Goals Of Your Résumé

A Résumé is not an autobiography. It is not something to flatter the ego. It is not an obituary. It is a document an employer reads with two thoughts in mind: what can you do for me and what are you like? A Résumé should be addressed to needs, attractive and easy to scan. When an employer scans a Résumé that is poorly typed and sloppily reproduced, count on him/her throwing it away immediately. If attractive, your Résumé will get a 20-second scan for key words that indicate you have something the employer needs. If the employer doesn't bite in that 20 seconds, don't count on him or her reading further. The employer won't study a Résumé trying to figure out how you can help them with their needs.

Balance
Your Résumé is usually your first impression to a potential employer. (Your ticket to your interview!)  Since it may be one of hundreds to pass over his/her desk, copies should always look as professional as the original and surely you'll want yours to be placed in the "interview file" and not the "circular file."

Objective
The objective is to present your qualifications succinctly so that the employer will want to interview you. The Résumé is also a record of your name, address, telephone number and pertinent information, which you can leave with every career-related contact you make.

Qualifications
The particular mix of qualifications that an employer prefers will depend on the job to be filled. The more you know about what the employer is looking for, the better you can tailor your presentation.

What to Document
If you are an undergraduate, graduating senior or graduate student with little or no relevant work experience, your Résumé will be a presentation that highlights your general qualifications as well as your specific skills. Your Résumé should document your ability to;

What Employers are Looking For
Employers look for people who are enthusiastic, energetic, reliable, mature, productive, perceptive, intelligent, persistent, conscientious and ambitious. When writing your Résumé have a list of adjectives and adverbs that help you relay your message.