BASIC IN RESUME

[sajiv]

BASIC IN RESUME

The key point here is to not complicate matters for the reader. They should be able to obtain all pertinent information about you without moving from their chair (yes, it sounds ludicrous, but that's how it needs to be). So, make sure that your résumé contains the following information.

      Contact Information like name, address, phone/fax numbers, and email address.

      Objective. A single statement should sum up your goals.

      Education. If you've graduated recently and want to highlight it, place education before the experience and skills section and list your coursework. List GPAs only if they are good. Education should always be listed in reverse chronological order. Assuming that you have an undergraduate degree, do not list your high school education since it is irrelevant.

      Work Experience. Again, this must be listed in reverse chronological order, and must include the company title, location, timeframe of work there, responsibilities and projects. More on this later.

      Publications, Patents, and Awards. List these or anything else that is relevant to your job function in this section. If you have many publications and patents, consider listing them on a separate page and attach it to your résumé.


      Computer Skills. This section can include hardware, software, programming language, and operating system experience. It's not necessary to include everything, but do make sure you list a few critical items which can be caught by résumé tracking software.

      Other Skills and Activities. This section can be used to show that you are a well-rounded individual. It can include membership in industry-related societies. Keep it short, general, and avoid controversial hobbies or pastimes.

If you have many years of experience, you can also provide a summary of your skills before the "Experience" and "Education" sections.

I've seen many résumés where people forgot to list their phone numbers, had glaring holes in their work experience and schooling, or did not mention their objective. Such deficiencies raise questions in the mind of the reader, and make his or her life more difficult by asking them to find information. Do you really want to do that, especially when there are hundreds of people applying for the same job?