A resume is often the first impression a potential employer has of you and first impressions are still the most important. Steps Go to your local library and find books on resume writing. Take a good look at the various resume formats. Think about the type of job you are trying to get. List the skills and education you have that matches the job. For example: Organized, Gets along well with various types of personalities, Extensive experience composing business correspondence, etc. Put your list in priority order beginning with the area where you have the most experience. For instance, list your accounting accomplishments first, if you are strongest in accounting. However, if you just graduated college, list your education first, highlighting the classes that relate most to the job you want. Use action-oriented words/phrases like: "responsible for" "oversaw" "managed," etc. For example: "Responsible for file management." Avoid too much detail. The details can be covered in your interview. Once you have the text of the resume ready, work on the format. If you are using a computer (recommended), bullet each specific skill. Make sure you don"t crowd too much onto the page, as this will put off a potential employer. It is better to take information out. You want your resume to be clean, neat and professional. The top of the page should list your contact information. Do not include your social security number unless it is specifically requested in the job posting. Once you are comfortable with the text and layout of your resume, print it on good quality paper, such as 20 pound bond white paper. Fancy papers are nice, but it"s the content of your resume that employers care about.
Tips Keep the resume to one page, if possible. Two pages, max. Do not include such things as your favorite color or even hobbies, unless they relate directly to the job you are applying for. You can put "References available" at the bottom of the page. There is no need to list the specific references. A potential employer will call you for this information or ask for it at an interview. If you finish putting together your resume but still feel it needs work, ask a professional you know to review it with you. Or consider hiring a professional resume service. After listing a company and a title, elaborate briefly with 2 sentences; one explaining what the company does, and another explaining your situation there (i.e. team enviro, manager, group involved with). Not everyone knows what a Project Manager at ABCD Inc does. After that, list bullet points that start with past tense verbs explaining your achievments, functions and roles there. Include dates of employment, month and year. Chronological resumes with no gaps in employment carry more weight in many employers eyes.
Warnings Do not exaggerate your qualifications. If you lie, it can have ugly consequences later. However, feel free to leave out what you feel is not 100% necessary, such as that fast food job you had in high school, if you have other more relevant experience to draw from. Make sure to check your spelling (spellcheck is nice, but will see both "from" and "form" as a correctly spelled word). And most grammar checkers are not a good idea. If you are weak in spelling and grammar, ask a friend or trusted professional to help you. |
