| CAREER
GUIDE | SEPTEMBER 20, 2005
Writing a Résumé
Organize résumés
with good grammar, spelling
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| Photo illustration: Michelle Proksell |
| A résumé can be
one of the most important assets in landing a job. Résumés
should be free of spelling and grammatical errors. |
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By Alicia
Sisemore
Special to The Shorthorn
A well-written résumé can be one of the most important
tools when searching for employment. Résumés are essential
because they let employers evaluate a potential employee’s
writing skills as well as reasons why he or she is qualified for
the position.
Some elements that should be on a résumé are any special
skills, a list of references and past employment with the period
of time worked and a good description of the job responsibilities.
Résumés should include good grammar, spelling and
organization.
Justin Archer, the hiring manager for Domino’s call center
in Euless, takes hundreds of applications and résumés
every week. Archer said that when he is skimming through the résumés,
he will throw away anything with bad grammar, too many blank spaces
or anything that seems unorganized or messy.
“A good résumé, to me, is the one thing that
can automatically help a person get their foot in the door,”
he said.
It is important to keep your résumé brief, he said,
and make sure that there aren’t any “scratch-out”
marks making the résumé more difficult to understand.
Donna Redell, the human resources manager for Mark of Excellence,
mentioned how irritating it can be when she is interviewing someone
who seems great for a job, but cannot put a résumé
together in the correct format, nor can the candidate spell words
correctly.
“I like to think that the person I am willing to hire will
help my company become more successful, not drag it down with their
lack of basic knowledge.” Redell said.
Cover letters can also be important assets when applying for a job.
Cover letters are normally business letters addressed to the hiring
manager, letting him or her know what skills and talents are applicable
to the available position.
Sharlynda Bedford, human resources manager at the Wyndham Hotel
in Arlington, commented on the importance of a cover letter.
“Nobody ever does cover letters anymore,” she said.
“They are a terrific way to catch my eye. If you can take
the time out to write me a cover letter, you’ve got a great
chance of getting your interview before anyone else.”
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