Tuesday, July 2, 2013

How to write a resume: sample, structure, councils


To answer a question - as it is correct to write the resume how to write the good resume how to write the resume which will give you advantages at device for work, for a start it is necessary to submit well that such resume, and certainly - at least to look at time at a resume sample. And having learned a secret of the resume and skillfully applying rules of writing of the resume - you get more chances to get desirable work.
So - that such resume.

The resume is borrowed by us from practice of the European and American personnel management.
The resume is the first that it is necessary to have by job search

It is possible to tell that at employment, obligatory providing the resume is one of elements of modern rules of business etiquette, but at the same time this one of the most effective remedies of advertizing on a labor market.

The resume is a short conclusion from told, written or read, is squeezed stating basic provisions

In relation to job search, the resume is a description of abilities of the person which do it competitive on a labor market. It has to display three main qualities, demanded from the employee: education, efficiency and limitlessness of abilities. In certain cases it is possible to meet an abbreviation of CV (lat. - Curriculum Vitae), in a literal translation means "biography" or "a life course" and represents the curriculum vitae of workers of creative professions; in it results of work while places of work aren't specified are presented. Style of the resume is directed to a thicket on receiving a concrete place of work while CV contains more detailed and structured information on a career way of the person. In a context of our time the document designated by CV or "resume" (fr. resume - the resume of the main contents), not so much describes professional life of the competitor, how many forms the basis for the invitation to interview.
The resume bears in itself a lot of positive, both for the competitor of a workplace, and for the employer. For the competitor - "it is an ideal way to show to themselves to the best advantage, and for the employer - a peculiar method of elimination of improper candidates".
The resume purpose - to draw attention to itself at the first as imparted, the correspondence acquaintance, to impress favorably and to induce the employer to invite you to personal meeting.

From here the main principle of writing of the resume follows - to emphasize all positive moments and to make imperceptible as far as it is possible, that your strength isn't.

It is necessary to write such resume

    that the potential employer apprehended that such resume is a source of your biographic data and information on your professional experience;
    that it would supply the additional information which will interest the employer and will allow to be prepared for carrying out full interview to you;
    what is the resume would answer a question, whether you conform to the requirements established by the employer for this work.

The resume which the employer studied before interview, allows learning quickly the main thing about the candidate, to formulate additional questions and not to write down necessary data on the candidate that reduces time and increases efficiency of interview. Most often personnel questions are supervised by HR managers, secretaries, office managers, chiefs of sales departments, and even the chief accountants. Specialists in selection of shots use a subjective method of selection of the resume, and also a selection method on a number of formal signs (experience and skills of work, professional qualities, education, a sex, age, etc.). In the first case the great value has subjective perception of the manager, in the second - professionally made resume which is underlining advantages and skillfully leveling shortcomings of the applicant.
 On the basis of the resume the first and quite steady opinion on the person which however subjectively and depends on stereotypes of perception of people is formed. If the invitation to interview didn't manage to be received, so the resume for some reason didn't draw attention of the employer. The only chance to succeed by means of the resume - the moment when it read for the first time. As a rule, no more than 2-3 minutes are spent for viewing of the resume. For this reason by its drawing up the standard form is used. According to the majority of employers, it is very important that information in the resume was the full and at the same time short, and the main thing that the competitor during interview could confirm all data.

To write the good resume, it is necessary to follow the principle of selectivity. Information for the resume should be selected, proceeding from their purpose that is in the resume it is worth including the description of those aspects of your experience which are significant for a position for which you apply.

In a form of the resume are subdivided on professional (universal), chronological, functional, chronological and functional, target and academic.

    It is most often used professional (or universal) by the resume in which all information is submitted in blocks. According to experts, it is more preferable to use this form at who with a track record everything is all right.
    If it isn't enough experience, or there are breaks in the seniority information better to place in the functional resume. The functional resume is applied at the description of specific labor experience and a circle of occupations, when there is no need to arrange chronologically process of accumulation of this experience. In it the emphasis is placed on education both special knowledge and skills. Also this form of the resume is acceptable when there was a big break in work or there is a need to replace a profession.
    If the main advantage - experience, the resume has to be made in a chronological order with transfer of all places of work and names of the enterprises. The chronological or retrospective resume most suits experts, it is a lot of years worked in the same area and wishing in it to continue the activity.
    The chronological and functional resume is used most often for publicizing of any special achievements, in it at the same time the chronological sequence of a statement of the seniority and education remains.
    The target resume is filled in when the attention concentrates on competition of a certain position and the inquiry is supported with a statement of knowledge and abilities.
    The academic resume is used for search of professorial work. The independent part of such resume is made by the list of scientific works and publications, scientific achievements, awards and ranks.

The biggest secret of the resume:

it is necessary to write the resume not under the candidate of the competitor, and under the requirement of the specific employer, taking into account features of business of the company.

And therefore one of the main rules of the resume: it is necessary to come to each new interview to the new resume and never - without it.

So, correctly written resume - your assistant in search of decent work therefore it is recommended to develop own ability to make the resume constantly.

How to write the resume


The resume - the official document which rules of writing are regulated by the guide to office-work.
Volume and requirements to resume registration

It is necessary to think over some versions of the resume - for departure by mail (or deliveries personally), by fax, in electronic form on an E-mail. However texts have to be identical. Registration can differ - successfully picked up photo will decorate the resume, but think as it will look, received by fax.

    The first firm rule - the volume of the resume can't exceed one, at most two pages of the A4 format, and it is desirable that key information was on the first page. If the volume of it doesn't allow, think, what information you can offer. However, if at the person a wide experience of work, it creates certain difficulties and restrictions, but at a resume set on the computer, there is an opportunity to bypass this rule: change a font size though it and isn't desirable - the resume has to be read easily.

If the resume occupies more than one page, at the end of pages it is specified that continuation is on the following leaf. On all sheets, except the first number of a leaf is printed and the surname is specified.
If on the volume of the resume it turned out on one incomplete page, information it is necessary to arrange so that the page was completely occupied with the text.
To write the "correct" resume, it is necessary to use one font, Times New Roman or Arial is desirable. Set of fonts of the different sizes aren't readable! Strict style of registration - an indispensable condition. You shouldn't show possibilities of Adobe Photoshop filters also: the resume is a document.
As for a font size, standard for the resume it is considered a font of the 12th size. It is necessary that all contents were one size.
Each section of the resume has to be separated from the previous.
It is better to highlight headings in bold and/or underlining.
Surely check spelling (F7 button in the Word editor). The resume with mistakes has no chances.
The resume has to be written by a simple language.
For documents of this kind the following marking of the page is recommended: the top field - 2 cm, right - 2 cm, bottom - 2 cm, the left 2,5 cm. Field narrowing on centimeter and instead of a standard 12th font size use of the 10th is allowed. At the same time option with reduction of a font we accept only if the resume is sent to the employer on E-mail-at or handed over personally. In case of resume departure by fax, a font size it is better not to use less than 12, differently the resume can't be read.
For the resume paper of white color, high quality is used.
Non-standard resume

If you decided to write the non-standard resume, keep in mind - such strategy is good not in all cases. As the guide to action it can be accepted by representatives of creative professions it "is allowed" to them to depart from the standard. As for experts of others (not creative) professions - engineers, drivers, accountants, etc., - that here is more preferable to remain to competitors within officially approved norms. It is connected, first of all, by that from experts of this profile accuracy, scrupulousness and obligatory observance of duty regulations is required.

It is necessary to consider that recruitment agencies, as a rule, use the summaries sent to them as a source of obtaining necessary information on the competitor therefore it in a "dry" look is overtaken in the standard form of the resume in which "creative liberties" are cancelled. If you send the non-standard resume directly to the employer, then there is a chance that your creative approach on advantage will be estimated by that to whom it, actually and intended.
Possibilities of creativity

There are some standard lines, following which it is possible to change the resume in something creatively non-standard.

    Photo. On classical canons of office-work, the photo has to be approximately same, as in the passport. But also there are no rules bar none. Design. It is possible to write the key moments of the resume a non-standard font.
    Epigraph. This means should using carefully. It is so effective as it is unpredictable consequences. Some employers don't like excessive "philosophizing". But, suppose, if the competitor to the place of the HR manager in the column personal qualities writes the motto: "Putting on the first place of people, you never make mistakes, even in questions of receiving money (Michael Marx)" - becomes worse from it than his resume not.

Risk zone

The share of "non-standard" makes about 0,5% from resume total. Besides, not all from them really creative. Using non-standard approach to resume writing, you have to be ready to that HR managers can interpret it in the sense that the candidate is too extravagant and it will be difficult to cope with it.
Photo

The photo shouldn't exceed a passport format (3,5 by 4 cm). Naturally, beach photos and the more so family, you shouldn't press in the resume, - to these you only express disrespect for the employer.

It is possible to allocate three reasons for which it is worth loading the photo:

    The resume including the photo of the author more productively and interesting to the employer.
    The photo promotes more reliable identification of your personality.
    The majority of employers do the conclusion about providing work to the competitor within the first 3 minutes after acquaintance. Not the last role in the first impression is played by appearance. For this reason, it makes sense to acquaint the potential employer with the image - or it will favorably distinguish you from other applicants, and then the chance of receiving work will increase, or you won't approach at once on these or those parameters and by that, you will save to yourself in the afternoon which you would spend for carrying out empty interview for you.

Style of writing of the resume

has to meet the following requirements:

    brevity - absence of excess words, unclear reductions and terms;
    concreteness - absence of information which doesn't have a direct bearing on vacancy;
    focus - a statement of the main data confirming the right to apply for this position;
    activity - need of use of the active verbs showing activity. For example, if you have only initial knowledge of accounting, and they are necessary for this position, it is necessary to write "I own accounting and audit bases". Never it is necessary to write I "participated", I "assisted" since it allows to think that you stood apart and occasionally rendered different services;
    accuracy and clarity of a statement of thought;
    selectivity - assumes careful selection of information (don't try to find room for everything into one resume. Remember, the resume has to correspond completely to that position for which you apply! );
    honesty (lack of unreliable information);
    literacy.

Resume structure


Document name

It is actually simple the word "resume". Recently the given document is called sometimes by Curriculum Vitae (CV, in Latin "biography") as it practices when writing resume in other languages. This option is more beautiful and more exact on sense, but at us is rather rare.

Purpose

The short description of that for what receiving a position you apply. It is recommended to list all positions which you would like to occupy. The existing scheme of activity of human resources departments and recruitment agencies often appears the extremely nonflexible. The questionnaire completed with you, place in the folder (bring in a directory), according to your instruction "specializations". Having got, for example, in "sales managers", you often have no chances to get on consideration as "product manager". Therefore it is necessary to specify all vacancies which are interesting to you. (However you shouldn't stretch this point more than on two-three lines).

Your name, the address, phone number (including a city code), an e-mail (if it is).

Education

Education in the curriculum vitae of the young specialist, with lack of practical experience or its minimum (not including practice), takes a leading place. Education is specified with dates, upside-down:

    the basic - higher education institution (and the faculty name) in 19 __ - __;
    additional (parallel) - second higher education (if you have it) in 19 __ - __;
    it is important to report about the termination of courses and certification passing in the specialty. If the termination of courses according to a hobby is expensive to you (for example, a macramé), include it in the last part - a hobby, but in any way in the section "education";
    it is necessary to specify high school only if it is language or other special school or if you left secondary school with honors (existence of a gold/silver medal);
    it is important to specify technical school;
    note also an honors degree, additional specialties;
    if institute (university) specialization of the competitor adjoins, at least partially, to interesting his position, it is possible to specify and the name of letting-out chair;
    if experience is insufficient or is absent as it often happens at the young specialist, it is recommended to specify studied subjects (especially in what successes), good and excellent marks, awards on the Olympic Games and competitions, etc. were achieved the greatest;
    it is also necessary to specify existence of publications, especially in specialized editions, inventions or own development;
    it is important not to forget also about attractiveness of the word "state" - the state courses, the state awards, etc.

Labor experience (practicing) in the return chronological order

At the graduate who diligently studied, I attended additional courses and I tried to punch training, it is rare when there is an experience of permanent long job. If experience is available, it is accepted to describe it in the return chronological order and on the contrary time and a place of work to designate the position and functions, placing emphasis on professional achievements. Training and practice are set off on an equal basis with experience, and good training costs several temporary side jobs.

Work (practice) is specified also upside-down: at first real or last place of work, then previous, etc.

It is necessary to specify:

    start date and completion of work (practice),
    the organization name (there is no need to specify the detailed address of the enterprises at which you worked in the resume, will be to specify their name and the city in which they are enough),
    job title (them can be a little if your career developed successfully),
    position also list official duties - whenever possible fully as it becomes frequent the decisive.

If for the person with a big working career the indication of only the last 3-5 places of work and the period is recommended no more than 10 years, for the young specialist it is important to specify as much as possible (all) labor (practical) experience.

It is important to include information on the heard special courses and the passable trainings in the curriculum vitae of the graduate.

It is important to specify also (surely) production achievements at each position if they were. At the description of achievements it is necessary to use action verbs, such as developed, I saved, I increased or I reduced. Extremely concrete formulations are desirable.

Additional skills of work

In this section that characterizes you as the worker is specified, but doesn't treat directly concrete official duties - for example:

    existence of the driving license,
    experience with the personal computer (reporting level of proficiency in the computer, it is necessary to specify in what operating systems and programs you worked/work),
    membership in the professional organizations, etc.

Here the knowledge of a foreign language if you aren't absolutely sure of free possession of can be noted. If are sure - allocate in the separate section, and it is desirable to specify a language course if you finished them.

The section "skills of work" gives to the competitor ample opportunities to show it to good effect that is called. It is important to specify to the maximum everything that the rest is related to desirable work, and - in case it improves your indicators. But it is better not to be found, after all, - if there is too much your advantages, the potential employer can be frightened that he won't have enough money for such valuable employee. You shouldn't praise yourselves - only the facts. The employer himself has to draw conclusions.

Additional information

Or "hobby" (or "awards and public work").

In the West this point joins surely as the person is recommended is frequent best of all by a social standing: clubs, societies, awards, etc. As in our society of such system isn't present, it is desirable to note that has at least the indirect relation to specialty.

It isn't necessary to specify, whether you consist in any parties, religious communities.


The instruction on possibility of providing recommendations

You shouldn't mention referees, however it is necessary to prepare their list - it can be useful on interview.

Date of drawing up resume

In the conclusion it is necessary to date drawing up the resume and the signature.

Dating of the resume increases reliability of interest in this work, old date can testify that the candidate and unsuccessfully looks for long ago work.
The resume in other languages
PRACTICAL ADVICE ON RESUME WRITING

Correctly to write the resume, it is important to be extremely concrete in a choice of formulations:

    it isn't necessary to write:
        I trained
        helped to get rid of mistakes
        quickly I acquire new knowledge

    it is necessary to write:
        I trained two new employees
        I reduced mistakes by 5%, having saved firm of 40000 rub.
        I mastered new procedures in record term - in two weeks

Be not verbose and avoid passive forms:

    it isn't necessary to write:
        I was responsible for performance
        I found application
        I was responsible for:

    it is necessary to write:
        I executed
        effectively I used
        I answered for:

Prefer positive information:

    it isn't necessary to write:
        I sorted complaints on:
        I interfered with decrease in a share of sales
        I passed from a position:

    it is necessary to write:
        I helped clients in:
        I increased product potential in the market
        promoted to a position

Concentrate attention on your achievements:

    it isn't necessary to write:
        I worked there three years
        I did additional work

    it is necessary to write:
        I promoted in a position
        always I performed work in time

Characteristic of professional level:

I introduced, I managed, I investigated, I supervised, I coordinated, I provided, I based, I organized, I planned, I offered, I developed, I reorganized, solved, directed, created, increased, eliminated, participated, I trained, etc.

Characteristic of personal qualities:

Accurate, attentive, disciplined, reliable, sincere, persistent, objective, the optimist, logical, practical, enterprising, conceiving, purposeful, tactful, honest, economical, vigorous, etc.

It is in resume important to pay attention to the following details:

Ask somebody who well knows language in which the resume is written, to check it.

    In the description of the real work use verbs in the present, for example, I work, I project; respectively at the description of the previous places of work use verbs in past tense.
    Be consecutive: if you once used reduction, use it in all resume (but it is better to provide all names completely).
    Avoid long phrases and sophisticated words.
    Accurately allocate necessary headings.
    Track that your resume was issued in one style.
    Choose style which is easily read (big fields, not a small print, sufficient distance between lines, etc.).
    Use paper of white color of high quality.
    It is very important to find room for your resume on one, at most, on two pages.
    Be sure that you will be able to confirm all information which you included in the resume.
THE MAIN MISTAKES WHEN WRITING RESUME

Now on some personnel sites of the Internet it is possible to find ready templates of the resume which are rather simple for filling. However skilled personnel workers are able to distinguish independently made resume at which the author worked, considering and corrected each word, and the resume made from dictation.
Besides
it is important to avoid the following mistakes by drawing up the resume:

    discrepancy of a working career, education, experience of the applicant to objective requirements to a position or the exposed employer;
    too short resume - is unclear, whether the author has nothing to tell about himself, whether he - "a gray mouse";
    demonstration of frequent change of places of work without an explanation of the objective reasons;
    absence of instructions on professional growth;
    the indication of a set of various training courses and seminars;
    too detailed resume containing a set of unnecessary information and lyrical digressions or manifestation of inappropriate humor.

So, correctly made resume - your assistant in search of decent work therefore it is recommended to develop constantly own ability and the nobility how to make the resume. However the resume is only the document, it won't replace wealth of your personality, so, it is necessary to learn effective self-presentation during interview and interview.