So many of us at this point of our lives have heard about resumes and have gotten it drilled into our head about the importance of them. Although, we hear and are told about them many don’t really know the purpose of a resume and how to get one set-up.
First things first, the purpose of a resume. Well you might be thinking that the obvious purpose of a resume is to get a job. WRONG! The sole purpose of a resume is to get the interview to then possibly get that job.
Yes, surprisingly a lot of people forget about that and believe that they can get a job by just having an amazing resume. Well, now that we’ve cleared up the purpose of a resume we can review the main sections and how to set-up a resume.
The main sections of a resume are a heading, objective (or any other introductory section), Education, Experience, certifications if any and Involvement. Depending on your field and your experiences some of these sections may not apply to your resume.
Your heading should have your basic information such as name, professional email address, address and phone number. This allows employers to have several ways to contact you. It’s important to have all these on your heading especially if an employer is trying to reach out to for an interview ;).
Next section is the objective or any other intro, section. It truly depends on your field but, instead of an objective you can have a professional summary, summary of qualifications etc. It is always advised to research your field to see what’s the best introduction to use.
After your objective, it is common to add your Education. We tend to forget that our Education is one of our biggest asset when it comes to experiences. For a lot of our fields a 4-year degree or some type of qualification is necessary so never forget to add your education!! Depending on your field, you may add a certification or skill section under your education section. It can be a CPR certification, a 2nd language or even your proficiency in Photoshop.
Now comes the most difficult part of your resume to put together. I am talking about the experience section. This can be related experience or just work experience in general. This section is what employers are looking for. They are wanting to see if you have the necessary transferable skills that most employers look for in employees and college graduates. So, make sure when writing this section, you take your time and really focus on your past or current experiences. Involvement is the last section that can also be added onto your resume specially if it is an organization that is related to your field of study.
Now that you know the main points of a resume here are a few tips to always ALWAYS go by.
-Do NOT use a resume template
-Remember to tailor your resume to the position you are applying to
-Start your resume early it is a process for sure
And for the most important tip, make sure to get your resume critiqued by a professor, someone in your field, or at the Center for Career and Professional Development where you can find yours truly every day!!
I have attached a link to the website, make sure to familiarize yourself and know that these services are open for all SFA student and Alumni! Now go start your resume or update trust me it’s worth it investing time on it now!
USE ME! : http://www.sfasu.edu/ccpd/