RESUME WRITING

Components of a Resume
There are certain elements that are required in any resume, no matter what format is chosen. Along with that there are also optional elements that vary from person to person. A person should make decisions about these according to the job objective, career history, and the amount of space that is available.

All resumes must contain at least three principle areas of information. These areas include contact information, education for students and in case of people who have work experience; their work experience should be mentioned. These are key sections of your resume, and they are non-negotiable.

• Contact Information
• Education and Training
• Work History

Contact Information
Name
Postal Address
Telephone no: work, home, mobile, as applicable
Fax number, if applicable
E-mail Address

Education and TrainingIt provides information about your formal education and professional training. The further in time away from your educational credentials you are, the less emphasis they should receive. Here are tips on listing information:
List your highest level of education first and work backwards. If you have specialized or professional training that relates directly to your job objective, list it first.
If you have postgraduate qualifications include your undergraduate credentials.
Include any honours or rewards you may want the world to know about.
If you are a student making the transition to the workforce for the first time, your educational credentials belong at he top of your resume.

Work History
This is the body of your resume – the part that takes up the most space and sells you the hardest. A person with experience has to mention the functional areas of expertise and in case of the student’s skills or internship history is important to mention in this section. If a person’s resume do not fall in one of the above mentioned formats, then the persons work history might consist of lists of credentials, productions in which he has been involved, acting jobs that a person has done, clients that are served by a person, projects that a person has worked on.

Label this part of resume to cue readers and interviewers. Some suggested labels of resume depending on your career situation are:
Summary of experience
Professional background
Career history
Summary of your accomplishments
Employment history
Career highlights
Selected accomplishments

Objective
Recommended only if you are pursuing a very specific, focused job, or if you have limited or no experience in the workplace. In case of students mention it on top and be very appropriate and to the point.

Publications / Presentations
If you have a long list, divide and then subdivide by topics, If you have short list, you might make this one field. You can list a few articles that are in preparation and will be published.

Special SkillsThis portion is appropriate if your career centres specified expertise. You may wish to list, for example, computer hardware or software knowledge, or language proficiencies.

Certificate and TrainingList these if they directly relate to your career objective. If they enhance your stature or position in the job marketplace, include them.

Associations / AffiliationsInclude current (not past) membership or active involvement in any professional or civic associations that relate to your career focus or job objective.

Awards / Honors and Recognitions
List any career-related awards you’ve garnered, but don’t go overboard. It’s nice to be singled out for recognition, but mention awards/honors without adding element of self praise be precise and specific.

Professional Developments
List any courses, seminars, workshops, or training experiences that relate to your career focus, or recent positions held. If you include this section in your resume, it should immediately precede after mentioning the educational qualification.

NB: we hope the article will guide you into writing a good resume as you seek for employment.