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Helena Job Service » Job Seekers » Resume

RESUME CHECKLIST

Basics

• Paper is free of blemishes.
• Font size is large enough to be read by people with weak  eyesight
• No Grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors.
• One to Two pages long.
• Font is clear and not cursive. Document could be scanned easily.

Contact Information

• Contact information clear and prominent.
• E-mail address is professional.
• Make sure phone does not have unprofessional ringback tone or greeting.

Top Area

• Objective or goals (if used) adds value to the resume.
• Format puts relevant qualifications for the job at the top, whatever style you choose.
• If you use a summary statement, your claims need to be backed up in the rest of the resume.

Content

• Easy to read and understand.
• Spacing is consistent, fair amount of white space.
• Puts information the employer needs first.
• Action Words.
• Numbers are used when relevant.
• Acronyms spelled out at least once if not universally known.
• Dates of employment
• It’s a good idea to explain any long employment gaps briefly.
• Professional references listed, not “available on request”
• No Hobbies, age, weight, height, hair color, ethnic heritage, fitness level, etc.
• Volunteer information only if it is relevant to getting the position
• Go 10 years back, but include older jobs if they are very relevant.
• Save letters of reference for the interview unless the reference cannot be contacted.

 

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Resume Samples

Definition - A document used to indicate your qualifications for a job.

Purpose - A pre-screening tool for the employer to decide whether to spend more of their time interviewing you.
 
When to use it - Whenever requested.

When not to use it - When using a company application form and no one asked for it.

Typical issues - Each business and industry is different as far as what they are looking for. This leads to differing “advice” on how a resume should look.

Solution - The Helena Job Service Employers Committee has worked with the Helena Job Service staff to develop some general advice on resumes. There is no better source for the Helena area than some of the employers you will be applying to.

How to create it - TEMPLATES GO HERE

• Formal Margins, 1” top and bottom, 1.25’ to 1.5” left and right.
• Font at least 12 points.
• Plain font, Ariel, Verdana, Times New Roman or Courier (to name a few).
• Never use script fonts.
• Do a thorough check for proper Grammar and Spelling.
• You only have a few seconds to make the case for an interview. Use it wisely.

Format

• The choices are
  • Reverse Chronological
    • Information is presented starting with your most current job and working back.
  • Functional
    • Instead of by date, it lists your qualifications by skills, one after the other.
    • Example-Machinery Used, Troubleshooting Experience, Communications, etc.
  • Hybrid
    • Any mix of the other two styles.
• Which form you choose will depend on your situation and the job you are applying to. The goal is to put the qualifying information at the top of the resume.
  • Use Reverse Chronological if your last job qualifies you for this one.
  • Use a Functional Resume if you are applying outside of your normal experience, applying to an upper level professional position or have long gaps in education or experience.
  • Use a Hybrid Resume if you are fresh out of school with little work experience, your qualifications for this job come from a mix of other jobs over the years or your qualifying experience was a couple of jobs back.

Top Section

• Your name and contact information.
  • Professional E-mail address
  • No ringback tones on the phone.
  • Answer the phone promptly or forward to voicemail.
  • Professional voicemail message
  • Avoid using a family/friend as a message phone number if possible.
• Objective Statement
  • Except for very top level positions, employers indicated they aren’t interested in how their company can help an applicant.
    • An example of this is “Seeking a rewarding and challenging career with XYZ Company that will provide for my financial needs and personal wellbeing.”
  • A basic rule of thumb, if everyone who applies to the job can say the same thing, don’t bother. Use the space you save to talk more about your skills and abilities.

Reverse Chronological

• Starting with your current position and working backward
• Name of the employer, supervisor name and number or contact information for a reference check, dates employed and job title.
• Describe the job. Keep in mind the employer is trying to discover how that applies to the job you are applying to.
• Items can be of varying length. The more a previous job qualifies you for the job you are applying to, the longer it should be.

Functional

• Typically, this starts with a qualification summary.
• Consider bullet points for this.
• Keep in mind what the employer needs.
• Summarize your skills in easy to read, logical groups.
• Still list your dates of employment at the bottom.

Hybrid

• Pretty much anything goes style wise.
• The most common method is to put a summary of your qualifications or education at the top and list jobs below in reverse chronological order with a very brief explanation of your duties.

Language

• Do not reveal club or volunteer activities unless they will help you get the job.
• NEVER discuss anything protected by law; height, weight, age, gender, marital status, religion, race, creed, general health, etc.
• Concentrate on action words such as those on the attached list.
• Avoid the following words and phrases
  • Responsible for
  • performed various duties
  • Competent
  • Sufficiently
  • Adequately
  • Highly qualified
  • Results focused
  • Effectual leader
  • Energetic
  • Confident
  • Professional
  • Successfully
  • Good
  • Effectual leader
  • Measurable results