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Chronological
This is the most frequently used format. Use it
when your work history is stable and your professional growth is
consistent. The chronological format follows your work history
backwards from the current job, listing companies, dates and
responsibilities. Avoid it if you've experienced performance problems,
have not grown professionally or have made numerous job changes.
Functional
Use this format if you've been unemployed for long
periods of time or have changed jobs frequently. A functional resume
doesn't include employment dates but concentrates on skills and
responsibilities. It's written with the most relevant experience to the
job you're applying for placed first, and de-emphasizes jobs,
employment dates and job titles by placing them inconspicuously at the
end. It allows you to promote specific job skills without emphasizing
where or when you developed those skills.
Combination
Use this format if you have a steady work history
with demonstrated growth and if you have nothing you want to
de-emphasize. This format is a combination of chronological and
functional resumes. It starts with a brief personal summary, followed
by a listing of job-specific skills relevant to the objective and then
proceeds into a chronological format that lists how, when and where
these skills were acquired.
Anatomy
of a Resume
Ruta Lovett
The role of the resume has drastically changed over the past few years.
"Today, only 20 in about 500 resumes get read", says Bruce McAlpine of
The Keith Bagg Group. The first `pass' through a pile of resumes by a
hiring authority is not a `read to accept' pass, but a `read to reject'
pass! That's why it's critical that your resume be compelling and easy
to read. Format or presentation is much more important in the first
`pass' than content. The role of the resume is not to get you
a job but to get you an interview. It must tell the reader that you're
a good `fit' for the position based on your qualifications and previous
experience. It must point out why YOU are better than any of the other
applicants. McAlpine says, "your resume must answer these five
questions":
1) How can I contact the candidate if the hiring authority is
interested?
2) What does this person want to do?
3) What has he or she done in the past that's relevant?
4) How well did this person accomplish his or her responsibilities?
5) What skills and abilities lend credibility to this person's
candidacy?
The resume that's laid out clearly and concisely so that the reader
gets these answers in the first 30 seconds is more likely to open the
door to an interview. Here are a some pointers on format. Your resume
should be point form not sentences ideally no more than two pages in
length on good, light colored bond paper (stay away from garish
colors). stapled - not bound or in any form of folder. preferably
printed out on a computer using effects such as bolding and
underlining. accompanied by a short and simple covering letter.
Continue for more on "Writing Effective Resumes"
*Information
courtesy "Employment News"
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