Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 7 April 2005 — Page 39

The Muncie Times • April 7, 2005 • Page 39

NEED HELP WITH YOUR RESUME? Dr. WorkOne Has The Answers for you

Dear Dr. WorkOne, Being a recent graduate of a technical school I am now ready to begin putting my resume together so I can search for a job in the area / trained for. I'm guessing employers receive many resumes as / know many people send them out. What is it that will give my resume the little extra boost it will need? Sincerely, Cathy Dear Cathy You are correct in stating employers get many resumes. In fact some employers receive dozens, sometimes hundreds of resumes in the mail every week. The statistics show that employers generally only invite two out of 100 for the job interview. Most employers don’t read all of the resumes they get. Instead, they give each resume a quick, 10second glance. If the resume is too long, too wordy, too cluttered looking, or too disorganized, it gets filed into the wastebasket. The resumes that get read are usually one

page long. They are organized, clean, and easy to look at. The sizzle pops - it shows that this person is qualified and can deliver results. Listed below are some hints on how to create a resume that the employer will read: * Keep it short and simple. * Limit the resume to one page. * Keep sentences brief. * Do not write in paragraphs. * Use simple, everyday language. * Give examples - Poor on the sizzle. * Be positive and enthusiastic. * Don't exaggerate. * Don 't mention salary or wages. * Don’t list personal references. * Use standard 8.5" by 11" paper. * Keep a one-inch margin on all sides of the paper. * Avoid fancy type.

* Avoid cutesy artwork or photos. * Double space between sections. * Single space within sections. * Bold, Underline or Capitalize Headings. * Use a dot or asterisk at the beginning of a list. * Proofread for spelling and grammar. * Print on quality white paper. Make sure you do not clutter your resume. A resume is not an autobiography. It’s a sales brochure. As a general rule include only those things which relate to the job you are seeking, things which demonstrate your ability to do the work. Generally, there is no official format. You can set up a resume any way that you like. Some people have resumes that list only their skills and abilities. Others have resumes that list only their work experience while some have resumes that list only their accomplishments. Do what you have to do

to show that you’re qualified to do the job. If you were fired from a job, put the job on the resume but don’t say that you were fired. Discuss the details during the interview. If you were laid-off from a job, put the job in your resume. Being laid-off is nothing to be ashamed of. If you’ve ever been incarcerated, there are people who will hire you and there are people who won’t. You’ll have to put in a little extra effort to find the ones who will.. Put your training under education, your jobs under employment, and list the facility as your employer.

Best wishes, Cathy, on preparing your winning resume. I’m sure you’ll land the job you are looking for in no time at all. Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with. Best Wishes, Dr. WorkOne Dr. WorkOne is a service of the East Central Indiana Workforce Investment Board. The Doctor regrets that he is unable to answer every letter, but he will publish questions that have the widest appeal in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him at P.O. Box 1081, Muncie, Indiana 47308-1081.

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