Job Titles
The reason for including a former job title on your resume is not to reflect exactly what you were called by a previous employer, but instead to provide a generic identification that will be recognized by as many employers as possible. So if your current title is Junior Accountant, Level Four, recognize that this type of internal titling may bear no relation to the titling used by any other company on the planet.
To keep from painting yourself into a career corner, you can be "specifically vague" with job titles like:
Administrative Assistant rather than Secretary
Accountant rather than Junior Accountant Level I
It is crucial that you examine your current job function at work, rather than rely on your beginning or current job title. Job titles within companies change considerably more slowly than the jobs themselves, so a job change can provide an opportunity to escape the stereotyping and career stagnation that accompanies it. This method is necessary because of the variation between titles and responsibilities at different companies.
Obviously, this doesn't pertain when you apply for a job in certain types of professions, like health care. A neurologist wouldn't want to be specifically vague by labeling herself as a Health Aide; use your professional judgement here.
Company Name
The names of your previous employers need to be included. However, it is not necessary to include the street address or telephone number of past or present employers, but it can be useful to include the city and state.
When referring to work for a multi-divisional corporation, it may be wise to list the divisional employer. Dell Computer Corporation may not be enough, so you could choose to add Computer Memory Division. On a side note, it is completely acceptable to abbreviate words like "Corporation" (Corp.), "Company" (Co.), "Limited" (Ltd.), or "Division" (Div.), just remember to be consistent when editing.
The following is an example of how you may choose to combine a job title, company name, and address:
Design Engineer
Dell Computer Corp., Inc., Computer Memory Div., Round Rock, TX
The information that you are providing is applicable for the reader, but you don't want it to take space that can be used to sell yourself. If, for example, you live in a nationally known location, such as Seattle, you need not add the "WA" if space is at a premium.
There is a possible exception to this rule. It is acceptable for employed professionals to omit current employers when their industry has been reduced to a small number of professionals who know, or know of, each other, and where a confidentiality breach is likely to have negative repercussions. This is something that happens to people on the upper rungs of the career ladder, like company presidents, and CEOs. Of course, even if you don't quite fit into this elite category but are still concerned about identifying your company, you are not required to list the name of your current employer.
One method is to label a current employer in a manner that has become completely appropriate in the current business climate.
A Major Commercial Bank
A National Retail Chain
A Leading Software Developer
A company name can be followed by a succinct explanation of the business line, and this can be a benefit when it relates to a specific targeted job.
Example:
Lara Corporation, Inc., Orlando, FL 2000 to present
$500 Million Company - One of the Greatest Vacation and Resort Development/Sales Companies in the United States - In Accelerated Growth Through Strategic Mergers & Acquisitions, International Expansion, Industry Rollup, and IPO
Responsibilities
The area where you cover your duties and achievements is the meat, or body copy, of the resume. This is the place where you list not only your duties, but also special achievements, and other contributions.
Endorsements
Remember when you completed that difficult job so quickly that your supervisor couldn't stop complementing you on your work? In a resume you can effectively quote her, even if the praise was not in writing. A line like, "Praised as most forward-thinking and determined manager in the company" is a nice comment to be able to add to your resume.
These third-party endorsements are not required, and they should definitely be used over-abundantly, but when used sparingly, an endorsement or two can be very influential.
Such endorsement become particularly powerful when they support your quantified achievements.
The following is an example of a Target Job Title followed by performance profile, without the subhead. Its positioning makes it clear, and finishes the resume with a string of endorsements and evaluations.
Registered Nurse
Compassionate nursing professional qualified by a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, RN Licensure, and multiple certifications including CNC, ACLS, and BLS. Provides unsurpassed patient service and high-quality nursing care.
Adept in infectious-disease containment with appropriate universal precautions for hepatitis A, B, and C; tuberculosis; MRSA; VRE; meningitis; West Nile; necrotizing infections; and others.
Procedure expertise-intubation/extubation, chest-tube placement, ventrulostomies, paracentesis, tracheostomy exchanges, lumbar punctures, thorocentises, central -line insertion, arterial -line insertion, swan guiding, peritoneal dialysis, continuing hemodialysis.
Excellent critical thinking skills utilized throughout career on a daily basis.
"... functions efficiently in an emergency situation, including Code Blue procedures... independent worker who requires little oversight... can be counted on to complete assigned tasks...caring and considerate... is a major contributor to the morale and success of the MICU team..."
-Excerpts from performance evaluations
James Crocker is the Owner and CEO of Casual Robot Media. He writes informative articles to aid job seekers with tips for job searching, cover letter writing tips, resume writing tips, tips on professional networking, tips for interviewing, and tips for getting promotions on his website http://employmentgenius.com/
