英文简历

英文简历之24秘笈

1.WhatISaresumeanyway?

Remember:aResumeisaself-promotionaldocumentthatpresentsyouinthebestpossiblelight,forthepurposeofgettinginvitedtoajobinterview.It''''''''snotanofficialpersonneldocument.It''''''''snotajobapplication.It''''''''snota"careerobituary"!Andit''''''''snotaconfessional.

2.Whatshouldtheresumecontentbeabout?

It''''''''snotjustaboutpastjobs!It''''''''saboutYOU,andhowyouperformedandwhatyouaccomplishedinthosepastjobs--especiallythoseaccomplishmentsthataremostrelevanttotheworkyouwanttodonext.Agoodresumepredictshowyoumightperforminthatdesiredfuturejob.

3.What''''''''sthefastestwaytoimprovearesume?

Removeeverythingthatstartswith"responsibilitiesincluded"andreplaceitwithon-the-jobaccomplishments.(SeeTip11foronewaytowritethem.)

4.Whatisthemostcommonresumemistakemadebyjobhunters?

LeavingouttheirJobObjective!Ifyoudon''''''''tshowasenseofdirection,employerswon''''''''tbeinterested.Havingaclearlystatedgoaldoesn''''''''thavetoconfineyouifit''''''''sstatedwell.

5.What''''''''sthefirststepinwritingaresume?

Decideonajobtarget(or"jobobjective")thatcanbestatedinabout5or6words.Anythingbeyondthatisprobably"fluff"andindicatesalackofclarityanddirection.

6.HowdoyoudecidewhethertouseaChronologicalresumeoraFunctionalone?

TheChronologicalformatiswidelypreferredbyemployers,andworkswellifyou''''''''restayinginthesamefield(especiallyifyou''''''''vebeenupwardly-mobile).OnlyuseaFunctionalformatifyou''''''''rechangingfields,andyou''''''''resureaskills-orientedformatwouldshowoffyourtransferableskillstobetteradvantage;andbesuretoincludeaclearchronologicalworkhistory!

7.Whatifyoudon''''''''thaveanyexperienceinthekindofworkyouwanttodo?

Getsome!Findaplacethatwillletyoudosomevolunteerworkrightaway.Youonlyneedabrief,concentratedperiodofvolunteertraining(forexample,1dayaweekforamonth)tohaveatleastSOMEexperiencetoputonyourresume.Also,lookatsomeofthevolunteerworkyou''''''''vedoneinthepastandseeifanyofTHAThelpsdocumentsomeskillsyou''''''''llneedforyournewjob.

8.Whatdoyoudoifyouhavegapsinyourworkexperience?

Youcouldstartbylookingatitdifferently.GeneralRule:TellwhatyouWEREdoing,asgracefullyaspossible--ratherthanleaveagap.Ifyouweredoinganythingvaluable(evenifunpaid)duringthoseso-called"gaps"youcouldjustinsertTHATintothework-historysectionofyourresumetofillthehole.Herearesomeexamples:

1993-95Full-timeparent--or

1992-94Maternityleaveandfamilymanagement--or

Travelandstudy--orFull-timestudent--or

Parentingpluscommunityservice

9.Whatifyouhaveseveraldifferentjobobjectivesyou''''''''reworkingonatthesametime?Oryouhaven''''''''tnarroweditdownyettojustonejobtarget?

Thenwriteadifferentresumeforeachdifferentjobtarget.AtargetedresumeisMUCH,muchstrongerthanagenericresume.

10.Whatifyouhaveafragmented,scrambled-upworkhistory,withlotsofshort-termjobs?

Tominimizethejob-hopperimage,combineseveralsimilarjobsintoone"chunk,"forexample:

1993-1995Secretary/Receptionist;JonesBakery,MicroCorp.,CarterJewelers--or

1993-95Waiter/Busboy;McDougal''''''''sRestaurant,BurgerKing,TradersCoffeeShop.

Alsoyoucanjustdropsomeofthelessimportant,briefestjobs.Butdon''''''''tdropajob,evenwhenitlastedashorttime,ifthatwaswhereyouacquiredimportantskillsorexperience.

11.What''''''''sthebestwaytoimpressanemployer?

Fillyourresumewith"PAR"statements.PARstandsforProblem-Action-Results;inotherwords,firstyoustatetheproblemthatexistedinyourworkplace,thenyoudescribewhatyoudidaboutit,andfinallyyoupointoutthebeneficialresults.

Here''''''''sanexample:"Transformedadisorganized,inefficientwarehouseintoasmooth-runningoperationbytotallyredesigningthelayout;thissavedthecompanythousandsofdollarsinrecoveredstock."

Anotherexample:"Improvedanengineeringcompany''''''''sobsoletefilingsystembydevelopingasimplebutsophisticatedfunctional-codingsystem.Thissavedtimeandmoneybyrecoveringvaluable,previouslylost,projectrecords."

12.Whatifyourjobtitledoesn''''''''treflectyouractuallevelofresponsibility?

Whenyoulistitontheresume,eitherreplaceitwithamoreappropriatejobtitle(say"OfficeManager"insteadof"AdministrativeAssistant"ifthat''''''''smorerealistic)ORusetheirjobtitleANDyourfaireronetogether,i.e."AdministrativeAssistant(OfficeManager)"

13.Howcanyouavoidagediscrimination?

Ifyou''''''''reover40or50or60,rememberthatyoudon''''''''thavetopresentyourentireworkhistory!YoucansimplylabelTHATpartofyourresume"RecentWorkHistory"or"RelevantWorkHistory"andthendescribeonlythelast10or15yearsofyourexperience.Belowyour10-15yearworkhistory,youcouldaddaparagraphheaded"Priorrelevantexperience"andsimplyrefertoanyadditionalimportant(butancient)jobswithoutmentioningdates.

14.Whatifyouneverhadany"real"paidjobs--justself-employmentoroddjobs?

Giveyourselfcredit,andcreateanaccurate,fairjob-titleforyourself.

Forexample:

A&SHauling&Cleaning(Self-employed)--or

HouseholdRepairman,Self-employed--or

Child-Care,Self-employed

Besuretoadd"Customerreferencesavailableonrequest"andthenbepreparedtoprovidesomeverygoodreferencesofpeopleyouworkedfor.

15.HowfarbackshouldyougoinyourWorkHistory?

Farenough;andnottoofar!About10or15yearsisusuallyenough-unlessyour"juiciest"workexperienceisfromfartherback.

16.Howcanastudentlistsummerjobs?

Studentscanmaketheirresumelookneaterbylistingseasonaljobsverysimply,suchas"Spring1996"or"Summer1996"ratherthan6/96to9/96.(Theword"Spring"canbeinverytinyletters,say8-pointinsize.)

17.Whatifyoudon''''''''tquitehaveyourdegreeorcredentialsyet?

Youcansaysomethinglike:

EligibleforU.S.credentials--or

GraduatestudiesinInstructionalDesign,inprogress--or

Master''''''''sDegreeanticipatedDecember1997

18.Whatifyouworkedforonlyoneemployerfor20or30years?

Thenlistseparatelyeachdifferentpositionyouheldthere,soyourjobprogressionwithinthecompanyismoreobvious.

19.Whataboutlistinghobbiesandinterests?

Don''''''''tincludehobbiesonaresumeunlesstheactivityissomehowrelevanttoyourjobobjective,orclearlyrevealsacharacteristicthatsupportsyourjobobjective.Forexample,ahobbyofSkyDiving(adventure,courage)mightseemrelevanttosomejobobjectives(SecurityGuard?)butnottoothers.

20.Whataboutrevealingraceorreligion?

Don''''''''tincludeethnicorreligiousaffiliations(invitingpre-interviewdiscrimination)UNLESSyoucanseethatincludingthemwillsupportyourjobobjective.Getanopinionfromarespectedfriendorcolleagueaboutwhentoreveal,andwhentoconceal,youraffiliations.

21.WhatifyournameisRobinWilliams?

Don''''''''tmystifythereaderaboutyourgender;they''''''''llgonutsuntiltheyknowwhetheryou''''''''remaleorfemale.SoifyournameisLeeorRobinorPatoranythingelsenotclearlymaleorfemale,useaMr.orMs.prefix.

22.Whatifyougotyourdegreefromadifferentcountry?

Youcansay"DegreeequivalenttoU.S.Bachelor''''''''sDegreeinEconomics-Teheran,Iran."

23.Whataboutfancy-schmancypaper?

EmployerstellmetheyHATEparchmentpaperandpretentiousbrochure-foldedresume"presentations."Theythinkthey''''''''rephony,andtossthemrightout.Useplainwhiteorivory,inaqualityappropriateforyourjobobjective.Neverusecoloredpaperunlessthere''''''''saverygoodreasonforit(like,you''''''''reanartist)becauseifitgetsphoto-copiedtheresultswillbemurky.

24.Shouldyoufoldyourresume?

Don''''''''tfoldalaser-printedresumerightalongalineoftext.The"ink"couldflakeoffalongthefold.