Resume Advice

It is essential that you present yourself and your work history in the best possible light and the first impression will be your resume and covering letter.  Above all, make sure the grammar and spelling are correct and that the layout is neat and easy to read. Keep the resume brief, and include only basic details, no more than 2-3 pages. The following information is a guide of what to include in your resume.

Personal details
Don't waste paper with a cover sheet. List your name and contact details at the top of the first page, including your postal address and a telephone contact number. Include your email address only if it is private and you can check for incoming messages at least once a day.

It is no longer usual to include details under headings such as gender, age, marital status, religion, ethnicity or health.

Career objective
Differences of opinion exist about including a career objective. Some experts dislike them, viewing them as an Americanism, cliched or adding no value. If you do use one, expect to rewrite it, even slightly, to match each job you apply for.

Professional experience
The best resumes are brief and informative, so every word in this section must work hard for you. As a general rule, include the most detail about your current job. If you've been in the workforce for some period of time, simply list the position, company and dates of your earlier or least relevant jobs. A tactic for older job seekers is to only list jobs since, say, 1995. This only works if your most recent jobs are the most relevant to the position you are seeking.

Try to illustrate a logical pattern of career development in your account of your work experience. If you have "downsized" your career or moved sideways, you may wish to include a brief reference to the circumstances that motivated your move. For instance, "By accepting a less senior position, I was able to accommodate part-time graduate study. In this role, I..."

Job summary
Don't just describe your duties and responsibilities. Emphasise your achievements and show how you contributed to your employer's business.

Education
The level of detail depends on the balance between your qualifications and your work experience. It may be suitable for graduates with little experience to list selected classes and to include results if these are better than average (or requested).

As a general guide, the less recent your qualification, the less information you provide. A typical format lists the name of the qualification, the date you graduated, the institution which granted it and you're major. For example:

BA, 2001, Victoria University of Wellington

Major: History

Add the name of any scholarships or awards you have won to the second line.

If you are partway through a qualification, list it like this:

Graduate Diploma in Public Relations (RMIT)

study commenced 2001

References and referees
It is increasingly uncommon for past employers to provide written references. Instead, a new employer will want the names and contact details of referees — people who know you well and can be contacted to check the details in your resume.

Choose your referees carefully. You must gain someone's agreement before listing them as a referee. A new employer generally won't contact referees until they have selected a preferred candidate — or if they are trying to decide between two candidates.

Optional extras

A good resume is as brief as possible. Only include items listed below if they will truly strengthen your application.

            Professional training

            Professional affiliations and memberships

            Licenses and accreditations

            Knowledge of foreign languages

            Publications

            Special accomplishments such as awards

           

Click here for a sample resume

Click here for a sample cover letter