Résumé Writing
Employment
communication:
Employment
communication involves a complex process that includes writing employment
letters, applications, and resumes. In fact, the success of employment search
depends a lot on the candidate’s ability to design a persuasive resume and an
effective cover letter. The process of short listing candidates for an
interview might result in the rejection of a large number of applicants.
Therefore learning the art of writing applications that highlight one’s
strengths and designing resumes that package one’s skills and assets into a
convincing advertisement is essential.
Writing resumes:
A
resume is a selective record for an individual’s background. Writing an
effective resume that represents one’s current skills, abilities and background
is a challenge faced by all candidates. The following section presents several
techniques and suggestions for creating persuasive resumes.
Resume design:
a)
There is no one right design, for a resume. The
design of a resume largely depends on a person’s background, employment needs,
career goals and professional conventions in the area of specialization.
Parts of a resume:
The
standard parts of a resume include the heading, position sought, career
objective, education, work experience, specific skills, achievements,
activities, interests and references.
- Heading:
The heading of a resume includes contact information, which contains the
applicant’s name, full postal address with pin code, telephone number with
area code, fax number, and e-mail address.
- Position Sought:
If applying for a solicited job position, this part should be
mentioned in resume, not necessary to include for an unsolicited position.
- Career
Objective: Career objective should be a specific one-sentence, focused
statement expressing career goals in relation to the targeted position. It
should convey the candidate’s motivation and interest in the job he / she
is seeking.
Ex: To work as a product architect in an innovative software
company where I will be able to use my experience in the areas of product and
system architecture with expertise in enterprise applications.
- Professional
Summary: Some resumes may include professional summary in place of
career objectives. It is a one-sentence statement listing the applicant’s
most important qualifications, his / her essential skills, and his / her
key work experience.
Ex: Five years of experience in sales of spare parts for
Central Air Conditioning Equipment with extensive knowledge of spare parts of
carrier for Bahwan Engineering Group, Muscat.
- Education:
The name and location of the School / College / University / Institute
attended, dates of attendance, major areas of study, degrees /
certificates received should be mentioned. The applicant’s grade point
average / class / division if it is on the higher side may also be
mentioned. Relevant training programmes, special courses, seminars and
workshops that the applicants might have completed, attended or conducted
should also be included. Reverse chronological order is used to list
educational information i.e. starting from the most recent educational
information.
- Work
experience: This part of the resume should provide a brief and
specific overview of the applicants work and professional experience. Work
experience should be given in the reverse chronological order, by listing
the most recent employment first. Title of the position, employers name or
name of the organization / company, location of work, dates of employment,
and important job responsibilities, activities and accomplishments should
be included.
- Special
skills, abilities and aptitudes: In this part of the resume, the
applicants learned skills and intuitive skills are listed that are
relevant to the targeted job.
- Activities and
interests: Extra-curricular, co-curricular, professional activities,
and hobbies and interests must be mentioned. These activities must show
that the applicant is a dynamic and energetic person who can accept
challenge.
- Achievements /
accomplishments / honors: This part should include scholarships,
fellowships, awards, distinctions, commendations, certificates or anything
that shows achievement or recognition.
- References:
When applying for a solicited position where the employer want references,
the names of three persons who can give letters of recommendations or
references should be mentioned. The name of the reference, his or her
designation, and full contact address with telephone number, fax number,
and e-mail address should be given.
RESUME PREPARATION
Ø
The success of employment search largely depends
on a candidate’s ability to design a persuasive resume and an effective job
application.
Ø
Effective communication skills – most important
factor
Ø
Learning the art of writing applications that
highlight one’s strengths and designing resumes that package ones skills and
assets into a convincing advertisement is essential
Writing resumes
Ø
A resume is a selective record of an individual background
Ø
It presents
o
A summary of an individuals education
o
Professional training
o
Experience
o
Skills
o
Abilities
o
Achievements and
o
References
Resume design
Ø
The design of a resume largely depends on a
persons background, employment needs, career goals and professional conventions
in the area of specialization
Ø
Resume may have to be rewritten for every new
job application
The resume must answer the following:
1)
How can the employer contact the candidate?
2)
What are his / her career objectives?
3)
Which institution has been attended?
4)
What courses (academic or professional) has been
completed?
5)
What is his / her work experience?
6)
What are his / her career achievements?
7)
What are his / her special skills or abilities?
8)
What are his / her awards or honors that he /
she has received?
9)
What are his / her activities / special
interests / hobbies?
10)
Who are his / her references?
Parts of a resume
1.
Heading
2.
Position sought
3.
Career objective
4.
Education
5.
Work experience
6.
Specific skills (key skills)
7.
Achievements
8.
Activities
9.
Interests
10.
References
Heading
Ø
Contact information
Ø
The applicants name
Ø
Full postal address with pin code
Ø
Telephone number with area code
Ø
Fax number
Ø
Email address
Position sought
Only for solicited job position, not for unsolicited position
Career objective
Ø
A special part in a resume
Ø
It occurs just above the main experience and
education parts
Ø
It should be a specific one sentence focused
statement expressing his career goals in relation to the targeted positions
Ø
It should convey his / her motivation in the job
he / she is seeking
The following are some examples:
Ø
To obtain a challenging position in a large
software consulting organization providing business consulting, application
development, and product engineering services, where understanding and
experience of business process modeling and organizational change management to
suit customer needs can be used to achieve set targets.
All purpose resumes career objective statement:
- Seeking
a suitable position in design / project management
- Challenging
position in maintenance of computer printers and peripherals
- Position
in academic administration
Professional summary
·
Some resumes may include a professional summary
in place of career objective
·
Highlight the relevance of his / her
qualifications
·
Special skills
·
Key work experience to the position
Ex: Five years of
experience in sales of spare parts for central air conditioning equipment with
extensive knowledge of spare parts of carrier for Bhawan Engineering Group, Muscat.
Education
Applicant’s education and professional training (*reverse
chronological order for experience)
·
The name and location of the school / college /
university / institute attended
·
Major areas of study
·
Degrees / certificate received should be
mentioned
·
Relevant training programmes
·
Special courses
·
Seminars and workshops attended and conducted
Work experience
·
A brief view of applicants work and professional
experience
·
Reverse chronological order
Title of the position
Name of the organization / company
Location of work
Dates of employment
Important job responsibilities
Activities and accomplishments
Special skills,
abilities and aptitudes
·
Computer programming
·
Computer processing
·
Data processing
·
Foreign languages
·
Necessary to be selective and specific, highlighting
only these skills and talents that are relevant to the targeted job
Activities and
interests
·
Extra-curricular, co-curricular, professional
activities and hobbies and interests must be mentioned
·
These activities must show that the applicant is
a dynamic and energetic person who can accept challenges
Achievements /
accomplishments / honors
·
Scholarships
·
Fellowships
·
Awards
·
Distinctions
·
Commendations
·
Certificates, etc.
References
·
For solicited position
·
3 persons names (who can give letters of recommendations)
·
These persons may include previous employer,
teacher, immediate supervisor, research guide, colleague, subordinate, etc.
·
Must mention name of the person
·
His / her designation
·
Full contact address with telephone number
·
Fax number
