Resume Techniques
Many people think that a resume is only for white collar jobs. In our changing job market almost everyone will need a resume, including most blue collar workers.
The resume is a selling tool that outlines your skills and experiences so an employer can see, at a glance, how you can contribute to the company. More to the point, what we are actually doing is applying for an interview. Only in the rarest of cases will a resume directly secure a job offer. The goal of an effective resume is to highlight and summarize a person’s qualifications.
The first step in creating your resume is to determine which jobs you are both qualified for and interested in. In today’s job market it is crucial to be as specific as possible. Your experience in the military has probably given you a wide variety of skills that you can apply in several career fields.
Once you have identified the types of positions you want to pursue, you need to select a resume format that best introduces you to the job market. This is a marketing decision based on the message you want to send to a potential employer. Target your skills to fit the job you are applying for.
There are 4 commonly used resumes today:
Chronological: The most widely used format, Logical flow, easy to read, Showcases growth in skills and responsibility.
Functional: Emphasizes skills rather than employment, Organizes a variety of experience (paid and unpaid work, other activities, Disguises gaps in work record or a series of short-term jobs.
Combination: Highlights most relevant skills and accomplishments, De-emphasizes employment history in less relevant jobs, Combines skills developed in a variety of jobs or other activities.
Targeted: Personalized to company/position, shows research, more impressive to employer, written specifically to employer’s needs.
As you create you resume, avoid military jargon and
The resume is a selling tool that outlines your skills and experiences so an employer can see, at a glance, how you can contribute to the company. More to the point, what we are actually doing is applying for an interview. Only in the rarest of cases will a resume directly secure a job offer. The goal of an effective resume is to highlight and summarize a person’s qualifications.
The first step in creating your resume is to determine which jobs you are both qualified for and interested in. In today’s job market it is crucial to be as specific as possible. Your experience in the military has probably given you a wide variety of skills that you can apply in several career fields.
Once you have identified the types of positions you want to pursue, you need to select a resume format that best introduces you to the job market. This is a marketing decision based on the message you want to send to a potential employer. Target your skills to fit the job you are applying for.
There are 4 commonly used resumes today:
Chronological: The most widely used format, Logical flow, easy to read, Showcases growth in skills and responsibility.
Functional: Emphasizes skills rather than employment, Organizes a variety of experience (paid and unpaid work, other activities, Disguises gaps in work record or a series of short-term jobs.
Combination: Highlights most relevant skills and accomplishments, De-emphasizes employment history in less relevant jobs, Combines skills developed in a variety of jobs or other activities.
Targeted: Personalized to company/position, shows research, more impressive to employer, written specifically to employer’s needs.
As you create you resume, avoid military jargon and