Job Search

Résumés

Résumés and cover letters are an essential part of your job-hunting tool kit. They are the most common instruments job seekers use to get a foot in an employer’s door. No matter what type of initial contact you make with an employer—whether it is in person, through the mail, over the phone, or via the Internet, you will want to leave the person with some written reminder of who you are and why you are interested in his or her company or business.

1. Start by testing your résumé IQ. What is a résumé? What is the purpose of a résumé?

2. Find out what kind of information to include in your résumé. Remember, your résumé is a outline of who you are.

3. Now that you know what to put in your résumé, it’s time to find out what to omit. Don’t make the interviewer wade through pages of information to find the important stuff.

4. How should you arrange all this information? There are three basic formats. Choose the one that is right for you and tailor it to meet your individual needs.

5. Here are 12 quick tips to keep in mind as you put together your winning résumé.

6. Many employers will want references who can support what you say on your résumé. Now is a good time to decide whom to use as a reference.

7. More information

   • RésuméTutor
   • What Is the Right Résumé for Me?
   • The Riley Guide: Résumé Databases on the Internet
   • atRésumé

Never send your résumé out without a chaperon. Every résumé you submit should be accompanied by a cover letter.

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