Resume Process

1) Gather a handful of job listings that you will apply for and analyze the job. Identify the specific skills candidates must have.

2) Analyze the organization or company. Find out if they require or prefer certain resume formats. What else do they value? What evidence can you provide -- in terms of life experience, community service, membership to organizations, accolades etc. -- that you value these things as well? 

3) Analyze your skills and experience (see Skills and Experience Worksheet). Turn your experience into lists of active verbs; make lists of specific activities you have done (experience) and can do (skills).

4) Match your skills to those required by the job. Decide whether you should emphasize skills, experience or education.

5) Look at examples of other resumes and decide how you want your resume to look. Make your choice based on:

~ what you want to emphasize, and

~ what strikes you personally as appealing.

6) Begin drafting your resume: outline the categories and begin filling it in!

7) Peer-review: does the resume show that I am prepared to do the job.

8) Edit with absolute and extreme care. One stupid typo may cost you the job.