Create a résumé that won't get overlooked.

(This article was written by Bill Quinnan For O.C. Register Special Sections)

Perhaps the most basic tool in any job search is the résumé. Your résumé won't get you a job all by itself. But, it could eliminate you from consideration if it doesn't list the qualifications the employer is seeking in a clear manner. Human-resources professionals, department managers and business owners are generally busy people who do not have time for a lengthy discussion with everyone who might want a job. The résumé enables employers to quickly decide whether it is worthwhile to interview you for a specific job opening.

If a company really doesn't have an opening for someone with your qualifications, it is probably best that you are not dragged through a pointless interview process. But if you are qualified for an opening at the company, you do not want to be overlooked. Therefore, it is essential that your résumé emphasizes your qualifications in the clearest manner possible.

Job seekers are often not sure where to begin when it comes to putting a résumé together. Fortunately, there are fairly standard formats with which most employers are familiar. By following the standard models, while keeping in mind the need to make one's qualifications as obvious as possible, job seekers can produce résumés that are easy to read and far more likely to yield interviews.

The two most commonly used résumé formats are chronological and functional. Chronological résumés, the most common, list the job seeker's experience starting with the most recent and ending with the earliest relevant job. For most job seekers, this is the format to use. Chronological résumés are especially good at demonstrating steady employment and advancement in one's field.

Functional résumés break down one's experience by skill. This is especially useful for career-changers, whose past job titles do not directly relate to the position they are seeking.

At the top of your résumé, include your name, address and phone number. You probably should include an e-mail address as well, as many employers prefer to use e-mail - but only do so if will be checking your e-mail at least once a day. Employers will not want to wait a week to hear from you. It may be unwise to use an e-mail address from your current job. Some employers monitor the e-mail of their employees, and you may not want your boss to know that you are looking - especially on company time.

 

2.  Career objective

Your objective explains what kind of job you are seeking. This could be a specific title, such as "customer service representative"; or more general, such as, "A position where my experience in customer service, sales and hospitality can contribute to company profitability."

The purpose of stating an objective is to assist employers in quickly assessing whether they might have a job for you. Your skills and experience mean nothing unless employers know how you plan to apply those attributes in the workplace.

In his book "Knock 'Em Dead: The Ultimate Job Seeker's Handbook," Martin Yate recommends using the most general job titles in the objective. This will give employers an idea of what field you wish to work in, without causing them to rule you out for jobs that don't exactly match your objective.

 

While summaries are always included on a résumé, they can be very helpful to employers. Keeping in mind that an employer will only glance at your résumé initially, a summary will quickly communicate what you will bring to the job you seek.

As summary might read, "10 years' experience designing print advertisements for computer-related products."

 

List past jobs that are relevant to the job you are seeking. If you have 15 years of experience in computer programming, don't bother mentioning the ice-cream parlor where you worked in high school. On the other hand, if you are seeking an entry-level position and only have a few years of work experience, list whatever jobs you have held.

Each job listed should include the job title, the name of the company you worked for, the city and state where the company is located, the dates of employment, and a brief description of what you did.

In each job description, emphasize activities that relate to the job you are seeking. For example, suppose you worked at a shoe store. If you were seeking a sales position, you might list the job this way:

On the other hand, if you were seeking an entry-level job in product development at a shoe company, you might frame the job description differently:

One red flag for employers is gaps in employment history. If you are going to go back 15 years in your list, account for all jobs held in that time. Gaps leave potential employers wondering what you were doing during the time left out. Did you hold a job that you are embarrassed to mention? Were you unemployed? Were you in jail?

There are various ways to cover for gaps that may exist. One is simply to fill them in - if you left the professional world for a few years to be a homemaker, just say so on your résumé.

Or, if you've had a sufficient number of jobs since the gap took place, just go back as far as the gap and don't mention it. If the gap was just a few months, you could cover it by including only the years of employment. Using the "Shoe Salesperson" position as an example, you could list the dates as "1999 2000."

If you use the latter technique, keep in mind that the employer's application may call for more specific dates. Be ready to explain the gap at some point.

 

You should include any college degrees you have received. List the name of the school attended, the degree that was earned and the year it was received.

If you are a fairly recent graduate (within the last few years), you might want to include activities relevant to the job you are seeking and your grade-point average, if it is 3.0 or higher. You will also want to mention internships and relevant coursework.

Do not list references by name on a résumé, but it is a good idea to say, "References available on request," and to have them ready in case the employer wants them.

 

Like the chronological résumé, the functional résumé will begin with the contact information, followed by a career objective. After the objective, you will provide a list of skills, with at least one example of each skill in action. The skills that are listed should be relevant to the job you are seeking.

In an example of a functionally formatted résumé in "Knock 'Em Dead," Yate includes specific examples of each skill in action, and a concrete result of the use of each skill.

For example, if one of your skills was customer service, you might list it this way:

After the skills, include brief list of past jobs, including job titles, the name of the employer, the employer's city and state, and years employed at each job.