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Family support center eases resume worries

The average employer will view a resume for 15 to 20 seconds before moving on to another, according to family support center officials here.

For this reason, they said it is vital for job seekers to have a resume that represents their skills and abilities in the best manner.

"The resume is your doorway to an interview," said Sharon Register, FSC community readiness technician. "It's your calling card to highlight your skills and show an employer what type of candidate you are."

With an increasing number of Airmen leaving the service because of ongoing force-structuring efforts, the family support center has a variety of free resources for those planning to enter the job market. These include one-on-one appointments, workshops and handouts.

For job seekers who have enough time, the center provides personal assistance in crafting resumes for private-sector and government jobs. While resumes for private-sector jobs are usually limited to one or two pages, those for government work can be up to five pages and require specific information, said Sharon Thompson, FSC community readiness consultant.

"It takes time to craft a good resume," she said. "We can provide people basic information and certain guidelines on the spot, but to do the best job, it takes a considerable amount of research and time."

Providing this type of free assistance is a great benefit to both military members and their spouses, Ms. Thompson said. Resume assistance can cost up to $1,000 in the civilian world.

"There isn't one way to do a resume, so you can pay someone a lot of money and still not get a quality product," she added.

If job seekers need immediate or additional assistance, the center provides resume and job guidance handouts.

While many of the services are geared toward separating Airmen, Ms. Register said the support center staff also wants to help their families.

"All of our services are available to spouses," she said. "Plus we can educate them on the employment needs of our local area and provide guidance on how to create a transportable career."

Ms. Thompson said it is extremely important for spouses to have careers that can be transported from place to place to accommodate an Airmen's constant transfers. In cases where employment can't be found in a certain area, the center also can find volunteer or internship opportunities for spouses to prevent gaps in their resume's work history.

While there are numerous types of resumes and ways to prepare them, family support center officials here said the following checklist can ease the process:

- Identify your desired job and decide what type of resume is required for the particular position (private-sector, government, etc.)

- Research the particular job and capture any specific verbiage the employer uses to add in your resume.

- Craft your resume to fit the job. Ensure your identity information is clearly visible. Collect all appropriate information on job skills, work history, education and training.

- Edit your resume. Resumes should contain no grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors. Private-sector resumes should be one to two pages. Resumes for government positions require specific information and can be five pages or more.

- Have someone review your resume, either professionally or personally.

Source: U.S. Air Force