Put your resume together before you prepare any cover letters for specific jobs. Once you have worked through the best way to present yourself in a resume, a cover letter to a specific person about a particular job or opportunity will be easier to write. Although there are many variations to suit the particular needs of the individual, there are three basic ways to organize a resume. The major factor to identify is what aspect of your personal qualifications is the most important. Is it your education, skill, or work experience? Then choose one of the formats outlined below that best suits your needs. And begin your own resume by making a rough draft of the major categories.
The education/skills resume
The education/skills format is usually used by those who have recently graduated from a college or technical school, or who have a past employment record that is unrelated to advertising. Let us look at how it is organized, category by category.
Objective: A concise description of the type of position or area of specialization for which you wish to be considered.
Education: Begin with your most recent degree or educational experience and work backwards. Also list any certification or training programs you have completed and the dates of completion.
Honors: If you received any honors or awards, include them along with the date received.
Related courses: Include this category only if the course work you have done is either far more advanced than the traditional courses in your graduate or undergraduate program or if it represents a discipline that was secondary to your major. For example, if you were an advertising design major, but you took several courses in media buying or market research, that should be mentioned. I find it more informative if the applicant briefly describes what was learned from a particular course as it relates to agency work than to merely list the courses.
Work experience: Begin with the most recent position you have held, indicating the year you began working there and the year your position ended. If you are still holding that job, simply write: Year began (date)-Present. Then give a brief description of the responsibilities that accompanied the duties you performed in each position. You can also add what you learned from each position, especially if it relates in some way to the kind of work you want to do in advertising. Be succinct.
Special skills: This can be a general category in which you can include things like sign language; fluent in French; enjoy writing music and lyrics for songs and jingles. Or it can be divided up into specific categories like communication skills excellent written and oral presentation abilities; managerial skills-served as director/manager for a five-person inventory team. Or if your student record is all you have to draw from, you can use something like this: As coach of the hockey team, I organized all competitive games, stimulated team morale, developed game strategies, and was accountable for equipment maintenance. Leadership is also another skills category where you can bring in your experiences as an officer in school activities or volunteer work. Human relations is sometimes used as a separate skills area where you can introduce personal qualities such as: ability to listen actively and help people synthesize their wants and needs into simplified terms; or, I have the ability to spark enthusiasm in others.
You can also include Hobbies or Special Interests as a category if you wish. This is especially important if this area of your life in some way relates to advertising or the kind of clients represented by any of the agencies you are applying to. For instance, if you play tennis and one of the agencies handles a tennis equipment manufacturer, it would be important to include tennis in your list of hobbies or sports interests.
Personal data: This is an optional category in which you can add your date of birth, marital status, health, religious affiliation, etc. However, it is no longer common to include this category on a resume.
Military service: If this applies to you, indicate which military branch you served under, the dates of service, your rank, and the duties you performed.
Memberships: This includes any organizations or clubs in which you are a current or past member. Specify the dates of your participation, any offices you may have held, or committees you served on.
References: List three names of people who are not personal friends or family members. Choose people who are familiar with your work-related capabilities and personal character. Again, this category is often not included on resumes. I personally find it useful information, but many employers do not.
The work/business experience resume
If you have been out of school for a number of years and are working, your work experience will probably be more relevant to the position you are applying for. In that case, you may find it more beneficial to use this second resume format in which you can list your work or business experience first, special skills next, and then your educational experiences. However, if the work you have been doing has absolutely no relationship to advertising, then follow the education/skills format.
Objectives: This is the same as in the education/skills resume.
Work experience: Set up a chronological listing, beginning with your most recent positions. This can also be broken down into two separate categories-advertising experience, other work experience.
I am always suspicious when a resume does not include die present or last employer. It leads me to assume that there may be a problem. In case there is a problem with your last or present employer, it is better to address the issue directly rather than allowing a potential employer to draw conclusions without the benefit of your explanation. If you are in a situation where you do not want your present employer to know that you are looking for other opportunities, it is best to tactfully explain that in your cover letter.
Business experience: This is a separate category for those of you who have been running your own business. This should also be a chronological listing, starting with your most recent business endeavor.
Remaining categories: These categories will contain die same information as indicated in the education/skills format.
- Special Skills
- Personal Data
- Military Service
- Memberships
- References
