Your Job, Your Personality

Sue Wendt of Williams Bay, WI is retired from a career as a college and career counselor in LaGrange, Ill. She works part time to help people write resumes.

Wendt teaches her clients that it's possible to "attack" a resume from more than one direction. Some people like to put their skills and work histories in order of relevance, while others like to put things in a sequential order, for example.

The important thing is to keep it short. If you list every skill you're proud of, you might turn a potential employer off from reading your four-page resume.

Use a cover letter to convey your personality, Wendt said.

"You have the opportunity to really try to make the match apparent between the position and you," Wendt said. "That's where people tend to overlook the importance of the cover letter."

Applicants are less likely these days to have the chance to yack it up with a receptionist while waiting for an interview. Many employers use online resume forms, and you won't get into the office unless your resume passes that first test, Wendt said.

If you can get an employer's attention with your resume and cover letter, you are one step closer to getting the chance to "sell yourself" in person, she said.

"Your purpose in being there is to tell the story of you," Wendt said about job interviews. "No one else can tell it like you. You might not be going in with the skills, but if you show an ability to learn, an ability to get along with others and the ability to problem solve, you're one step closer to getting the job."