Kentucky Office of Employment and Training Virtual Workshop

[ Layout and positioning for Resume Workshop ]

Resume Workshop

[ Layout and positioning for Organize Your Resume ]
Organize Your Resume

Take the time to organize your job search information, including education, employment, and references.

A resume should include:

	Identification data: your name, address, and phone number.

	Objective: a single phrase expressing the specific type of employment you are seeking from that employer and/or the principal skills you have to offer on the job. When applying to different employers or for a different type of job, prepare two or more resumes with different objectives specific to those employers and/or jobs. A clear objective can be used as a thesis for the remainder of your resume.

	Education: basic details about your education, including school location, degree, date or projected date of graduation, major, related course work and possibly G.P.A. Recent graduates may want to:

	Put their education at the top.
	Include relevant courses taken.
	Emphasis familiarity with the latest trends and techniques in their field.
	Stress the ability to apply these skills right away to a new job.
	List recent experiences in studying and learning which will enhance the ability to quickly learn a new job.

	Employment: brief summaries of principle employment to date. Start with your current or most recent position and work backward.

	List positions for approximately 10-15 years.
	Include all employment relevant to your career objective in any way.
	Provide the name of the employer, employer’s location, your job title, dates of employment, and action phrases to summarize your main activities on the job.
	List specific details and statistics that illustrate your potential.
	If there are gaps of several months in your work experience, list your experience by years (1993 to 1995) and the gap may not be so apparent.
	List skills if you have little experience.
	Be prepare to answer any questions about your resume in the interview.

	Activities/Honors/Special Skills/Professional Affiliations/ Community Activities/Technical Expertise/Publications and/or Patents and Languages Spoken: additional areas that may be included on the resume if relevant to your career objective. These should show leadership, organization, critical thinking, teamwork, self-management, initiative and influencing skills.

	References/Portfolios/Transcripts: can be listed as "available upon request" if there is enough room at the bottom of the resume. Have references, phone numbers, and business addresses ready on a separate sheet whenever you go to an interview.

	Personal data such as height, weight, sex, health, and marital status should not be listed on the resume. Such factors are irrelevant and cannot legally be considered in employment decisions.