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8.1 Building Your Résumé

Some people wonder if they should list
references on their résumé. We recom-
mend you not do so. Remember that
the primary purpose of your résumé is
to obtain an interview. References are
important only at the end of the inter-
view process, when just a few candi-
dates remain. At that point, telephone
interviews with personal references
may help hiring managers decide
which candidate to select.

When you prepare or update your
AndreyPopov/iStock/Thinkstock
résumé, it is a good idea to determine When preparing a résumé, you should not include
three or four former employers, for- personal references. Instead, have a personal refer-
mer instructors or school advisors, or ence list ready for the end of the interview process,
professional colleagues you know well in case you are contacted again by the potential
and who would be willing to give you a employer for more information.
favorable reference or write a letter of
recommendation for you later. Contact
these individuals and obtain their permission to share their names and contact information
as references. Keep this information yourself, but do not add it to your résumé or use the
phrase References Available Upon Request at the end of the résumé. Provide your reference
sheet only when your potential employer specifically asks for it and be sure to include the
following information:

Candidate name and contact information
References
Name, title
Address
E-mail address
Telephone
Relationship to candidate

Which Skills and Experience Should I Highlight?

Earlier we stated that when they examine résumés, the first question employers often ask
themselves is, “Does this person fit our job requirements and have the necessary skills and
experience to do the job?” Always examine job postings carefully and look for key words in it
that indicate the specific qualifications, minimal educational requirements, and desired skills
and experience required for the job. In fact, we suggest you circle key words that describe the
skills, experience, and job qualifications the organization is looking for in a candidate. Then
use these key words in your résumé to target the specific requirements of the job. This advice
is particularly important in today’s work environment because many employers reduce the
number of résumés they must read by using computer software to scan résumés for these key
words and eliminate résumés that do not contain this information.

This means that you should not make the mistake of having just one résumé and using it
repeatedly to apply for different jobs. To give yourself the best chance of being selected for an

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