The résumé is a marketing tool in your job search. The purpose is to get an interview with someone who can hire you.

4. Making the employer guess.
If your résumé shows a variety of jobs, make sure you have an objective at the top that indicates what specific job you're seeking.

Don't be vague.

Your objective should specify the job you want and sell your relevant qualities. For example: An entry-level position in production management at a company that values initiative, outstanding follow-through and efficiency.

Be clear about what you want. It's much easier for people to help you if you tell them you are looking for a job as a character designer for animation, than if you say you want any job in the entertainment field. Position yourself.

Make sure your résumé has details about what you did, including dates of projects/positions. Don't just list your credits -- Wizard of Oz, compositor. Describe what you did -- "composited scenes of witch melting, witch flying through the air."

Highlight your awards and special accomplishments. Don't forget internships and volunteer work related to the job you want. Remember, employers are interested in what you can do for them. They want to know your accomplishments and qualifications, not your job duties.

For example: Lighting TD: "Worked closely with lighting supervisor to streamline lighting pipeline, saving the company an estimated $75,000/year" will pique their interest more than "lit scenes on project X."

Mention your citizenship on your résumé. Visas are an issue that employers in the industry have to deal with, so your citizenship may make a difference to them.

5. Giving too much information.
Your résumé is not your life story. Include only the information that is relevant to an employer. If you have five years' experience in the computer graphics field, employers don't care that your first job was at a pizza parlor. Only list jobs that are relevant to the job you're pursuing.

Your résumé should list your experience in reverse chronological order (most recent job first). A friend of mine, who is a veteran animator, lists his in chronological order. You don't realize that he is an experienced animator when you first look at his résumé, because the first job listed is the first one he had, at a fast-food restaurant.

Remember, the employer is busy. Make it easy for him/her. Your résumé should tell who you are -- what you know (skills), what you've done (accomplishments), and what you want to do (objective or goal). Focus your résumé on the job you want. Review and update every six months, or when your information changes, and update your skills and accomplishments. Your résumé is a marketing tool. If your résumé doesn't work, neither will you.

Pamela Kleibrink Thompson is a recruiter and career coach and has seen thousands of résumés. She will talk about résumés, portfolios and demo reels during her class at the SIGGRAPH conference in Los Angeles. Her class called "Get the Job You Want in Computer Graphics" will be on Tuesday, August 12, from 8:30 am-12:15 pm in Room 406AB. For personal career coaching, recruiting and speaking engagements, contact Pamela at PamRecruit@q.com.