Preparing Your Resume
Your resume is your first introduction to a new company. Since first impressions are important, it is vital that your resume be clean, professional, brief, and factual. It should also make you noticed. In other words, the resume is a marketing vehicle which you are using to sell a product - you.
The key to a successful resume is to keep it short. If this is your first job search, the resume should be one page (without publications). If this is your seventh search, the resume should still be under three pages. Over the years we have seen resumes that vary in size from 2 pages to one which was 53 pages in length. In this case, the person presented detailed information on every aspect of their career. In the course of this epic, they also answered every question that anyone could think to ask. There was no reason to contact this person to discuss their background and interests! (As an aside, many people often use resume and CV interchangably. A Curriculum Vitae is generally a lengthy document which details research programs you have worked on, grants you have authored, and complete publication and abstract lists. CVs are most commonly used in the academic environment).
While there are several books available on the subject of resume preparation, we will highlight the elements which we have found to be successful. In general, the resume should convey the following information to a potential employer:
- Who are you (Name and Address Header)?
- Are you trained to do the job (Education)?
- What can you do (Technical Skills)?
- What have you done (Accomplishments)?
- How much relevant experience do you have (Employment History, publications, presentations, etc.)?
The layout for these sections that we have developed over the years is as follows:
Name
Address
Education:
Capabilities (or Technical Skills):
Accomplishments:
Employment History (or Experience):
Publications and Presentations:
Figure 1
Resume Format
A few general comments. First, make effective use of "white space." A resume that is packed onto a page using the smallest type font available is one which will not be read. In addition, many companies use electronic resume scanning systems. It will improve your chance of passing the first screen if your resume is prepared in a standard type font (Courier, Helvetica, Geneva, Palatino, or Times are the easiest for OCR software) in at least 12 point. When you print your resume, use high-quality, white paper. Colored papers do not FAX well and are difficult to read. Although you should avoid the use of jargon (all of the TLAs - three letter acronyms that are so common) in describing your accomplishments, it is important to include "strong" verbs and adjective, to describe yourself.
Second, avoid including "personal" information on your resume such as marital status, number and ages of children, birth date and place, etc. While many resume books recommend including this type of information to personalize your application, we feel it is more appropriate to discuss any of these areas during an interview - if you choose to do so. If you feel that it necessary to include this type of information, please do not add phrases such as one we received where the candidate stated that he had lived in community X for 10 years with his lovely wife Jean.
NetSci, ISSN 1092-7360, is published by Network Science Corporation. Except where expressly stated, content at this site is copyright (© 1995 - 2010) by Network Science Corporation and is for your personal use only. No redistribution is allowed without written permission from Network Science Corporation. This web site is managed by:
- Network Science Corporation
- 4411 Connecticut Avenue NW, STE 514
- Washington, DC 20008
- Tel: (828) 817-9811
- E-mail: TheEditors@netsci.org
- Website Hosted by Total Choice