Resumes
The main difference between a
resume and a curriculum vitae (CV) is their relative sizes and amount of
detail. A resume is generally briefer, a summary of skills and experience. In
the United States,
the resume is the more common form, with the CV used mainly in professional and
academic work.
The two are naturally quite
similar in content and structure. The resume, if briefer, does contain much of
the information in a CV.
The resume structure:
- Personal information
- Skills
- Qualifications
- Employment history
- References
This is the basic version of
the standard resume. For many
jobs this “sawn off” CV is a very appropriate level of information. The lack of
extra detail doesn’t matter in some jobs, and a simple resume is sufficient. (A
resume may or may not mention objectives, like a CV.)
Like a CV, a resume should be
specially written to make a good fit to jobs for which you apply.
Make sure your
resume has enough information on it. Being a smaller document, it has to be effective in a smaller space.
Personal information
This is usually just a name
and address with email and phone contacts. Make sure you keep these up to date.
Skills
This is one of
the critically important sections of your resume.
The skills list is one of the
primary checks for interviewers. If the job advertisement is based on keywords,
the skills are always primary keywords.
The skills list
is a primary check on your suitability for a position.
All jobs have
essential skills criteria, and your resume must address all of them.
Your skills list is an
asset in several ways:
- You can literally match your skills with job
advertisements
- You can tailor your skills list on your resume to
match jobs
- You can actually look for jobs based on your
skills list
- The skills list always includes related skills. If you’re in retail, for example, as well as
sales, you can include cash register, customer service, stocktaking, etc.
You’ll find yourself with at least a few extra skills which will match job
criteria.
Qualifications
Qualifications are listed,
(most recent first) with dates and degrees, diplomas, etc, showing years of
study, college, high school, or other accreditations.
It’s useful to highlight
relevant qualifications. If you have studied a relevant subject, that can be
worked into your description of your qualifications. So if you’re applying for
a job with a small business, you can include a subject like Small Business
Studies, bookkeeping, etc.
Always consider the nature of
the skills required, in relation to your educational qualifications.
Employment history
Employment history is done
somewhat differently to a CV. The information provided includes things like
your duties. An office job can include “Duties: Office administration,
bookkeeping, customer service, data entry…”
The advantage of this method
of presentation is that it defines your actual experience in detail, and shows
your skills in practice.
List your two most recent
employers, (most recent first) with contacts, dates of employment, and the
position title. Less is better, in terms of use of space, and if employers need
to know your prior history, or if it’s relevant to the job, you can supply that
information elsewhere, in skills and qualifications.
References:
List your referees, with
current contact details. At least one of your referees should be able to supply work references.
Note: In some cases a letter of reference is acceptable,
but you will need to check before presenting it to an employer that it is.
