by Naz Jafferi
The goal of a good résumé is not to get you that job - it's to get you an interview.
Employers usually get dozens of résumés for a single job opening. How do you make your curriculum vitae stand out? How do you highlight your assets while de-emphasizing your weak points? How do you make yourself sound like a motivated, dedicated candidate?
You have to be able to market yourself.
The University of Houston career center has the following general tips to offer:
Proofread carefully. What do typos, spelling and grammatical mistakes say about you?
In general, do not include most personal information - e.g., race, marital status, age, etc.
Your most important points should go first. This means that they should be in descending order of importance.
Use action verbs and avoid writing in passive voice.
You don't need to give salary information, names of previous supervisors or reasons for leaving previous jobs.
Capitals, boldface, underlining and white space make points stand out on paper. Be sure to emphasize only your strong points.
Your résumé should be reader-friendly. This means that not only should the information be presented in a natural order, but spatial organization and layout are also very important.
There are two basic types of résumés: the chronological résumé and the functional, or skills, résumé.
The chronological résumé starts with educational background and then work experience - both of which are presented in reverse chronological order. The goal is to succinctly state your skills, duties and accomplishments under each job listed.
Attention should be given to the jobs and activities that you have done over the past five to 10 years. A major quality of the chronological résumé is to show progressive and steady employment history.
The chronological résumé is the most basic type of résumé and is known as the "traditional résumé."
The functional résumé highlights the skills and personal qualities most pertinent to the job you seek. Your actual work history is significantly shortened. Consequently, both the experience and education sections are brief.
Tips related to specific sections are as follows:
Education:
Degrees are listed in reverse chronological order. Omit high school, unless it is relevant.
Include your GPA if it is strong - 3.0 or above.
In general, academic honors should be listed under education.
Include coursework, projects or papers you have completed if they are related to the job you seek.