Tips for creating a good resume

Jessica Kelly | Staff Writer
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The economy is in shambles and many people are barely scraping by. All-time high unemployment rates give new meaning to the old term “starving student.” So, what’s a City College student to do?

The first step in braving the harsh job market is a solid resume. According to the informational pamphlets supplied by the City College Career Center, a resume is a short document that showcases your skills, education, experience and achievements. A well constructed resume can be a great way to get your foot in the door of any industry.

Poonam S. Kelkar, an employee at the City College Career Center, knows that a resume can help an applicant communicate skills to an employer.

“A resume says, ‘Here is what I have to offer.’ It shows you have what your employer is looking for,” says Kelkar.

There is no standard to writing a resume, however there are four basic resume layouts to choose from according to the pamphlets.

Chronological resumes are the most commonly used. They are practical if a person plans to stay in the same field of work. These resumes simply list work history and experience in chronological order beginning with the most recent job.

Functional resumes are useful if there are large gaps of time in work history. They emphasize knowledge, skills and achievements.

Combination resumes are best when the applicant wishes to emphasize volunteer work, internship experience, job experience, or if they are planning a career change. These are typically written in reverse chronological order.

Curricula Vitae, or simply C.V., is the least commonly used resume format because it is specifically used in the higher-education, science and medical fields — and often for international employment.
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With so many different ways to format a resume, it can be challenging to know what information is useful to an employer and what should be left out.

Danielle Hansen, a nursing student at City College, was the general manager of a Beach Hut Deli for more than four years. Hansen was responsible for hiring employees at the deli and reviewed handfuls of resumes daily. She says she preferred applications that were turned in with resumes attached.

“Resumes show initiative — that they want the job,” Hansen says.

For Hansen, the most important feature in a resume is work experience and an applicant’s personal skills.

“It’s hard to get a job if you don’t have experience,” Hansen says. “When you explain your personal skills, give examples.”

Hansen believes that presenting your skills through personal experiences is a strong way to set yourself apart from other applicants. Also, neatness is an important aspect of any professional document.

“If it looks like crap and is just boring looking, I don’t want it,” Hansen says. “Spend time on it.”

A common problem students face when job seeking is that their work experience is a long list of different kinds of jobs. This makes it difficult to define specific skills that relate to the position they are currently applying for.

Diana Byrd, a fashion merchandising major at City College, found ways to work around this problem. Her past work experience included Dos Coyotes Border Café, the Music Circus and the Aldo shoe store.

“For each job I listed different parts I did that would qualify for any job, like customer service, sales and cleaning,” Byrd says,

For more information on resumes and other application processes come to the Career Center in Rodda North, room 147.