Reading & Writing

• Résumé


  A tool that summarizes your skills, educational background, experiences and other qualifications
• Curriculum vitae


  A more detailed type of résumé
• Résumé


  A brief document that summarizes your education, employment history, and experiences that are relevant to your qualifications for a particular job for which you are applying
• Purpose of a résumé

  To get an interview
• It takes an average of ten (10) interviews to receive one (1) job offer, so your résumé needs to be persuasive and perfect
• User-centered and persuasive résumé


  The résumé must be focused on the needs of the employer and convincing
• Components of a résumé

  • Contact Information
  • Summary of Qualifications
  • Objective Statement
  • Education
• Contact Information


  Include your name, address, contact number and email address. Make sure your email address is professional.
• Do not include marital status, height, weight, religion, name of parents and color of eyes and hair. These pieces of information do not have much relevance to your credentials.
• Increase the font size of your name and write it in bold face for emphasis. You may use font size 15 for your name and font size 13 for your address and contact details.
• Summary of Qualifications


  Use this when you have at least five years of professional experience. It should consist of one to four strong sentences that will highlight your experiences and accomplishments. It should be written in the third person and in active voice.
• Objective Statement


  An optional part of the résumé that includes job title, function, industry and what you can offer in the company. Objective statement is appropriate for recent graduates.
• Education


  Start with the most recent educational attainment. Include the name and address of the school, year of graduation, degree or diploma, and major or specialization.
• Resumé


  A summary of one's academic and professional background
• Components of a Resumé

  • Summary of Qualifications
  • Objective Statement
  • Education
  • Employment History
  • Skills
  • Training
  • Organizations
  • Professional Licensure and Certifications
  • Honors and Awards
  • References and Signature
• Summary of Qualifications Example

  • Fifteen years of teaching, experience in the tertiary level and with strong rapport with professional organizations and practitioners. Trained more than 1,000 teachers across the country.
• Objective Statement


  It is an optional part of the resumé that includes job title, function, industry and what you can offer in the company. Objective statement is appropriate for recent graduates.
• Objective Statement Example


  • Seeking an associate editor position in a top publishing company such as C&E Publishing where my expertise in textbook editing will be employed.
• Education


  • Start with the most recent educational attainment. Include the name and address of the school, years attended or year of graduation, degree and specialization. You may start with the name of the school if it is very prestigious. Omit high school educational background after a year of graduating from college. Include your GPA if it is at least 3.0 of 4.0 (2.0 of 1.0 in other schools). List academic honors, scholarships, and extracurricular activities.
• Employment History


  • Never put anything that is not a hundred percent true. Begin with the most recent experience. Each job mentioned must include the name and the address of the employer, the inclusive dates (month and year), and brief job description. Do not use many adjectives and superlatives, as well as jargon. If your job responsibilities are similar in more than one job, put the details in the most recent one. Responsibilities need not be written in complete sentences. Do not state your past and present salary. Reserve it for the final interview. Do not clutter your text. Use generous spacing and bullet lists. Use present tense active verbs for current jobs and past tense active verbs for past jobs.
• Skills


  • Show your skills through past events. Be clear with your strengths and communicate them well. Include transferable skills, such as managerial skills, professional qualities, personal qualities, and entrepreneurial qualities.
• Training


  • Include only trainings that have a bearing on the job position you are applying for. Include the title of the training, organizer, date, and venue. Start with the most recent training.
• Organizations


  • Include professional and civic affiliations. As much as possible, do not include religious and political organizations unless you are applying for a job that requires such affiliation. Include the name of the organization, your position and inclusive dates. Start with the most recent affiliation.
• Professional Licensure and Certifications


  • Include the name of certification, rating (optional for low ratings), date issued and place of issuance.
• Honors and Awards


  • List your recognized achievements. Never list achievements that have nothing to do with work. Include the title of the award or honor, inclusive date, sponsor and award-giving organization.
• References and Signature


  • Preferably, the list of references should not be included in the resumé. Simply state "References available upon request." If you decide to put them, do not exceed to three references. Include their name, position, company, and contact details (preferably the business contact details). You do not have to sign your resumé.
• 1. resumé


  A soft copy resumé that can be viewed on screen, stored in a hard drive, sent over the Internet, searched for keywords, and manipulated into other types of documents.
• Functions of a Resumé

  • It informs the employer of the skills that you can bring to the company.
  • It shows how qualified you are for the job.
  • It functions as a persuasive document which allows you to proceed to next stage of the recruitment process, the interview.
• Reverse Chronological Resumé


  Listed in reverse chronological order, which includes company and job title, dates of employment, responsibilities, and accomplishments. Commonly favored by employers, as it is very straightforward. Best for applicants with steady career progression, in business, in government, and whose employer is a respected name.
• Functional Resumé


  Consolidate skills and responsibilities by describing them in a general way under headings that represent different areas of expertise instead of job titles. In short, it focuses on skills, not on job titles. Best for job-hoppers, career changers, new graduates, or people with minimal work experience.
• Tips on Making an Effective Resumé

  • Align the content of your resumé to the job description and job requirements being applied for.
  • Do not write the word "resume" on top of your resumé. HR managers know what a resumé looks like.
  • Use good quality 8 1/2 "x11" white or off-white bond paper.
  • Use distinctive headings and subheadings.
  • Use readable and professional-looking font such as Times New Roman or Book Antiqua; avoid using juvenile and tacky fonts like Comic Sans and Curiz MT. Use 10 to 12 points for the body and no more than 16 points for the heading.
  • Use proper layouting for readability.
  • Print should be laser quality with a minimum rating of 300 dpi (dots per inch). If you desire to photocopy the resumé, be sure to it has quality printing.
  • Edit and proof-read your resumé. A simple typography error might be the deal-breaker for the employer.
  • Avoid the use of "I," as it is already implied.
  • Target the resumé to your potential employer. It gives you an edge over those who send generic resumés.
  • Never send a resumé without a cover letter.
  • Never include reasons for leaving other jobs.
  • Be mindful of the unexplained time gaps. It may raise doubts on why there is a gap.
  • Use an active tone and powerful words.
  • Use only one side of the paper.
  • Never include a photograph unless asked by the prospective employer. Do not submit resumés with scanned pictures.
  • Do not mention anything about your expected salary.
  • Use a reverse chronological order in writing the details.
  • Point out strengths and omit weaknesses.
  • Be factual. Do not exaggerate.
  • Limit your resumé from one to three pages. However, more than three pages can be used for a curriculum vitae.
• List of Action Verbs

  • Achieved
  • Cut
  • Initiated
  • Reduced
  • Administered
  • Decreased
  • Innovated
  • Researched
  • Advanced
  • Designed
  • Instituted
  • Restructured
  • Advised
  • Developed
  • Introduced
  • Reversed
  • Analyzed
  • Directed
  • Led
  • Saved
  • Authored
  • Eliminated
  • Maintained
  • Scheduled
  • Automated
  • Established
  • Managed
  • Solved
  • Coached
  • Evaluated
  • Negotiated
  • Streamlined
  • Conceptualized
  • Expanded
  • Organized
  • Supervised
  • Conducted
  • Focused
  • Planned
  • Taught
  • Contained
  • Headed
  • Prepared
  • Trained
  • Contracted
  • Identified
  • Produced
  • Trimmed
  • Controlled
  • Implemented
  • Promoted
  • Coordinated
  • Improved
  • Provided
  • Created
  • Increased
  • Published
• Curriculum Vitae (CV)


  Latin for "course of life." In contrast, resumé is French for "summary." Both CVs & Resumes are tailored for the specific job/company you are applying to, should represent you as the best qualified candidate, are used to get you an interview, and do not usually include personal interests. If you are applying for both academic as well as industry (private or public sector) positions, you will need to prepare both a resume and a CV.
• Curriculum Vitae vs Resumé

  • The CV presents a full history of your academic credentials, so the length of the document is variable. In contrast, a resume presents a concise picture of your skills and qualifications for a specific position, so length tends to be shorter and dictated by years of experience (generally 1-2 pages). CVs are used by individuals seeking fellowships, grants, postdoctoral positions, and teaching/research positions in postsecondary institutions or high-level research positions in industry. Graduate school applications typically request a CV, but in general are looking for a resume that includes any publications and descriptions of research projects.