College and Research Libraries THOMAS M. GAUGHAN Resume Essentials for the Academic Librarian The purpose of th~s study is to identify those elerrumts in a resume that are of greatest importance and interest to academic libraries seeking to fill vacant positions. Through a questionnaire , members of the ACRL Discus- sion Group of Personnel Officers of Research Libraries rated the relative importance of forty-three items commonly found on resumes. From the data collected a model resume is suggested. THE FRUSTRATIONS attendant to securing employment in librarianship in the 1970s have been well documented. Story used an Alice in Wonderland motif to point out the difficulties, complexities, and absurdities of the job-seeking process. 1 Whittier and Wolf more directly expressed the anger felt by many job seekers at what they feel is out- rageously cavalier treatment by libraries at- tempting to fill positions. 2 •3 It is certainly true that the process has become complex, difficult, and time-consuming for job seek- ers. It is also true that the process has be- come increasingly difficult for libraries. Federal laws regarding hiring and employ- ment, increasing numbers of applicants for vacant positions, and the growing use of search-and-screening committees have made this so. The importance of a thoughtfully and carefully prepared resume in securing em- ployment has similarly increased . As the first contact between applicant and potential employer, it is generally the basis for a de- cision to invite or not to invite a candidate to interview for a position. The recognition of this importance has created a substantial body of literature about resume construction. 4 It has also manifested itself in seminars conducted by placement Thomas M. Gaughan is acting personnel librar- ian, University Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign . 122 I specialists and by library school faculties. 5 Despite the attention the subject has re- ceived, resume construction is a remarkably inexact activity. Indeed, the existence of countless publi- cations on resumes and other matters re- lated to securing employment is a clear in- dicator of a lack of applicable, general agreement. Study of the literature of re- sume construction reveals that consensus is limited to the need for completeness, con- ciseness and brevi . As advice, t is is re- miniscent of the traditional admonition to ministers about the length of sermons: "A sermon ought to be like a woman's skirt: long enough to cover the subject but short enough to be interesting." Resumes should be brief, concise, and complete; however, such advice begs the question of how to construct SJ.ICh a device. The crux of this problem is a lack of knowl- edge about what data will be most impor- tant to a potential employer and what data should be omitted in the interest of brevity. A second problem exists. The literature concening resume construction does not deal effectively with the fact that resumes must be tailored to fit the type of institution in which the applicant wishes to work. The resume of a person seeking work as a physi- cal therapist in a hospital should not be modeled after the resume of a professional salesperson. Nor should the resume of an academic librarian be patterned after the re- sume of an advertising executive. "You can also ignore the advice of those books on resumes you found so helpful. . . . Almost all resume books recommend a Madison A venue prose style appropriate for letters an aspiring salesman would send snake oil manufacturers .... Keep your audience in mind."6 This study seeks to identify the elements of information in a resume that are of greatest importance and interest to academic libraries seeking to fill vacant posi- tions. METHODOLOGY A literature search revealed one article of similar intent that was aimed at identifying the important elements of resumes in busi- ness and industry. 7 It was felt that academic librarianship is sufficiently different from business and industry in hiring practices and in perceptions of what is important in a resume to warrant separate study. Public, special, and school libraries were not in- cludeq in the present study because selec- tion processes and criteria were thought to be sufficiently diverse to diminish the utility of the data gathered. The 'survey population consisted of the membership of the ACRL Discussion Group of P-ersonnel Officers of Research Libraries. At the time this group was surveyed, it numbered fifty-four members representing forty-eight academic libraries, the Library of Congress, ALA's Office of Library Personnel Resources, and OCLC, Inc. The discussion group is an informal body that meets regularly at the ALA Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference to discuss matters of mutual interest. Membership in the discussi~n group is not limited to indi- viduals serving as library personnel officers. At the time this survey was conducted the group's mailing list included one person not then working in library personnel. This per- son declined to respond for that reason. A three-part questionnaire was de- veloped. The first section asked respondents to rate the relative importance (4, very im- portant; 1, not at all important) of items found on resumes. A list of forty-three items was compiled from an examination of 100 resumes received by the library personnel Resume Essentials I 123 office at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign during a two-month pe- riod. The resumes examined were submit- ted for entry-level positions for positions requiring experience, and for ·purposes of general inquiry into employment oppor- tunities. ·All items found, including some that by law cannot be asked of applicants and, if known, cannot be used in making hiring de- cisions, were included in order to avoid biasing the survey. (Items that cannot be asked are: age and/or date of birth, marital status, number of dependents, photograph, physical limitations, sex, spouse's occupa- tion, height and weight, race, religion, and citizenship.) The second section surveyed respondents' perceptions about resume length and meth- ods of reproduction. The final section ques- tioned respondents about their experience and activities in personnel librarianship in order to validate the credibility of their re- sponses. RESULTS Thirty-eight responses were received for a response rate of 70.4 percent. Data com- piled from the final section of the question- naire revealed that the average respondent has six years' experience in personnel work in libraries, is employed in a library with seventy-seven librarians on the staff, and reviews 460 resumes per year. The ranges revealed are of interest. Respondents worked in libraries with from 20 to 230 li- brarians. They had, at the time of the sur- vey, from six months to twenty-six years of experience in personnel work in · libraries and reported reviewing from 35 to 2,000 re- sumes per year. These data suggest that the respondents are highly credible survey sub- jects. The mean experience level also suggests that many respondents have wit- nessed the changes (federal regulations, in- creasing numbers of candidates, increasing use of search-and-screening committees) that make resume construction so important today. Tabl~ 1 lists resume items in the order of importance as rated by respondents. A mean importance rating is shown for each item (4, very important; 1, not at all impor- tant). 124 I College & Research Libraries • March 1980 TABLE 1 ITEMS IN THE ACADEMIC LIBRARIAN'S RESUME AND MEAN IMPORTANCE RATING (4, VERY IMPORTANT; 1, NOT AT ALL IMPORTANT) · V. Previous experience in librar- ianship 2. Current address 3. Telephone number ~ Dates of employment in previous positions & Brief description of duties in pre- vious positions 6. Colleges and universities attended ~ Z. /years degrees awarded "'Y. Foreign language skills 9. Full chronological accounting for time after completion of education 10. List of references (names and ad- dresses) l~revious experience in other occu- pations 12. Offices held in professional organi- zations ~ Complete list of applicant's publi- cations 14 . Awards, honors, and scholarships - received 15. Salary requirements 16. Permanent address 17. Membership in professional or- ganizations 18. Career objectives 19. Citizenship 20. Research interests 21. ~vious supervisors 22. Tenu.re in previolls""poiliions 23. S.gecialization in library school 24 . Memberships in honorary societies 25. Physical limitations 26. Transcript from library school 27. State of health 28. Grade point average 29. Transcripts from other institutions 30. Social Security number 31. Milit~ experience 32. Membersliips in social organiza- tions · 33. Race 34. Hobbies, leisure interests 35. Sex 36. Class standing 37. Age and/or date of birth 38. Height and weight 39. Marital status 40. Number of dependents 41. Photograph 42 . Spouse's occupation 43. Religion Mean Importance Rating 4.00 3.97 3.97 3.92 3.82 3.70 3.69 3.69 3.66 3.62 3.53 3.38 3.27 3.16 3.14 ·3.08 3.03 2.97 2.93 2.92 2.76 2.72 2.69 2.61 2.54 2.33 2.29 2.19 2. 14 2.05 1.97 1.73 1.61 1.61 1.48 1.38 1.36 1.30 1.21 1.17 1.12 1.03 1.00 Data gathered concerning the optimal length of a resume are inconclusive. Clearly, the personnel officers surveyed are as divided on this subject as the job seek- ers. Comments were solicited from respon- dents in all sections of the survey instru- ment. Comments concerning resume length were extensive, indicating the inability of the respondents to make categorical state- ments about appropriate length. Eighteen respondents stated that resumes should be two pages or less while sixteen said that re- sumes should be as long as necessary. The following are representative com- ments from respondents on the appropriate length of resumes: For entry-level and recent professionals, a two- page resume is suitable in the vast majority of cases. For higher level positions a candidate's resume should be of sufficient length to ade- quately delineate his/her qualifications. Whatever is necessary to make it concise, yet thorough. Several respondents commented at length on matters related to resume length: While I approve of any candidate trying to give the best impression he/she can, I resent "pad- ding." I fear that I may discount a factual item because it is overloaded with presumed impor- tance. Explanation of an accomplished project is useful, but becomes highly questionable when the inflation shows. We are talking about a resume (i.e., summary). There are at least two other generic categories: data sheets (i.e., a ''bare bones" outline-nothing but the briefest facts) and vitas (the "life"). Nor- mally I am looking for a resume and so state in recruiting. For some senior positions ... a vita may be what is needed instead of a resume. A re- sume is harder to do well than either of the other types because it calls for more judgment .... Neither words nor space should be wasted. I make judgments about organiza8on ability, ana- lytical ability, communication skill, and creativity based on how the resume is constructed. Respondents were asked to rate methods of reproduction of resumes. Typed resumes, photocopies, and commercially printed copies of typed resumes were nearly univer- sally acceptable. Mimeographed and hand- written resumes were viewed as unaccept- able. Comments on methods of reproduc- tion were limited and concerned legibility. One respondent, however, commented, "It's amazing how many 'dirty' ones we get," referring to sloppily prepared re- sumes. DISCUSSION As has been noted, respondents were in- vited to comment on all parts of the survey. It seems apparent from the response rate of more than 70 percent and the extensive comments that the uncertainties of resume construction cause difficulties for job seekers and personnel officers alike. A number of those surveyed added multipage comments about specific items and the broader ques- tions involved in resume construction. One respondent stated that the effectiveness of a resume could be judged only when consid- ered with the accompanying cover letter and in light of the vacancy being applied for. For the investigator, these observations serve to reinforce the need for further sys- tematic study ·of resume construction. Federal Regulations The area of greatest concern for those surveyed involved those items of personal information that are affected by federal reg- ulations pertaining to nondiscrimination in hiring and employment. In general, no piece of information that might be used to discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, physical disa- bility, or veteran's status can be asked of a candidate for a position. If this information is provided by the candidate, or learned in- advertently, it cannot be used in the selec- tion process. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 prohibits dis- crimination in salaries including almost all fringe benefits. 8 Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in em- ployment on the basis of race, sex, color, re- ligion, and national origin. 9 The Equal Em- ployment Opportunity Commission was created to regulate nonfederal employment as a result of this act. Executive Order 11246, as amended by Executive Order 11375, requires that all federal contracts must include nondiscrimi- natiol'. clauses on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, or national origin. 10 The order also requires work force analyses, goals and timetables, and written affirmative action plans. Resume Essentials I 125 The Age Discrimination Act of 1967 pro~ hibits discrimination against persons aged 40-70. 11 Title IX of the Education Amend- ments of 1972 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in any educational program or activity receiving federal assistance. 12 The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 503, requires affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified handi- capped individuals. 13 Section 504 of the same act prohibits discrimination on the basis of handicap in any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance. 14 The Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 requires affirmative action to employ and advance in employ- ment disabled veterans and veterans of the Vietnam era. 15 The reason for the concern is clear. Typi- cally, the library personnel officer is im- mediately responsible for compliance with the regulations listed above. The danger in failing, for any reason, to scrupulously ob- serve all these regulations is, in addition to . the simple failure to ensure equal opportu- nity, the possible cessation of federal sup- port to the institution involved. Interestingly, two Canadian respondents indicated that Canadian laws parallel U. S. regulations in this area. One cited a provincial human rights code. The other, while not cit- ing either national or provincial codes, indi- cated that he was responsible for ensuring nondiscrimination on the bases of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, or phys- ical handicap. Several respondents made it clear that al- . though the intent of the regulations is laud- able they cause difficulties for personnel officers. Efforts to recruit minority librarians are frustrated because they cannot be iden- tified in some instances. The personnel officers are reduced to assuming that a can- didate who attended library school at a pre- dominantly black institution is black or to assuming that a Hispanic female is not His- panic because her married name obscures this fact. This is the heart of the dilemma faced by the personnel officers. Although personal in- formation on race, age, sex, etc., shouldn't be known, the officers are also expected to successfully recruit members of groups pro- tected by these laws but underrepresented 126 I College & Research Libraries • March 1980 in the profession. Two comments sum up this problem: Race, etc., should not be important. However, since affirmative action implies more than equal opportunity, it would be helpful to have this in- formation. Theoretically sex, race, etc., should not be on an application. . . . H~wever, we are trying to in- crease minority recruitment . . . . most times it is impossible to tell from the resume whether or not a candidate is a member of a protected group. A much less serious, but still annoying, problem occurs because it is sometimes difficult to address a candidate properly in correspondence without knowing the sex of the candidate. One respondent noted that the sex of the candidate was "helpful when replying to Oriental applicants where gen- der isn't immediately identifiable." For the job seeker the surest course re- mains not to offer information such as age, marital status, number of dependents, a photograph, sex, physical limitations, spouse's occupation, height and weight, race, religion, or any other personal infor- mation that does not bear directly on one's ability to perform the duties of the position. If one is not a U.S. citizen, some indication of legal permission to work is important. In this way the job seeker does not offer po- tential employers an opportunity to dis- criminate or put them in the position of having to attempt to ignore known informa- tion. References Names and addresses of references were judged to be quite important in the resume, as indicated by the mean importance rating of 3.62. A number of respondents also felt that telephone numbers and an explanation of the reference's relationship to the candi- date were important enough to demand in- clusion. The phrase "References available on request" was stated to be unacceptable to many respondents. Inasmuch as many advertisements and position announcements state specifically what they require in the way of references, job seekers are probably best advised to tailor their applications to the employer's specifications in this regard. Other Information Contacting applicants, by mail or by tele- phone, also generated comment. As a gen- eralization, anything applicants can do to make themselves more accessible is impor- tant. As shown in table 1, current address and telephone number are two of the most important items in a resume. Listing home and work phones-and for library school students a phone number in the library school where a message can be left-all seem highly important in a resume. Fore'ign language skills were judged to be very important pieces of information in the resume. Making a prudent evaluation of the level of those skills can be difficult, and re- spondents indicated that some explanation of how those skills were acquired is very useful. The inclusion of a Social Security number was judged to be relatively unimportant. However three respondents noted that their institutions require the use of the number for processing travel reimbursements for . those candidates who were interviewed. Previous experience in librarianship was judged to be "very important" by every re- spondent. Comments on this subject stressed the importance of including in the resume a description of the duties and the responsibilities assumed by the candidate in previous positions. As one respondent put it: A carefully worded paragraph about each posi- tion's duties is paramount to understanding whether the applicant's experience is viable for the position in question. CONCLUSIONS No single resume will be found to be ideal by everyone who reads it. This is probably as it should be because the number of combinations of competencies and experience that must be detailed in resume form, and the numbers of perceptions of those involved in selection decisions; and their permutations, are nearly infinite. It should be useful and possible, however, to use the data gathered in this survey to con- struct a model resume that will satisfy the needs of many academic libraries involved in filling professional vacancies. In selecting I items of information, only those receiving a mean importance rating of 3.00 or higher are used. Such items are: Personal Data Current address Permanent address Telephone number (home and office) Educational Data Colleges and universities attended Years degrees awarded Foreign language skills Awards, honors, and scholarships re- ceived Work Experience Data Previous experience in librarianship Dates of employment in previous posi- tions Resume Essentials I 127 Brief description of duties in previous po- sitions Full chronological accounting for time ·after completion of education Previous experience in other occupations Professional Data List of references (names and addresses) Offices held in professional organizations Complete list of applicant's publications Memberships in professional organizations Just as no single resume will be seen as ideal by those who read it, no single resume will be suitable for all job seekers. It is hoped, however, that thoughtful adaptation of the information presented here will aid job seekers in librarianship in constructing resumes and using them to secure profes- sionally satisfying positions. REFERENCES 1. Allen Story, "Leo in Libraryland: A Statistical Account of the Manners, Morals and Won- ders of Job Seeking by One Relentless Appli- cant," American Libraries 7:569-71 (Oct. 1976). 2. Berkeley Whittier (pseud.), "Job Hunting in Librarianship Offers Plenty of Games, but No Fun!" Library journal 10:368-71 (Feb. 15, 1975). 3. Steve Wolf, "Job Market 1: The Experiences of a Group of Unemployed Librarians Indi- cate That Library Job Seeking Subjects Them to Common Atrocities," Library journal 100:555--57 (March 15, 1975). 4. Some representative titles are : J. I. Biegeleisen, job Resumes: How to Write Them, How to Present Them (rev. ed.; New York: Grosset, 1976); Melvin W. Donaho and John L. Meyer, How to Get the job You Want: A Guide to Resumes, Interviews and job-Hunting Strategy (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1976); I. Norman Johan- sen, Write Your Ticket to Success: A Do-It- Yourself Guide to Effective Resume Writing & job Hunting (Annapolis, Md.: Job Hunt- er's Forum, 1976); and Adele Lewis, How to Write Better Resumes (Woodbury, N.Y.: Bar- ron, 1977). 5. Edwin S. Gleaves, "What If Everyone Wrote Everywhere for a Job and No One Re- sponded? A Perspective from Peabody on Li- brary Placement," Wilson Library Bulletin 48:703 (May 1974). 6. James Rettig, "Suggestions for Job Seekers," Illinois Libraries 50:263 (April 1977). 7. Hubert S. Feild and William H. Holley, "Resume Preparation: An Empirical Study of Personnel Managers' Perceptions," Vo- cational Guidance Quarterly 24:229-36 (March 1976). 8. Equal Pay Act of 1963, 77 Stat. 56, as amended 86 Stat. 235 (1972). 9. Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII, 78 Stat., 241, 253. 10. Executive Order No. 11246, 30 Fed. Reg. 12319 (1965), as amended Oct. 13, 1967. Exec. Order No. 11375, 32 Fed. Reg. 14303. 11. Age Discrimination Act of 1967, 81 Stat. 602 . 12. Education Amendments of 1972, Title IX, 86 Stat. 235, 304. 13. Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 503, 87 Stat. 355, 393. 14. Ibid., Section 504, 87 Stat. 355, 394. 15. Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assis- tance Act of 1974, 88 Stat. 1578.