A resume is your "advertisement" - not your life story.  Many employers expect you to have a resume.  A good resume will help "sell" your specific skills, abilities and accomplishments.  It provides information that will let an employer know how you are a good match for the job.  Remember, the main purpose of a resume is to get a job interview. 

Tips on Writing Effective Resumes

1. Use the "need to know" principle.  What does the employer need to know about you in order to want to interview you?
2. Resumes don't get people jobs - they help to get interviews.
3. Length should be no longer than two pages.  If you use a second page, fill it completely.  If you can't, make it one page.
4. Tailor the resume to fit you.  There is no right or wrong, except for the following:  DO NOT use pronouns ("I" or "My").  DO NOT list birthday, marital status, height, weight, references, etc.
5. Give the employer a reliable way to contact you.  Home phone, work phone (if appropriate), message phone (if there is no answering machine and you're not at home much).  E-mail.
6. Listing an Objective on the resume is optional - some employers like it, some don't care.  However, listing an objective can strengthen a resume, if it is compatible with the job for which you are applying.  Having your resume on a computer disk can make it an easy task to change your objective.  Never send a resume with an objective that doesn't match the job for which you are applying.  Save the employer time and tell them what you can do - don't just list a work history and make them figure it out.  This is best done using a section highlighting/summarizing skills and accomplishments, e.g. "Summary of Skills & Experience".
7. Always list job history with present or most recent job first and work backward from there.  Be as descriptive as possible about the work you've done - help the employer picture you at work.  Quantify accomplishments when possible.
8. If education or licenses are an important requirement of the job, list them near the top.  If not, list high school graduation, GED attainment, college work or degree at the bottom.  It is not necessary to list the years of attendance or address of the institution.  If you are a graduate of the program, list:  Graduate, Springfield Jr. College.
9. ALWAYS have at least one other person proofread your resume!

The Illinois Employment and Training Centers have many tools, videos and resource books for resume writing available in our Career Resource Libraries.  Here are some of the tools available (some may require a small fee):

• Microsoft Office XP, WinWay Resume.   All of these programs contain very helpful resume templates.  Once in a local Career Resource Center Computer, open the computer program of choice and go to "File",  "New" and then to "Resume" or "Other".
• Resume paper (may require a small fee).
• Fax Machine for quicker resume submission.
• Laser Printer for top quality printing.
• Diskettes to save your resume (may require a small fee).
• The Career Resource Centers also offer workshops and one-on-one assistance for help in writing resumes.

Interviewing Sites - Additional Resources

• Job Interview.net

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