Before you write, take time to do a self-assessment on paper. Outline your skills and abilities as well as your work experience and extracurricular activities. This will make it easier to prepare a thorough resume.

When you do this, be sure to write down dates as it can be very important – especially in showing that you have a consistent work history. Gaps in work history do not bear well with potential employers as it gives the impression that you are not reliable.

Gather together the names of the businesses you have worked for along with their address and phone number and the name of your immediate supervisor at the time. Do not include salary history on a general resume. If salary comes up, it will be during the interview or at the time you are – hopefully – offered the job.

Note special achievements and awards you have received along with the date you received them. You may also want to include a blurb about the qualifications that needed to be met in order to receive that award.

But we are getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s begin with the heading of the resume.

The Heading

The heading of your resume provides basic contact information about you. That means your name, address, any telephone numbers you are available at and your e-mail address. You can arrange this information in a variety of ways. The simple way is like this:

Michelle Smith

555 My Bright Way
Yourtown, IL 54321
Home Phone: (555) 555-5555
Cell Phone: (555) 444-4444
e-mail: michellesmith@youremail.com

As you can see, the name is in larger print than the rest of the information and in bold. The rest of the contact information is in smaller print and not bolded.

Another format you can use for the heading looks like this:

Michelle Smith

555 My Bright Way * Yourtown, IL 54321 * Home Phone (555) 555-5555 * Cell Phone: (555) 444-4444 * michellesmith @youremail.com

Yet another way that you can construct the heading is like this:

Michelle Smith

555 My Bright Way
Yourtown, IL 54321
Home Phone (555) 555-5555 * Cell Phone (555) 444-4444 * michellesmith @youremail.com

The important thing to remember about the heading is that it contains your up-to-date pertinent information and highlights your name. Here are some other pointers to remember when writing the heading of your resume:

• Avoid nicknames.
• Use a permanent address. Use your parents’ address, a friend’s address, or the address you plan to use after graduation.
• Use a permanent telephone number and include the area code. If you have an answering machine, record a neutral greeting.
• Add your e-mail address. Many employers will find it useful. (Note: Choose an e-mail address that sounds professional.)
• Include your web site address only if the web page reflects your professional ambitions.

The next section is your objective statement.

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