Optia Partners

Resume Layout

There are different types of resumes which you can write, such as chronological, skill, function and project based. Seeing most resumes are in chronological form from recent to previous work experience, we have recommended the following layout as a standard. You may wish to alter the location of some of the items such as “Education” according to the position you are applying for.

Personal Information

You should include your full name, full address and contact details at the top of the resume.

Objective

You should include a 1 or 2 line ‘objective’ statement clearly linking your career goal to the position. Ideally it will also be relevant to your experience and qualifications.

Summary of Qualifications

This is the ideal location to attract the reader’s attention. Bullet point any relevant experience, skills and qualifications you have to the position and the company. It is a good idea to carefully read and cross reference the job specification when listing your appropriate skills and qualifications.

Work Experience

Start with your present or most recent position and work back chronologically until your education. It may be beneficial to include a 1 or 2 line description of the companies you have worked for if they are relevant to the company you are applying to. You should state your title and relevant dates including month and year for each title. You may wish to include reporting lines and subordinates if relevant. A clear and concise explanation of your responsibilities are appropriate, however emphasis should be placed on achievements. You may even wish to list Achievements in a sub-section for each work experience.

If your company was merged or acquired or you were transferred to a subsidiary company with a different name, be sure that the reader understands that you have been essentially working for the same company. You may come across as a job hopper if too many company names appear on your resume.

Education

List all educational institutions, subjects studied, level of degree and year of graduation. Do not list high schools or elementary schools. You may wish to place ‘Education’ after ‘Summary of Qualifications’ in your resume if you feel it is a more appropriate position.

Additional Skills and Qualifications

List any additional courses or skills which are relevant to the position and company. If they are not relevant please do not list them. Listing irrelevant courses or hobbies may come across unprofessionally.

Interests

Only list interests if they are relevant to the position and company or if they show professional qualities such as leadership or team play. An example may be Member of the Tokyo Toastmasters Club or Committee member of the American Chamber of Commerce.

References

It is suffice to write “References available upon request”, however you should make sure that you can provide at least 2 good references. At the resume stage we would not recommend listing particular reference’s personal details because of privacy laws and the risk that somebody within the organization has an unfavorable impression of one of your references.

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