Résumé Writing

1. Résumé Writing Some tips and examples of the different sections of a Skills-based résumé Bernard Lewis Pathways To Work Counsellor Employment Pathways Unit, ACL Parramatta NAVITAS English Pty

2. General Tips Your full name could be the main heading – either centred or right aligned. A common mistake is to write Résumé as the heading of your résumé. One look at the document and one can tell that it is a résumé. Relevant personal information should be written just below your name. This is followed by a career objective. Include three important sections after this – Skills and Attributes, Education and Experience. An optional item called Interests could be included after this. The last section would be Referees. More information can be included in additional sections like other training, volunteer work or membership (to associations/ professional organisations) could be included.

3. Sections in a résumé

4. Formatting • All sectioned should be right aligned • Font type = Arial, Calibri, Cambria, Times New Roman or Tahoma • Main Heading = Arial Black or Cooper Black; 18”; All Caps • Heading = 14” , All Caps and bold • Font size of Body = 11”/ 12” • Line spacing = single line • Space between sections = 1 line • No borders; No underlining; No colours; No photos • Footer = your firstname _lastname_résumé • Remember to insert page numbers if résumé is more than 1 page

5. Skills-based résumé format

6. Personal information • Only basic personal information is necessary for your résumé. This could include information like: • Your name (first name and surname) • Your full address (without punctuation) • Phone number (preferably mobile phone number) • Email address • Information that could give room for discrimination need not be included, like: Sex, Nationality, Religion, Marital status, Number of children and ages, Date of arrival to Australia, Residency et al. • If permanent residency, citizenship and any licensing is mandatory for the job, these details can be included. • Personal information is mainly for the employer to contact you if you have been short-listed for the job.

7. Career Objective Tip: Everyone is expected to have a plan for the future and an objective an simple plan for the future. It is like an introduction to your résumé. Avoid over-ambitious statements and flamboyance. Make it simple and to the point. You should mention: • The kind of job you are looking for • The kind of business/ company you would like to work in • What you can do for the business/ company and • What do you expect in return Example: I am looking for a challenging job as a finance assistant in a reputed financial Institution which offers ongoing professional development and career advancement to its employees. This would motivate me to use my skills and experience to work hard, achieve my targets and help develop the business.

8. Skills and Attributes • This is an important section in a Skills-based résumé. • Many employers are very interested in knowing whether the job applicant is work-ready and if he/ she has the necessary skills to perform the job well. • Skills and attributes could include the general employability skills or common life skills that helps one perform well as an employee. • It could also include personal qualities and characteristics that prove that one is able to work well in any given situation. • A list of skills and attributes that are relevant to the job applied for should be included as part of the résumé. • It is a good idea to combine skills and attributes together because very often they are complementary. • A minimum of at least 5 – 6 would make a good list. • Do not list too many irrelevant items and please do not state the obvious.

9. Example: • Skills and Attributes • Friendly, flexible and a good team worker • Honest, reliable and hardworking • Can understand instructions and work effectively with minimum supervision • Have initiative and eager to undertake additional responsibilities • Able to prioritise tasks and complete them on time • Quick thinking and have a fine sense of humour • Open to innovation and able to learn new things quickly • Very attentive and have an eye for details • Strong computer skills and able to use other office equipment, efficiently • Fluent in ….(language/s) and have an aptitude to learn new languages • Able to use a variety of office equipment like fax machines, photocopiers, et al.

10. Experience Title of position/ Name of job Period worked: date from - to Name of business/ company + name of place (suburb, state/ country) List of duties and responsibilities (in bullet points) (at least 3-4 and not more than 6)Achievements, if any (under separate sub-heading)(1-2 very important ones) • Tips: • The word Experience includes all types of work – paid and unpaid. • Experience like volunteer work, training and work experience can also be included. • If you have very little experience, even short periods of work can be included. • If you have a lot of experience, limit the entries to your major periods of work that is relevant to the job you are applying for. Jobs that you held for less than 6 months need not be recorded. • Achievements play a major role in a résumés, but you should only include genuine achievements for which you have recorded proof in the form of endorsements and documents.

11. Example: • Experience • Administrative Assistant Mar. 2010 – Dec. 2010 • DataServe Informatics Pty, Parramatta NSW • Attended to customers and answered customer queries, on a regular basis • Sorted in-coming mail and arranged to dispatch out-going mail • Made reservations and bookings for the conference rooms and attended to delegates during conferences and information sessions • Composed and dispatched letters and emails for Project Managers and Information Coordinators • Prepared brochures and flyers for information sessions and conferences • Prepared monthly reports and maintained records of all activities of the various centres

12. Education Name of qualification/ training Year/ date of completionName of educational institution + name of place (suburb, state/ country) Achievements, if any (like distinctions or awards) Specialization, if relevant • Tips: • The word Education includes all types of learning or training – certificates and diplomas; face-to-face, part-time, weekends and online. • It could include short training and professional development sessions, as well. • Include education and training for which you have written evidence or certification. • Limit the entries to education relevant to the job you are applying for, only. • You can include achievements and include relevant areas of specialization relevant to the job you are applying for. • If you have completed more than one course in the same year, include the month as well and if the course was shorted, include the period of the course.

13. Example: • Education • Bachelor of Business Administration June 2009 • University of Madras, India • Specialized in Business Accounting & Statistics • Project work on Statement of changes in equity and cash flow of Reliance Industries Ltd. from 1997 – 2007 • Diploma in Financial Services Dec. 2009 • SWSI of TAFE, Granville • Specialization in Advanced Accounts and Financial Planning • The Rules of Client Engagement 28 - 29 Jan. 2010 • Financial Planning Association of Australia, Sydney CBD

14. Interests • This is an optional section of a résumé. • Under the heading Interests you should only include interests that are relevant to the job you are applying for. • Do not include something that you are not really interested in. Example: • Browsing the internet and learning new things. • Traveling to new places and meeting people. • Reading the news papers and keeping up to date with current affairs. • Playing sport and doing other outdoor activities.

15. Referees • A Referee is different from a Reference. A Reference is a document of commendation of your achievements written by a reliable person while a Referee is a currently contactable person who can verify/ confirm your professionalism or workability. • A referee could be a current or pervious employer, a teacher, a trainer, work experience supervisor, career counselor or case worker. • Only include the names of local referees. Usually 2 referees will do. • Always get the permission of your referees before you include their details in your résumé and inform them of the job you are applying for. • The details that should be included are: • The full name of the referee • The job title • The name of the company he/ she works for • Contactable phone number (preferably mobile phone number)

16. Example: Katherine Moore Office Coordinator DataServe Informatics Pty. Ph: 04 1234 5678 Isabel D’monte VET trainer SWSI TAFE, Granville Ph: 04 8765 4321

17. Points to remember • Let your résumé be a maximum of 2 pages. • Do not write Résuméas the main heading of your résumé. • Do not include personal details like sex, religion or nationality. • Do not use borders or shading and avoid inserting a photo or pictures. • Include a Career Objective and highlight your Skills and Attributes . • Only include education for which you have evidence of completion. • Include names of jobs for which you have been paid, the place of work and duration of employment. • Do not use jargon and abbreviations; write simple phrases in bullet points. • Include interests that are relevant to the job that you are applying for. • Do not include the names of family or friends as referees. • Get the permission of referees before writing their names down. • Make sure that your résumé has no spelling or grammar errors. • Ensure that the formatting is simple and consistent.