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Creating Résumés with Word

This is an exercise to introduce templates and wizards included in Word 2000. Templates are fill-in-the-blanks documents that include formatting and commonly used information for a specific type of document, such as a fax cover sheet. Wizards take you step-by-step through the creation of a document and ask you specific questions in order to customize the finished product.

• Résumé templates can help you quickly and efficiently format a sharp-looking résumé.

• Many templates include text that provides helpful information about the template and how to use it. Choose File then Print to print the template before you replace the text. Refer to those instructions as necessary.

• The Résumé Wizard can also help you create a professional looking cover letter.

• The Office Assistant may appear offering additional help options. To close this help feature, choose Hide the Office Assistant from the Help menu.

• Before entering information about a specific job, you might want to refer to Adding Sections, which contains instructions for adding an additional section, such as Work Experience.

Key Concept: Résumé is created in a table.
The table format requires special procedures to copy and paste, as listed to the right. To see the table you are working in, click on the Table menu. Select Show Gridlines. The gray lines are simply a guide. They will not print out.

Here is a step by step guide to the template and wizard process:

Template

1. Click File on the Menu bar and choose New.

Hint: Clicking the New icon on the toolbar will not work. This opens a new blank document.

2. Click the Other Documents tab.

3. Choose Contemporary, Elegant, or Professional Résumé. Notice the previews

4. Click OK. A sample résumé opens. To personalize the résumé, replace the information with your personal information and save the document

• See Adding and Deleting Section Titles below if you want to add other sections in the résumé.

Wizard

1. Click File. Choose New.

Hint: Clicking the New icon on the toolbar will not work. This opens a new blank document.

2. Click the Other Documents tab.

3. Click Résumé Wizard.

4. Click OK.

• Notice the outline on the left side of the Wizard window. This gives you an overall view of the Wizard and will track your progress as you proceed through it. The right hand side is where you input the information you wish to include in your document. The buttons across the bottom are navigation buttons. Online Help is available by clicking the on the Menu bar.

• The Next button moves you through the Wizard. If you find you need to change something click the Back button, you will return to the previous page. The Finish button triggers Word to create the document.

5. Click Next. This takes you to the page titled “Which style would you like?.” Click a radio button above the style of résumé you would like.

6. Click Next. This brings you to the page titled “Which type of résumé would you like to create?” Click a radio button next to the type of résumé you want.

7. Click Next. This brings you to the page titled “What is your name & mailing address?” Enter your name, address, and other information in the text boxes.

• Press Tab to move to the next box.

• Press Enter to make new lines in the address box.

8. When you have entered all your information, click Next.

9. You should now be on the page titled “The résumé style you've chosen usually includes these headings.” Click the white boxes to the left of the headings you would like to include in your résumé. If a heading is checked that you do not wish to include, click the white box to uncheck it.

10. Click Next. This page offers additional headings. Click the white boxes next to the headings you would like to include.

11. Click Next. This page provides you with the opportunity to include any custom headings that have not appeared on either of the previous lists. If you wish to create a custom heading, enter it in the text box (the blinking insertion point should appear here), and click Add.

• Beneath the Add button is a list of all the headings that will appear in your résumé. You can alter the order of the headings by clicking a heading then clicking the Remove, Move Up, or Move Down buttons.

12. When you are satisfied with the headings, click Next.

13. The Next button is now unavailable. Click Finish and Word will create your résumé.

14. A Word document opens with your name and the headings you selected, followed by filler text.

15. Notice the brackets surrounding the filler text such as Type Objective Here following the Objective heading. Move the mouse pointer over the bracketed text and click once.

16. The text darkens. You can now type over the filler text with your own.

17. Continue editing and inserting text until you are comfortable with the résumé.

18. Save your résumé to a floppy disk.

Adding Sections

You may wish to add additional sections to your résumé, especially if you used the Wizard.

1. Place the cursor in the left margin opposite the section so the white arrow cursor points up and right. Click once to highlight the entire section. You should see a small tab in the right margin.

2. Click Copy on the Edit menu.

3. Choose Paste Rows or Paste Cells from the Edit menu.

4. Repeat Paste Rows until the desired numbers of sections have been added.

• If using “Professional” or “Elegant” résumé styles:

a. A Section Title will be added for each section added.

b. Highlight the text in the section Titles and press the Delete key.

• If using the “Contemporary” résumé style:

a. For each unnecessary Section Title, highlight the text in the shaded Section Title box.

b. Click the two arrows on the far right side of the Formatting toolbar. The Style Tool is now available.

c. Select the extra section titles, and change the style to Normal.

d. Press the Delete key. The extra section titles are deleted.

e. Repeat steps a - d for additional Section Titles you want to remove.