RESUME WRITING

KINZA RAHIM
TECHNICAL WRITING (HM 1O2)
DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES
GHULAM ISHAQ KHAN INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY
 DEFINITION OF A RESUME

A short account of one’s career

and qualifications prepared typically
by an applicant for a position.

Your resume is your most

important tool when applying for a
job.
 TYPES OF RESUME

Functional Resume-A functional resume focuses on your skills and experience, rather than on your chronological work history. Instead of
having a “work history” section at the top of your resume, you might have a “professional experience” or “accomplishments” section that
lists various skills you have developed over the years. The functional resume format allows you to take the pressure off your work history
and focus more on your skills and abilities. That’s why it’s also called the skills-based resume format. The focus is shifted from job titles and
dates to your actual relevant skill set.It is typically used by job seekers who are changing careers, who have gaps in their employment
history, students with less working experience or people, whose work history is not directly related to the job. If you are looking for a
job in creative industries, where your portfolio matters more than your resume, go ahead and use creative functional resumes.

Chronological Resume-A chronological resume starts by listing your work history, with the most recent position listed first. Below your
most recent job, you list your other jobs in reverse chronological order. Employers typically prefer this type of resume because it's easy
to see what jobs you have held and when you have worked at them. This is the most common resume type.

Combinational-The combination resume format (or hybrid resume) is a middle ground between the reverse chronological resume and
functional one. As the name suggests, it combines the aspects of the other two resume types. The combination style focuses more on
skills but leaves plenty of room to provide details on your past work. Shortly, it focuses on skills without throwing off the work
experience section. The more transferable skills you include, the easier it will be to make a successful resume.
PREPARING A RESUME

Planning:

a. Analyze : Study your purpose and

your audience to tailor your message
for maximum effect.

b. Investigate : Gather relevant

information about you and about the
employer you’re targeting .

c. Adapt: Establish a good relationship

by highlighting those skills and
qualifications that match each employer.
 CONT…

Make your
b. style direct
2. Writing: Compose: and brief

a. Organize: Make your

Use a reverse resume
chronological businesslike
order and Formal
 CONT….

3.Completing:

a. Revise: Evaluate the content ,revising for

both clarity and conciseness.

b. Produce: Ensure a clean look

c. Proofread: Look carefully for errors in

spelling and mechanics that can detract from
your professionalism.
 HOW SHOULD I ORDER MY
CHRONOLOGICAL RESUME?
Contact details

Opening statement

Employment history

Educational qualifications

List of key skills

List of technical/software skills

Personal attributes

Activities and Accomplishments

References/referees
 HOW SHOULD I ORDER MY
FUNCTIONAL RESUME?
Contact details

Opening statement

KEY SKILLS

List of technical/software skills

Employment history

Educational qualifications

Other Skills if any

Personal attributes

Activities and Accomplishments

References/referees
COMBINATION RESUME

Contact information

Resume objective

Skills Summary

Additional Skills

Work Experience

Education

Attributes

Accomplishments

References
WHAT SHOULD YOUR RESUME
INCLUDE?

• Make sure you

include your name,
email address and a
Contact contact phone
number, address on
Details your resume.
• Who you are?
• How to reach you?
 2. OPENING STATEMENT

An opening statement is a summary of

who you are, where you've studied
and/or worked, and what you bring to
the job. It should be about six lines long
and written in first person without the
personal reference (i.e., don't say "I did
this" - say “Did this" instead).
OPENING STATEMENT CONT’D

A summary statement can quickly and effectively brand

you to a prospective employer. The summary statement
should be approximately four to six lines long.A resume
summary statement is a short paragraph at the beginning
of a resume that highlights a job seeker’s professional
skills and experience. It gives hiring managers a glimpse
into the job seeker’s expertise before diving into their
resume. The goal of a summary statement is to
demonstrate the job seeker’s unique value through their
skills and accomplishments.
 SUMMARY STATEMENT (EXAMPLE)

• Dynamic and motivated professional with a

proven record of generating and building
relationships, managing projects from concept to
completion, designing educational strategies, and
coaching individuals to success. Skilled in building
cross-functional teams, demonstrating exceptional
communication skills, and making critical
decisions during challenges. Adaptable and
transformational leader with an ability to work
independently, creating effective presentations,
and developing opportunities that further
establish organizational goals.
 EXAMPLE CONT’D

Conscientious administrative assistant

with 4+ years of experience providing
executive-level support. Introduced
inventory supply software and saved 5% in
costs. Highly proficient with QuickBooks
3. EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

When providing your employment

history, start with the your most
recent job and go backwards from
there. Give the position title and the
dates you worked there.

If you haven't had a job before, you can

use other things to demonstrate your
experience, including:
• Work experience you've done through school
• Work placements or internships that you've
done through university
• Volunteer work you've done
 HOW TO LIST YOUR EMPLOYMENT
HISTORY

The work history section of a functional resume is short.You

Job Title/Position - Your only need to list the names of the companies you worked for,
job title goes on top of each as well as each job title.
work experience entry.
You don’t have to list your previous jobs in a specific order
either, because adding employment dates for those jobs is
optional.
Company Name /
Location / Description -
Then, you mention the name Here’s an example of an effective work history section on a
of the relevant employer, as functional resume:
well as the location of the
office you work/have worked
in.
Work History on a Functional Resume

Achievements and
Responsibilities - This is Ulta, Manhattan, NY
the core of each work (2016–2017)
experience entry.. Sales Clerk

GAP, Albany, NY
(2014–2015)
Sales Representative
Dates Employed - The
timeframe of your
employment in each The North Face, Albany, NY
company. (2012)
Retail Clerk
4. EDUCATIONAL HISTORY

Your Educational History only

needs to show your highest
level of education.You don't
need to include your results,
unless showing them proves
how well you're suited to the
job.
 HOW TO LIST YOUR EDUC ATIONAL
HISTORY

Program Name. E.g.: “B.A. in Business Administration”
University Name. E.g.: “New York State University”
Years Attended. E.g.: “08/2008 - 06/2012”
Unless the education section of your resume directly relates to the job
you’re applying for, only include the name of your university or
organization, the city and state, the degree you received, and your GPA (if
it’s above 3.5).
Here’s an example of how to list your education background on a
functional resume:

(Optional) GPA. E.g.: “3.9 GPA” Education History on a Functional Resume

(Optional) Honors. E.g.: Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude,

Summa Cum Laude. B.A. / Primary Education
San Jose State University, May 2012
(Optional) Academic achievements. Any interesting
papers you’ve written, courses you’ve excelled in, etc.
National Board of Professional Teaching Standards
Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, March 2013
(Optional) Minor. “Minor in Psychology”
 5. KEY SKILLS & STRENGTHS

Your resume should include a list of between 10 and 15 skills

that link your experience to the job you're applying for.

When putting together this list, think of things you've done or

learned to do as part of:

Jobs you've had,Your studies, Any work placements you've

done, Any volunteering you've done
 FOR A FUNCTIONAL RESUME

• If you use a functional resume format, the skills on

your resume are more emphasized than your work
history.
• What this means is that typically the skills section of a
functional resume is about the same size as the work
experience section of a chronological resume.
• When writing the resume skills section on your
functional resume, choose at least three skills that
are applicable to the job you’re applying for. For each
skill, add 3–4 bullet points that prove that skill.
• Additionally, adding numbers to those bullet points
gives employers confidence that you can fulfill the job
requirements. Include at least one bullet point with
numbers for each skill to catch the hiring manager’s
attention.
 • This is a short list of the names of
6. software or technology you know
Technical/Software how to use. Examples might include:
Skills • Programming languages
• Tools (e.g., cash registers)

• If you haven't got much work

experience, a list of personal
7. Personal
Attributes attributes can be another way to
demonstrate that you're the right
person for the job.
 Your resume should
8. list two people who
can positively
References/Referees recommend you as an
employee.

A testimonial is Getting a testimonial

another good way to can be as easy as asking
prove that your skill a colleague, teacher or
9.Testimonials and experience is what previous employer to
the employer is looking write a couple of
for. sentences about you.
KEYWORDS
• A lot of recruitment agencies use software that
scans applications for key words and phrases.
• To make sure your resume has the right key
words and phrases, check out the job ad and
make a list of the words and phrases it uses.

Once you have a list to work from,

start adding those words and phrases
to your resume.
 WHAT NOT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR
RESUME?

Personal Information:
Demographics/birthdate/ailments/disabilities

Information in tables

Typographical errors

Graphics and Images

Fancy Formatting
FORMAT FOR A CRONOLOGICAL
RESUME
FORMAT FOR A
FUNCTIONAL
RESUME
FUNCTIONAL RESUME-EXAMPLE
CONT’D
FUNCTIONAL RESUME-SAMPLE
COMBINATIONAL
RESUME SAMPLE
 • Resume is an important tool for marketing yourself.
CONCLUSION It's more than just a document: It outlines your
background, your skills, and your education so that a
potential employer is quickly and easily able to see
how your individual experiences can contribute to a
company's success.
• Following the format of a resume is very important.
• A good resume can land you at a good workplace
• A resume is usually accompanied by a cover letter.
Thank You!