Resumes
Resume writing is always a challenge but if you can get it right you give yourself the best chance to be noticed and taken seriously for a position. The biggest problems with resumes are that they are:
- too detailed and often inclusive of irrelevant and distracting information and therefore confusing,
- they simply don't say enough to differentiate the applicant from everybody else,
- poorly structured and confusing in the sequence of presenting information,
- poorly formatted and presented so that they become difficult and distracting to read.
The best approach is to keep it simple and succinct, emphasizing key points. There is probably no definitive formula that differentiates the best resume from the rest but here at 2edu we feel that if you follow some basics steps you can get it reasonably right!
Here are some simple guidelines that we suggest. Always start with details about yourself including full name and contact details. Provide detailed information on how you can be reached including phone numbers and email addresses.
Name:
Address:
Telephone contacts:
Email contact
The next section should state your post high-school educational achievements starting with your most recent qualification and working back to your earliest qualification. Include the date when it was conferred, the name of the qualification, and the granting institution. For example
2008 PhD (Title of dissertation)
The University of Sydney, Australia
2005 Master of International Business
Southern Cross University, Australia
1996 Bachelor of Business
Macquarie University, Australia
Next you should list all your professional appointments you have held, starting with your most recent and current position and working back to the first serious full time position that you have held. You may want to list a series of part-time and casual positions that you have held but be brief and, where possible, list only those that are most relevant to your skill set.
1999 - 2009 Lecturer
APEX Academy
Key responsibilities
- Preparation and presentation of Educational Psychology subjects for the BEd
- Program development
- Course coordinator for Human Development 101
- Compliance with CRICOS requirements
- Chair of Faculty Course Development Committee
- Member Quality Assurance Committee
- Member of the Faculty Board
- International student orientation
- Timetabling
Key Achievements
- Developed four core subjects for the Educational Psychology subject series in the BEd
- Developed the International Student orientation program
- Developed a moderation process for assessments
- Consistently rated highly on student assessments
- Recipient of "Valued Teacher" award in 2006
List any other relevant positions or achievement such as consultancies, prizes, awards, grants for research etc., but follow the same presentation pattern.
You should complete your CV with a list of publications. There are several ways of doing this and often the presentation of this information is dependent on the discipline that you work in. Just make sure that you are consistent in your presentation. The list should include books, reviewed journal articles, other journal articles, conference proceedings etc. If you have a lot of publications it is a good idea to separate them into related sections.
There is also a lot of good information on the web to help out if you want more guidance. Try the following for example:
Writing a Resume
Need help with a Resume? MyCareer tools & advice can help
(mycareer.com.au)
Resumes 4 Success
Professional CVs, Cover Letters, Selection Criteria. Australia Wide.
(www.Resumes4success.com.au)
Easy Resume Templates
Get Your Perfect Job With Helpful Resume Templates From CareerOne
(www.CareerOne.com.au)
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