•  Why Work?
• +Work and My Benefits
  • 
    
  • Disability Benefits Programs
  • What are the Tradeoffs?
  • Find a Benefits Specialist
•  What Do I Want to Do?
•  What Can I Do?
• +Paths to Success
  • 
    
  • Learning Workplace Culture
  • Encouragement
• +Getting Experience
  • 
    
  • Volunteering
  • Temporary Work
• -The Job Search
  • 
    
  • Resume and Cover Letter
  • How and Where to Search
  • Responding to Job Leads
  • Interviewing
  • Disability Disclosure
  • Veterans and Other Resources
• +Getting Help on the Job
  • 
    
  • What Can I Ask For?
  • Assistive Technology
  • The CT Tech Act Project
  • Personal Assistance
  • Job Coaches

The purpose of a resume is to obtain an interview.

Picture an employer looking through a pile of 50 resumes; each one will get perhaps 15 seconds of his or her attention. In that instant, you need to show why you are the best candidate for the position.

In writing a resume, here are some things to focus on:

• Attracting the right kind of attention - The first part of your resume is where you sell yourself, with a clear job objective, list of career skills, and relevant experience; all presented in a professional manner.
• Avoiding the wrong kind of attention - Unless you are applying for a position in which having a disability is preferred (such as a support group leader, disability consultant, or director of a disability organization), do not mention your disability. If it isn't relevant to the work, it is just another reason to screen you out.
• Presentation - Your resume and cover letter should be neatly typed with enough white space that it doesn't look crowded. Ask a friend to proofread because it is hard to see your own mistakes. Print on quality resume paper.
• Experience - You may not be able to fit everything you have done onto one resume. Emphasize the experience that is relevant for this position. Make it easy to pick out company names and position titles.
• What the employer needs - Tedious though it may be, tailor your resume to each company that you apply to. You will need to show that your skills fit nicely with the current job opening.

Do I have to write a cover letter?

Writing a cover letter indicates that you have serious interest in the position. It forces you to know the name and address of the company, have a contact person, and think about the services the company provides. Your cover letter should not repeat the information in your resume, but highlight a few areas where your skills and the company's needs clearly intersect.

Here is an additional link focused on resume writing:

http://content.monster.com/articles/3475/
18353/1/home.aspx

This article offers tips on what you should do before and after submitting your resume:

http://content.monster.com/articles/3475/
18771/1/home.aspx