A resume is more than just a business document. It is a critical representation of both your personal and professional character. Most employers make decisive choices before an interview based on what information they find in your resume. Writing a resume can be a painstaking task because you are forced to prune details of your experiences and skills so that you may present yourself as a desirable candidate. As such, it is important to know what to include and exclude when drafting a resume.

Purpose

Before you compose your resume, you want to determine the purpose and ensure that the information you provide is pertinent and applicable. That is, if you are applying for a computer technician position you want to supply information from your professional career that capitalizes on noteworthy experience and skills.

Objective

According to the College Board, the standard way to organize your resume is in four categories: objective, education, experience and other skills/information. It is important that even if you don't label your final product with these titles that the content is still reflective of these subjects. As mentioned before, make sure you pay attention to the purpose of your resume. Your "Objective" is a good reminder of your purpose, and you can easily check the appropriateness of your resume by reviewing whether or not it is exemplified by the content in your resume.

Education

Your education is a critical aspect of your resume; however, according to PreferredResumes.com, its priority lessens as time goes on. That is, for candidates who are recent graduates, your education is important and should supersede other things. Generally, your educational information should remain at the top of your resume for the first couple years after college.

Experience

Once you gain a few years of workplace exposure and have matured in the professional arena, your experience becomes more significant than your education. By this time you should have assumed a few different types of positions---maybe even a promotion---and have considerable knowledge and skill under your belt. If, however, you haven't made much progress professionally, then keep your education above your experience on your resume.

Other Information

The final section of your resume contains your skills and any additional information that may differentiate you from the rest of the competition. This is a perfect opportunity to introduce some of your unique qualities, especially if they are computer-related. A solid understanding of a programming language or marketing application is a great bonus that will put you ahead of the crowd.

Source:

Resume Writing -- Boston College

USA Jobs

College Board

Resource:

Preferred Resume