TRUDY: I was looking for information regarding resumes with salary histories. I am applying for a job and it is requesting salary requirement. How would I add this to my resume?

Everyone please repeat after me: Never, never ever, put salary information anywhere on your resume. If you decide to include salary information with your job application, always place the information on a separate piece of paper. But it’s a big if whether you should even bother sending the salary requirement information.

SHREENA: I am applying for a summer undergraduate work placement in a large company of opticians. One of the questions on the application forms is as follows: Provide details of key achievements in your current role including facts and figures and performance targets to indicate the business outcome that resulted. Do I need to write about my role as a student at university? There is no real business outcome that results from being a student.

Most college students should leave college with two types of experience: actual work experience gained through internships and part-time jobs and practical experience gained through class projects and papers.

When writing their resume, most students don’t have too hard a time describing work experience, but one of the most common errors I see is students often discount those class projects.

If you have previous work experiences, list those along with their outcomes. But don’t forget about those class projects.

When describing those student experiences, remember the same rules that apply to describing your work experiences: Always try to quantify your descriptions, focus on outcomes and project objectives.

GAIL: My question is how and where on my resume could I let employers know I’m looking for 24 to 32 hours a week. How should I word this? Should I put this in my objective?

Ready for a bad answer? It depends.

Okay. Let me explain. If you are responding to job postings or online job ads that request part-time workers, then there is no need to even have it listed on your resume because employers will assume if you are applying for a part-time position that you are actually seeking part-time employment.

However, if you are sending out cover letters and resume packages to a variety of employers – what we refer to as the cold-calling method – then you must say somewhere that you are looking for part-time rather than full-time employment.

ALLISON: I am required to turn in a resume for a school district with whom I am applying. I have been in the same type of position for nine years, doing relatively the same type of work (counseling). Since each of the jobs I have held has virtually the same description, how do I address that under work experience? I wondered if I should do a functional resume and bullet all the skills I have acquired through the years and then just list the schools (or districts) in which I have worked under the work experience.

Kudos first for planning in advance – and for doing the research – in regard to your resume. Resumes are extremely important documents, and I am always amazed at how many bad resumes I see – poor focus, too wordy, ugly/boring appearance, with typos and misspellings. Resumes are one of the main tools with which prospective employers judge you – and help them decide to call you for an interview.

The key element of resumes you are missing is that a resume is not some statement of job duties or descriptions. A resume is about showing how you took a job and made it your own – and helped the employer in the process. A resume highlights your key accomplishments in every job. And even when you have held similar jobs over a long period, you should still have quantifiable accomplishments in every position.

So, you certainly could make a functional resume, where the job seeker chooses about three broad functional skills areas, but what would you list under the functional categories? Not job duties. But I think a standard chronological resume would work fine for you as long as you take the time to sit back and examine your accomplishments in each job.

ADRIANNE: I am in the preliminary stages of a job search and I understand that cover letters should be specific. But to avoid writing “Dear sir/madam”, I wonder what one can do if the company’s human resources department does not want to divulge the name of who is assessing the applicants?

The bad news is that technology trends make it even harder for job-seekers to track down the names of hiring managers. The good news is that when you do, you will certainly have an edge over other job-seekers.

So, what’s the best way around HR folks, screening assistants, voicemail or vague email addresses? Having someone inside the company who can get you the information – this is the real power of networking.

A lot of job-seekers have a misconception that networking is all about asking people for jobs – and it’s not. Networking is about sharing information – about people, companies, and, yes, job leads.

Another misconception about networking is that you are using people, but the whole idea behind networking is one of reciprocation; someone helps you now and you’ll help that person in the future. So, get your network out there helping you.

And if you must use a salutation, I prefer “dear hiring manager,” or “dear hiring manager for [fill-in-the-blank] position”.

JANET: When should you use a chronological resume? When should you use a functional resume?

You’re not going to like this answer: It depends. The resume format most in favor these days is the standard chronological resume, which is organized around a straightforward employment history. Job-seekers with a solid employment history who are looking for advancement within their career field typically use a chronological resume.

Employers and headhunters prefer the chronological resume because it’s easy to assess issues such as employment history, qualifications, and career advancement by a simple glance at the resume. Functional resumes downplay employment history in favor of functional skills clusters, and are most used by new college grads, career changers, and job-seekers with employment gaps.

The answer I am giving to all my clients and students is this: In today’s job market, it is critical to have resumes for all job-search situations. Thus, I recommend developing both a functional and chronological resume for job-seekers in situations where a functional is typically the preferred. I also recommend having a least one electronic version of a resume as more and more of job searching moves to computerized resume databases.

So, what are the most important things to remember about resumes?

1. The function of a resume is to get you a job interview, not the job.

2. A resume is a statement of facts, so do not fudge dates, titles, accomplishments.

3. Focus is critical; a resume should be tailored to a specific job, a specific employer.

4. With employment history, focus on (quantifiable) accomplishments rather than duties and responsibilities.

5. Appearances matter, so make sure your printed resume uses conventional fonts, colors, margin widths, etc.

SEH: How do you build a good resume if you have lots of gaps in your job history? I know that in order to get in to explain to someone face-to-face, you need a way to get your foot in the door, and trust me, with my resume, I’m not going anywhere!

Employment gaps are always a challenge when developing a resume. Small gaps are not that unusual anymore as the employment landscape has changed over the last decade or so. If you have a large gap – or multiple gaps – however, you are going to need to be a bit creative.

The ideal situation is when you can show you were doing something productive during your employment gap – getting additional training, education or working part-time, freelancing, consulting or volunteering.

If you were ill or dealing with a family emergency, or simply out of the work force by choice, your best bet may be to develop a functional resume. A functional resume is organized around three or four skills areas (such as communications, leadership, customer service, project management, etc.). You then list key accomplishments from all your experiences within each skills cluster.

IRENE: I just accepted a “temp to perm” position. Since then I have received two calls for much better positions. I am sure I would get the first position. The other is a good possibility. With a few potential interviews during my first week of this new job ... how do I pull all of this off? The temp position is 99 percent to go perm with good attendance, ... and it’s an 8 to 4:30 position.

I have always advised my clients that job-hunting is often very streaky ... one often goes long periods of nothing happening – and then it all seems to happen at once. And now you are faced with a number of decisions.

First, what is the ethical thing to do? Since you have accepted this new position and have already started working there, do you abandon it so quickly because other opportunities have arisen? My opinion is there is certainly no harm in interviewing, but if you get offers from both new opportunities, that’s a different decision.

Second, what’s the best career opportunity for you? My advice is always to follow the opportunity that is going to give you the greatest satisfaction or do the greatest good for your career – in the long-term. Which of the three jobs is best for you?

Third, how can you go on job interviews when you are working all day? You have a couple of options. You can ask for earlier – or later – than normal interview times (such as 7:30 a.m. or 5:30 p.m.). Or, you can try and interview over your lunch break.

And, finally, if you do interview and get a job offer from one or both places and you decide to take one of them, you would certainly not put the current job on your resume; it would just disappear as though it never existed.

JACQUELINE: I have a question regarding the closing, “Take Care,” at the end of business cover letters. Is that considered less professional than all the traditional closings? Take Care, Jacqueline

I consider take care as a bit too informal for traditional cover letters. I have seen it in e-mail cover letters, and I find it a bit more acceptable there. When writing conventional cover letters, I would stick with the traditional closings: sincerely and cordially.

In the grand scheme of cover-letter writing, though, I think how you close the letter is of little consequence compared to the much bigger issues that I list below.

Key cover letter strategies:

· Addressing the letter to a named individual. Job-seekers must address the letter to a person – the hiring manager – not to the Human Resources department.

· The first paragraph must engage the reader, enticing him to read more.

· The second and third paragraphs must show how well you fit the position you are seeking – as well as highlight key accomplishments. Focus on what you can do for the company.

· The last paragraph must state how you plan to follow up the letter.

Finally, be sure to avoid:

· Long, boring sentences and paragraphs.

· Letters longer than one page.

· Typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors.

· Rehashing your resume.

And remember to follow up all cover letters with a phone call – showing your continued interest in the position and the employer.

Randall S. Hansen, Ph.D., is a career expert who has authored numerous publications on career development and job hunting. He is the owner of Quintessential Careers and an associate professor of marketing at Stetson University. Send career and job questions to careerdr@quintcareers.com.

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