How does your résumé measure up?

 

Metro — Whether you call it a résumé or a curriculum vitae, in essence this sheet of paper or e-mailed document represents the first line of contact between a recruiter and yourself. As a result, you want to make sure this document represents you in the best light.

There are plenty of guides available to help you craft the perfect resume. Therefore, you have every opportunity at your disposal to ensure your resume is well received.

As a crash course in Résumés 101, consider these guidelines:

 

Types of Résumés

Resumes can be arranged in different ways to highlight your talents, education and experience while downplaying any possible shortcomings.

Here are the main organizational types:

Chronological

What is it? This popular and common resume format lists information in reverse chronological order (from most to least recent).

Advantages: A format that many employers prefer and expect. Straightforward style is easy to scan. Shows how you have worked toward your career goals. Good for when you’ve been in a field for a long time (no gaps in employment) and want a higher position in that area. Highlights positions, promotions and companies.

Disadvantages: Shows gaps between jobs, in your education, or a lack of work experience. Easy to determine age if your resume goes back far enough.

 

Functional

What is it? Emphasizes what you did and your experience, not when you did it. Job experiences are grouped beneath skill areas (such as management or customer service).

Advantages: Showcases the work experience that is most important to your career.

Dates of employment can be eliminated, minimizing employment gaps. This format highlights skills, not titles. Good for first-time job seekers, those re-entering the workforce or those changing careers. Detracts from lack of experience and can prevent the chance of age discrimination.

Disadvantages: Employers may not expect this style, looking for chronological instead. Can be obvious that you are hiding employment gaps, and employers may think you are trying to cover up something.

 

Combination

What is it? Combines a chronological and functional resume. Lists experience by skill and then employment in chronological order.

Advantages: Can highlight volunteer or internship experiences. Good if you have a varied employment history or are changing careers.

Disadvantages: Can be repetitive if similar functions or skills are used in different positions. May be long.

 

Tips for Success

Once you’ve decided on the resume style that is fitting for your job search, consider these pointers:

1. Do a self-assessment on a sheet of paper, jotting down the jobs you’ve held, the particulars of each position and what strengths you want to focus on. Having this information handy will let you create your resume in an organized fashion.

2. Contact information should include your full name, avoiding any nicknames. List your permanent address and telephone number. Record a neutral greeting on your answering machine in preparation of fielding messages from recruiters. Don’t put your mobile phone number on the resume so that recruiters don’t catch you “on the go” or at an opportunity that is not ideal for selling yourself.

Also include an e-mail address, provided it sounds professional (CrazyLady1212@blankmail.com may turn off recruiters). Create a free e-mail account with a profes-sional name if you don’t want to change your primary account. You can also include your Web site URL if the site pertains to your career goals or showcases a work portfolio.

3. Including an objective can be a good way to highlight to an employer the type of job you’re seeking.

4. List your education first if you are right out of school. Those with a good deal of work experience can list education at the end of the resume.

5. Use brief statements full of action words to describe the work you’ve done at each position. If you prefer a chronological style resume, include the following:

• Title of position

• Name of organization

• Location of work (town, state)

• Dates of employment

• Describe your work responsibilities with emphasis on specific skills and achievements.

6. List other information you feel is pertinent, such as educational honors, military achievements, awards won, exams or extracurricular coursework completed or any certification you may have. Keep it brief, as you can certainly expound on your skills during an interview.

7. Solicit people you trust to serve as personal and professional references. Do not include this information with the resume unless it is specifically asked for in a job advertisement. Otherwise, simply state, “References furnished upon request,” at the bottom of your resume.

8. Run spell check and have another person proofread your resume to ensure that it is grammatically correct and free of typographical errors.

9. Keep the look of your resume as simple as possible, avoiding unusual fonts, paper colors, and shades of ink. It should be crisp and clean, and easily scanned by a recruiter in a manner of minutes.

10. Modify your résumé as it pertains to each job you are seeking.