6 important aspects of a resume

Looking at Resumes and resume information out on the web can be confusing. There is so much information and often times it can become overwhelming. To have a great resume there are certain things to know to move your resume from the bottom of the pile to the top of the pile.

1. The first part of a proper resume is to have your contact information displayed prominently at the top of the resume. It should include your name, address, phone number, email address (make sure it is a professional email address) then I like to add the LinkedIn profile address. It shows the employers your online presence so they might not do that dreaded search and stumble on your Facebook page.
2. The second part to the resume is the objective statement or summary of qualifications. Now I do not suggest that anyone other than a “fresh out of college” student or someone with little work experience use the objective statement. Objective statements are not as professional as the qualifications summary. The qualifications summary is the first introduction to you and your skills that you will be bringing to the employer. The qualifications summary should include the skills that were posted in the job posting to show you have the experience doing this job.
3. Relevant work history or skills history? If you are using a skills or functional resume you should place the skills under the objective statement. Individuals who uses a skill resume are either the college student, someone with little work experience or major gaps in the resume. Most employers, I believe, would rather have a nice and detailed work history with dates of employment and a description of the job duties underneath. If there are gaps in the employment be prepared to discuss this at an interview. Make sure that the work history is detailed and directed towards the job you are applying for. Nothing will have you out of the running for a job faster if you apply for a job you have no experience with.
4. The education section should be next under the experience section. It can include high school, General Education Diploma, and college information. I have been asked about placing college information where the individual attended the school but for whatever reason did not complete. The going information on this is to put the school down, the program and then not completed in parenthesis.  This is also the section to place any certifications you have gained, the year gained and the certification number.
5. The next section should be titled Additional Experience. This is the section that should include other types of jobs held that are not specific to the job you are applying for. It is also a place to add volunteer experience or any other information that might explain a gap in employment.
6. The Reference section is optional. You can go ahead and list the professional references, put references available upon request or just carry an additional sheet with the references listed on it. If you are in consideration for the job they interviewer will ask for the references.

There is some information that should never be on a resume. The information that is about hobbies, or anything that tells your age. Ageism is a reality and it does happen