Writing a Resume

Writing a resume is good practice in summarizing what you do best, what you
have accomplished, and what you want to do in the future. Job seekers should have an updated resume as it is often the entry into a request for an interview.

As a person matures, he or she learns new skills and experiences new situations and problems, thus his or her resume should be revised to reflect these changes.

Even if you aren't job hunting, resumes are wonderful tools for self-analysis and can help you find who you are, what you might like to be, and help you establish goals for the future.

What is a resume? Usually, it is in part, a summary of your vital career statistics name, education, skills, work experience (paid and non-paid) and your career or life goal. Follow along as we begin a relative simple form of a resume:

• State your name, address, and a brief statement describing the kind of job you are seeking.
• List your education. Begin with the highest level of education and degree
obtained. Students just completing high school or college should include school
accomplishments and specific courses taken that would show knowledge of the position applied for.
• Work experience and skills should include most recent employment and all other experience including volunteer work that is applicable to the position for which you are applying.
• Under awards and hobbies list specific skills or interests that would relate to your job goal.
• Resume writers should use action verbs like “organized, created, coordinated and designed.”
• Emphasize leadership qualities.

Many people who write a resume sell themselves short by failing to list all their skills. They feel that they will be bragging or exaggerating. Others, however, find that resume writing builds confidence and provides them with an inner strength they didn't know they possessed. By listing all their work experience and their strengths, they find they possess capabilities they had not realized, giving way to greater self-assurance and determination to strive for higher goals. Writing or updating a resume is a good exercise. By forcing yourself to examine your past, you can capitalize on your strengths, work on your limitations and set realistic goals for the future.

Harold H. LeCrone, Jr., Ph.D. Copyright © 2003