WebZume Lab
Utilize Our Blog Posts as Your WebZume Workshop
What I post here on WebZume is as dynamic as a webzume itself. I try to keep current and keep my audience informed of the newest web 2.0 developments regarding getting noticed and methods to improve the quality of what I offer. I encourage you to not only contact me personally, but use any and all blogs and links I make available to you. With that said let this be the start of things to come!
A resume’ is a brief document and snapshot that summarizes your education, employment history, and experiences that are relevant to your qualifications for a particular. The purpose of a resume (along with your cover letter) is to get an interview. Research has shown than it takes an average of ten (10) interviews to receive one (1) job offer, so your resume needs to be persuasive and professional.
The general purpose resume usually contains four sections:
- Contact
- Education
- Experience
- Honors, activities, and outreach
One part of the resume’ that gets a back seat to the rest of the resume’ is the contact section. This is where you are afforded the opportunity to put your URL to your webzume, professional Facebook page or other pertinent online information.
Unlike other sections of your resume, this section does not have a special heading like “Contact Information.” Instead it simply lists the information below at the top of the page:
- your full name
- your e-mail address
- your permanent address
- your local or campus address (if applicable)
- your phone number(s)
- your webzume or web address/URL
Of course, as with the rest of your resume, you’ll want to double-check that all the information you include is current and accurate. Mistyping your phone number or URL could easily cost you an interview! Also, if you list an e-mail address, be sure to check your e-mail regularly or you may miss an important message. You may want to set up a separate email account specific for your replies to your resume’.
Designing your contact information section
Employers will probably look first and last at your contact information section, so it’s well worth your time to make this section easy-to-read and appealing to the eye. Whatever design choices you make, try to coordinate them with the rest of your resume. Here are some specific design options:
Use page design strategies to present information in a usable format. For example, to help readers find desired information, you might place your name in a larger font size, center it, boldface it, or anything to make it stand out. If you have a permanent and local address, you might want to play with columns.
You may want to add a graphic element such as a horizontal line to help section off your contact information. Make sure the visual does not distract from your textual information.
Coordinate with your cover letter. One way to make your application documents a professional package is to match your cover letter and your resume. You might do this by creating stationery or a letterhead for both documents. For instance, if you use two columns for your addresses and a double line on your resume header, you might adapt it for the top of your cover letter as well. Make sure to use the same fonts (size also) for both documents.
When applying these simple guidelines, you make yourself easy to be contacted as well as adding consistency to your resume’ by making your contact page as important as your cover letter.