Tips for Writing Effective Resumes

The 21st Century Job Market

12–15 different employers (Bolles, 141)

10% – 20% growth in technical communication jobs through 2012 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

21st Century Job Market (cont.)

Salary mean for technical communicators in 2005 was $67,520 ( Society for Technical Communication)

Salary mean for technical communicators with less than 2 years experience was $42,910 ( Society for Technical Communication)

Develop a Marketing Strategy

Do a self-assessment Interview a working professional

communicator Identify your market Create network opportunities

Develop a Marketing Strategy (cont.)

Research and collect information on companies that employ technical and/or professional communicators

Know the language of potential employers Find information on companies in your

field Do an Internet job search Develop a network of contacts

Networking Tips

Become active in your professional organizations

Develop a list of contacts that includes classmates, teachers, business associates, and friends

Target companies that you would like to work for well in advance of graduation

Networking Tips (cont.)

Learn about your target companies’ products, services, types of jobs, management philosophy, etc.

Subscribe to list services and e-mail networking services that pertain to professional communication

Sample Technical Communication Careers

Technical writing Proposal writing Software documentation Hardware documentation Information development Web development

Sample Technical Communication Careers (cont.)

Multimedia development Graphic design Instructional design Training Publication management Video production Editing

Desirable Soft Skills for Technical Communicators Analytical and curious Strong interpersonal skills—can work with

ALL personality types Research and interview skills Time management skills Teamwork-driven Willingness to learn Creative mind, creative solutions

Resume Tips

Format for a 20 to 30-second review Make sure you have spell-checked it List your software tools Include quantifiable job contributions

Resume Tips (cont.)

Include a summary of your qualifications (skills + experience)

List your accomplishments List your technical skills and software

proficiencies Note relevant courses/certifications

Additional Tips

Keep your resume to one page unless you have important skills and/or experience that requires a second page.

Be positive. Focus on accomplishments and strengths.

Do not mention salary requirements.

Additional Tips (cont.)

Use formatting techniques and white space to speed up reading time.

Use phrases, not complete sentences . Rely on action verbs to describe

qualifications. Be specific. Use the language of potential

employers and focus on their needs. Proofread! Proofread! Your resume is the

first writing sample an employer will see.

Parts of the Standard Resume

Contact information Career objective Education summary Achievements and honors Work summary Special skills References

Types of Resumes

Chronological Combination Functional Scannable

Chronological Resume: Advantages

Professional interviewers are more familiar with it.

It is the easiest to prepare, because its content is arranged by dates, companies, and titles.

It puts a steady employment record into the best perspective.

Chronological Resume: Advantages (cont.)

It provides the interviewer with a guide for discussing work experience.

Chronological Resume: Disadvantages

Can starkly reveal employment gaps May place undesired emphasis on

unrelated jobs May de-emphasize skill areas unless they

are reflected in the most recent job

Combination Resume: Advantages

Provides a good opportunity to emphasize an applicant’s most relevant skills and abilities

De-emphasizes gaps in employment Focuses on activities and skills rather than

dates

Combination Resume: Disadvantages

Important dates may be difficult to locate. Format may not be familiar to recruiters. It can be longer than the chronological

resume.

Functional Resume: Advantages

Summarizes related skills and experience developed over time

Focuses on duties, accomplishments, and advanced skill sets

Can focus on skills and experience that cross over from another field

Functional Resume: Disadvantages

Not appropriate for entry-level technical or professional communication positions

May be more difficult to develop into a scannable resume

Scannable Resume

Designed so an optical scanner can identify job-related skills and tools quickly

Focuses on getting the most hits possible The more hits, the better your chances

Eight Tips for Formatting a Scannable Resume

1. Eliminate formatting used in traditional resumes. Use capital letters for major headings. Eliminate italics, boldface, etc.

2. Left-justify your text.3. Use the language of the job ad whenever

possible.4. Use a standard serif or sans serif font

( Times, Arial, Palatino, Futura).

Eight Tips for Formatting a Scannable Resume (cont.)

5. Avoid columns. Scanners move from left to right.6. Avoid graphics and shading.7. Make your scannable resume laser legible.8. Remember to use plenty of white space even if your resume extends to a second page

Cited References

Bolles, Richard N. Job Hunting on the Internet. 2nd ed. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press, 1999.

Society for Technical Communication. 2005 Technical Communication Salary Survey. Washington, DC.

http://www.stc.org/salarySurvey.asp

U.S. Bureau of Labor. “Writers and Editors Job Outlook.” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook. 2004-05 ed.

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos89.htm