How to Write a Resume

No matter what method of job hunting you use, inevitably somebody will ask you for a resume. Most companies require a resume before seriously considering a job candidate from the outside. Resumes are sometimes also required in order to receive a job transfer within a company.

The purpose of a resume is to help you obtain a job interview, not a job. Very few people are hired without a personal interview.

Effective resumes are straightforward, factual presentations of a person's experience and accomplishments. They are neither over detailed nor too sketchy. A general rule is that two or three pages in length is best.

One page seems too superficial; a four-page (or longer) resume may irritate an impatient employment official. Some writers suggest that a chronological (the standard-type) resume be used; others argue for an accomplishment resume. A useful resume should include both your experiences and key accomplishments. When sent to a prospective employer, a resume should be professionally reproduced, with particular attention to misspellings, typographical errors, and careful spacing.

To attract attention, some job seekers print resumes on tinted paper, in a menu-like folder, or on unusual-sized paper. If done in a way to attract positive attention to yourself, these approaches have merit.