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Are you trying to land your dream job? I am. I want to be a magazine editor and, in the past four months, I’ve made a huge leap in progress.
I’ve loved writing all my life and, for half of that, I knew I wanted to be an editor too (you know, have a salary to depend on while keeping the creative juices flowing). This series will help you get your foot in the door.
It all starts with the resumé. Actually, it starts before the resumé. If it’s not too late, get involved in extra-curricular activities in school, or volunteer work. Employers like to see your dedication.
Using tips from a professional publisher, I recently revamped my resumé. Here are some tips to help you structure yours.
Personal information
Create a header at the top of the page and provide your name, address, phone number and email. Setting your personal information off from the rest of the text allows potential employers to easily identify your resumé and reach you. It also adds a rather professional look!
Do not have an “objective” section
This is what your cover letter is for. Your resumé should be only one page and this wastes precious space!
Education
If you are a recent graduate, education should be the first item on your resumé. List your post-grad work and then your university degree or college diploma.
Experience
First list your related experience and then other experiences in a separate section. Your resumé should demonstrate a hierarchy.
List the name of your job position, the time spent there, the location and, if there’s room, add a couple descriptors of your achievements. You can always elaborate on the relevant experience in your cover letter.
Related experience
I want to be a writer and magazine editor, so I listed any experience I have with magazines, newspapers and writing. This is not the space to list your summer job at Taco Bell (unless you’re applying for the position of head manager, of course!).
Other experience
Now you can mention any jobs you’ve recently held. They may not be relevant to your field of interest, but they show that another employer has shown interest in you and that you committed to that job or employer for a certain period of time. Many skills are transferable, as well, so employers may want you to expand on these experiences in an interview.
Awards
This is a great place to provide a short bullet list of your proudest or most relevant achievements.
Interests
A simple line of hobbies separated by commas allows your potential employer to understand your personality and interests.
References
It’s up to you whether or not you want to write, “References available upon request,” or provide the names and numbers.
Resumé design
Once your resumé is complete, save it as a PDF. My design teacher reports that a surprising number of employers will disregard a resumé sent as a Word document.
“Please don’t put your resumé in Arial or Times New Roman font,” a student in the human resources program at Sheridan College said. “Everyone uses them—they’re so boring. I see too many resumés a day…if a resumé doesn’t catch my eye in the first 15 seconds, I’m not interested.”
Go to Page 2 for a basic resumé template and stay tuned for further instalments of the How to get your dream job series. Up next: How to write a cover letter.
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I think the Object is important. About half the time, the cover letter won’t be read (before the resume or at all). If an employer doesn’t know what job you are applying for, they might not look any further.
I am a recent Engineering graduate and my resume format is something like this:
Page 1
Profile
Technical Skills
Education
Projects
Page 2
Work Experience
Extra-curricular Experience
Professional Associations
I usually customize the things that I put in each section according to the job posting. My Career Center said this was more than good enough. I have been applying since Oct. 2008. I graduated in June 2009. I have only got 2 interview’s so far.
Suggestions ?
Hi Ankur -
Can we post this question in our discussion forum? There has been some great discussion lately about resumes, including resume critique. Let me know!
The best advice I have received in my career search is to tailor my resume to the specific job posting. Now, I knew that a formulaic or “blanket” cover letter could usually be spotted a mile away, but I didn’t think that my blanket resume was a problem. In fact, it had been applauded by several different people in management positions. What I realize now is that particular “edition” of my resume (and trust me, there are several “editions”) worked well for that job; however, it wasn’t getting me noticed in other fields. Employers care most about the qualities you can bring to their job.
I also find it useful to elaborate points in your cover letter for the sake of keeping your resume to one page. Initially, I described what my degree in anthropology entailed and the courses I took. Now, I only list my degree and graduation date, and describe how anthropology will be beneficial to my potential employer in my cover letter. A cover letter can finesse your resume and elaborate the points you’ve made in your resume.
I think having someone look over your resume is also incredibly useful. It’s a good way not only to receive feedback but also to network.
Finally, one of my most successful tactics for landing an interview is to print the job description and make notes before I write my cover letter and resume. I quickly jot down how I exude the qualities the employer desires and how my previous jobs and achievements will be beneficial in the role. There are things that I’m sure employers see over and over such as “dedicated” or “motivated” but qualifying those statements with quantitative facts works very well for me.
I have read many articles and books about resume and cover letter writing and have found much contradictory information. Essentially, every person and every field is unique, so finding that perfect resume to fit your field will take some time–don’t get discouraged but rather learn from your experience.