Resume Advice

[Daniel Lupo <LUPODJ%PUCAL -dot- BITNET -at- UICVM -dot- UIC -dot- EDU>]

        First, I'd like to characterize what follows as *principles*
        of resume writing (employment communication) -- to be dis-
        tinguished from "rules" as others are calling them.  As com-
        munications, we all know that different contexts demand
        (ah, that should be "As _communicators_, we . . ." -- sorry)
        different rhetorical choices.  Thus, rules are only as good
        as the context warrents.

        If you are in a situation where you know more about how the
        organization you are applying to defines the role/duties of
        a technical communicator, you may want to include an
        objective statement something like this:

        "Technical writer in the computer industry, utilizing my
        writing, document design, project management, and research
        skills to produce hardcopy and on-line end-user docuementation."

        I guess the principle I am advocating here is TARGETING your
        resume to a specific company's identity/position.  A well-
        targeted objective statement can go a long way toward them
        bringing you in for an interview (the goal of most resume/
        app letter packages).

        What distinguishes an app letter from a resume?  TRANSLATION.
        It is the goal of a targeted app letter to translate the past
        (what you've done in the past as represented on your resume)
        in terms of the future (that is, the position you are seeking).
        Your goal is not merely to rehash what's in the res, but to
        make a claim about how doing THAT can help you do THIS for
        company X.  For example,

        "My three years of working as a member of the Information Develop-
        ment team has given me excellent project management skills, which
        I can bring to WIDGETCO's publications group, enabling me to
        learn your processes quickly and produce documentation efficiently."

        ...Or something like that.  The point is, the app letter projects
        you into the position or company as an active performer -- dancing
        that tightrope between sounding confident or aggressive and sounding
        arrogant, naive, or push.

        Teaching students from various disciplines who seek careers in many
        different fields, I've learned that there is no one right way to
        write any res/app letter.  There are general principles, offered
        as guidelines and meant to be adapted to the variables of whatever
        employment-seeking situation you may find yourself in.  Good luck.

        Dan Lupo
        Purdue University Calumet
        Bitnet:  LUPODJ -at- PUCAL