Antelope Valley School District

How to write a Resume

The Resume

A RESUME IS A 1-2 PAGE DOCUMENT THAT OULINES A CANDIDATE'S SKILLS, PREVIOUS WORK EXPERIENCE, AND PREVIOUS EDUCATION. THE RESUME IS USED BY EMPLOYERS TO ASSESS WHETHER OR NOT A CANDIDATE IS RIGHT FOR THE JOB, AND IF THE CANDIDATE WOULD BE WORTH GETTING TO KNOW FURTHER. WRITING A STRONG RESUME WILL SERVE AS A FOUNDATION FOR ONE'S ABILITY TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN BEING SELECTED FOR FUTURE JOBS. HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR WRITING A CONCISE, IMPACTFUL RESUME.

What to include

  • ALWAYS INCLUDE A COVER LETTER WHICH HIGHLIGHTS YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS, ABILITIES, AND GOALS (KEEP YOUR CONTENT DIRECTED TOWARDS THE JOB YOU ARE SEEKING TO GET)
  • TRY TO KEEP YOUR RESUME, AND COVER LETTER EACH 1-2 PAGES LONG AND DO NOT FILL UP THE PAGES WITH CLUTTER (LEAVE SPACE THROUGHOUT YOUR DOCUMENTS TO KEEP IT EASIER TO READ)
  • KEEP ONLY 2-4 POINTS UNDER EACH HEADING
  • MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE ANY ACHIEVEMENTS (SPORTS, CLUBS ACTIVITIES, ETC.)
  • EDUCATION HISTORY SHOULD START WITH YOUR MOST RECENT EDUCATION FIRST
  • WORK HISTORY SHOULD ONLY INCLUDE YOUR LAST 2-3 EMPLOYERS
  • STRESS YOUR SKILLS, AND LINE UP YOUR SKILLS WITH THE JOB YOUR ARE APPLYING FOR
  • USE HIGH QUALITY WHITE PAPER
  • RE-READ YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER MULTIPLE TIMES TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE NOT TYPOS OR GRAMMATICAL ERRORS
  • WRITE A THANK YOU NOTE AND DELIVER IT AFTER YOUR INTERVIEW EITHER IN-PERSON, OR VIA EMAIL

What not to include

  • DO NOT FILL YOUR PAGES FULL OF WORDS AND CLUTTER
  • DO NOT INCLUDE TOO MANY ADJECTIVES; KEEP YOUR POINTS SIMPLE, EFFECTIVE, AND TO-THE-POINT
  • DO NOT USE FANCY LANGUAGE; KEEP THE WORDING CONVERSATIONAL, BUT AVOID SLANG OR ABBREVIATIONS
  • DO NOT INCLUDE YOUR PREVIOUS SALARIES, OR DESIRED SALARY ON YOUR RESUME
  • DO NOT EXPLAIN YOUR REASONING FOR LEAVING YOUR CURRENT POSITION
  • DO OT WRITE ABOUT IRRELEVANT PERSONAL DETAILS (I.E. DIVORCE, ONE-PARENT FAMILY, ETC.)
  • DO NOT UNDERSELL YOURSELF; BE OPEN AND TRANSPARENT AS TO WHY YOUR ARE THE BEST FOR THE POSITION

Highlight your skills, Successes, and Goals on your Resume

EMPLOYERS WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO WELL, AND IF THOSE SKILLS ARE RELATABLE TO THE TASKS OF THE JOB. ON YOUR RESUME, ALWAYS MAKE SURE TO HIGHTLIGHT YOUR SKILLS, AND LINE THOSE SKILLS UP WITH THE JOB DESCRIPTION. THE SKILLS THAT YOUR WRITE DOWN SHOULD BE ACCURATE, AND SHOULD ALSO BE EMPHASIZED TO MAKE SURE YOUR STAND OUT AMONGST THE OTHER CANDIDATES. THINK ABOUT WHAT ATTRIBUTES AND PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WILL MAKE YOU THE BEST POSSIBLE CANDIDATE FOR THIS POSITON, THEN PUT THOSE POINTS ON YOUR RESUME.

Successes

JUST AS IMPORTANT AS LISTING YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE IS LISTING YOUR PREVIOUS SUCCESSES. HAVE YOU BEEN RECOGNIZED FOR DOING SOMETHING GREAT? DID YOU LEAD A LARGE PROJECT IN THE PAST? DID YOU PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN YOUR SPORTS TEAM WINNING A CHAMPIONSHIP? THESE ARE ADDITIONAL POINTS TO INCLUDE ON YOUR RESUME AS THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE INDIVIDUAL TO YOU, AND SHOW EXAMPLES OF THINGS LIKE PERSEVERANCE OR HARD WORK. INCLUDING SUCCESSES ON YOUR RESUME WILL FURTHER SUPPLEMENT ANY OF THE SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN INCLUDED.

Goals

POTENTIAL EMPLOYERS WANT TO KNOW A CANDIDATES GOALS TO KNOW IF A CANDIDATE WILL BE:

1.) SUITABLE: AN EMPLOYER WILL WANT TO KNOW IF YOUR GOALS ALIGN WITH HIS OR HER PLAN FOR THE FUTURE OF THE COMPANY. IF YOUR GOALS DO NOT ALIGN WITH THAT PLAN, THE EMPLOYER MAY NOT WANT TO SELECT YOU. IF YOUR GOALS DO ALIGN WITH THE COMPANY'S PLANS, THAT MAKES YOUR A STRONGER CANDIDATE FOR SELECTION.

2.) STABLE: HAVING GOALS DEMONSTRATES THAT YOU ARE NOT SEEKING A JOB FOR JUST A FEW MONTHS, BUT THAT YOUR HAVE CONSIDERED WORKING THIS POTENTIAL JOB FOR A LONG TIME. EMPLOYERS WILL WANT TO HIRE SOMEONE THAT PLANS TO BE WITH THEM FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.