Intro to Business Communication: Professional Development - Resume Formatting, Chronological, Functional, Combination, Targeting

What This Is

Resume formatting is a crucial aspect of job searching and career development. A well-crafted resume can make or break a candidate's chances of landing an interview. Imagine receiving a resume with a jumbled layout, irrelevant work experience, and a generic objective statement. It's a turn-off, and the candidate is likely to be rejected without a second glance. In contrast, a resume that effectively showcases a candidate's skills, experience, and achievements can make a strong impression and increase the chances of getting hired.

Key Principles & Techniques

• Chronological Resume: A resume that lists work experience in reverse chronological order, emphasizing career progression and achievements.
  • Example: Highlight your most recent and relevant work experience at the top of the resume.
• Functional Resume: A resume that focuses on skills and qualifications rather than work history, often used by career changers or those with gaps in employment.
  • Tip: Use keywords from the job posting to describe your skills and qualifications.
• Combination Resume: A resume that combines elements of chronological and functional resumes, highlighting both skills and work experience.
  • Example: Use a summary or objective statement to highlight your most significant achievements and skills.
• Targeting: Tailoring a resume to a specific job or industry by using keywords and highlighting relevant experience and skills.
  • Tip: Study the job posting and use keywords from the job description in your resume.
• Action Verbs: Verbs that describe actions taken in previous roles, such as "managed," "created," and "developed."
  • Example: Use action verbs to describe your achievements and responsibilities in previous roles.
• Quantifiable Results: Using numbers and statistics to demonstrate the impact of your work.
  • Example: Instead of saying "increased sales," say "increased sales by 25%."
• Summary Statement: A brief overview of your experience, skills, and achievements.
  • Tip: Use a summary statement to highlight your most significant achievements and skills.
• Education Section: A section that highlights your educational background and any relevant certifications.
  • Example: List your highest level of education first, followed by any relevant certifications.
• Skills Section: A section that lists your relevant skills and qualifications.
  • Tip: Use keywords from the job posting to describe your skills and qualifications.
• References: A section that lists professional references, often not included on the resume but available upon request.
  • Tip: Prepare a separate list of references with their name, title, company, and contact information.

Do's and Don'ts

• DO: Use a clear and concise writing style, avoiding jargon and technical terms.
• DON'T: Use a generic objective statement or summary statement that doesn't highlight your unique strengths and achievements.
• DO: Use action verbs and quantifiable results to describe your achievements and responsibilities.
• DON'T: List irrelevant work experience or skills that aren't relevant to the job.
• DO: Tailor your resume to a specific job or industry by using keywords and highlighting relevant experience and skills.
• DON'T: Use a resume template that's too generic or doesn't showcase your unique strengths and achievements.

Common Mistakes

• Mistake: Using a generic objective statement or summary statement that doesn't highlight unique strengths and achievements.
  • Correction: Use a summary statement that highlights your most significant achievements and skills.
• Mistake: Failing to tailor the resume to a specific job or industry.
  • Correction: Study the job posting and use keywords from the job description in your resume.
• Mistake: Listing irrelevant work experience or skills.
  • Correction: Only include relevant work experience and skills that are relevant to the job.
• Mistake: Using a resume template that's too generic.
  • Correction: Use a template that showcases your unique strengths and achievements.

Quick Practice

Scenario 1: You're applying for a marketing job and want to highlight your experience with social media marketing. How would you rewrite the following summary statement to make it more relevant to the job?

Original: "Marketing professional with 5 years of experience in marketing and sales." Rewritten: "Results-driven marketing professional with 5 years of experience in social media marketing, including developing and executing successful social media campaigns that increased followers by 50%."

Explanation: Use keywords from the job posting and highlight relevant experience and skills.

Scenario 2: You're attending a job interview and want to make a good impression. What should you say first in the meeting?

Answer: "Thank you for having me, I'm excited to learn more about the company and the role." Explanation: Start with a positive and professional statement that shows enthusiasm for the company and the role.

Scenario 3: You're writing a cover letter and want to make it more effective. What should you include in the letter?

Answer: A summary statement that highlights your most significant achievements and skills, and a specific example of how you can contribute to the company. Explanation: Use a summary statement to highlight your unique strengths and achievements, and provide specific examples of how you can contribute to the company.

Last-Minute Cram Sheet

• BCC is not a secret weapon – overuse damages trust.
• Use action verbs to describe actions taken in previous roles.
• Quantifiable results are essential to demonstrating the impact of your work.
• Tailor your resume to a specific job or industry by using keywords and highlighting relevant experience and skills.
• A summary statement should highlight your most significant achievements and skills.
• Use a clear and concise writing style, avoiding jargon and technical terms.
• A functional resume focuses on skills and qualifications rather than work history.
• A combination resume combines elements of chronological and functional resumes.
• Targeting involves tailoring a resume to a specific job or industry.
• Education and skills sections should be concise and relevant to the job.
• References should be prepared separately and available upon request.