Microsoft Word Tutorials Resumes Cover Letters



Microsoft Word 1E: Resumes, Cover Letters
Resume: There are many different styles of resumes and opinions on how to best create one. The most common types of resumes can be divided into the following categories: chronological functional combination of chronological and functional 1. Chronological Resume: A chronological resume is a very common type of resume used. Usually divided into 5 sections and listing details by chronological (time) order as shown below: Personal Info (or Profile) Appears at top Objective What kind of job you are seeking Education (or Credentials and Training or Key Qualifications or Professional Profile) May be extensive, or for students may be the school and grade currently in or year graduated May include special accomplishments like school awards here or in a different section below Work Experience List most current work experience first Include date worked, name of business, position, duties, responsibilities , etc. Other headings such as Personal Interests, Awards, Publications, Contracts , etc. may or may not be used References Remember that these contacts may be contacted, so be sure that you have asked your work or personal reference for their permission If you are currently working you may not want to list your current reference as "available upon request" so as not to disturb your working relationship at your current jobs You may attach letters of reference to a resume as well advantage: it is easier to read a reference than make a phone call, so you may make the first cut easier (a potential employer can always call a reference for further information) disadvantage: some sources claim that a resume should be short and not include too much information 2. Functional Resume: A functional resume is used to highlight various skills. Advantages If you don't have a lengthy educational history or a lot of work experience this type of resume lets you expand on your abilities and draws less attention to your lack of education and experience. If you are looking for a position that requires a large variety of different skills this may also be an appropriate style of resume if you have diverse skills Format of a Functional Resume: Personal Information (Profile) Objective Skills list what you can do, then list any experience, education and work experience related to skill, (see examples below) Skill e.g. Customer Service Skills: explain how your personality is well suited, detail school projects, volunteer experience and work experience where you have assisted people , etc.) Skill e.g. Computer Literacy Skills: list computer courses taken, software programs that can work with, examples of projects that have done using computers, list any work experience involving computers , etc. Note the skills above will vary depending on the individual Example: if you were applying for a position in a construction company you may include: Heavy Equipment Skills Flooring Skills Management Skills References (same info. as above) 3. Combination Resume: A resume may use a combination of chronological and functional resumes for example you may have a separate skills section or include the skills under each work experience , etc. Note: Using a Template or Resume Wizard: You may find it easier to select a resume template available in Word or one that you find on the Microsoft.com site Advantages templates already have the formatting done for you and come in a variety of styles to choose from you can modify Disadvantages Sometimes the formatting in the template involves complicated formatting that you may not be aware of and when you attempt to make changes or add new sections you may have difficulty It may be easier to create a resume from scratch rather than mess around too much with a template Considerations When Creating a Resume: Should be easy to read with headings and effective use of white space utilising any of the following: Indenting Columns Bullets Different font types and sizes Tables While you may design a resume in a style that you find useful, it should be easy to read and absolutely perfect: No spacing inconsistencies No spelling mistakes Consistant punctuation Note: you may decide to capitalize each bulleted item or not to, or you may end each bulleted item with a period or not; however, you must be consistant (don't start one bulleted item with a capital and not another) Proper capitalization Many students randomly capitalize certain words in a sentence, remember only proper names in a sentence should be capitalized (e.g. name of a business) You may decide to capitlaize all words in a heading or only the first; however, you must be consistant (e.g. you could use: Work History, Work history or WORK HISTORY; however, make sure that all headings at the same level are done the same Example If you choose to use bulleted points make sure that if you decide to capitalize the first bullet that you capitalize all the bullets If you choose to end each bulleted point with a period then you must be consistent and end every bulleted point with a period If you decide to use abbreviations for starting dates e.g. Sept., then be consistant (don't use August later on....use Aug.) Clip art may be inserted if it adds to the resume without looking unprofessional Cover Letter : A cover letter is like any other business letter. You may create several cover letters using a merge to save you time. This website is copyright protected see contact page for details.