Career Development Services

Your resume's purpose is to get an employer's attention and land you an interview.  For the employer, the resume is a "screener,"  and you do not want to be screened out!  Therefore, your resume needs to answer ONE question for the employer: Why should I interview YOU?

In today's job search, your resume may be "screened" by a human or by a computer.  To be effective your resume must impress both people and machines!

To make a good first impression, an effective resume:
-     Targets an industry or even a specific position.
-     Focuses on the accomplishments of your last five to ten years of employment.
-     Is no longer than two pages  Is attractive, well-written, and error-free.

Your resume will have approximately 20 seconds to capture the reader's attention and put you on the "must see" list, provided that your cover letter has done its job and made a favorable first impression.

BUT ...
      Before you embark on preparing a new resume and customizing your cover letter, ask yourself
      if you need
      a new resume and cover letter for a NEW JOB or if you need a NEW CAREER.

In an Ideal World .....
      Every job hunter would be comfortable and have the skills to write their own resume. After all

• the job hunter best knows his/her skills and accomplishments.
• the resume that they compose will reflect their writing style.
• they will be able to customize their resume for each position.
  

In the Real World .....
     Many individuals

• need assistance to identify and discuss their accomplishments and skills.
• distrust their writing ability
• are aware the the "rules" for writing effective resumes have changed in recent years, but are not certain what the new "rules" are and how they pertain to their situation.
  

Here is some helpful information to consider before you or any one else writes your resume.

• A good resume will stress your ACCOMPLISHMENTS.  it will make assertions about your abilities, qualities, and achievements and it will provide evidence that these were in deed demonstrated. Quantities, percents, comparisons help make the point.  For every "action" you claim, what is the "result?"
• Your resume should match your skills and experience to the needs of the organization/company/ industry.  This means that you have done your research.  Talk to people in the field; talk to people who work for the company; go on line and research both the type of position and the company.  If your resume does not address the employer's needs, it probably will not get a response.

• Resumes come in three basic types: Chronological, Functional, and Combined "hybrid").

                      The Chronological resume is the most conservative and safest resume style, but it is
                      not appropriate for many job seekers.        

                      The Functional resume highlights skills and accomplishments, but minimizes
                      work history. It is an appropriate format for those making a career change
                      including homemakers returning to the job market and individuals leaving
                      military service or civilian employment. It is a problematic format to some
                      HR departments in that they see it as an attempt to hide something.

                      The Combined or Hybrid resume combines the elements of both the chronological
                      and functional formats.  It maximizes the advantages of both kinds of resumes and
                      avoids the negative effects of either type.  It is flexible and allows for special
                      sections such as qualifications, summary, key words, etc.