The main purpose of a resume is to convince an employer to grant you an interview. There are two kinds. One is the familiar "tombstone" that lists where you went to school and where you’ve worked in chronological order. The other is what I call the "functional" resume—descriptive, fun to read, unique to you and much more likely to land you an interview. It’s handy to have a "tombstone" for certain occasions. But prospective employers throw away most of those unrequested "tombstone" lists, preferring to interview the quick rather than the dead. What follows are tips on writing a functional resume that will get read—a resume that makes you come alive and look interesting to employers. 1. Put yourself first: In order to write a resume others will read with enthusiasm, you have to feel important about yourself. 2. Sell what you can do, not who you are: Practice translating your personality traits, character, accomplishments and achievements into skill areas. There are at least five thousand skill areas in the world of work. Toot your own horn! Many people clutch when asked to think about their abilities. Some think they have none at all! But everyone does, and one of yours may just be the ticket an employer would be glad to punch—if only you show it. 3. Be specific, be concrete, and be brief! Remember that "brevity is the best policy." 4. Turn bad news into good: Everybody has had disappointments in work. If you have to mention yours, look for the positive side. 5. Never apologize: If you’re retuming to the work force after fifteen years as a parent, simply write a short paragraph (summary of background) in place of a chronology of experience. Don’t apologize for working at being a mother; it’s the hardest job of all. If you have no special training or higher education, just don’t mention education. The secret is to think about the self before you start writing about yourself. Take four or five hours off, not necessarily consecutive, and simply write down every accomplishment in your life, on or off the job, that made you feel effective. Don’t worry at first about what it all means. Study the list and try to spot patterns. As you study your list, you will come closer to the meaning: identifying your marketable skills. Once you discover patterns, give names to your cluster of accomplishments(leadership skills, budget management skills, child development skills etc.) Try to list at least three accomplishments under the same skills heading. Now start writing your resume as if you mattered. It may take four drafts or more, and several weeks, before you’re ready to show it to a stranger (friends are usually too kind) for a reaction. When you’re satisfied, send it to a printer; a printed resume is far superior to photocopies. It shows an employer that you regard job hunting as serious work, worth doing right. Isn’t that the kind of person you’d want working for you A. A woman who lost her job as a teacher’s aide due to a cutback in government funding wrote: "Principal of elementary school cited me as the only teacher’s aide she would rehire if government funds became available." B. One resume I received included the following: Invited by my superior to straighten out our organization’s accounts receivable. Set up orderly repayment schedule, reconciled accounts weekly, and improved cash flow 100 percent. Rewarded with raise and promotion. Notice how this woman focuses on results, specifies how she accomplished them, and mentions her reward—all in 34 words. C. For example, if you have a flair for saving, managing and investing money, you have money management skills. D. An acquaintance complained of being biased when losing an opportunity due to the statement "Ready to learn though not so well educated." E. One of my former colleagues, for example, wrote three resumes in three different styles in order to find out which was more preferred. The result is, of course, the one that highlights skills and education background. F. A woman once told me about a cash-flow crisis her employer had faced. She’d agreed to work without pay for three months until business improved. Her reward was her back pay plus a 20 percent bonus. I asked why that marvelous story wasn’t in her resume. She answered, "It wasn’t important." What she was really saying of course was "I’m not important.\