Building a Resume

What is a Resume?

A resume is a brief account of employment history, work experience, education and further training, skills, interests, and personal qualities.

It is also a sales tool to tell an employer what you have done and how good you are without you beng there to do it yourself. It needs to be accurate and create an impact so that the employer has an interest in getting you in for an interview to discuss a job further.

How do I create a Resume?

Things to include are:

Personal Details

Name
Address
Contact phone numbers
Email address (if applicable)
Any applicable Licences and transport

Education & Further Training

Certificates, courses and qualifications
Year completed
Certificate/Qualification/Course title
Institution who ran the course

Skills & Personal Attributes

Summarise all your skills and attributes making them focused on the type of work you are applying for
This is where you list the benefits you have to offer the employer in a simple format
This should be in a simple layout such as in a table form

Employment History

List your jobs in reverse order - most recent first working back from there in order
Date - to and from
Title
Company Name
List of duties and responsibilities of job
List of Achievements you had in the job

References (optional - can be said - available upon request)

Name
Position
Company
Contact details (phone numbers, address, email)
If it is a personal reference then indicate this

Other information you should include if it is relevant to the position/industry you are seeking:

Membership of professional organisations
Community activities and other interests (hobbies)
Knowledge of other languages

Please note: Our Employment Advisors will assist you with creating or updating your resume when you start with us.

References

Verbal References
These are vital to you obtaining your next job, so you will need to contact your referees and let them know the type of job or jobs you are applying for. This will ensure that they are not caught off guard and are actually expecting the call and assists them in knowing what areas to focus on to give you the best reference possible.

*Never give a referee that may give you a negative or average reference. It is better to not have any referee than a bad one!*

“Don't burn your Bridges”
It is very important to leave on amicable terms when you change jobs, because what your last boss says about you will determine whether you get your next job.