Resume

What does resume mean?

A resume is an introductory letter written to employers to document the qualifications,skills and work experience of the applicant.CV is an abbreviation for the Latin word Curriculum Vitae.Curriculum means ‘route,way’ whereas vitae means ‘life’.Resume means a ‘summary’and it is a French word.The words CV(Curriculum Vitae)and ‘resume’ are mistaken for each other.A resume is a one or two page summary of the person’s life,experience and skills written to employers for the purpose of finding a job.On the other hand,a CV is an introductory document which is generally used in academic applications and includes more detailed information such as publications and research and conferences given.

How is a resume written ? 

A resume is the most important element that introduces you to the employer and which will determine whether you will be called for an interview or not.This document is a small advert that tells other people about you.A well-prepared resume increases your chance of being called for an interview.

- As employers will study your resume in a very short time,it is very important to emphasize your difference and strong points in your resume.For this reason,give a brief summary of yourself and be honest and self -confident.

- Your resume should be neat and clean.The paper should not have any marks,stains or wrinkles.If a photograph is needed,you should attach a recent one in which you wear a suit and that looks clear.

- Be careful that the people you state as references in your resume are people who really know you and can give correct information about you.

- A resume enables you to be called for an interview.If you wish to apply for different positions,it will be suitable to prepare resumes with different formats.

- If you are a new graduate and do not have work experience,emphasize the experience and skills you have gained from courses,training,summer jobs or part-time jobs,practical training and social projects related to the position you have applied for.

- Use simple andclear sentences

- If you are compenent in English,prepare a second resume in English and send it to companies that need English speaking employees.

- If you are a new graduate and do not have any work experience,a one-page resume is sufficient.You may prepare a two-page resume if you have more than one degree and/or work experience.The length of the resume may vary depending on the career field.

- Pay attention to punctuation.The resume should be checked a few times and mistakes should be corrected.

 

The format of the resume

- It must be written using A4 paper with a margin of 2.5 cm and only one side of the sheet should be used.

- Times New Roman or Arial with a point of 11 or 12 should be used and the resume should be written using Word or PDF.The resume should not be handwritten.

- The name should be written at the top and the address should be written on another line.

- Horizontal/vertical lines,tables and graphs should not be used.

Types of resume ()

Chronological resume

It is a type of resume in which educational background and work experiences are written stating the success and responsibilities of each one using reverse chronological order.The latest job position is written first and each position is written stating the date of each one.If you have work experience regarding your career aim,it is the most suitable resume to be used.

Functional resume

It is the kind of resume in which experiences are given under the heading of skills whereas job positions,employers and dates are written in another part. If the career field you apply for is different from your educational background and experience, or you have stopped working for some time,this type of resume may be used.

Combination Type of the Resume

This is the type of resume prepared as the result of the use of chronological and functional resumes. This type can be used if the field of carrier that you applied for is related to the previous experiences you had. In this type of resume, you can submit your skills which are directly related (or not) with the position you have been applying for in different categories. This way, you can write your experiences and skills which are related to the position you have been applying for on the top without taking the chronological order into consideration. This type of resume can be effective in many situations.

Information to be Included in the Resume

  • Objective of carrier
  • Personal Information
  • Educational Information and Certificates
  • Job Experience/Internship
  • Skills (computer literacy, language level, technical information etc.)
  • Activities
  • Membership
  • Interests
  • References

Key points to consider while preparing a Resume

Prefer a Word File while writing your CV as a previously prepared draft will limit you and destroy your distinction among others. This is the reason of preference for many reasons.

It is up to you to write an objective explanation which is a good way of determining the basic objective of your CV.

You may include your experiences at high school if you are a first or second grade student at the university. But as you are experienced in a specific field of carrier and as you get professional and as this info does not reflect the existing you anymore and as this information is in the past, there will be no need to use your high school experiences.

If you have an educational experience abroad, you should refer to this in the education part of your CV. You can mention this in detail if you have an internship experience or likewise in the experience part of your CV.

Part time or summer time job experiences help you to show some of the skills you maintained though these may not be directly related to the position you have been applying for. These are the kinds of skills to be used in many fields. It can be useful to focus on these skills if you do not have the required experience in the field you have been applying for. It is required to show these kinds of skills while enriching your CV with your experiences.

Employees search for the most qualified nominees while they evaluate the resumes. You should list your experience and explain them in detail by making use of article markers. The articles should not be more than one or two lines. You can write five or six articles for the experiences you have listed.

You can make use of the external activities that are not directly related to your education and field of carrier as these are appreciated by the employees and the master programs.

The use of technology, computer literacy, language level, skills on the specified field and the certificates are the extra skills that are supposed to distinguish you from the other nominees. You should use accurate statements while writing this information. You should not use the terms specialist or expert as these can be examined in case they are accurate. You can include your language level and basic skills.

Information to be excluded in your resume and the mistakes

Information to be excluded

  • The statement Resume should not be used as the heading
  • Personal information like the football team you support should not be included
  • Funny e-mail addresses should not be used
  • All educational information should not be listed starting from the primary school.
  • You can write five or six articles for each experience.

Mistakes

  • Writing the personal and the contact information in a combined way.
  • Not writing the name of the school and the department accurately
  • Not including short term job experiences in the CV (company owned by the family, job experience at the companies of the acquaintances etc.)
  • Using general statements in the social activities and hobbies parts (like cinema, music and theatre)
  • Not including the chronological order and the period in educational information, job and the internship experience part.

Sample CVs and the websites to make use of

www.cvornekleri.gen.tr

www.kariyer.cc/cv/cv-ornekleri.html

www.globalcv.com

www.yenibiris.com

www.kariyer.net

 

 

Resources: Penn State University Career Guide

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