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The experience section of your resume only becomes important if you have properly sold yourself in the summary section and in your cover letter.
An experience section should include the name of the company, a brief “what the company does” description, the dates that you worked there, your position or title, what you did there (repsonsibilities or duties), and what you contributed.
Start by using the official name of the company and provide the dates that you worked there. Use “present” for the ending date if you are still working at that company. Put a brief line describing what the company did. Here is an example:
Widgets ‘R Us, Inc. 2009 – present
A tier one supplier of widgets
Sales Manager
Managed six sales associates covering the North American market.
- Increased widget sales by $6 million in one year.
Remember to use Action Verbs when describing your accomplishments.
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The education section should include the type of degree (without periods), the major or program, and graduation the year.
Here are some examples:
MBA, Strategic Management, Davenport University, Dearborn, MI 2010
BA, Advertising, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 2005
AAS, Electronic Engineering Technology, Macomb Community College, Warren, MI 1999
Continuing education courses, programs, training units, etc. should be listed if relevant:
- Diversity or Management Training
- Crisis Management
- First Aid Certification
- Teacher Certification
Academic honors or graduated with distinction can be included as well:
- Summa Cum Laude – “with highest honor”
- Magna Cum Laude – “with great honor”
- Cum Laude – “with honor”
Grade Point Average is important for recent grads. Use your Major GPA or your overall GPA which ever is higher.
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After completing the standard sections of your resume remember to include anything that is relevant to your experience.
The remainder of your resume should reflect information that will enhance your image (or brand).
These items could be included:
Professional Memberships
Accreditation’s and Licenses
Military Service
Community Activities
Volunteer Work
Patents and Publications
Hobbies (only mention interesting, relevant, or exceptional performance)
Languages Spoken
Security Clearance
Remember to NOT include any personal information or information that is typical or irrelevant.
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Unemployment. A very sad word indeed.
It is time to get past the sadness and get back to work.
You need to apply for unemployment benefits. Each state is different so, to determine your eligebility visit your states unemployment site. Some of them are listed here.
If you are one of the lucky few who receives a severance package it is likely that you will have to wait for the severance to run out before applying. Either way, check with your states requirements before proceeding.
When considering a job change whether it is voluntary or involuntary you need to be concerned about your financial situation.
Either way you need to plan on how this change will effect you now and in the future.
Medical Benefits
If you are facing an eminent lay off you may want to take advantage of your companies benefits before they expire. Scheduling trips to the dentist, the eye doctor, or any other medical needs before your benefits expire can help you avoid costly expenses.
Retirement Contributions
If you are contributing to a 401k plan and you know that you may be loosing your job, you may consider ending that contribution if you are worried about becoming cash poor during your job search. What ever you decide, you need to understand your retirement plan and the options available to you.
Emergency Funds
If you still have a job you should build up a savings cushion to handle emergency expenses or to help you get through times of unemployment should you loose your job. This money needs to in an account that you can get your hands on quickly when you need it.
Plan Your Life
If you think that you are going to loose your job soon or you have lost your job you need to take a look at all of your expenses to determine what you can reduce or eliminate. Reducing your monthly cash out flow is critical during a time of unemployment. Consider reducing or eliminating your cable TV, canceling subscriptions, and stop eating out. Plan your activities to reduce the number of trips to the store. Plan your meals to ensure the best use of your food and make sure that food is consumed and not thrown out. Wear more clothing in the winter so that you can turn the heat down. Check for window and door leaks as well. Fix your old car instead of buying a new one. Consider delaying any purchases that are not necessary. Do a thorough review of your monthly budget to see where your money goes and look for opportunities to save. Being diligent in your planning will save you money.
Taxes
It is important to remember that your taxes will change when your job changes. If you take a new job that pays more than your last one you will probably have to pay more in taxes. If you are looking for a new job your search efforts may be deductable. Remember to keep track of these expenses.
Once you understand you financial situation you will be better prepared for your job search. You will know what you need financially in a new job and you will be better prepared to make the necessary decisions that affect your future.
At this point you have dealt with your emotional train wreck and you have your money managed!
Now it is time to get to the work of getting back to work. Welcome to your new job: finding a job. That’s right finding a new job is a full time job. And guess what? Your in sales! That’s right, weather we like it or not, we are all in sales. Selling ourselves.
Job Search Center
Every workforce has a home base and so does yours. Lucky for you your home base is at home.
Wherever you set up your office, you will need a table or desk, good lighting, a comfortable chair, and a phone within arms reach. It also needs to be quiet for when you answer the telephone so that there are no distractions.
Job Search Tool Box
Computer. If you don’t own one or can’t afford one you need to find one you can use. Often your local library will have computers available. Or perhaps you have a friend or family member who can help you out. If all else fails you can look for a Cyber Cafe at www.cybercaptive.com
Telephone. You will need a reliable phone. It is preferable that this phone be dedicated to your job search and have voice mail. Your voice mail message needs to be short and professional. A cell phone is a good option as long as you keep it with you.
Personal Planner. This where you keep track of your appointments, progress, and notes. Remember to back up all important information. You can do this with photo copies or on your computer.
Job Search Productivity
Since finding your new job is your job, you need to go to work on a regular schedule. You need to get up every day, get dressed and go to work. You need to plan out your day. You need to break your day into pursuing different leads, networking, and all of the tasks that will ultimately lead to your new job.
Once you have your work space defined, your tool box filled, and days planned you will be ready to begin your search.
I remember it like it was yesterday.
My company had a massive downsizing event which is a nice way of saying I lost my job. After a long drive home I had a long cry with my spouse. I was angry, I was frustrated, I was up set. I decided to jump right in and find me a new job. I grabbed the phone and called one of my preferred recruiters. We were going through the usual details about salary requirement and relocation options when she asked me a not-standard question. “How are you feeling?” I was unprepared for this question and paused as all of the emotion of the last few days welled up to the surface. It was at that moment that I realized that I was not yet ready to talk about my job loss. I needed time to accept my loss and time to understand my situation. I needed to get a grip.
You do too. Get a grip before you attack your job search. Talk to you family, your friends, or your therapist.
After you get a grip you will be better prepared for the job search tasks ahead.
Good luck with your search!
Here we will be amassing all of the critical resources related to job searching. As we add information please feel free to comment on our success or failure. Please leave your suggestion here.
Good Luck in your job search.
Your contact information is more than how to get in touch with you, it is your very first impression that you present to a potential employer.
You should include your name, address (with zip code), and your phone number. If you are concerned about identity theft you may wish to only include your city and state as your address. You should put only one phone number on your resume. Which one? The one you will answer the most! Most likely this will be a cell phone. You do not want to miss that all important call when it arrives.
You also need to have an email address on your resume. The best choice here is to have something with your name in it like JohnSmith@gmail.com. You should avoid unusual emails like HotDude@dudesRus.net. You can see how this email address may turn off a potential employer. Your name is the safest bet for an email address.
You should avoid using abbreviations that the reader of your resume will not understand and it is important that once you send out a resume with this information that you check your voice mail and email often. A delay in a response could result in a loss of an opportunity.
Remember that this is your first impression. Make it a good one.
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A resume is summary of all of your education and experiences. It may also be referred to as a CV or curriculum vitae which is another way of saying that it is a summary of your academic and work history. Regardless of what you call it, you need it.
Below are the parts of a resume. Click on each part to review how to present it on your resume.
Parts of your Resume
1. Contact Information
2. Career Objective
3. Summary
4. Experience
5. Education
6. Additional Details
Remember to use Action Verbs to describe yourself.
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