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Resume Tips

Thursday, April 18, 2024

There are many different types or styles of a resume.

Types of Resumes:

Chronological

  • Focuses on your latest experiences and works backward from there
  • Useful for applicants that have quite a bit of experience to highlight

Functional

  • No specific format (can list experience or education by what is most important rather than date)
  • Market yourself to a job by highlighting specific information
  • Useful for applicants who don’t have as much work experience
  • No matter which format you choose, you can lead with the most important information. This can be your work experience, education, or skills. You will not lead with the same information for every job.

Cover Letter

The Cover Letter’s Got You Covered!

Always include a cover letter with your resume. Some employers may not require one, but it’s always better to include something extra than to leave out something that is expected.

The cover letter gives you a chance to introduce who you are and why you want the job. There are opportunities in a cover letter to do the following:

  • Explain gaps in your employment. If you were laid off, relocated, or had any other life event that caused a gap on your resume, you can address that. Don’t leave it to the employer’s imagination!
  • If you are trying to change fields, use the cover letter to talk about why you want this new job and why you would be good at it. Do this especially if your work history doesn’t directly relate to the new position.
  • Maybe your qualifications are not an exact match for the job based on what was included in the job description. You might not be quite finished with your degree, or you might be a little short in the years of experience preferred. This is a chance for you to convince the employer that this won’t be an issue.
References
  • Do not include references and their contact information on your resume
  • Always say that your references are available upon request
  • Bring your reference list with you to the interview in case the employer requests them
  • Never use someone as a reference without their permission
  • Be smart about who you include as a reference:
    o Would this person speak highly of you? Are you sure?
    o Is this person credible? Would their word mean something to the employer who is calling them?
    o Do you have up-to-date contact information on each reference? You want the employer to be able to contact your reference if needed.