Present Yourself as the Solution to the Employer's Needs

Exercise 1: Create Your Resume

Now that you are familiar with several employer's needs, present the opportunity to fill those needs. You have a product to offer: You! Tell the employer how your strengths and abilities can meet their needs. Highlight what you have to offer and show you are well rounded. Be careful not to pigeon hole yourself causing elimination from consideration for additional positions within the organization.

Remember, the following tips are merely guidelines. Use your own words, your natural style of speaking, and say what's comfortable for you.

You can organize your resume two different ways: chronological or functional. 

Chronological format: List your job history starting with your current or most recent position and work back 10-15 years. This provides a clear progression in a particular field and works well for people who are building on their experience.
NEW! Automatically generate your own chronological format resume.

Functional/Combination format: Focus on your areas of expertise, highlighting your key accomplishments (which may include volunteer work). The flexibility of this format allows you to focus on the accomplishments that are most relevant to the position you seek. The functional format works well for those changing career fields or those with strong accomplishments in a particular function.

The key is to express your accomplishments and experience in a straight-forward, honest layout. You must be comfortable with the arrangement and information. 

Resume Writing Tips

Your resume will not get you a job, it will get you an interview. Highlight only those accomplishments, additional training courses, memberships and community activities that support your career goal. Consider the following resume do’s and don’ts:

Resume Do’s: Resume Don’ts:
  • Be honest
  • Be specific about your accomplishments and results – use action verbs
  • Keep your resume to no more than two pages – your reader will likely spend 30 seconds or less reviewing your resume
  • Leave white space – use bullets rather than paragraphs, wide margins, space in between headings, etc.
  • Use white, high quality bond paper
  • Double-check your spelling and grammar
  • Follow up faxes and emails with a paper copy
  • Talk about what you can do - there is no need to mention a disability at this point
  • Do not include salary information
  • Don’t list job tasks and duties
    Do not speak in generalities
  • Do not eliminate yourself from a position by including graduation dates, a photo, medical information, race, religion, etc.
  • Do not use a distracting layout or graphics
  • Do not include references

Give yourself a sanity check: review your resume. Show it to someone who knows you. Does it sound like you (the best possible you)?

Continue to exercise 2: Create A Cover Letter