by Brenda Bullara
UHCLIDIAN STAFF

The résumé, an opportunity to present a person's "best" self to a potential employer, must be organized and effective, reflecting strengths and how they translate into resourcefulness, accountability and productivity within an organization.

"Potential employers want a one-page résumé," said Sherry Jackson, career consulting and development counselor for Career Management International. This format is ideal because it scans easily into an organization's database, allowing a set of skills to be matched to vacant job positions by defining search criteria.

From the database system, résumés with matching skills are selected and those candidates are contacted for interviews.

Always include an objective statement on resumes, cautions Jackson, because it provides an employer with a "professional label, identifies strengths and highlights what contributions are being brought to an organization."

The objective needs to reflect whether the applicant is looking to change careers.

"An applicant may have a variety of experience or solid experience in one field, but may not desire to stay in that field," said Traci Morgan, UH-Clear Lake career adviser, who also advocates including an objective on a résumé.

"The objective can speak to whether you are looking for a position that will lead into career development or obtain a position in a particular field," Morgan said. But the objective should not be self-directed.

"Objectives should reflect what you can give an employer - not what you get from an employer," said Dr. Jib Fowles, UH-Clear Lake professor of communication. Fowles discourages his students from including an objective on résumés because they "do not write them well and often present their objectives in an egotistical and self-centered manner."

According to Morgan, when completing the work experience area of the résumé, elaborate on any supervisory role held. List those duties that demonstrate leadership qualities, Morgan advised. Additionally, highlight key elements of all positions held while working through a college career.

Student résumés will differ from experienced applicants' résumés because most undergraduate students are looking for entry-level positions. They are not coming into a field with management skills, so their résumés will not have an extensive work history or professional accomplishments section.

When completing the education section of the résumé, tailor it to coincide with the objective statement. When looking for a position in a particular field, include the major courses taken in that discipline. Include all course work related to the job title. Completion of these classes indicates to an employer that you are familiar with and can perform entry-level work in that area.

Grade point averages should only be included on a résumé if they reflect an A or B student. Instead of listing a GPA, emphasize a work history that relates to that particular field. This will indicate there is experience accompanying a degree. Entry-level applicants might rely on relevant experience gained from internships, volunteer work or student organizations.

One sure way to stand out in the interview process is to present yourself as someone who works well with others. Company leaders are interested in how well a potential employee will fit culturally, Jackson said. Cultural fit refers to how well employees communicate and relate to each other. Jackson frequently interviews corporate leaders to determine what makes a potential employee stand out, and the majority of them mention cultural fit.

Top of Page | Front Page