Meridian Career Institute presents

A Learning Resource Center Seminar

How to Write a Resume

A well written, professional looking resume won’t guarantee you a job or even a job interview.

But a poorly written, sloppy looking resume will almost guarantee that you won’t get either one.

The purpose of the resume is to introduce yourself to a prospective employer

by clearly and concisely stating your qualifications, skills, education, and work experience.

Choosing Your Template

If you’re using one of the LRC’s computers, it’s easy to find several templates to choose from.

Click on “Start,” then “All Programs,” then “Microsoft Office,” then “Microsoft Office Word 2003.”

Type “resume” in the “Search for” box.

Browse through the different templates and decide which one is right for you.

Getting Started

After you’ve chosen your template, writing the resume is like filling out a job application.

It will be easier if you’ve already got the essential information ready, instead of trying to write it from memory.

Essential Information: Job Objective

In this section, you need to state what kind of job you’re seeking and what you expect from the job (NOT salary and benefits).

The objective should NOT be more than one sentence.

The opening words could simply say, “A position as a …”

Then you could add “for an employer” or “in a workplace.”

Now is the time to think about what you want from the job.

Ideally, you would want to advance to a position with more responsibility (and a higher salary, but DON’T mention money!)

A good way to say that you want to advance is to state: “offering opportunities for advancement and professional growth.”

You need to convey that you want to move up the ladder and learn more about the job and the business.

Employers like and want someone with ambition, enthusiasm, and a positive attitude.

Essential Information: Education

For the Education section, you don’t need to include where and when you went to elementary and middle school.

Include your high school - school name, city and state, and year that you graduated.

If you earned a GED, give the year you received it and who issued it. For example, Sarasota County Board, Hillsborough County School Board, etc.

If you’ve attended any school other than Meridian Career Institute after high school, include it – name, place, program, when you attended, and date of graduation.

List your education in reverse chronological order (the last school FIRST). EducationMeridian Career Institute Sarasota, FL June 2008 – June 2010 A.S. in Medical Administration Sarasota High School Sarasota, FL General Diploma

Essential Information: Work History

The work history on your resume should go back 5 – 10 years.

Ideally, there won’t be any gaps in your history. Employers tend to favor candidates with an uninterrupted work history.

Still, a work history with no gaps is not always possible.

People leave jobs to raise children, or go to school.

If there are any gaps in your work history, be prepared to explain them.

Your work history has to have the employer’s name, city, state, dates of employment, job title and description of duties.

Describe your duties by using action words like: supervised, maintained, managed, assisted, stocked, unloaded, ordered, prepared, inventoried, etc.

You don’t need to say why you left a job. If the employer wants to know, they’ll ask that during the interview.

Essential Information: References

Always get permission before using someone as a reference.

Former employers and teachers are good sources because they’ve observed your behavior and work habits.

Your grandparents may have a lot of good things to say about you, but it doesn’t mean an employer will be impressed by them.

It’s NOT a good idea to use relatives as references.

It’s okay to list a friend as a reference, but that won’t be as impressive as a former employer or teacher.

An employer will be more impressed by references from three former employers and teachers…

than by references from three current friends.

It’s fine to use a minister as a reference, but they probably haven’t observed you at your job site.

References

Bring your list of at least three references with you to the interview.

Additional Tips

Here are a few things to remember when you’re writing your resume: An address like CoolDude99 or HotChick55 may amuse your friends, but it won’t impress a prospective employer. Get a free account from hotmail or yahoo dedicated to your job hunt.

Your resume should be no more than two pages and one is better. Avoid using long paragraphs; keep it brief.

Proofread your resume for spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors.

Don’t mention salary

Tell the truth - no misstatements, exaggerations, or fibs.

Avoid using personal pronouns – I, me, mine, my.

Make sure the margins are even; they should be one inch on all edges of the paper (top, bottom, and sides). Make sure there are NO smudges or smears on your document. Print your resume on good quality paper.