Archivist Resume Example

Why Is This a Good Archivist Resume Sample?

The difficulty of writing a good resume for an archivist lies in conveying a number of complex and multifaceted functions in a concise way. There’s also the problem of making sometimes repetitive, sometimes dry information into something engaging and exciting, while avoiding repeating the same tasks in the same language throughout. Fortunately, our archivist resume sample does both.

The entire resume employs what we call an action-oriented style. What that means is that the jobseeker writes every sentence as if it’s in first person, as in “I help users find the most effective ways to access, utilize and interpret archives.” To avoid redundancy, though, he drops the “I” so that every sentence instead begins with a verb. Now the sentence simply reads as “Help users find the most effective ways to access, utilize, and interpret archives.” This makes the text read as more lively and creates the portrait of a confident, proactive candidate, especially since the candidate avoids passive phrasing such as “was involved in” by using strong words such as “conducted” and “researched.”

Another way that our archivist resume sample succeeds is its use of keywords. These keywords, both listed in the core qualifications section and integrated throughout the document in relevant context, are a great way to showcase your varied range of skills by using common industry phrases that employers search for, both manually and with automated screening software. Examples include records management, archive conservation, market research, and lists of key industry-specific software, databases, and tools.

Education is pivotal in any kind of archivist role, and our archivist resume sample makes sure to list only the relevant credentials with a Master of Science in Library Science. Eliminate anything that isn’t relevant to your career goals. For instance, if this candidate previously completed an Associate of Science in Electrical Engineering, he wouldn’t include it, as that subject doesn’t support his target.

Why You Need a Strong Archivist Resume

With the Bureau of Labor Statistics projecting only 2,100 new archivist by 2024, it’s clear that this position is somewhat rare. The more uncommon an occupation is, the higher the ratio of applicants to open roles, and the harder you have to fight to even gain consideration for a job. Your first step in that process will always be the initial application, and for that application you need a resume that presents your strengths in the best light.

Writing a solid resume isn’t an arcane science buried in ancient apocrypha, but it does require certain skills and knowledge of resume writing best practices. Gain insight into those best practices by studying our archivist resume sample, using it as a primary reference to revise your resume.

Costly Archivist Resume Mistakes To Avoid

Even if you spend your days surrounded by lengthy texts and heavy tomes, there’s no reason for your resume to be overly long. Avoid weighing the document down with excessive detail, explanations, footnotes, or other information that isn’t directly relevant to the job application and a presentation of your skills. Try to keep your resume to one page with effective use of white space, similar to our archivist resume sample.

Although your vocabulary is no doubt impressive, shy away from using overly obscure or convoluted language in your resume. Aim for a tone that’s clear, intelligent, and professional, with effective use of dynamic language that impresses without venturing into the arcane. Employers shouldn’t need a dictionary or thesaurus to understand your resume. Anything that slows them down will distract them from the impression you’re attempting to make and lessen the impact of the positive selling points portrayed in the resume.

Conclusion

You know how it feels to lose yourself for hours in a book. While employers don’t have hours to spend on your resume, you can still give them that feeling of losing themselves in the story of your career by crafting a resume using our archivist resume sample as a guideline. Open the book on the next stage of your career, and pen the first words of your new tale.