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
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