record of all of your professional activities, including a list of all of your
publications, major presentations, and professional honors.
As we review what should go into each of the above categories,
we’ll point out some of the places where you can use P.E.A.K.S. sub-
headings to highlight your key qualifications.Name, Address, Telephone Number, and E-Mail Address
Typically the name you use on your resume should include your full
first name. If you like to use a shortened version of your first name in
formal situations, you can use this on your resume, but obvious nick-
names should be avoided. One of the authors uses Frank instead of his
full first name, Franklin, for his resume. But he does not include nick-
names that his friends from school still use, which he prefers to leave
to your imagination.
You should use an address where you are easily reachable and
wantto be reached. If you have a job and don’t wish to be contacted at
work (which is usually the case), you can use your home address.
If you are a student and have a campus address that does not
apply during vacations or after graduation, you should give both a col-
lege and a permanent address. You might use your parents’ home ad-
dress, a post office box, or the address of someone who will know where
to contact you at all times. Also, always include phone numbers with
area codes. If you have an e-mail address, you will most likely want to
include this information as well.Overview
The Overview should include both your “Professional Objective”and a
brief “Profile”that gives top billing to your “personal characteristics
that add value,”along with other P.E.A.K.S. that prospective employers
are likely to consider important.
If you are currently considering more than one career direction,
you would do well to develop several different versions of your overview
statement. This way you will have a useful draft on file to work with
when it comes time to create a targeted resume for one of the areas you
are considering.
A professional objective can be one of the most important parts of
a resume and should not be overlooked. It informs potential employers
that you have a focus and are moving in a certain direction, states your
work preference(s), and serves as a focal point for reviewing and ana-
lyzing your resume. It should be brief and clearly stated.
Your profile gives you the opportunity to present your strengths at
the very beginning of your resume. This is a good place to mention sev-
eral key P.E.A.K.S. you have that are likely to be considered particu-
larly desirable by recipients of your resume. And most importantly, you
should include here personal characteristics you have that prospective
employers are seeking in candidates. As noted earlier, our research in-
dicates that the majority of employers put particular emphasis on per-
sonal characteristics of candidates. Your informational interviewsChapter 5: Creating Resumes That Work with Your Portfolio 67