Resume Basics

checklist2

In my career I have read thousands of resumes.  In the past ten years I have been assisting colleagues, family, and friends in creating resumes.  In general, resumes have the same basic information.  As you apply to different positions, you may find you need to tweak your resume.  And of course, you want to verify all of your information is correct and up-to-date.

The following is a checklist I have developed over the years and give to people prior to sitting down with them to go over their resume.  It truly is meant to help those who have either never written a resume before or haven’t written one in quite some time.

Resume Checklist
Your resume should reflect your life experiences and skills.
Depending on the job, you may have difference resumes for different opportunities.
Also note, each cover letter should be unique to the job posting.

Contact Information
Name
Address
Phone
Email Address

Work History/Experience
List the companies you worked for, dates of employment, the positions you held and a bulleted list of responsibilities and achievements.

Education
In the education section of your resume, list the colleges you attended, the degrees you attained, and any special awards and honors you earned.

Customize Your Resume/Other
Skills or experiences you have that apply to the position/career field.

Skills
Include skills related to the position/career field that you are applying.

Professional Memberships

Certifications

Military Background/Experience

~I’m here to help
Tina

Note: You can use templates for a resume. They are great if you have never done a resume before or if you have problems using a computer. Microsoft’s WORD has nice template choices. And your local library typically have resume software loaded on their computers. I personally do not use templates because you are locked in to their form – which can cause confusion and frustration.