Using Word Wizards

In addition to templates, Word provides a set of interactive wizards that enable you to walk through the construction of a document step by step, making choices about how it will be built. When you finish making the choices, Word creates the document for you. Then you only need to "fill in the holes" with your specific text and graphics. The document's structure and formatting are already in place, reflecting your choices.

Wizards Included with Word 2003

Word 2003 includes wizards for creating

• Agendas

• Calendars

• Envelopes

• Fax cover sheets

• Flyers

• Legal pleadings

• Letters

• Mailing labels

• Memos

• Newsletters

• Postcards

• Résumés

• Simple form letters

• Web pages

Opening and Walking Through a Typical Wizard

The best way to get the flavor for how wizards work is to walk through using one. To run Word's Résumé Wizard, choose File, New; click On My Computer on the New Document task pane; click the Other Documents tab; and double-click Résumé Wizard.

The opening window of the Résumé Wizard appears. Along the left side, a subway-style map shows the entire process. A green square indicates where you are right now; you can click any other square to "hop" there. Four buttons along the bottom of the window also help you navigate through the wizard. Finally, if you click the Help button, the Office Assistant offers help about this wizard.

Click Next to get started. The wizard asks you to choose from Word's three built-in styles for résumés: Professional, Contemporary, or Elegant. These are the same three style options available in most of Word's templates and wizards, making it easy to build a consistent set of documents. Make a choice and click Next.

The wizard next asks what type of résumé you want to create. You can choose an Entry-Level Résumé designed for individuals with little job experience; a Chronological Résumé that lists your work experience by date; a Functional Résumé that lists types of achievement; or a Professional Résumé, which is commonly used in several professions. Make your choice and click Next.

In the Address window, you're asked for the personal information that Word doesn't already know. If you entered your name when you installed Word, that name already appears in the Name text box. After you enter the personal information once, it appears automatically on this screen whenever you run the Résumé Wizard. When you're finished entering personal information, click Next.

In the Standard Headings window, Word displays a list of headings commonly included in résumés. The ones already checked are most commonly included in the type of résumé you want to create. You can check or clear any of these check boxes. Click Next.

You may have experiences or qualifications that don't fit into typical categories used by résumés. For example, if you're new in the work force, you might want to mention Extracurricular Activities or Community Activities. If you are a professional engineer, you might have Patents and Publications to your credit. You can specify these in the Optional Headings window. When you're finished, click Next.

Now, in the Add/Sort Heading window Word gives you a chance to organize the headings you've chosen or add new ones that weren't included in previous windows. If you want to add a new heading, enter it in the Are There Any Additional Headings text box and click Add.

After you add any new headings, you can make sure that your headings are organized the way you want. Select a heading in the These Are Your Résumé Headings text box and click Move Up or Move Down to move it toward the top or bottom of your résumé. If you decide upon reflection that you don't want a heading?perhaps you don't have enough to include in it, or it's inappropriate for the specific job you're seeking?select it and click Remove. When you're finished, click Next.

You're now in the final window of the Résumé Wizard. Here's your chance to review your work. You can click any box at the left edge of the window to view its current settings, or click Back repeatedly to move back through the wizard one screen at a time.

After you're satisfied, click Finish, and Word creates your document. You can see the results in Figure 11.15.

All the text in the résumé that appears within brackets is text you need to replace. Simply click inside any set of brackets; Word selects the entire block of text contained there. Start typing, and Word enters your replacement information. When you've added all the information you want to include about yourself, save the file as you normally would.

Because the Résumé Wizard stores the settings you enter in it, it's suddenly much easier to create a customized version of your résumé whenever you apply for a new job. You no longer have to create "one size fits all" résumés for mass résumé mailings; you can target your résumés to the needs of specific employers.