Your resume is one of the most important parts of your job search tools. It should be neat and easy to read; listing the skills and abilities that you have developed that would be valuable to an employer.

There are three types of resumes. No one type of resume is best for everyone. You have to decide on the style that is best for you. Most resumes fit into one of the three styles that are describes below. The Chronological Resume: This is the most often used format. Your work history is given in the order of most recent work experience first. Dates of employment are included. Employers expect this resume to be an exact list of your past years and experience. The Functional Resume: Emphasis is given to skills and accomplishments in this type of resume. Examples of skills listed are writing, managing, research, communication, computer literacy, and public speaking. These examples can be drawn from several different jobs. This resume clarifies how well you can represent the employer. It can be useful if you are changing from one career into a totally different field.

The Combination Chronological and Functional Resume: A combination of the two types of resumes can be very effective. Listing your employment history, but also capturing your skills and accomplishments in a special section can show your best to an employer. This format shows the strengths you can give to be employer, but still verifies your employment history

Parts of a resume

1. Heading:

   List your name, address, telephone numbers (work and home), and e-mail address if available
2. Objective:
   Clarify the type of position that you are interested in. Do not include what you want from a job. Write it from the idea of how you would be able to support the employer with your background. It is not always necessary to mention a specific job in the objective. Indicate the general type of job that you are seeking.
3. Experience and Accomplishments:
   Start with your most recent experience and work backward if this is a chronological resume. Give the name and location of each employer and the dates of your employment. For functional resumes, list three or four skills or areas of accomplishment. Document these with volunteer or work projects. Again, examples of these would be teaching, purchasing, programming, writing, and coordinating.
4. Education:
   List your highest degree first and work backward. If high school or technical training is your highest level, include it. Otherwise, high school education is usually not included. Mention the name of schools attended, dates, academic honors, and major subject area.
5. Special Skills, Memberships, Military Service, and Awards:
   Include any special language or technical skills that you have. This is the place to also list any memberships in professional organizations, offices held, or military service that you accomplished.
6. References:
   Never list your references on your resume. You may mention that they will be furnished upon request. You will want to offer particular references, varying them by the position for which you are applying. Select references that can speak directly of your work-related abilities and habits.

General Tips on Writing Your Resume

• The following formula for length of your resume is helpful: one page for ten years' experience, two pages for more than ten years.
• Use correct dates and correct information always.
• NEVER have a misspelled word.
• Write it, correct (edit) it, show it to others for editing, and rewrite it.
• Use words that you are comfortable with when you write it. You are the best person to write your resume.
• Use a word processor (computer) to create your resume. Use the best printer available to you.
• Don't make sentences or paragraphs too long. Be sure your resume is easy to read. Most employers only scan briefly