Notes on Writing a Resume and Application Letter

What is a Resume?

A concise, one- to two-page document that summarizes a job seeker's professional qualifications, including work experience, education, and skills, to highlight their suitability for a specific job and secure an interview.
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There are three commonly used resume formats; choose the right one for you: chronological (or reverse-chronological), functional, or a combination.
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Puts the professional history section first
Good option if you have a rich professional work history with no gaps in employment
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Chronological resume format typically includes:
- Name and contact information
- Summary or objective
- Professional history
- Educational history
- Skills and abilities
- Format label: "Chronological resume format"
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Emphasizes the skills section
Good option if you are switching careers or have gaps in your work history
Often uses a structure where skills are grouped by theme, followed by any relevant professional experience, then education
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Name and contact information (example: James Kennedy, 555 Cherry Ln, Ann Arbor, MI 48111-9626, (111) 777-888, jameskennedy@email.com)
Summary
- Customer Service Representative with over three years of experience resolving complex customer inquiries. Passionate about building strong customer relationships, driving brand loyalty, and increasing customer engagement.
Area of Experience
- Retail Sales, Data Entry, Microsoft Office, Typing, Complaint resolution, Service-based selling, Fluency in French and Spanish
Skills
- Process Streamlining: Created customer service email scripts; training manual reduces onboarding from 8 to 6 weeks; reduced average call time by 90 seconds
- Complaint Resolution: 50+ calls/day; 97% average customer satisfaction; exceeded targets by 12%
- Service-based Selling: 10%+ application targets; improved post-sale follow-up reducing churn by 6%
Experience (sample positions)
- Cloud Clearwater, 2017 — Customer Service Manager: Managed relationships; referral program increased customer base by 15% in < 6 months
- Tradelot, 2016 — Customer Service Representative: Resolved inquiries; exceeded targets; improved satisfaction
Education
- Coral Springs University, 2009–2013: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
- Note: The sample includes concrete achievements and dates to illustrate the functional format
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Combines emphasis on skills with work history
Good option if you have some professional experience and want to highlight both
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Combination resume format includes:
- Name and contact information
- Summary
- Skills and abilities
- Professional experience
- Education
- Awards
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Your resume should begin with your name and contact information, including your professional email address and phone number.
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Tailor your resume for each position by revising keywords in the skills section to fit what the employer needs.
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After your contact information, you can include either a resume summary or an objective statement.
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Consider which skills make you a great fit for the job; review the job description; highlight keywords; include hard (technical) and soft (interpersonal) skills; include transferable skills for career changes.
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Write your professional history section in reverse-chronological order (most recent job first); include company name, month and year started and left, job title, and a few key achievements.
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When listing your professional history, keep a few best practices in mind:
Use numbers to measure your impact whenever possible; quantify achievements to show value.
- Example: "Developed new process for requesting supplies, reducing fulfillment time by 10%" (
- \10\%\$)
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Use keywords from the job description in your history section.
- Example: "Achieved goal of reaching 250% annual sales quota, winning sales MVP two quarters in a row" (
- \250\%\$)
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Be brief. Employers have mere seconds to review; remove filler words like "and" and "the".
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Use action verbs to describe achievements (e.g., "developed", "saved", "drove", "managed").
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Valuable if you have limited work experience or are transitioning to a new industry.
Include information such as:
- Institution's name
- Dates of attendance
- Degree or area of study
- Certifications or licenses relevant to the job
- Relevant coursework, GPA (if above 3.5), clubs/organizations, leadership roles, awards
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To save space, you can omit credentials not directly related to job requirements.
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If you have significant white space, consider adding an achievements or interests section to supplement your resume.
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Carefully review for spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Read your resume backward to spot errors; ask trusted people to review as third-party opinions can help.
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Thoroughly research the company and the specifications of the open position to customize your letter.
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Look for details such as recent awards, major accomplishments, distinguishing factors, necessary or helpful certifications, company size, culture, charitable projects, and the hiring manager's name and title.
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Open with a clear statement about the position you are applying for and mention the company by name; note where you saw the posting; mention a referrer if applicable.
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In one or two impactful sentences, explain why you’re the best fit; include clear details about your experience, skills, education or certifications; grab attention with a key achievement or why you’re excited about the role or company.
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Mention the top qualifications that make you a good fit; provide a brief summary of your background highlighting the most important points from your resume; prioritize what you want the hiring manager to know first.
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Read for grammar, spelling, and clarity; use tools or have someone review it; ensure it is error-free and flows well; proofread and edit.
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