Resource Information for Classified Employees
An Informational Bulletin Published by the Personnel Commission
A resume offers a concise way for a job applicant to market him/herself to a potential employer. A well written resume should highlight the applicant’s skills and abilities without coming across as a history of educational and professional experiences. Rather, a successful resume should speak to the employees future.
Spending the time to create a strong resume can give an applicant a competitive edge in the hiring process.
The Basic Structure
1. Your name and up-to-date contact information (mailing address, phone number, and email address) should appear the top of the page.
2. Briefly state your employment objective. Be as specific as possible, however, be sure that your objective relates directly to the position you are applying for.
3. Provide a summary of qualifications. This section should include years of experience in a relevant field, as well as specific skills or accomplishments that demonstrate that you would be successful in the desired position.
4. List the dates, company/organization name, city and state of each position you list. Additionally, rather than offering a simple job description consider listing the following: an important accomplishment that would reflect your ability in the given field and awards that you have received that are clearly connected to your job objective.
5. After listing work experience, list education. Include the degree received, your area of study, the name of the school, and the city and state in which the school is located.
6. If you have additional skills (such as proficiency in Microsoft Office) that are relevant to the desired position, be sure to note them.
Important Tips
• Less is more, avoid writing paragraphs. Use brief bullets to highlight important points. Unless you are
• applying for an academic position, your resume should be less then 2 pages.
Employers often prefer resumes presented in chronological order beginning with your most recent position.
Chronological resumes are easy to read and offer a format that most employers are familiar with.
MEMBERS OF THE PERSONNEL COMMISSION
James A. Srott, Chair David Iwata Calvin W. Hall, Ed.D. Karen Martin, Personnel Director (213) 891-2333
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Focus on skills and abilities, as well as significant accomplishments that are relevant to the position being sought rather than providing basic job descriptions.
While it is a good idea to tailor your resume for specific positions, be sure to accurately represent your past experiences and accomplishments.
Your resume will serve as an example of your writing and organizational skills, as well as your standards of excellence. Be sure your resume is neat, well organized, and printed clearly on good quality paper.
In describing your skills and accomplishments, use strong words that suggest action such as prepared, man-
• aged, analyzed, created, interpreted, and facilitated.
Ask a friend or peer to review your resume prior to submission. Receiving feedback will help to ensure that the content of your resume is clear and the appearance is professional.
Best of luck!