A résumé is a document that helps recruiters to determine if you are a good candidate for a job based on your employment history, education level, and professional skills.
In his book The New Guide to Writing a Perfect Résumé, Greg Faherty defines a résumé as “a document that succinctly and effectively summarizes your employment and academic background, demonstrates how you can benefit an employer, and interests an employer in speaking with you personally” (5). As the name suggests, the document is a summary and not a detailed account of your professional career.
For a résumé to be effective, you must reflect on the work you have done, identify your accomplishments, and understand strategies to position yourself as the best candidate. Contrary to popular belief, a résumé is not a detailed account of every job you have had. Professional résumé writers often use the phrase “job obituary” for this ineffective way to approach a résumé. If you think carefully about the concept of “job obituary,” you’ll notice that the emphasis is on the past instead of the future, i.e. the prospective job you wish to have.
Résumés as Marketing Tools
The best way to describe a résumé is as a marketing tool that increases your chances to get an interview at a company or organization. A résumé will not give you a job but it will increase your chances of getting one by placing you as an ideal candidate for an interview. To get an interview, you want to make sure that you submit the best résumé you can.
In his Fundamentals of Résumé Writing, John Suarez posits: “This is marketing, not a job obituary. A résumé is not signed and dated like an application, and therefore not legally binding. We tell the truth, but not necessarily the whole truth...which is the essence of marketing, whether it’s toothpaste or blue jeans or people” (8). The earlier you learn to market yourself, the more successful you will be at the workplace. If you don’t like the word “market,” you can use other verbs like “advocate” or “honor” the work you do.
One of the first steps in writing a résumé is to reflect on your value. You have to be clear from the beginning on who you are, what you do, and what you can do for the hiring company.
Since you probably do not have a strong employment history, one way to highlight your performance is to stress how your coursework or internship opportunities have prepared you to thrive in the workplace. You can also stress the skills acquired at courses, such as communication skills (presentations), research (projects), or writing (papers).
Before thinking about these strategies, you have to familiarize yourself with the main three résumé formats and decide which one you want to write.
The Reverse Chronological Résumé
The reverse chronological résumé is the most common and it is also known as the standard résumé. The main trait of this type of résumé is the emphasis on dates and, to a certain extent, career progression. In the professional experience section, you include the name of the company, the address of the company, dates, and the position, followed by a scope of duties and a shortlist of accomplishments.
Since this is the most common résumé, it is recommended that you use this format and implement strategies to go around your perceived lack of experience. One of the ways that you can change your résumé mindset is to start to see the work you have done in school as a kind of work experience. You put energy and effort to complete tasks in a timely fashion even if you did not get a salary.
The Functional Résumé
The second main format is the functional résumé. In this type of résumé, the emphasis is on skills highlighted by sub-headings to identify categories. Therefore, dates are not as important.
According to Faherty, there are three situations in which the functional résumé is most often used: (a) a person has worked in more than one field, (b) a person is looking to make a dramatic career change, and (c) a person has a lot of skills, but they’re either scattered throughout the résumé, too far back in their career to list in the usual manner, or the result of non-professional experience. This is often the case with recent graduates (69).
Keep in mind that the functional résumé is not as effective as other formats. Some ATS (Applicant Tracking Systems) software is not necessarily well-equipped to deal with them and some employers are used to the reverse-chronological format. Use this format if you know for sure that the employer is not going to scan it using an ATS.
The Combined Résumé
The third main format is the combination of chronological and functional. This format is less common. According to Faherty, this résumé is more effective to (a) a person who has perhaps have been working at two positions simultaneously, in different fields, and (b) someone who has held a full-time job in one area and done an extensive amount of volunteer or military work at the same time (72). If you are a recent graduate or are almost finishing a degree, it is unlikely that you will need this format to market yourself.
Some Considerations...
If you do not have experience writing résumés, it is highly recommended that you hire a professional or certified résumé writer who can help you translate your achievements into an effective job application. The money will be well spent even if it is more expensive than buying a book.
In the end, what you are paying is to learn how to brand yourself and develop the mindset of a professional willing to invest in a career. In other words, you pay for the résumé and, at the same time, you pay for acquiring a new skill and a new way to define success.
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