Portland Observer. May 29, 1985, Section II, Page 7
an effective, practical guide
can sell yo u rse lf, salary w o n 't be a
problem.
4 D o n ’ t state re lig io n , n a tio n a l
o rig in , or p o litic a l a ffilia tio n . The
re cip ie n t o f your resume may well
have contrary beliefs or views.
5. D o n 't tr y to sell y o u rs e lf by
em phasizing vita l statistics such as
age and appearance. Sell what you
have a cco m p lish e d so you w ill
create the right impression.
6. I f you have had previous em
ployment (other than summer jobs),
d o n 't try to explain the reasons fo r
leaving. It is alm ost an im possible
task to make them sound credible.
Save the exp la na tio n s fo r your in
terviewer’ s questions.
7. D o n 't be cute or use gimmicks
in your resume fo rm at. Present your
in fo rm a tio n in a lo g ic a l, s tra ig h t
fo rw a rd w ay, using a businesslike
approach.
Type the in fo rm a tio n neatly, on
white 8'/> by 11-inch bond. You can
reproduce your resume w ith a Xerox
o r sim ila r copying machine as long
as it produces clean and le g ib le
copies, a lth o u g h o ffs e t copies are
p re fe ra b le and m ay be o b ta in e d
fr o m m ost co p y centers at a
re la tiv e ly low cost in q u a n titie s o f
fifty or more.
There are several types o f resumes
that you m ight want to consider in
p re se n tin g y o u r d a ta . Each may
have u n iq u e c a p a b ilitie s fo r y o u ,
depending on the circumstances o f a
given jo b situation. The three most
lo g ic a l types o f resumes are: ( I )
b io g ra p h ic a l; (2) re su lts-o rie n te d ;
and (3) the letter resume.
The biographical
The standard biographical resume
p ro v id e s in fo r m a tio n in a very
lo g ic a l sequence and is p ro b a b ly
best su ite d to the average new
g ra d u a te w h o has had n e ith e r a
great deal o f w o rk experience n o r
w o rk d ire c tly re la te d to the
discipline studied or degree granted.
The functional
The functional or results-oriented
resume includes a ll the data o f the
biographical resume but provides an
o p p o r tu n ity to sp e ll o u t s p e c ific
achievem ents in p a rtic u la r jo b s o r
organizational functions. This is the
least effective form at fo r those w ith
little professional w ork experience.
The letter resume
The letter resume lifts certain key
item s fro m one o f the resume f o r
mats and presents th e m in a
n a rra tiv e fo r m . T h is m ay be the
weakest o f the fo rm a ts fo r a new
g ra d u a te , because w ith lit t le e x
perience to sell there is n 't to o much
o p p o rtu n ity to elaborate and still be
brief.
The good resume spells out an o b
jective w ithout being overly specific.
It p o in ts up the h ig h lig h ts o f an
e d u c a tio n a l career. It s p e c ific a lly
c la rifie s responsibilities and q u a n
tifie s them , gross sales, supervised
three employees, and so on. S um
mer jo b s are d e scrib e d , re fle c tin g
increasing responsibilities and in te r
personal aspect fro m w o rk in g w ith
customers in sales as well as dem on
stration w ork.
T o d o the m ost e ffe c tiv e jo b in
preparing your resume and also as a
su p p le m e n t to the s e lf-a n a ly s is
process, you may w ell fin d it tim e
well spent to firs t w rite out in some
d e ta il a ll the in fo rm a tio n you can
about
y o u rs e lf
and
your
qualifications:
1. Personal data: v ita l statistics,
h e a lth ,
o u ts id e
a c tiv itie s
(o rg a n iz a tio n s
and
m e m b e r
ships— p ro fe ssio n a l social o r ca m
pus-related).
2. E ducational b a ckground: De
grees awarded o r pend in g , aw ards
received, co n tin u in g education ac
tiv ity , assistantships; scholarships.
3. U n iq u e q u a lific a tio n s : la n
guage flu e n c y , s p e c ific c o m m u n
ic a tio n s a b ility ( w r itte n o r o ra l),
m ilita r y e xp e rie n ce , fo re ig n t r a
vel.
4. Duties, responsibilities and ac
c o m p lis h m e n ts : L is t these fo r a ll
jobs, regardless o f im portance. E m
phasize re s p o n s ib ilitie s (p e o p le ,
m oney, p ro p e rty ); reports w ritte n ;
p ro je c t assig n m e n ts; and o th e r
significant tasks.
First try to cover everything, and
w o rry a b o u t r e fin in g it to the
re co m m e n d e d one o r tw o pages
later. The idea is to recall everything
and then s o rt o u t th e essential
elem ents to in c lu d e on the fin a l
resum e. E ve ry jo b yo u have ever
had is im p o rta n t, p a rtic u la rly i f it
was in a business environm ent and
involved other people.
Some fu r th e r in s ig h ts in to the
problem s people have in preparing
resumes are p ro v id e d by a recent
survey o f m em bers o f the E m
ploym ent Management A ssociation
(a n a tio n a l a s s o c ia tio n o f p r o
fessional e m p lo ym e n t executives),
w h ic h p o in te d o u t th a t some
o f the m a jo r c o m p la in ts a b o u t
resumes are:
1. S lo p p y app e a ra n ce ; ty p o
g ra p h ic a l m istakes and g e n e r
ally little eye appeal
2. G ram m atically unclear style.
3. N o t en o u g h em phasis on a c
complishments, abilities, and skills.
4. T oo much in fo rm a tio n o f little
or no interest.
5. L a ck o f d ates, title s , and
names o f employers
6. L is tin g irre le v a n t e x tr a c u r
ricular activities.
7. F a ilu re to specify interests o r
objectives.
R egardless o f the fo r m a t, a
resume m ust re fle c t w h a t one can
and w ants to d o . Y o u r resum e is
yo u , and an acid test is fo r you to
tr y to be ve ry o b je c tiv e and ask,
“ W ould I invite myself fo r an in te r
view based on what this resume in
dica te s? " I f your answer is " N o , "
or "M a y b e ," you should rework it.
F in a lly , y o u r resum e sh o u ld
always be an honest and s tr a ig h t
forw ard presentation o u tlin in g your
s k ills and c a p a b ilitie s in a fa c tu a l
way. A cardinal rule o f jo b hunting
is to a lw a ys te ll the tr u th .
Your resume is you. It represents
what has been accomplished to this
point in your career. It is an inven
to r y o f y o u r s k ills and a b ilitie s .
W hen p re p a rin g y o u r resum e,
remember that it is your education
and accomplishments that are o f in
terest to a p o te n tia l em ployer. You
m ust convey th a t yo u have the
a b ility to help an organization attain
its goals.
Labor laws reinforced
The U S. Departm ent o f L a b o r’ s
E m p lo y m e n t
S ta n d a rd s
Ad
ministration (ESA) recently reminded
a g ric u ltu ra l e m p lo y e rs o f th e ir
responsibilities under federal ch ild
labor regulations.
Joe C . G a rc ia , re g io n a l a d
m in istra to r fo r ESA in Seattle, said
the F a ir L a b o r S ta n d a rd s A ct
(E L S A ) gives the department broad
powers to regulate the em ploym ent
o f m inors under the age o f eighteen
years.
E m p lo y e rs w h o v io la te these
protective re strictio n s may be sub
ject to civil money penalties o f up to
$1,000 fo r each c h ild im p ro p e rly
employed, he noted
The basic m in im u m age fo r
a g ricu ltu ra l em ployment subject to
the E LSA is fourteen years, G arcia
said, except that twelve and thirteen
year o ld s may be e m p lo ye d w ith
w ritte n p a re n ta l c o n se n t. Y o u th s
Congratulations,
Graduates of ’85!
under sixteen years o f age may not
work in any agricultural occupation
declared by the Secretary o f L a bor
to be hazardous.
In a d d itio n , no m in o r under six
teen years may be employed during
school h o u rs fo r the d is tr ic t in
which he resides while w orking.
However, m inors o f any age may
be employed in any occupation and
during schixil hours by their parents
on a farm which the parents own or
operate.
G a rc ia noted th a t some excep
tions may apply in specific c irc u m
stances. and urged persons needing
m ore de ta iled in fo rm a tio n to co n
tact the nearest o ffic e o f E S A ’ s
W age and H o u r D ivision.
The P o rtla n d area o ffic e is
located in the Federal B u ild in g at
I 220 S .W . T h ir d A ve and can be
reached by phone at 221-3057.
Guard opportunities
nam experience, and a p e rc e p tio n
o f the m ilita r y as d is c rim in a to ry .
W hile such concerns may have been
v a lid in the past, Jo rd a n says he's
seen change. " I ' v e been in the
G u a rd fo r 10 years n o w . T h e
management aspect has changed to
where people are treated a ccording
to their abilities, not ra ce ." he said.
Jordan believes that as m in o rite s
in the Guard become more visible to
the c o m m u n ity , c o m m u n ity a t
titu d e s w ill change. He stressed,
how ever, that i t ’ s best not to w a it
to o lo n g b e fo re a s k in g a b o u t a
G u a rd career “ M a n y people have
come to me asking i f they could jo in
the G uard as I have, but they ca n 't
q u a lify because o f a g e ." In m ost
cases, you must be under age 35 to
q u a lify.
H o w does Jordan manage a f u l l
time career in the public schools and
an A ir G uard p o sitio n? " I like my
w o r k , ” he says, " I lik e w o rk in g
w ith people. Both these careers give
me a great deal o f personal satisfac
tio n ."
Does the O re g o n A ir N a tio n a l
G uard o ffe r career possibilities fo r
m inorities in our com m unity? M ike
J o rd a n believes it does. J o rd a n ,
Principal o f Sabin Early Childhcxxl
E ducation Center, is a M a jo r in the
Oregon A ir N ational G uard. As the
M a in te n a n c e S ta ff O ffic e r o f the
142nd C onsolidated A irc ra ft M a in
tenance Squadron, and an educator,
Jordan has a perspective on the op-
p o rtu itie s the N a tio n a l G u a rd can
p ro v id e yo u n g people seeking a
career.
" S a y y o u 're a yo u n g m an o r
wom an com ing out o f high school,
and you d o n ’ t have the money to go
right to college," he said, ' consider
the A ir G u a rd . In the G u a rd , you
can build w ork experience. You can
receive college c re d it fo r m uch o f
the te c h n ic a l tr a in in g
y o u 'll
receive."
J o rd a n a d m itte d th a t m any
m inorities do not th in k they’ ll get a
fa ir shake in the N a tio n a l G u a rd .
He believes there is s till an aversion
to a m ilita ry career fro m the V ie t
Some People are SERIOUS
About Portland's Future
Join them Saturday mornings,
June 1,15 and 22
to create a working vision of Portland
in the year 2005.
9 a.m. - noon, June 1
Northwest Service Center -1819 NW Everett
Lloyd Center Red Lion -1000 Multnomah
June 15. 9 a.m . - noon
Pine Street Theater - 221 SE 9th
Terwilliger School - 6318 SW Corbett
June 22, 9 a.m . - noon
Immaculate Heart School - 26 NE Morris
Portland Building -1100 SW Fifth
HELP BUILD
THE CENTRAL CITY PLAN
For m ore inform ation call 795-7270, the Central City Plan office.
Free admission. Everybody's invited.
THE PEOPLE AT PACIFIC POWER
CITY OF
PORTLAND. OREGON
( I MIRAI ( ÌTYK A M
W
M**4 I ' *<zeif*sn '
l » w S Srrst» IV*
.?4 l i? H S W » < » • * * • • »
C vtwwi ■ kwyr
l'#rf