
	Intro: Before you begin Step 1: Decide on an objective Step 2: List your skills and experience Step 3: Choose a format Step 4: Draft the resume Step 5: Format and finalize the resume Step 6: Customize the resume (optional)








	Display your name and contact information prominently at the top of the page. These are what the reader expects to see first, and they should be easy to find. At the bottom, include the words, "References available upon request." (You can provide a detailed reference sheet at the interview.)

2torial #0768:
Learn2 Write a Resume (continued)

Choose a format

Every resume has the same basic information:

Your name, address, and phone number (fax number and email address, too, if you have them)
Information about your education, skills, and experience

One of the two most common resume formats, chronological and functional, should help you arrange this information in a way that emphasizes your strengths and downplays your weaknesses.

Chronological. This is the classic resume format, listing education and positions held in reverse chronological order (with the most recent first). The sections of a chronological resume usually include:

Name and contact information
Objective statement (optional)
Work history
Education/awards received

A chronological resume emphasizes continuity of employment and career progression, so it's a good format for people who want to stay in a field in which they have solid experience. It clearly demonstrates the relevance of your past experience to the position for which you're applying.

Functional. This format emphasizes what you did rather than when or where you did it. Usually, the body of the resume identifies skills relating to the job objective, then lists specific achievements illustrating how abundantly you have that skill.

Say your objective is to be a "Groomer at a pet salon." Perhaps you've never worked in a pet salon, but you've always had pets, you have experience volunteering at the Humane Society, and you've worked in retail. You could divide the "relevant experience" section into "Animal skills" and "People skills" (both crucial for dealing with pets and their owners).

Typical components of the functional resume (in roughly this order) are:

Name and contact information
Objective statement (optional)
Relevant experience (divided by the skills you want to emphasize)
Work history (very brief: just the name of the place, your title, and the dates)
Education/awards received

This very flexible format is good if you're changing careers, entering the workforce, or have gaps in your work history.

Other. If applicable, tailor the format to your profession. If you're a web designer, format your resume as a web page with links to your other work, then write or email prospective employers a letter with the URL. If you're an animator, artist, writer, or performer, send a disk, portfolio, or tape of your best work with your resume and a brief yet winning cover note.

Step 4