You will probably only need half a dozen copies of this list (each individually typed), since references are generally only given at the request of the potential employer. There is no need to volunteer your list. If it appears that many copies will be needed, have them produced by a fast printer. Never use carbon copies of your list. Carry your list with you at all times. Consider preparing separate lists with different individual references depending on your objective.

SALARY REQUIREMENTS

Never include salary requirements in your resume, as it might cost you several thousand dollars. Decide in your own mind an acceptable range, subject to benefits and perks, and then negotiate after you have received a job offer. To repeat, never mention salary requirements in your resume.