Career Services
WRITING YOUR RESUME
The primary purpose of a resume is to market your skills, experience, and education to employers in an informative and concise document. An effective resume will greatly increase your chances of getting an interview. For every job you apply to, be sure you’ve tailored your resume to the position for which your applying.
- Take your cue from the job descriptions. Target your audience’s needs.
- Be specific and provide relevant examples of your achievements.
- Be precise, truthful, and honest!
- Concise (one or two pages), easy to read format.
- Careful attention to spelling and grammar. Make sure it’s error-free!
- Be sure it will translate electronically (save as a .pdf file)
- Keep customizing and updating, including any of your online profiles.
Depending on your work experience, use one of the following formats. To view an example, click on the name of the format:
- Chronological Resumes: The simplest resume to write and is often the format that is most preferred by employers. It is a fact-based resume that allows employers to quickly skim through and get a feel for your work experience and qualifications.
- Functional Resumes: Focuses on the skills and experiences that make you a strong candidate for a position. Unlike a traditional resume, the functional resume does not highlight your chronological work history.
- Hybrid (Combination) Resumes: A format that allows those interested in job transition or career change to leverage their valuable work experience by highlighting key accomplishments from their entire career early in the resume format. A hybrid resume is a modern cross between a chronological resume and a functional resume.
Cover Letters (Letters of Interest or Inquiry)
Cover letters provide job applicants the opportunity to include more information about themselves to try and stand out from the competition. Carefully worded and well written letters allow the job seeker to explain their suitability for the desired position. Employers may look for individualized and thoughtfully written cover letters as one method of screening out applicants. There are two basic categories of cover letters:
- Applying for a specific, advertised opening (Letter of Interest, Letter of Application)
- Expressing interest in working for a business, no advertised openings (Letter of Inquiry)
In most cases, employers appreciate candidates who enclose a list of references along with their resume. Include references on a separate page with the same heading/contact info as on your resume and cover letter.
Include at least three references. Be sure to ask permission before you list someone as a reference. Current or former supervisors and instructors make better references than classmates, co-workers, or friends.
Sample
- Choose references carefully, ask their permission.
- Never use relatives or family members.
- Watch what you post on social media, employers check!
Questions? Contact Us.
Career Services
careerservices@alamancecc.edu
336-532-5059
Mail:
Career Services
Student Success Center
Alamance Community College
P.O. Box 8000
Graham, NC 27253-8000