ENG homework combo

The following provides an example and an explanation for a combination resume. Adding the "Summary" section at the beginning places attention on your skills and can be useful if you have gaps in your employment history. Even if you don't have gaps, the "Summary" section offers a way to highlight your specific skills. You may choose to do a combination resume, a traditional chronological resume or a functional/skills resume. Many people find the combination resume offers the most flexibility.

Notice how this example uses the white space effectively. The resume contains no large gaps of white space and uses the headings to draw the reader's attention to the items that are most important. Here are some basic tips:

· Do not overspace your resume. Double space is sufficent between blocks of information.

· Try to get the resume to fit on one page unless you have a lot of degrees and work experience.

· Keep the design simple, but your name in the header should stand out--slightly larger font, different font, and/or in bold.

· Remember, a hiring manager needs to read this quickly and understand what makes you a candidate.

Your Name Address Phone Number Email

Summary of Background (optional)

You can also call this "Summary" or some other heading. You can use this to show your employer what kind of worker you are and what special skills you bring to the position. An example might state: "Self-starter with demonstrated achievements in sales and customer service. Dependable and reliable worker. Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines. Proficient in Microsoft Office." Remember, "I" and "my" aren't used. You can write this in paragraph form for use a bulleted list. Use plain bullets.

Education (required)

· Business Administration Major.

· Expected Graduation Date: June, 2010.

· Grade Point Average: 3.80. Dean's List Every Quarter.

You can use something like the above example. List the most recent first. If you are five years or less out of of high school, you can list your high school. If it's been more than five years, leave the high school out. You can vary the format of the information, but do start with the name of the institution and give the dates of attendance. Leave your grade point average out if it's less than 3.00. If you don't know your expected graduation date, you can leave that out. You can also state how many credit hours you've completed and even list courses that you've taken--especially if the courses are relevant to the job.

Work Experience (required)

You can also call this heading "Professional Experience," "Job Experience," or just "Experience." Like the Education section above, begin with the most recent job first and work your way backwards. Generally, you don't need to go back more than 10-15 years. Give the name of the place you worked, the location, and the dates. Then, list your accomplishments. Instead of saying "duties included..." and "responsible for..." use action verbs. You can use something similar to the following example:

Customer Service Representative

· Conduct customer satisfaction surveys.

· Coordinate reports.

· Organize comment cards.