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Let’s see how he creates a strong resume to reach his target job.

About This Sample Resume

In this resume sample: Word Processor for a law firm, we can see some resume writing choices that Randall (not his real name) made to show that he would be the best person for the job. What are some of the things he did to achieve that goal?

• The job objective quickly tells the reader not only what type of work Randall wants to do, but where he wants to do it. This shows that he is focused and knows what he wants.

• He lists fewer achievements in his most recent job, so that we get to read about his eight years at the law firm sooner.

• He gives a detailed list of all of the types of documents he has worked with at the law firm.

• Since two of his jobs took place during the same time frame, Randall tells the reader that they were both part-time jobs so that it does not look like a mistake on his resume.

• In every one of his jobs, Randall highlights his typing and word processing skills. He also shows his knowledge of the legal world at three of his four jobs and in his Summary section.

Let’s take a look at Randall’s sample resume.

Here’s Randall’s Sample Resume: Word Processor

More Resume Help

To get more good advice on how to write a chronological resume (or one of the other two types of resumes: functional and combination), read The Damn Good Resume Guide (Ten-Speed Press) by Yana Parker and Beth Brown. This book holds everything you need to know to write a great resume.

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About This Sample Resume

This resume sample: administrative support / project management uses the chronological format in a novel way to show a solid work history and to highlight both her administrative and project management skills. What exactly does Paula (not her real name) do to create a strong resume? Let’s see:

• At the top of the resume, she gives a brief but precise job goal in her Job Objective statement. This helps the employer know what Paula is qualified for and helps her to be considered for the types of jobs she wants.

• Paula adds strength to her recent short-term jobs by grouping them together under the title of Contractual Secretarial Positions. This way, she does not appear to be a job hopper.

• Grouping the recent jobs together also allows her to list the things she did at any or all of those jobs so that they don’t need to be said over and over again.

• Although her title at Baskin-Robbins was Secretary, Paula lists the projects she managed, and shows her skill in “wearing two hats” at the same job.

• Paula took computer classes at three local colleges. By stating this, she tells the reader that she likes to learn new skills and keep up with tools and trends in her field.

Check out Paula’s sample resume to see these points in play.

Here’s Paula’s Sample Resume: Administrative Support / Project Management

More Resume Help

We all need one-on-one support from time to time. Could it be that resume writing is a job you’d like some personal help with? If so, contact The Damn Good Resume Team. We’re experts at helping job seekers with less-than-perfect work histories. We should be — we’ve been in the resume writing business since 1986. So check us out! We’d love to help you take the next step in your career.

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About This Sample Resume

This resume sample: Office Support in Accounting (for an accountant or controller) uses the chronological format, but orders the sections in a special way to more quickly show the skills and knowledge that Linda (not her real name) brings to the table. Let’s take a closer look to see what she does.

• Linda lists her recent graduation from the Heald College Accounting Program as the first statement in her Highlights section at the top because she knows an employer will value that degree.

• Since she is a recent grad, Linda has moved her Education section to near the top of the resume.

• She goes into some depth about the courses she took, and the skills she gained while at Heald Business College.

• She also lists her great GPA to show that she has gained a solid level of knowledge, and is a good student who can learn new tools and skills quickly!

• Although she did a lot of work as a counter salesperson, Linda highlights her role as Accounting Assistant and what she achieved in that job function.

• Linda has been skillful in hiding short-term gaps in her work history by listing only the years she worked at each job, rather than the months.

• She also closes a long-term employment gap by stating that she was a Homemaker and Student for four years. This overlaps with the time when she was taking business courses at City College. She does not need to list any achievements here, but she has briefly explained what she was doing during this stretch of time, which helps the reader to follow the flow of her life and work.

Linda has shown that she is ready to take the next step in her career. Here you can see Linda’s actual sample resume.

Here’s Linda’s Sample Resume: Office Support in Accounting

More Resume Help

Ready-Made Resumes is one of the top ranked resume tools around. Based on the Damn Good Resume Writing method, this resume builder offers 150 resume templates for chronological, functional, and combination resume formats. These templates are for easy download and have helpful advice written right into the resume templates, so you can figure out how to solve those tricky resume problems. Things like short-term jobs, unemployment, career change, seeking a promotion, and many more.

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About This Sample Resume

Although Jane (not her real name) has spent most of the past ten years as a full-time parent, her resume shows that she is ready and able to re-enter the workforce in a clerical job. Let’s see how she does it in this resume sample: clerical office.

• In the Highlights section, Jane lists skills and traits that are key to being a solid office worker.

• Instead of calling the next section Professional Experience, she names it Relevant Skills and Experience. This way, she can place her skills and achievements in the order that best shows her clerical talents.

• In each bullet point, she tells us where she worked. This adds strength to each statement and makes her achievements even more valid. The reader of her resume doesn’t have to guess where each one happened: she’s made that clear right in the body of each statement.

• She also breaks her work at the U.S. Postal Service into very detailed steps, so that the reader can see the process and how well she did each aspect of her job.

• Even though she did not complete a college degree, Jane has some training in business and clerical skills. To point that out, she lists her schooling under the heading of Business Training. Smart!

Here is Jane’s sample resume for you to take a closer look.

Here’s Jane’s Sample Resume: Clerical Office Work

More Resume Help

If you like to pick up a book to learn the ins and outs of how to do something — like write a resume — we have the book for you: The Damn Good Resume Guide by Yana Parker and Beth Brown. As its subtitle says, it’s a crash course in resume writing. With 10 easy-to-follow steps, it gets you from a blank page to a finished professional resume in the shortest time possible. In fact, the resume sample on this page is the result of the resume writing advice from The Damn Good Resume Guide.

You can find the book for sale online or in your local bookstore. Also check your local library.

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<< Index of office work resume samples
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Let’s talk about what makes this resume sample stand out from the crowd.

About This Sample Resume

In this resume sample, Doreen (not her real name) shows her reader the range of her skills as an executive assistant. This resume format also downplays her most recent job as a legal secretary, a field she wants to move out of. Here are some of the ways she presents herself in a strong and focused way.

• Doreen highlights her Executive Assistant work by listing her job titles as headings (similar to a chronological resume), instead of using skill sets as headings (as a typical functional resume does).

• In her headings and achievement statements, Doreen tells us something about where she has worked. Since the jobs are not alike, this shows the reader that Doreen has the skills she needs to adapt to diverse job settings.

• Using the functional format gives Doreen the breathing room to list her achievements in the order of how they relate to her target job. In this way, she avoids having to talk about the most recent job first (one she doesn’t want to repeat), and highlights her desire to make a career change back to her prior type of work.

Now take a closer look at Doreen’s sample resume, and see what else you can find! Even though we don’t suggest using a functional format, there are things to learn from this one.

Here’s Doreen’s Sample Resume: Executive Assistant

More Resume Help

Writing your resume all by yourself can be overwhelming. It’s easy to procrastinate and very hard to see your achievements objectively. If you’re having that problem, think about hiring a resume pro on the The Damn Good Resume Team. One of our professional resume writers can do the work for you — using out collaborative approach that keeps you in the loop. We’re one of the few resume writing services that uses this method so your resume sounds like you — the BEST professional you!

We’re not cheap, but we’re damn good!

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Let’s take a close look at this resume sample to see how she achieves her career goal.

About This Sample Resume

This resume sample: Receptionist or Medical Assistant uses the functional format to bring out the skills that Diane wants to use in her next job and that she will need in order to do that job well. What else does she do to show the reader that she is qualified?

• Diane states two possible job titles in her Objective. This way, Diane tells the reader that she is drawn to both types of jobs, and is able to do either or both of them well.

• She includes her BOCES training throughout the resume. This helps highlight her knowledge and skills in medical assisting. Whether she works as a receptionist or medical assistant, this knowledge will come in handy.

• In her skill headings and statements, Diane points more to her know-how in the healthcare field and downplays her recent job in marketing. This steers the reader away from the experience she doesn’t want to repeat. It also makes the point that Diane is fully able and ready to do what she really loves!

See what else you can find that’s helpful here in Diane’s sample resume.

Here’s Diane’s Sample Resume: Receptionist or Medical Assistant

More Resume Help

Starting with a blank page isn’t easy when it comes to resume writing. That’s why we suggest using a resume template from Ready-Made Resumes. The Ready-Made Resumes program was created by Susan Ireland, using the Damn Good Resume method. It offers resume templates in all three resume formats: chronological, functional, and combination. It also helps you figure out which format is best for your job search and answers questions about how to deal with work history problems. And, for a limited time, you can get a free resume review of your NEW resume.

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Let’s see what else this resume sample can show us.

About This Sample Resume

This functional resume has a strong focus on both Office Support and Bookkeeping. How did Carl (not his real name) create that focus?

• Carl repeats his main interests a few times. He states them in his objective statement (Office Support and Bookkeeping). Then he states them again under the first skill heading in the “Office Support Skills and Experience” section. By repeating his job goals these two times, Carl makes sure the reader sees what his strengths are!

• The functional resume format allows Carl to downplay his short-term and temp work, which he thinks an employer will not view favorably. So he lists them in his work history section at the bottom of the resume. By the time the reader gets to the bottom of the page, he or she will have read Carl’s achievement statements, and hopefully be impressed enough to call him for an interview.

• Carl adds power to his achievement statements by stating the place or places that he worked to carry out each of those achievements. He lists each place within the body of each statement.

• He also uses three short columns to show his many office support skills. This gives the reader a quick glance at a lot of information!

Now let’s take a look at these points in Carl’s sample resume.

Here’s Carl’s Sample Resume: Office Support and Bookkeeping

More Resume Help

The Damn Good Resume Guide has lots more resume samples in the chronological, functional, and combination resume formats. The book starts with a set of 10 steps for writing a great resume, including when to use a functional resume format and when to steer towards one of the other two more common formats. Sometimes job seekers think they need a functional resume because they have work history problems. Co-authors Yana Parker and Beth Brown explain how these same problems can be solved just as well with the chronological or combination resume formats.

If you’re in a bookstore or library, pick up a copy. Or check it out online!

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Let’s talk about how to write a job reference page that helps you put your best foot forward.

When You Need a Job Reference Page

In most cases, you won’t need a job reference page until the end of a job interview.

As a rule, you should NOT include your job reference page with your resume. Why? It’s a matter of keeping the information private. Your references have agreed to let you give their contact info to your potential employers. But they most likely don’t want that info sent out to just anyone who says they have a job opening. There are a lot of job scams out there and those bad guys really want the kind of info you’ll have on your reference page. Protect the privacy of your references by giving their contact info only to employers you know and trust.

Instead of sending it with your resume, bring your job reference page to the interview and offer it to the recruiter or manager only if you are asked for it. (By the way, if you ARE asked for a reference page, it’s a good sign. It means the manager is thinking of you as a job candidate and he wants to take the next step of checking your references.)

Once in a while, you’ll be asked to send your job reference page with your resume before the interview. In that case, go along with the request if it’s a job you really want and you trust the company you’re applying to.

Asking Someone to Be a Job Reference

There are two types of job references: professional and personal. Try to have three or four professional references and one or two personal references on your job reference page.

A professional reference might be a former supervisor, team leader, Human Resources manager, or even a co-worker. Personal references might include your minister (priest or rabbi), non-profit leader, school counselor or instructor, or any respected person from your personal life (other than one of your family members).

Here are a few tips for asking someone to be on your reference list.

• Ask each person you’d like on your job reference page if they are willing to put in a good word for you. If you have any question that they might not say something good about you, don’t ask them to be a reference!
• Check that the contact info you have for each person is correct and okay to give your prospective employers.
• Make sure you send each of your references a copy of your current resume, explain what job you’re applying for, and, if you can, include a copy of the job post.

Once you know who will be on your list, you’re ready to put together your job reference page.

Creating Your Job Reference Page

When you create your job reference page, use the same letterhead (your name and contact info at the top of the page) that you used on your resume. That extra touch will give it a clean consistent look because all your job search documents, including your cover letter, will match.

Under your letterhead, type this info for each of your job references. Start with your professional references and end with your personal ones.

Name
Title at his or her company
Company
Street Address
City, State and Zip
Work Phone
Home Phone (if it’s a personal reference, rather than a professional reference)
Relationship to you (if it’s not clear from your resume and cover letter)
Skills/projects of yours that this reference might discuss (optional)

Sample Job Reference Page

To see all these tips in action, take a look at this sample job reference page.

The post How to Write a Job Reference Page appeared first on Damn Good Resume Guide.

Hint: When choosing your resume format, try to use the chronological format. If you feel you need skill headings in your resume, think about using the hybrid (or combination) resume format.

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Now, let’s talk a little about the thinking behind how this resume was written.

About this Resume Sample

This chronological resume gives the reader a clear sense of where Tony (not his real name) has been in his career and what he has achieved in each of his jobs. A few key points to note:

• Since he does not have a college degree, and the type of job he is looking for does not require one, Tony has left the Education section off the resume completely. If he had listed his high school diploma, it would have drawn attention to the fact that he does not have a degree.

• He’s kept his achievement statements short and to the point. This shows respect for his reader, who likely has a busy schedule and a pile of resumes to read.

• Because all of his work experience has been in Boston, Tony could enhance his standing as a candidate by adding something personal about his move to San Francisco in his cover letter or cover email to employers. But there’s no need to refer to it in his resume.

Here’s Anthony’s Resume Sample: Customer Service / Telemarketing

Looking for a Damn Good Resume Writer?

It’s not easy writing your own resume. That’s why we have a team of professional resume writers — The Damn Good Resume Team — to work with folks one-on-one. We understand most people don’t really like writing resumes, but we LOVE writing them. So we’re happy to help! Contact one of our professional resume writers by email, and she’ll explain our service and rates.

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To give you a bit of insight into this resume, we’d like to explain a few points. Maybe you’ll get tips that will be helpful when you write or update your own resume.

<< Index of customer service resume samples
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About this Resume Sample

The achievement format in this resume sample allows Linda (not her real name) to highlight her Customer Service experience and achievements. She also downplays her clerical work. Notice that she has chosen a few tools to strengthen her resume:

• Linda tells us her job title and the company name (“As Customer Service Representative for TAYLOR MADE, INC.” etc.) to add credibility to the statements that follow. Because there are no dates in this section (dates are listed lower on the resume) she is free to list her two employers in this section in order of relevance, rather than chronology.

• She also backs up her statements by listing the details of her Work History at the bottom of the page.

• Although she did not complete her college degree, Linda wants the reader to know that she did complete some higher-level study at Chabot Jr. College. This supports her willingness “to learn new things,” as she stated at the top of the resume.

Here’s Linda’s Resume Sample: Customer Service

Need a Good Resume Template for YOUR Resume?

Looking for a good resume template for your job search? We suggest Ready-Made Resumes! This online resume builder has about 150 resume templates, as well as lots of cover letter templates. It guides you step by step to find the best resume format and letter template for your situation. Almost like having a resume pro at your elbow!

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