Sample Resume Writing

Do You Need A New Resume?

Maybe you haven?t updated your resume since your first job out of college?10 years ago. Or perhaps you haven?t been called in for any interviews despite sending out dozens of resumes. Those are just two of the signs that you probably need a new resume, but there are many more.

You need a new resume when you:

1. Graduate from college.
2. Change careers.
3. Haven?t gotten a good response from potential employers with your current resume.
4. Are retiring from the military.
5. Re-enter the workforce after an absence (to raise children, for example).
6. Change jobs within the same career.
7. Change jobs within the same company.
8. Haven?t updated your resume in more than 3 years.
9. Intend to look for a new job.
10. Finish job training or complete a class.
11. Earn a new or advanced degree.
12. Have achieved a significant honor at work or in the community.
13. Want to approach your boss about a raise.

Updating Vs. Rewriting

There are times when you don?t need to completely scrap your current resume?just a few simple tweaks and updates are needed. But other times, you need a complete rewrite. How do you know whether an update or rewrite is in order? First, determine where you fit into the list above. If you identify with any of the reasons in numbers 1-5, you probably need a complete rewrite; reasons 6-9 could go either way, depending on the situation; and with reasons 10-13, simple updates will probably work well for you.

Let?s delve a little deeper into the process of updating your resume. If your resume is accurate and you want to add an achievement or honor to it, it?s an easy task to locate the section of your resume that would best house the update. If you?ve successfully completed a high-profile assignment at work, add it to your list of descriptive items related to your current job. If you?ve earned a new degree or certification, list it with your educational information. When preparing to meet with your boss regarding a raise, it?s a good idea to spend some extra time with the section of your resume dealing with the results you?ve achieved in your current job.

When you realize you need a complete rewrite of your resume, just the thought of it might send shivers of dread down your spine. But it doesn?t have to be painful. After all, you?ve got a great place to start: your current resume. You can keep things like your educational history, timelines of your jobs/careers, and your skills and honors. What happens next depends on why you need to rewrite your resume. If you?re re-entering the job market after years of being gone, for example, you need to fill in the missing years with skills you?ve honed and volunteer contributions that produced results.

Probably the biggest reason people need a complete resume overhaul is if their resume isn?t generating interviews. Most likely there?s nothing wrong with your skills or experience; the problem lies in how those things are being presented to potential employers. The first thing to do is ask a trusted (intelligent!) friend or family member to look over your resume?not for grammatical errors, but for a sense of how your resume is coming across to employers. Does it have too many details that make it difficult to read? Are you using words instead of numbers and results to make a point? Are there parts that are confusing? If it?s long-winded or confusing, potential employers aren?t going to read much of it. Keep it short, easy to understand, and results-driven.

When you fall in the murky areas between rewriting and updating your resume, you?ll need to be scrupulously honest with yourself. If you haven?t updated your resume in 3 years but you?re still in the same job as you were back then, you can simply update it with new skills you?ve acquired. However, if you intend to look for a new job and haven?t touched your resume since the Reagan Administration, you?ll need a complete reworking. Being candid with yourself is key; your career and financial future could be at stake!

Jason Kay is a professional resume writer who contributes to career related magazines and websites such as JobGoRound.com, which provides resume writing service reviews and cover letter writing tips.

MORE ARTICLES:

The Perfect Resume
The perfect resume presents hiring managers with a four-fold vision of who you are and what you bring to the table: The perfect resume offers Logical Proofs:     Facts Quantifiable data Logical conclusions Achievement and success statements Relevant professional goals/accomplishments Limits the use of jargon Maximizes use of occupation/industry-specific key words Your capabilities and skills Clear, specific, measurable, and quantifiable words and phrases Sells you based on your achievements to date The perfect resume offers Your Vision & Creativity: Balanced white space Visually easy to read A resume style and paper consistent with your self-marketing vision Clear big picture of who you are Sells you based ...

MatchHire Streamlines Applicant Tracking with Resume Parser
Avidweb Technologies Inc., the foremost online recruitment company, introduced its much anticipated Resume Parsing Solution to their clients. The resume parser built into MatchHire's Recruiting Solution allows recruiters and HR departments to accurately and automatically capture candidates contact details and other information directly into their database.

7 Secrets of a Highly-Effective Resume Cover Letter
Just like the late, great Rodney Dangerfield, the "humble" cover letter gets no respect.Job-seekers spend so much time and energy on their resumes they've got nothing left to offer their poor, neglected cover letters.

Why Your CV/Resume is Not Generating The Interview Offers You Want
If your current CV or resume is not generating the interview offers you want, it is time to start assessing it. Check to see that the following descriptors apply:*Begins with a succinct, clearly stated career objective tailored to the particular job for which you are applying.

Who Should Write Your Resume?
This is a question we get a lot. It seems rather easy to do it yourself if you have access to a word processing program and printer and feel comfortable writing your job history.

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.

Resume? Or Resume NOT? With Screening Software Becoming More Prevalent, Your Cover Letter Is Key To Getting Job Interviews
Don?t forget to appeal to the human reader, suggests WallStJobs.com as "robo-resume-readers" make the first cuts.

How to Make Your Resume Stand Out
Whether or not you're planning to look for a new job, it's best to keep your resume updated Get into the habit of updating your accomplishments and skills so that your resume is always ready

Update Your Resume Today
A friend was just promoted to a position of vice-president of a company. I am happy for him and the first thing I told him after congratulations was "update your resume".

Resume Success Factors--What Exactly Is A Resume Anyway?
You know you're good..

Effective Resume Writing That Projects Good Image
Effective resume writing is really about a perfect mix of clarity and impressiveness in the way we present our potentials Potentials themselves are often powerless to attract attention

Resume Objectives ... The Hidden Pitfalls
Why Use Resume ObjectivesBefore we can discuss the pitfalls you first need to understand the reasons for including your resume objectives and how they relate to your resume and interview selection process.Including an objectives section at the beginning of your resume provides a brief introduction to the purpose of the resume, highlighting your career objectives and the type of job you are seeking.

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.

Finally, a Solution to Resume Writing Stress That Will Eliminate Hassle and Have You Writing Winning Resumes With Ease
Resume writing is a skill that often stumps even the smartest of people. While people may have a knowledge of what resume writing is, it is an art that is used by every person in the workforce but isn't really taught at school. Finally there is a solution to make it stress free.