Produce resumes and job search letters
Resume types: Chronological, Functional, Combined
- Chronological — provide a reverse chronological history of past assignments and achievements; best if you have had successive assignments in the same occupational area; preferred by most Defense contractors.
- Functional — focus is on skills and competencies; do not provide work history; best for job seekers who are making a complete career change; most employers do not like this format.
- Combined — combination of the Chronological and Functional resume; provides work history in reverse chronological order coupled with key skill areas; recommended for candidates with 10 or more years work experience.
Resume Do's and Don'ts
| Resume Do's | Resume Dont's |
|---|---|
| Include an employer-centered objective | Use military acronyms or abbreviations |
| Focus on accomplishments | Make the resume cramped and crowded |
| Use action verbs and the active voice | Use the passive voice |
| Be direct, succinct, and expressive | Make statements you can't support |
| Be neat, well organized, and professional | Overstating ones qualifications |
| Use ample spacing and highlighting | Refer to yourself as 'I' |
| Carefully check spelling and grammar | Use lengthy sentences and descriptions |
| Communicate your strongest points first | Lack permanent contact information |
| Seek outside reviews of your resume | Include salary information |
| Continually refine and update | Include extraneous information |
Electronic vs conventional resumes
We consider any submission of your resume in electronic form as an electronic resume. This includes posting your resume on a companys (or 3rd party vendor's) website, as well as sending your resume as an e-mail attachment. Generally, when one submits their resume in electronic form, the following rules apply:
- The basic components of the resume will stay the same
- Use nouns instead of action verbs
- Use a plain text font, such as Arial
- Make the resume font size 12 point
- Include a section on Keywords appropriate for your industry area
- Left justify the text, as electronic documents are prone to losing formatting
- Send your electronic resume to a friend to see how it comes across electronically