Feature Article: 

If you’ve ever searched for a job, you’ve probably heard your fair share of resume advice.  Do’s and don’ts as they call it, but is there really a “right” and “wrong” way to write a resume?  While there are no hard-and-fast rules, there are some general best-practices you can follow that will move your resume from the bottom to the top of the pile.  This three-part series will arm you with a bit of know-how to help you prepare your best resume ever.

So where do I start?

Know thyself.  Before you attempt to open Microsoft Word and begin typing out your work history, a serious brainstorm, sit-down session is needed.  Have a clear picture of your past and present work history, skills gained in each job, and most importantly achievements.  Beyond your regular job duties (the have-to-do’s), what value did you bring to the table?  Can you articulate in numbers, any results or project success on-the-job? Do you have a long list of happy customers?  Did you go above and beyond your job description?  If your answer is yes, make sure you say so in your resume!

Functional, chronological, CV…huh??  In the resume-world, organizing your resume into one of these formats is common.  Here’s a snapshot:

Functional resumes are organized by skill sets and are best used by those that do not have a seamless work history from one year to the next.  Dates may often be left out or work history hidden. This might be appropriate for career changers, new graduates with little work experience, or those with employment gaps.  Be prepared however to explain employment gaps or changes, should you leave out any dates or specific work experience in your resume.

Chronological resumes show clear career progression, listing work experience from present to past, in reverse chronological order.  People with many years of experience in one field, or clear advancement in their career might find this format most appropriate. 

CV’s, short for Curriculum Vitae is a much longer document, typically used for highly technical, scientific, research or academic positions.    

Hybrid or combination resumes combine the best of functional and chronological formats.  Hybrid resumes might include a section of key skills and experience that match the employer’s needs.  People changing careers for example, could highlight transferrable skills and projects in the first part of their resume.  The second part generally includes your chronological work history.

Your writing style. Although you won’t be using full sentences in your resume, phrases should begin with action verbs, such as coordinated, achieved, managed, organized, increased profits… you get the point.  Leave out any personal pronouns, such as I, me or we.  Short paragraphs can be used, but ensure they are short and sweet.  Succinct paragraphs can be used to provide information on your main responsibilities.  Developing strong, powerful statements about the value you added to a position will certainly get you noticed.  Bullets can be used to emphasize your “power statements”.

For example:

Weak work experience statement:  Responsible for creating health and safety procedures in the oil and gas industry.

Strong work experience statement: Implemented company-wide health and safety procedures for 1,000+ employees in drilling and completions.  Lead in creating standard ERP and EHS procedures, which improved overall safety audit ratings by 45%.

How many pages??  One? Two? Three? If you ask the resume experts, there really isn’t consensus on this age-old question.  Traditional resumes are typically between one to three pages in length, however quality versus quantity always rules.  Remember that a resume is your first impression!  Most employers only take a quick glance, and in a matter of seconds make their judgments’ from there.  What does your resume say in 30 seconds or less?

A few best practices.  Correct spelling and grammar is a must!  Leave out photos and private information such as your marital status, gender, etc.  Ensure the format, layout and fonts in your resume are simple, clean and easy-to-read with plenty of white space.  Use bold, underline or italics to emphasize main headings. 

Hit the target. Resumes should always be written with the employer and specific job you are targeting in mind.  While the resume is a marketing tool to sell you, it really is a showcase of specific and relevant accomplishments that demonstrate your capability to do the job.  A targeted resume is much more work, however providing relevant skills and experience matching the job you are applying for is your best bet.  A Summary of Qualifications section at the top of your resume is a good place to weave in related skills.  Using common industry keywords in your resume, or incorporating those used in the job ad with your own experience can also help to target your resume.

Be original.  There are lots of resume templates out there, which are basically ‘cut ‘n paste’ type programs that allow you to plug in your experience at will.  These are fine if you want to look like everyone else.  Professional recruiters and HR people recognize these templates a mile away.  Creating your own resume from scratch will ensure you are unique from all others.

Honesty is the best policy. When writing a resume, it’s easy to get carried away in selling ourselves to others. Ensure that you are not over-emphasizing basic duties or even worse, lying about your work experience.  If you’re feeling less than confident about a spotty work history, or lack thereof, not to worry, because eventually, someone will cut you a break.  Most recruiters understand that life happens, and will ask you about any gaps or discrepancies in the interview.  Your job is to be sincere, honest and professional at the same time.  Remember that employers will verify your work history, so be as accurate as possible in your resume.

Use a professional.  We all need a little bit of help sometimes. Whether it’s a career counsellor or a mentor, ask others for help in your resume.  Many of these people give advice for free and the more people you talk to about your job search, the less isolating it will be.  When all else fails, there are many professional resume writers out there that are pros at channeling your strengths into the written word.

Check out our next Careersinoilandgas.com e-Newsletter for the next article in our resume series - Part 2: Everything You Wanted to Know About Resume’s but Were Afraid to Ask – Resume Components.  We’ll address specific sections you should have in your resume, such as Objective statements, Education, Work Experience and more.

Check out our Job Seeker Tools page for more job search tips!

Stay tuned!