Candidate Resources

Resume Advice

It can be difficult deciding what you should and should not include on a resume. Use the following questionnaire to help you better dictate your professional experience and recognitions.

GENERAL INFORMATION

  • What experience, skills, aptitudes, or traits do you have, or think you might have, that could be of some use to some employer?
  • What skills have you developed, at least to some degree, that you have never used at work?
  • Do others at work or elsewhere, come to you for any particular kind of help? What kind?
  • Do you have military experience? Provide details such as branch, grade, specialty, discharge status, duties, accomplishments, medals, citations, or commendations.
  • Did you receive promotions ahead of schedule?
  • Have you ever published an article, report, or anything, even as a volunteer? How about a company or professional association newsletter?
  • Have you ever given a talk, speech, or presentation, or provided training to anyone at work or elsewhere? Give the specifics.
  • Computer literacy and related skills: What platforms or operating systems do you use? List software, programs, internet skills etc.
  • What foreign languages do you know, and what is your level of skill in each (native speaker; fluent; moderate; phrase-book etc.)?
  • Do you have any special travel experience, domestic or foreign? If you studied, lived, or worked in a foreign country, how long were you there?

RESPONSIBILITIES / ACTIVITIES

  • How many people did you supervise? Orient? Hire? Train?
  • How large of a budget did you manage?
  • Who do you report to?
  • What was the highest level in the company that you reported to or communicated with directly?
  • Did you coordinate anything?
  • Serve as liaison between groups or key individuals?
  • Mediate between groups or individuals? Resolve any conflicts? Serve as mentor to anyone?
  • Did you do, or participate in, strategic planning?
  • Did you set or evaluate or participate in the setting or evaluation of policy?
  • Did you evaluate any individual or group performance, or any task or project research?
  • How did you relate to the product or service?
  • Did you communicate with customers? How?
  • Were you on any proposal teams, in-house or with a customer or subcontractor? Did the proposal succeed?
  • What was your function on the team, or your contribution to winning? Your team's percentage of wins?
  • Did you communicate with suppliers or subcontractors? How?
  • Did you purchase services or supplies for the office, unit, department?
  • Ever serve as a troubleshooter? In what area?
  • Did you back up someone? Who?
  • Did you do any surveys or other research or studies? Determine requirements?
  • Prepare recommendations?
    Design or manage any processes, systems, or projects?
  • Organize any events, conferences, meetings? How many?
  • Did you administer anything?
  • Consult for anyone, inside or outside the organization?
  • Did you gain experience in any special use software? Analytical or evaluative procedures? Equipment or hardware?
  • What kind of writing did you do, for yourself or someone else? What did you write about?
  • Did you write any that was delivered to a customer as a product, or part of one?
  • How much reduction in costs or increase in profits did you contribute to?
  • Did you add any smoothness, quality, or economy of operation that noticeably improved the way things were before you assumed responsibility?
  • Any concrete or specific signs of the gain you achieved?
  • Did you propose, suggest, or initiate any programs, changes, or improvements that were implemented at least partly because of your initiative?
  • What positive results occurred?
  • What did you do as a volunteer, beyond the regular duties of your position?
  • Whether you were paid for it or not, what were you particularly good at that made a difference in how the office (job, project, assignment) progressed from day to day?