Creating a Winning Resume
Preparing your resume can often seem like a daunting task. You've done your research, but there is so much information, and how do you pick from the countless formats?!
Writing your resume doesn't have to be so scary, in fact, if you keep a few simple tips in mind, you'll keep yourself ahead of the competition.
1. Objective
If the objective statement doesn't match the job you're applying for, your resume is likely to end up in the circular file. It is important to customize the objective so it expresses your goals and keeps the HR manager interested in learning more about you. Don't be vague! Remember, your resume is a marketing tool—and that begins with a clear, concise objective.
2. Appearance
Your resume should have a professional, contemporary appearance that is both visually appealing and easy on the eyes. This includes using an easy to read font, such as Times New Roman, in a font no smaller than 10 pt., and printing your resume on high-quality bond paper in a conservative color. White, light grey and cream are acceptable.
Remember not to clutter your resume. It should include all of your relevant accomplishments, but you don't want it to look daunting to prospective employers. If it looks overwhelming, it may not get a second glance. An ideal resume uses white space efficiently and stills gets the point across—that you are the perfect candidate for the position. If your work history is extensive, consider cutting back. It is acceptable to go back 15 years on a resume unless a job held prior was of particular significance.
If you are sending your resume electronically, plain is the way to go. Eliminate all embellishments, such as italics, bold and centering. Text should be plain and aligned on the left side of the page. Remember, the more embellishments, the harder it may be on the reader. If you need emphasis, use ALL CAPS.
3. Format
The format you use should be determined based on your unique credentials and background. The key is to present the information so it highlights your most important accomplishments immediately. For example, a recent college graduate would present his education before his work history because it is his biggest selling point.
I'll say it again... your resume is a marketing tool which should be designed to sell, sell, sell! List your most important achievements first, and be specific! Don't say that you were responsible for increasing profitability, say that you spearheaded a national marketing campaign that increased profits by 35%. Don't be afraid to include numbers and percentages. What if you don't have the exact numbers? Estimates are fine, as long as they're reasonable.
Lastly, remember to keep it clean and organized. Utilize white space by keeping sentences short and informative. Use bullets to highlight information and avoid long paragraphs which appear overwhelming. You don't want your most important accomplishments lost in the middle of a paragraph.
4. Too Much Information!
Yes, there is such a thing as including too much information. If you want to include a website where potential employers can view work samples, fine. Just make sure that there are no photos of your latest vacation to Mexico or your newborn baby. As proud as you may be to show off your new bundle of joy, it may make an employer uncomfortable. Also, no silly email addresses and no list of irrelevant hobbies. The employer won't care if you're NASCAR fan, and if they associate a negative connotation with your hobby, then you're out of luck.
Keep these tips in mind before you send your resume off to prospective employers to help ensure that your resume gets a fair read. Oftentimes there will be anywhere from 40 to 100 other applicants interested in the same position. By presenting your information in a professional, easy to read format that clearly highlights your strengths and achievements, you'll keep an edge on the competition.
Lindsey Hadwin is a professional resume writer and president of Pro Resume, a resume writing and career consulting business based in Springfield, MA. http://www.proresumegroup.com
Related Articles:
Employment Law, Part II
Look here it is, this is America for Americans; English is the spoken language. You must be immunized to come here since we have already gotten rid of major diseases like small pox.
A Writer?s Guide To Finding Freelance Writing Jobs
Writers are very much in demand these days because of the rising demands for their online content. The pay is oftentimes better and the hours are not so long. Many even freelance full-time.
11th International Annual Employee Vetting & Screening Conference Co-Chaired by Employment Background Investigations, Inc. Chief Knowledge Officer, Ro
The Challenges of Global Screening, Best Practices and Networking Highlight Conference Agenda
Some Things To Think About If You Are Considering Travel Nursing Employment
Sometimes professional nurses are interested in finding travel nursing employment. This is often an enticing thought because travel nursing employment offers many opportunities that are not typically found in a regular nursing job. Perhaps you have been approached with a travel nursing job offer and you don't know if this is something you would be interested in. This article is meant to give you more information about travel nursing to help you make a decision on if this would be a good choice for you. 1. Travel nursing is an adventure. If you have ever felt that your life is the same day after day you may have also felt that you need a little change in your life. While travel nursing definitely offers a lot of change. With travel ...
Seeking Out The Best Consultant Jobs On The Market
The job market for consultants in the United Kingdom has grown steadily over the last decade. In the 1980s and 1990s, the term consultant was applicable to a much narrower band of niche areas, particularly within the defence and financial services sectors. Today, there are hundreds of specialised consultant positions that may be filled by experienced professionals and, in some areas, relatively recent graduates. Sales consultants work with sales people and departments to improve their pitch to customers. Technical IT consultants meet with IT departments, providing specialist knowledge and project skills across a huge range of applications and systems software. Consultants are often the key to success for a variety of firms because they prov...
AllHealthcareJobs.com and Medicexchange.com Join Forces to Create the Largest Radiology and Medical Imaging Employment Website Available
With both the Medicexchange job site and AllHealthcareJobs.com's radiology site, RTJobs.com, over 1,800 radiology specific and over 3,000 medical imaging and related job listings will be viewable at launch making it the internet's largest online medical imaging employment site by far.
Simple Interviewing That Works
Powerful questions to get below the surface1. Ask for specific "stories" of complete situations"We all meet situations where people disagree on the correct way to proceed.
Campus Career Centers Key to Landing Post-Graduation Jobs
College career centers offer some of the best opportunities to help students learn how to improve their job search and land a post-graduation job. In particular, career-center sponsored job fairs allow students to touch base with dozens of employers at a time. Yet many students skip these events or waste their time because they don't know how to conduct themselves around recruiters. In his new book, Shawn Graham provides pointers to help college students perfect their job fair experience and enter the job market on the right foot.
Pepsi Jobs: Truck Driving a Major Option
Although those new P. Diddy Pepsi commercials are very entertaining, Pepsi truck driving isn't just for P.
Resume Software – Advantages Revealed
The various resume software offered, particularly on the internet, can seem very attractive to job seekers; especially to those not comfortable writing resumes. At first glance resume writing software can provide a number of perks and can appear to be the perfect solution to many job seekers.
Resume Home Business
Starting A Resume Writing ServiceA resume writing service is one of the top home businesses that allows owners to put in there own hours and get extremely rewarded for there work. There are no special skill sets, college degrees, or fancy computers needed to operate.
Nonprofit Jobs Showcased in LearningAndLife.com Newsletter
LearningAndLife.com's latest newsletter, "Great Jobs for Do-Gooders," offers career change advice for people drawn to nonprofit jobs in one of the 1.9 million nonprofit organizations in the U.S. IndependentSector.org reports that the growth rate of charitable organizations doubled that of the business sector from 1987 to 2005. With so many opportunities available in industries from human services to arts and culture, the newsletter's five insightful articles can serve as crucial starting points for learning more about nonprofit organizations and the education necessary to start a career in one.
Defending Your Rights under the Employment Laws
With the changing times and increasing accounts of job-related disputes comes the need for various laws that focus on resolving these particular issues. Along with this, the employment force must be able to fully understand their rights under the pre-existing law provisions and utilize them to protect their own interests.
FINDAPILOT.COM Announces Launch of New Customer Focused Pilot Employment Website
FINDAPILOT.com has launched its new pilot employment site with vastly improved customer interface.
How To Choose The Right Resume Format
After a thirty (30) second glance lots of resumes get thrown into the wastebasket. One of the reasons this happens is because the resume writer has failed to use the appropriate resume format.