Resume Preparation
ResourcesThere are several good books on creating resumes. Visit your public library to find a good selection of current books on creating high impact resumes. If near campus, career services usually have informed guidance as well as access to some hard copy materials. Resume guides need not be LIS specific and few are.
The most common reasons [ranked] for rejecting a resume.
From a survey of 2,500 recruiters/headhunters:
Spelling errors, typos, and poor grammar [often leads to automatic rejection]
No clear sense of specific accomplishments
Missing or inaccurate dates [include month and year for employment]
Missing or inaccurate contact data
Poor formatting
Functional rather than chronological arrangement
Too long for accomplishments
Long, dense paragraphs
Inadequate qualifications -- does not match requireds
Inclusion of irrelevant personal information such as interests or hobbies
Missing employer information
Misleading or lying re: qualifications
Generic, fuzzy, or irrelevant career objectives, goals, and introduction
Poor font choice or style
Use of inappropriate or difficult to open digital format such as a ZIP file
Irrelevant images, graphics, or URLs
Inadequate summary of skills and accomplishments
Written in the first or third person
Unexplained gaps in employment
Burying important information
What can you do to avoid these common problems?
A Cautionary Note
In today's Internet world, employers often Google to see if candidates have a website or are visible on the web. The appearance and intellectual content on your website may make quite an impression on the prospective employer. That impression could be negative or positive. Some academic librarians have reported "dumping" applications of candidates after a website visit disclosed behavior that seemed unprofessional, inappropriate or simply not a good fit for the library. To some degree, the same is true for "cute" email names when found on the resume or cover letter. Avoid "trainluver" or "wildlibman" or whatever in business correspondence.
One of the tenets of the search is that you don't want to be employed by someone if that requires that you change something important to you. In that sense, perhaps it is better for the "real you" to be revealed on your website. You don't want to "sell out," but your student or personal website may not introduce you as a thoughtful and thoroughly professional individual. Note that tattoos and body-piercings are not always acceptable to some employers so website images might be a problem.
Take Your Time
Allocate enough time to do a superior job. The resume is not a first draft, last draft effort. In a very real sense, the resume is YOU. If it is not well done, readers may assume that you are not an organized, competent information professional. LIS professionals are supposed to be patient and attentive to detail. The resume is a basic personal document that you will maintain for your career. Be certain to get it right in the beginning.
Format
Many reports by those who select candidates for a positions, including LIS ones, indicate that most resumes are scanned rather than read. This is because there are too many applicants for each resume to be read carefully word by word. This fact emphasizes the importance of a scanable, easy to find key elements, format. The top half of the first page may be as much as the reader scans before making a toss or keep decision. What does the first half of the first page of your resume say? Is there something there that will appeal to the potential employer? Anything to make you standout [positively!] from the other applicants?
Since you already have the information needed (remember your biofile), your first resume decision is format. Unhappily, there is no one standard format for the several information professions, and there are several formats to select from. The resume books--available at Hodges (try the HF 5383s) and the Career Center as well as your friendly public library or book store--give a variety of examples.
Many information agencies are traditional and conservative and prefer the time-honored chronological format. This is the most common form of resume. That's what I discuss below. However, a narrative or functional resume can make a difference, especially with a less traditional employer who is tired of "look alike" resumes. Discuss format assets and liabilities with your academic advisor. In general, functional resumes work best when you have had considerable experience and can point to notable accomplishments. If you are working in an information agency, ask those who have been involved in hiring decisions to comment on which format they prefer and why.
The functional format works well for those with substantial employment experience who can point to accomplishments and specific skills. This format is often organized around specific skills elements and then focuses on the accomplishments seen as examples of success. Business oriented resume books provide good examples.
Relate Format to Strengths
Some resume experts suggest that the elements in a particular format should be arranged in the order that best matches what the employer is looking for while focusing on your strengths. Thus, candidates (that's what you become when you apply for a professional position) with considerable professional or pre-professional work experience place employment experience before their educational experience. You do not have to slavishly follow any particular model. Format models are suggestions and not prescriptions. However, you must be consistent. Clearly, but briefly, indicate how your previous skills and experience relate to the position and successful performance on the job. Examples of strength might be in communication, supervision, planning, or evaluation. Solid, concrete [specific and skill and accomplishment focused] examples work best.
Purpose
The resume must be good enough to get you to the interview. Once you get to the interview, your experience, personality, knowledge, charm and whatever can be demonstrated. But first you have to get to the interview.
Resume Used to Filter Candidates
For a position where there are many applicants, typical of most entry level positions in an academic library, for example, the resume (and the cover letter) are first used negatively. One way to reduce 247 applications to the 3, 6, or 9 normally considered finalists is to discard any resume with an error in it. That error might include inappropriate information, a typo, grammatical problem, incorrect spelling, poor physical copy--anything that suggests to the reader that the person who prepared this resume is not accurate and careful. Be certain that your resume is perfect in its presentation. Do not trust your spell or grammar checker. Use both but also check by reading aloud and having a thoughtful colleague proofread.
Filtering also compares the "requireds" in the position announcement with the skills and experiences found on the resume. If there is not a good match, your resume will be rejected.
Employer Perspective
The resume is a marketing presentation. It is designed to sell you: to convince an employer that you are the best candidate for the position. Look at your resume as if you were an employer. Does it provide the information that you need to make a decision? Are the skills needed to be successful in the position clearly visible? Does this candidate clearly standout from the others? Would this candidate help the library to be more successful?
The Chronological Resume
Typical major elements (in sequence) include complete contact block, career objectives (if yours is narrowly focused), educational experience (reverse chronological order), employment history (reverse chronological order), information technology skills/experience, professional activities, and references.
Contact Block
This section includes an email address that will be active while you are searching for a position as well as your telephone number. If you will be moving, place your local street address with an "until statement" included as well as the address where you will be after you move. An answering machine may be useful if you expect to receive calls from potential employers and are not likely to be at home between 9.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m.
Personal data
Federal and state legislation generally prohibit the use of information about your age, marital status, race, ethnic background, religion, or physical condition. These elements should not appear on your resume. They may appear on application forms or in the interview situation and will require some consideration then. For the same reasons, do not attach a photograph to your resume.
Career Objectives
Most SIS students do not include the career objective statement because it is too restrictive. This element works best when you will only be applying for a particular type of position. For example, if you are only applying for map librarian positions, include the objectives. If you are seeking gainful employment in a variety of settings, it is difficult to construct a career objective statement that is broad enough to cover the likely possibilities and still seems like a reasonable career objective. One could create an individualized objective for each position application, but it needs to have a clear career focus.
If you do include a career objective statement, focus on what you would wish to do rather than what you would like to be. Employers seek candidates to perform certain tasks and match what they need to have done with a "to do" in your career objective statement. For example, in your statement you mention that you want to prepare digital pathfinders and bibliographies and the employer is looking for someone to do that.
Educational History
This section comes first when information agency work experience is limited. Otherwise, it would follow work history. For start and end dates use whole years and for work history. If you created an individualized academic emphasis or focus, add an emphasis statement after the degree ("with an emphasis on collection development and reference services").
Academic Honors
Academic honors may go here or may be placed under an honors and awards heading later in the resume. Unless your honors are many, better to place them here. Most information agency employers are not particularly interested in your GPA, so do not include it. If this seems important to you, include it, but you might want to check with area information professionals first to see what they say.
Don't Include High School
Unless you went to a prestigious prep school or are applying for a position with a local library, begin educational history with college.
Continuing Education and Professional Training
Continuing education and workshop experiences may appear under education unless you have several entries.
Employment history
Some prefer "Experience" or "Professional Experience." In some cases, it may be helpful to briefly include the size of the place where your worked, the number of people supervised, and your budget. Provide enough information about each position so that the employer clearly understands where you worked, for how long, and exactly what you did. Emphasize aspects of a job that involved responsibility, supervision, initiative, evaluation, and planning. Emphasize accomplishments and skills more than responsibilities. What did you accomplish while in this position? {for the interview later, what did you learn or what skills did you gain from each position?} Focus on those tasks that are similar [transferable skills] to what information professionals do. Don't assume that your employer knows what a "reference assistant," for example, does. Provide specifics and be concrete. Use action verbs as much as possible.
Include part-time positions. If you have had several relatively short part-time positions, you may wish to place them together under a sub-heading. Employers often want to account for your time. Also be prepared to discuss why you left each position.
Substantial time gaps in the resume may lead to questions during the interview. Since library work is normally a second or third career, often undertaken after family responsibilities have lessened, it is normal for there to be a substantial gap in your career path. Typically, only recent gaps in employment will receive attention. Be direct when responding to questions. Often, this can be handled in the cover letter rather than in the resume with a sentence explaining why you left a previous position. No need for extensive explanations, especially about family or personal situations.
Practicum Experience
Ordinarily, the practicum experience would also appear under the employment heading. Substantial volunteer experience might also be included here depending upon the level of the experience. As a general rule, experience more than ten years old should receive less emphasis.
Language Competency
Interest in foreign language competency ebbs and flows. At the moment, there is increased interest in some research-oriented information agencies. Typically, employers are interested in your ability to read the language rather than speak it. Be honest in rating your degree of competency.
Information Technology Competency.
This is important to employers today. Multi-platform experience is desirable. Do not list every software program you have ever used. Limit yourself to hardware/software with which you are genuinely competent. Note the importance of indicating what you can do with software/hardware such as create an award-winning website rather than merely listing names.
Professional activities
These vary in importance. In some environments, being a member of the appropriate professional organization is seen as evidence of professional commitment. In others, it doesn't seem to make much difference. Include professional activities with the date membership began. If an officer or responsible for some activity, include that too. The SIS student memberships have little value here, but student dues-paying membership in the parent organization does.
Interests
This section is generally not included on resumes. Public librarians, however, often find interests to be professionally relevant if they provide evidence of community engagement. Obviously, if you are interested in model railroading and the employer is a model railroader you could benefit. Still, most employers don't care about your interest in reading, listening to Latvian folk songs, or whatever. Interests with linkage to information activities are probably the most useful. Specific interests (performing Celtic fiddle music) are more useful than general ones (love to read).
References
These are crucial to your success in finding the right position. Having the right mix of references is essential. One of the virtues of the digital age is that you can have a pool of references and use just the right ones when you apply for a particular position. Place references on a separate sheet that is attached to the resume.
If the references are not attached, the employer must contact you to obtain them. This delays the process, especially if the employer has difficulty in reaching you. Include full street address and telephone number for each reference. Do include email address and fax number if available.
With few exceptions, employer references have more value than those from faculty since faculty have had little opportunity to observe on the job skills and habits.
Structure and Length
The structure -- what the resume looks like when you can't actually read every word -- must be clear and logical. Each section should stand out and the elements under each entry should be logical and follow the same template. Does each page look balanced and attractive?
The resume needs to be long enough to include the information that the employer needs. With more experience, education, activities, references, or whatever, your resume will need to be longer. For a typical SIS graduate who has already had reasonable full-time employment, two pages will be about right. References would be attached as a third page. Your full name should appear in a header on the second and following pages.
Style
Be concise and use a telegraphic style. Resume books emphasize the importance of using "action verbs." Use past tense for all but current activities. Use standard, formal English. Spell out abbreviations and acronyms. Avoid personal pronouns unless that results in clumsy writing. In general, it's bad form to use "I." You may use phrases instead of complete sentences. Be truthful. Don't promise what you cannot deliver. Be specific and avoid fuzzy generalities.
Paper
Use white or off-white paper of good quality. Cover letter and resume paper should match. Paper need not be expensive but it should be durable and the text should be highly readable on it. Unusual colors and textures may make your resume stand out, but may also create problems.
Type
You may wish to use a display font for your name, but the text itself should be in a standard, clean, conservative font. While you might be tempted to use a smaller size to get more on the page, emphasize legible, easy to read text. Go no smaller than 10 points and that may be too small for some fonts. Appearance is crucial. The resume should be neat, attractive, and easy to scan [many resumes are scanned and not really read] and read. Use rules [lines], special characters, and display type sparingly. Print should be dark and even. Reasonable margins and adequate white space between lines and sections is important. Headings should receive appropriate emphasis so that they stand out.
Proofreading
After reading the draft aloud several times, have a thoughtful colleague, family member, and your advisor read your almost final draft with some care.
Note that this is your resume and it should be an accurate image of the professional you. Don't show it to eight people and then attempt to incorporate all those suggestions. Some suggestions will disagree with each other. No resume will please every reader.
