Resume Writing

The ultimate goal of furthering your education is to improve your skill set and expand your career opportunities. Successfully applying for and landing the job you are seeking depends not only on your education and qualifications, but on how you present yourself to a prospective employer. The first step to making a good impression is to create a strong resume and cover letter, which will showcase your work experience, education, and skills, and introduce you to a potential employer, hopefully earning you an interview.

At Western Community College, we include information and material about resume writing in our programs, to ensure that graduates are well-equipped to make the most of their education to achieve their career goals.

There are several important components to a good resume, including:

• Clean, uncluttered layout
• Clear contact information
• A concise, engaging introduction that is either a Resume Summary, or an Resume Objective statement
• Employment History Section, with:
  • Jobs history, listed in reverse-chronological order (current or most recent first)
  • 4 – 6 bullet points for each job, listing your responsibilities/accomplishments/skills
• Education Section, also in reverse-chronological order
• Skills Section, listing important and relevant skills, particularly those that relate to the specific job for which you are applying
• Hobbies Section. This is optional, but if you have room for it, it can offer a better overall picture of who you are.

Once you have your master resume created, you should then customize it for each job application, to add keywords related to the requirements in the job posting, and to emphasize the elements of your resume with are most relevant to the position.

Cover Letter

While your resume will include all of the important details about your education, skills, and experience, it is still important to add a cover letter when applying for a job.

Your cover letter should always be tailored to the specific job for which you are applying, preferably addressed to the person who is doing the recruiting, and certainly highlighting important points which are directly related to the available job.

This is where you have the opportunity to expand on the most relevant points from your resume, where they had to be kept brief, which are directly related to the position advertised, and which show that you are qualified and suited to the job.

Most recruiters will not even consider resumes which do not have cover letters, so ensure that you do not skip this vital element.