Résumé
-Building
Techniques
(And other employability skills)
By: John Nolan
Assistant Director of Education
What is a résumé?
A résumé, sometimes spelled resume (or alternatively resumé), is a document
created and used by a person to present their background, skills, and
accomplishments. In certain places, it is called a called a curriculum vitae (CV).
Résumés are used to secure new employment.
A typical résumé contains a summary of relevant job experience and education.
The résumé is usually one of the first items which a potential employer sees
regarding the job seeker and is typically used to screen applicants, and is often
followed by an interview.
The word “résumé” comes from the French word
résumer, meaning “to summarize”. Leonardo da Vinci
is credited with the first résumé, though his “résumé”
takes the form of a letter written in 1481 to a potential
employer.
What is the difference between a
Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a résumé?
The term CV is an abbreviation of the Latin
word Curriculum Vitae, which is literally
translated to “the course of your life”. A CV is a
very in-depth document that describes your
career journey step-by-step, including all sorts
of personal information. You can look at the CV
as a comprehensive description of everything
you have ever done, all the achievements you
are proud of, and all the publications that bear
your name. There is no rule on how long a CV
should be – depending on the amount of
experience, it can range from 2 to 8 pages, or
even more.
Full name
Contact information
Professional title, resume summary, or
resume objective
Research interests
Education
Publications (both academic papers and
books)
Teaching or lecturing experience
Work experience
Conferences and courses
Skills
Certificates
Languages
Grants of fellowships
References
What to Include on a CV:
CV
A résumé is a short, straight-to-the-point, document created
for the purpose of applying to a specific job. Unlike the CV, you
should try to keep a résumé as short as possible. In 99% of the
cases, you’d want to keep your résumé to a 1-page max. If you
have 15+ years of experience, or really believe that the extra
information you can mention can add value to your application,
you can make it 2 pages tops. In a résumé, you only mention the
aspects of your work experience and skills that are relevant to
the job you’re applying for.
Résumé
Anato
my of a
Résu
mé
Contact Information (name,
physical address, cell phone
number, e-mail address)
Summary of Qualifications:
A bulleted list of 4 or 5 sentences that
briefly explain your qualifications for
the job.
Professional Experience
● Descending chronological order
● Job title, company name,
city/state, period of time, duties
● Use keywords
● 5-7 years
Education
● Descending chronological order
● Graduation, school name,
city/state, period of time
● No unfinished studies. Current
studies yes (expected graduation
date)
Professional Skills
Job-related (keywords),
computer, languages, etc.
References are available upon request.
Sample
Résumé
The résumé is commonly presented together with a job
application and a Cover Letter. A Cover Letter is a one-page
business letter that you submit when applying to a job. As a
piece of persuasive writing, your cover letter will aim to
convey to the employer why you’re a great candidate for the
role.
Once you have secured the
opportunity of a job interview, you
must prepare for it accordingly
(professional attire, documents,
practice job interview questions).
Job Interview Questions
● Research info (company, wage, etc.)
● Prepare your answers (keywords)
● Practice your answers (mirror, friends, etc.)
● Positive attitude
Common Job Interview Questions
1.- Tell me a little about yourself.
I was born and raised in (city, country).
I achieved a (diploma) from (institution).
I have (period of time) of experience in the (career) field.
I worked/have been working at (company) for (period of time).
2.- What do you know about this company?
-Owner
-Foundation
-Products/services
-Other relevant info
3.- What are the requirements/skills that are necessary for this
position?
Go to Google and type:
For example, cashier job description, and you will find the answers.
4.- Why is customer service so important in businesses nowadays?
Every business exists thanks to the customers. If the customers are
happy with the service they receive, they will always come back. They
will also tell other people that the company offers quality products and
excellent service. Consequently, the business will grow. This has the
opposite effect too.
5.- What salary are you looking for?
According to my investigation on the Internet, I understand that the
salary range for this position is between $________ and $_________,
and I would like to be paid based on my experience, knowledge and
skills.
6.- Why did you leave your previous job?/Why are you leaving your
current job?
Although I enjoy(ed) working there, I realized that I could not grow
professionally. So, I decided to look for another job where my
experience and knowledge will be utilized to the maximum.
7.- Do you prefer to work alone or as part of a team?
I have no problem to work in both ways. For example, I worked alone as
a cashier at Publix. I also worked at Ross Dress for Less where we
worked as a team to achieve the company goals.
8.- Why should I hire you instead of someone more qualified?
Because I am highly motivated, reliable, hard-working, and punctual. I
am a team player and a fast learner. I always give my best effort.
9.- Tell me about a problem that you confronted and how you solved it.
a. Briefly, describe the situation.
b. Talk about the steps that you took to find a solution to that problem.
c. What was the outcome?
10.- What is your biggest weakness?
1. Weakness which is not related to the job: I find accounting (or mathematics) as my major/biggest weakness.
Even at home my wife is in charge of our books. Though it bores me, recently, I managed to learn some
functions for having an idea of key accounting basics.
2. Weakness the interviewer already knows: I lack general work experience because I spent many years in
advancing my education. However, my education has prepared me for the job – I learned some skills that
couldn’t be gained as extensively in any regular job, such as: research experience that helped me analyzing and
developing A, B, C.
3. I know that I am not completely fluent in English, but I am taking an English course right now to improve
because I understand that it is important.
4. Weakness that can be considered as a positive attitude: I don’t know to balance work and personal life. I love
my work, but my family is neglected sometimes because of this. I often put in 12-hour working day. I am now
learning to better manage my time as well as my personal life.
11.- Do you plan to continue your education?
Yes, I do. I am planning to study Accounting at Miami-Dade College,
but I will make sure that my studies will not interfere with my work
schedule.
12.- Where do you see yourself five years from now?
I see myself working at this company in a higher position with more
important responsibilities.
After the job interview, ask the
person for a business card, and when
you can call to follow up on the
status of your interview.
Leave a Thank You note with the
secretary or the receptionist. You
have a 24-hour window to send a
Thank You letter/e-mail.
References:
Belsak, L. (2021). What to Wear to an Interview. Cultivated Culture. Obtained from:
Mistry, S. (2023). The History of Résumés. Obtained from:
https://www.mistryresume.com/history.php
Novoresume. (2023). What’s the Difference between CV & Résumé? Novoresume. Obtained from:
https://novoresume.com/career-blog/cv-vs-resume-what-is-the-difference#:~:text=The%20differences%20are%3A%20(1),CV%20is%20a%20c
omprehensive%20overview.
Wikipedia. (2023). Résumé. Wikipedia. Obtained from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A9sum%C3%A9
Resume Now. (n.d.). Sample Thank You Letter. Obtained from:
https://www.resume-now.com/business-letters/thank-you
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Formatting
Title Page
Citation
Outline
