The average recruiter or employment specialist may easily look at 200 resumes in just a week's time. They receive resumes in the mail and on-line, all from candidates looking for the ideal job. Hundreds of resumes may be reviewed for a single position. From the hundreds of resumes that are submitted, only a fraction will be selected for an interview. It's a number's game that can leave you on the outside looking in, if you don't put together a professional resume that works. Your challenge then is to produce a resume that will be viewed favorably, will stand out, and will result in an interview.

The first thing you should understand is that the resume is more than just a piece of paper with some information on it. You should view the resume as a marketing tool, your personal representative to the recruiter. Think about it for a moment, the resume gets a brief review before the organization's first line decision-makers. That person will decide in a matter of seconds whether you deserve to advance to the interview. Your resume must be compelling enough to impress both human and electronic eyes in this first stage in order to get you to the vital second stage. In short, your resume must represent you in the most positive light possible if you are to advance to the interview stage.

Getting Started

Most hiring managers and recruiters agree that a resume should have a clean professional look that is easy to read. While content is considered more important than format, the chronological format is clearly favored over others. This is because the chronological format provides a clear record of your work history and allows for inclusion of your extracurricular activities and honors. So, where do you start? Before you decide on format or even content of the resume, you should start with a series of lists. First, you need to make a list of what it is employers generally are seeking in the ideal candidate. That list should look something like the one below.

What Employers Look for in Candidates

* Communication Skills

* Interpersonal Skills

* Computer Skills

* Work Experience

* Motivation/Initiative

* GPA/Academics

* Leadership Abilities

* Analytical Skills

* Ethics

* Teamwork Skills

* Career Focus

* Writing Skills

Your list could be longer or shorter, but it should be a list that is similar to this one. These are some skills and attributes that were recently identified as essential for employers surveyed by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). Using this list or one of your own, you should determine which of these skills and attributes you possess. Make a check mark next to each skill you think you possess. Place another check mark next to those skills and attributes that you feel are real strong suits for you. These should be skills you can easily demonstrate if called upon to do so. The reason why this little exercise is important is because if you are selected to interview, you can count on being asked to discuss these skills extensively. Now circle the things on the lists that are not particularly strong points for you. Be honest! Okay, you can put this list aside for now. We'll come back to it later.

The next thing you need to do is put together a list of your work and volunteer experience. Next to each experience list some skill(s) that you used or learned while you worked there. All work experience is valuable whether it is related to a specific career or not, so don't leave anything out. Now that we have our working lists we can start with the construction of the resume.

Types of Resume Formats

Depending on whom you talk to or what book you read, there are several types of resume formats in use, but in this article, we'll just discuss two. The two most popular resume for= mats are the Functional, and the Chronological. The Functional resume emphasizes major skill areas and competencies such as Project Management, Sales, or Training. The functional resume is best suited for persons with extensive work experience and probably should be avoided by students. However, in some rare situations, the Functional format may work. An example of what a Functional resume may look like for a recent college graduate is provided.

The chronological resume organizes work experience in reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent work experience and working backward. The advantage of the chronological format is that work history is easy to follow. Most recruiters favor the chronological format for college students and young professionals. in fact, many hiring managers prefer the chronological to all other formats because it is easy to read and easy to get critical information. The following resume is a good example of a chronological resume.

Putting the Pieces Together

The first section of the resume is the contact information or heading. The heading should include your name, address and telephone number. You should also include your email address, since many employers now like to contact students directly about interview schedules and other important information. Make yourself as accessible as you can. If you have a web page and cell phone you may want to include them as well. When printing your name use bold face type between 14 and 16 font size. Often students will use an oversized font in uppercase with boldface type. This is overkill. While your name should stand out, it shouldn't be too large and ostentatious. When a name is so large, it throws off the balance and cosmetic appeal of the resume.