Writing a Good Resume

Your resume serves as an advertisement about you. It’s the best method of selling yourself to an employer, and also serves as their first impression of you and your suitability for a job. What you write should convince the employer of what you have to offer their organization, and should entice them to set up a personal interview so that you can demonstrate in-person that you are the right person for the job. We’ve included a few pointers below to help you with the type of content that should be included in your resume.


Personal Details
You need to include your name, home address, college address (if applicable), phone number, and email address.

Education
You should list all high school or post secondary educational institutions where you have studied – the most recent education being listed first. Include subject options taken in each year of your course. Include any major, minor, special project, thesis, or dissertation work. Pre-college courses (high school, etc.) should then be included, and subjects taken and passed just before college will be of most interest.

Work experience
List your most recent experience first. Give the name of your employer, job title, and very important, what you actually did and achieved in that job. Part-time work should be included.

Interests
Depending on the position you are applying for, an employer will be particularly interested in activities that demonstrate your leadership or responsibility, or that involve you relating to others in a team. A one-person interest, such as stamp-collecting for example, will be of less interest to them unless it connects with the position you are applying for. If you have been involved in any type of volunteer work, be sure to provide details.

Skills
Employers prefer candidates that are versatile, so the more skills you possess, the more attractive your resume will look to a potential employer. Things you should showcase are your abilities to speak other languages, experience with computers and software, and even possession of a valid driver’s license.

References
Employers generally look for three work-related references from candidates. If you are at the early stages of your career or are still in high school or post-secondary education, it is usually best to give at least two to three names from your place of study and from any work situation you have had.

Length
It’s possible that everything you need to say will fit onto one 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper. But remember not to crowd your information into one page - use two sheets if you need to, but do not go longer than this. Putting page numbers at the bottom of the pages isn’t necessary, but sometimes the little details can impress.

Visual Appearance It is acceptable to use bold typeface, underscoring, bullets, etc., be sure to only use these sparingly. A resume covered in bold type and underlined text does not look appealing to an employer. And most importantly - don't forget to have someone else proofread your resume to look for any mistakes you may have missed!

Style
There are two generally accepted formats for resumes, Chronological and Functional.

• Chronological Format:
  The chronological resume is very popular because it is very easy to set up. It is also preferred by employers because it can be reviewed quickly. The chronological resume is like a history of yourself that starts with your current or most recent job and work backwards.
  Click here for a Chronological Resume sample. (PDF)


• Functional Format:
  The functional resume is a good choice for someone with gaps in their employment history or for someone who is making a career change. The format of a functional resume focuses on key areas of responsibility as opposed to employment history.
  Click here for a Functional Resume sample. (PDF)