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Some people might say that there are several different ways to format your resume, and this may be true. But if you are going into a classic, business profession, you will want to stick with a classic, businesslike resume format, that is, if you want to be taken seriously.

Let me give you an example of a traditional resume format:

First, your contact information, which of course includes your name, full address, phone numbers both cell and home, and an email address.

Next will be your career objective, although this is optional. If you do choose to make this part of your resume format, it should only be a couple of sentences describing your employment goals. In order to be a worthwhile part of your resume, your objective will need to be customized to you and your skills. Let the employer know why you will be a valuable asset to the company.

Then you will move on to your career highlights and your qualifications. Again, you will want to tailor this to list the achievements, skills, traits and experiences that will relate directly to the job you are applying for. This will illustrate to the employer what an asset you can be to the company, and he or she will also be impressed that you took the time to outline these accomplishments for his or her benefit.

Okay, we all know that experience is going to play a key factor, and this is where this information should be in your resume format. As the title "experience" suggests, this is where you will include your work history. You will want to catalog the companies you worked for, the dates of employment, the positions you held, as well as a list of your responsibilities and achievements. If you choose to make a bulleted list of this information, it makes it much easier to read, and adds a nice touch to your resume format.

In this resume format, what would come next is your education. You'll list the colleges or universities you have attended, the degrees you attained, and of course any special honors or awards you earned. If you made the Dean's List or President's List, make sure to add that in here, too. Were you approached to be a Student Advisor? If so, list that here as well.

Don't feel that this section can only list traditional colleges and universities, if you have attended a career college or trade or technical school, they count too! Make sure that all of your successes and accomplishments are part of your resume format.

Now is the space where you will enter your special skills relating directly to the position you are applying for. Are you applying for a technical position? Make sure to highlight your computer skills. If this is a company with locations around the world and you are at least bilingual, you'll definitely want to mention that! Trilingual? Even better! Well, you get the gist!

So, there is a nice basic resume format for you. You do not need to mention that you have references available upon request, instead make that mention in your cover letter, or have a list of references ready to give the prospective employer if they ask.