How to Write Resumes Preparations

How to Write Resumes
    Welcome to my lecture, boys and girls. To obtain your first job, you may need to complete an employment application form. However, you may also need to prepare a letter of application and a resume. The first question you should consider is: What abilities do I have to offer an employer? You will be hired because you have a skill that an employer needs. Before you start your campaign for a job, you must decide for which specific jobs you are qualified and in which jobs you are interested. On the basis of your personal and educational backgrounds, you begin by listing specific skills and knowledge that would benefit an employer. Then you decide which specific job titles need the skills and knowledge you possess. After that you may think: Which of the positions I have listed interests me most? Direct your job-seeking efforts to the most interesting positions for which you are qualified. Once you have decided what you have to sell to an employer, you should prepare a written summary of your qualifications (资格，学历). This summary, often called a resume, is a description of your qualifications. It usually includes a statement of your education, your employment records or experience, a list of references, and other data that will help you obtain the job you wish.
    Since resumes are sales instruments, they must be prepared just as carefully as sales letters. They must present the best possible impression of you. The act of preparing the resume is just as valuable as the resume itself, for it forces you to think about yourself. That is what you have to offer an employer and why you should be hired. Thus it becomes a self-appraisal (自我评估). Everyone brings unique talents to a position, but usually, only after you have prepared a resume do you realize your true worth. I’d like to give you several suggestions on how to prepare good resumes.
    Firstly, make the resume attractive. Of course, it should be typewritten, perfectly balanced on the page, and free from errors and noticeable corrections. Resumes vary in length from one page to several pages, depending on how much you have to say about yourself.
    Next, make the resume fit the employer’s needs. Never try to copy someone else’s resume or to use the same one over and over. You must find out what the job you are seeking demands, and then tailor (调整) your resume accordingly. For example, if you apply for a job where you will be required to take dictation (口述) at a high speed, you will want to emphasize your skill in shorthand (速记法). On the other hand, if the secretarial (有关秘书工作的) job you want requires little in the way of shorthand but a good deal of talent in writing, you will not mention your shorthand skill but emphasize your writing ability.
    In a word, you should try to make your resume unique to yourself. Making it particular does not mean cheating in the contents of the resume. Always remember that never cheat in your resume, otherwise you will receive really bad results.