A resume is an organized document that tells a potential employer about you and your skills, qualities and experiences, etc that make you a desirable employee. It is meant to provide insight into who you are and what type of employee you might be. It's an employer's first introduction to you so it needs to look and sound impressive.
There are many different formats that can be used and it's ok to make your resume unique - as long as it looks organized and easy to read. Typically, you should include the following information:
- Your Contact Information - Name, Address, City, Province, Postal Code, Email address and Phone Number
- Objective - a statement outlining your specific employment goal
- Work Experience - dates of past jobs and descriptions of your tasks and responsibilities.
- Volunteer Experience - similar to the way you listed your work experience.
- Education - include education, training and other certificates.
- Skills and Accomplishments - strong skills (Employability Skills - reflect back on Lesson #16) that you have that will be beneficial in the job you are applying for and accomplishments that demonstrate qualities that you have.
- Hobbies and Interests - this section allows the employer a glimpse into your personality.
- References - contact information of people who have witnessed your skills and can vouch for your character.
Other things to consider:
- begin with a general resume and then tailor it for specific jobs
- ideally your resume should be ONE page with an absolute maximum of two pages
- you MUST type your resume
- make sure there are NO spelling or grammar errors and the format is consistent throughout
- ensure that your contact information (i.e. email address) is appropriate
- your resume is a work in progress and should be continually updated as you gain education, experience and skills, etc.
Let's go through each section and provide some examples:
1. CONTACT INFORMATION
Example:
Leslie Knickerbocker
1122 Orange Lane
Revelstoke, BC
V0E 2S0
(250) 814-0000
lknickerbocker@telus.net
2. OBJECTIVE
Example 1: To obtain a job as a cashier at a grocery store.
Example 2: With strong writing skills, international volunteer experience and a drive to succeed, I am seeking a challenging internship at a dynamic advertising agency that values and engages its employees.
3. WORK EXPERIENCE AND VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
Start by listing your most recent and working back chronologically. Provide company (organization) name, your job title, dates of employment (or volunteer work) and a description of your tasks and responsibilities - organized using point form (bullets). Begin each description with an action word (see link below for an extensive list of action words.)
Example 1:
June 2016 - August 2017
Cashier, SAVE-ON FOODS GROCERY STORE, Revelstoke, BC
- Operated check-out and rang through groceries.
- Assisted customers.
- Collected money and distributed change.
- Performed bagging duties.
Example 2:
September 2017 - February 2018
Mentor, REVELSTOKE SECONDARY SCHOOL MENTORSHIP PROGRAM, Revelstoke, BC
- Planned and participated in various after school activities with grade 5 student (crafts, cooking, board games, basketball, etc)
- Modelled appropriate social behaviour
4. EDUCATION
Include your area of study, school (organization) name and the completion date. Start by listing your highest level of education. Remember to include any special training and certificates earned if you feel they could be relevant or helpful on the job.
Example 1:
- Grade 12 Graduate - Revelstoke Secondary School, June 2017
Example 2:
- Standard First Aid and CPR Certificate - Canadian Red Cross - August 2017
5. SKILLS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS
List any skills/accomplishments you are proud of or an employer may see as beneficial.
Example 1: (Accomplishments)
- Principals Honor Roll - Revelstoke Secondary School - grades 8-12
- PERC Card recipient - Revelstoke Secondary School - grades 8-12
- Recipient of the "Citizenship" Award - Revelstoke Secondary School - June 2015
Example 2: (Employability Skills)
- Ability to problem solve
- Computer savvy
- Honest and reliable
- Excellent listening skills
- Willingness to learn and accept feedback
- Strong teamwork skills
- Enjoy working with a diverse group of people
6. HOBBIES AND INTERESTS
Example:
- Reading
- Horseback Riding
- Sailing
- Photography
7. REFERENCES
Example:
John Smith
Manager, SAVE-ON-FOODS, Revelstoke, BC, (250) 837-0000 or jsmith@sofrevelstoke.com
ASSIGNMENT (20 marks)
OK - now its your turn to put your RESUME together. It needs to be PERFECT - or you will be asked to redo it. There are zillions of template examples on line or if you have Microsoft WORD - under "File", click on "New from Template" and search up "Resume" - it also will provide you with many examples.
Here's one example to get you started: (Personally, I like the look of this but feel more information should be added to the "Work Experience" section.)
Sample Resume
Please submit your assignment;
Please submit your assignment;
- by placing a hard copy in the Planning 10 folder in the office OR
- by sharing it with me on Office 365
