A Guide To Your Resume


An informative and concise resume is a vital part of your job search process.

A resume should inform potential employers of the skills you can offer their Company, your education and employment history, and why you are the best Candidate for the job.

Below are some ideas that can be used as a basis for your new resume, or to evaluate and perhaps update your existing resume.

Ideally, you should tailor your resume to each application you submit, eg. highlight the duties in each position which are most relevant to the particular position you are applying for, and summarise the other duties.

Your resume should also reflect the position you are applying for, ie. if you are a applying for a marketing role, your resume should reflect your creativity and skills in design software by using these applications to design your resume.

Ideally a resume should contain:

1. Your Contact Details
   
   • Full name
   • Address
   • Contact phone numbers
   • Email address (if applicable)
   
   
2. Career Objectives
   A description of the position you are seeking and the type of company/ industry you would like to work in.


3. Employment History
   Employment history should be listed in chronological order (most recent position first) and each entry should contain the following:
   • Company Name
   • Title of position held
   • Employment period/dates
   • Duties & responsibilities in point format
   • List of achievements made in this role (if applicable)
   
   
4. Education History
   Again, education history should be listed in chronological order and each entry should contain the following:
   • Institution attended
   • Years attended
   • Qualification gained

The following points are optional entries for your resume:


5. Skill Summary
   List all your non-technical skills, eg. sound communicator, time management skills, people skills, multi-tasking, etc.


6. Computer Skills
   List the computer packages you can use and your proficiency in these. Eg. MS Word – Advanced, MS Excel – Beginner.


7. Professional Memberships
   List any professional bodies that you are a member of, eg. Member of the Institute of Management. Do not include personal memberships such as sports clubs or gyms.


8. Awards
   List any professional awards that you have received, eg. “Customer Service Provider of the Year – 2003”.


9. Languages
   List any languages you can speak or write, other than English.


10. Names of referees
    List the details of people who are willing to provide a professional verbal reference for you. Preferably, this should be a manager or supervisor who can verify your employment details, however, a colleague’s name is also acceptable. Each entry should include the following:
    • Referee’s name & position held
    • Organisation
    • Contact phone number

• Use good quality white paper
• Use easy to read font
• Use page numbers
• Always check spelling and grammar
• Do not use pictures/clip art