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The Perfect Resume
by Amy C. Whitmer
There are four basic steps to obtaining the perfect job: write your resume; send your resume to prospective employers; go on job interviews; wait for job offers. Each step is crucial and cannot be skipped. With that in mind, you can see that writing your resume is the catalyst that gets the whole ball rolling. While a resume will not get you a job in and of itself, a great resume will get you the interviews you need in order to get the job.
There are many characteristics that define a great resume. Perhaps a better place to start is by illustrating some common mistakes -- things NOT to do with your resume. Remember: a mediocre resume may mean no interviews or interviews only for jobs that don't meet your expectations. With that in mind, I've created a "Top Ten List of Resume Don'ts."
1. Do not lie! Creativity is good, but dishonesty is not.
This is extremely important. Even the smallest lies can come back to haunt you. For example, one acquaintance of mine stated on his resume that he earned a grade point average of 3.5 in college. The prospective employer checked with the school and found out that his GPA was actually 3.48. He was dropped from consideration for the job and was told that this was the reason. Now, obviously not all employers are going to check that kind of information, and, if they do, most aren't going to drop you if you are .02 points off. But the possibility is always there.
2. Do not give personal information! Stick to the facts that are relevant to this job search.
Your religious affiliation, political beliefs, height, weight, and the fact that you like to play volleyball are not important in most job searches. There are some exceptions to this, of course. One exception might be if you are looking for a job in the political arena --obviously, your political affiliation would then be important. But for your standard, everyday library job, it's best to leave these things off.
3. Do not forget to include a targeted "Job Objective."
"To obtain a job in a library" is not a targeted job objective. "To obtain a job as a Reference Librarian in the Johnson County Public Library System" IS a targeted job objective. Even if it means that you have to create a different resume for each job you apply for, do it.
4. Do not write in paragraph form! Stick to bulleted lists.
Your resume should highlight the important things that you have accomplished. It shouldn't be a life history. By using bulleted lists, you keep the resume clean and simple and you make it easier on the employer who may have hundreds of resumes to sort through. Bulleted lists are easier to scan with the eyes than paragraphs; therefore, your qualifications will be more likely to be noticed.
5. Do not write about things that you do not want to do again! Write about the things that you WANT to do in your next job.
If one of your duties in your current job is to conduct tours of the library for visitors and you really don't ever want to do that again, it's not necessary to put it on your resume. Your resume should show the skills and accomplishments that you want to take with you to your next job.
6. Do not have any misspellings, grammatical errors or other mistakes!
Would you want to hire someone who can't even take the time to use their spell checker or who doesn't know the difference between "there," "their," and "they're?" Enough said.
7. Do not use "vague" terminology! Use ACTION words instead.
Action words show that you are not passive. They show the potential employer that you are a take-charge kind of person who can get the job done. Use words such as "designed," "implemented," "increased," "improved," etc.
8. Do not put a "Job Objective" that cannot be supported by your resume.
If you are a public services librarian who wants to move into technical services in your next job, you need to make sure that your resume highlights anything you've done that might be considered an asset to a technical services department.
9. Do not write a job description. Write about your ACHIEVEMENTS instead.
A potential employer doesn't want to know about every detail of your job. They want to know how you took your job responsibilities and improved upon them or improved your company or library. In other words, "rewrote circulation policy" is not nearly as exciting as "rewrote circulation policy, which led to a 25% decrease in overdue books."
10. Do not be afraid to get help if resume writing is not your strongest skill!
There are two kinds of resume writers. One kind, which you commonly find at print shops, simply types up your resume for you. The other kind takes a professional approach by using an in-depth interview process to determine your strengths and weaknesses. Professional resume writers can effectively apply your skill set to a new position and write a resume that will knock the socks off your potential employer. While the cost for the services of a professional resume writer is greater, the results often mean a better job with better pay.
Amy C. Whitmer, MLS, is a librarian and the co-owner of Envision Resume Services, a professional resume writing firm. She is a member of the Professional Association of Resume Writers and Career Coaches (PARWCC) and the Career Masters Institute, and she and her business partner abide by their codes of ethics. She can be reached at info@envision-resumes.com or on the Web at http://www.envision-resumes.com