Resume Tips

The formats that resumes normally have can be subdivided into chronological, functional, and targeted. The choice of format is a question of yours and the readers’ preferences. If you have a substantial continuous employment history, the best resume type would be a chronological resume. If you have recently graduated, the best way to go is a functional format. A targeted, or creative, resume is usually tailored for a specific position or field of expertise. The chronological resumes are usually faster and easier to read.

Regardless of the resume format of your choice, it is strongly advised that it should have a good summary paragraph at the top of the page. Don’t forget to include a concise list of your main skills. If your skills are hidden somewhere in the body of your resume, a recruiter would have to read your resume longer in order to find your basic skills, and you could lose your audience. The same applies for verbose wording.

The summary paragraph is also a good way to make a database “notice” your skills. The list of your skills is essentially a set of keywords that recruiters use to search through both online resume database sites and their in-house databases. If your keywords are not carefully selected, your resume might not show up in a search. For the assistance with resume writing, please check out several excellent books in our bookstore that can provide you with more detailed advice on resume writing.