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A resumé is a document that summarizes your education, skills, talents, employment history, and experiences in a clear and concise format for potential employers.
The resumé serves three distinct purposes that define its format, design, and presentation:
Resumés have several basic elements that employers look for, including your contact information, education, and work experience. Each resumé format may organize the information in distinct ways based on the overall design strategy, but all information should be clear, concise, and accurate
This section is often located at the top of the document. The first element of the contact information is your name. You should generally use your full, legal name. Other necessary information includes your address, phone number(s), and email address.
Here is an example of the contact information section on a resumé.
John Smith
1234 Main Street
Phoenix, AZ 85001
(928) 344-7649
john.smith@gmail.com
You need to list your education in reverse chronological order, with your most recent degree first. List the school and degree for each each entry. You may also want to note any academic awards you received.
Here is an example of the education section on a resumé.
Education
Northern Arizona University - Yuma, Arizona, May 2009
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Minor in Communication
List in reverse chronological order your employment history, including the positions, companies, locations, dates, duties, and skills demonstrated or acquired. You may choose to use active, descriptive sentences or bullet lists, but be consistent.
Emphasize accomplishments that involved budgets, teamwork, supervision, and customer service when applying for positions in business and industry, but don’t let emphasis become exaggeration. This document represents you in your absence, and if information is false, at a minimum you could lose your job.
Here is an example of the work experience section on a resumé.
Work Experience
Dolle Company, Yuma, AZ, August 2015 - Present
Shift Manager, Lettuce Processing and Packaging
- Supervise 30 team members
- Develop, coordinate, implement, and evaluate shift schedules
- Address quality-control improvements, including employee training
- Achieved 60% increase in production quality across shifts
Saveway Grocery, Yuma, AZ, August 2014 - August 2015
Assistant Produce Manager, Vegetables
- Stocked, ordered, and managed display of vegetables in produce department
- Supervised part-time staff as needed
- Managed produce budget, including purchase orders
Source: This tutorial has been adapted from "Business Communication for Success" Version 1.0 by Scott McLean. Copyright 2010. ISBN 978-1-4533-2742-5 (Licensee Product: Workplace Communication), reprinted with permission from FlatWorld.