Sample Resume Writing

Rewriting Your Resume? 7 Easy Ways To Give Yourself An Upgrade

In today's competitive job market, a first class resume is an essential tool for winning an interview. The way in which you present your skills, achievements and experience on paper will profoundly affect the way in which a hiring company considers your application.

An expertly crafted resume not only captures the attention of its reader through careful attention to layout and formatting; it also targets the specific needs of the potential employer by matching and highlighting your abilities and background to the key requirements of the position.

So what exactly is the 'perfect resume'?

It's well-nigh impossible to get recruitment professionals to agree on this. For example, take the vexed question of the 'resume objective'. Some employers prefer to see a clearly stated objective as evidence of a candidate's career focus; others consider including an objective to be a restrictive practice -- or worse, little more than vague waffle.

So in the pursuit of a truly personalized resume, it's hardly surprising that effective practice differs from applicant to applicant -- and what suits one job-hunter may not work so well for another.

And while it's impossible to lay down hard and fast rules of best practice in resume writing, it's a whole lot easier to identify some of the habits that can turn recruiters right off -- perhaps even sabotage a candidate's chances from the start!

In this article, I've collected some of these common resume blunders -- so if you're looking to upgrade your resume, here's a checklist of seven easy ways to start!

1. Don't rely on a 'one size fits all' resume

If your resume is going to get you the interviews you deserve, it needs to focus on the particular demands of the job. So unless your field is very narrow, it's likely that you'll need to adapt your resume to each specific application.

To help you target your resume, try answering these questions:

• you're thinking of applying for a job; what would the perfect applicant be like?
• what are their most important characteristics?
• what skills and attributes do they possess?

When you profile the 'ideal candidate' in this way, you're putting yourself in the employer's shoes: thinking first about what matters to them and imagining what they'll be looking for when they make a short list from all the applications they'll receive.

This is a really useful exercise to help you decide which of your own abilities and achievements to spotlight in your resume.

2. Make sure you include complete contact information

Your cover letter may get separated from the resume. Don't blithely assume that because your address and telephone number are in the cover letter, they don't need to be on the resume as well -- they do!

If the employer wants to get hold of you, they'll likely use the phone. So ensure that you give a personal number (including area code) where you can be reached during the day or where messages can be left. Include a cell phone number and e-mail address where possible.

3. Make the resume easy to read

Don't print your resume in any font size smaller than 11 pt. Be liberal with white space and remember that bullet points in a list help a reader to absorb information.

You can emphasize headers and key points by discreet use of bold type, capitals or underlining -- but don't overdo the effect.

Consider going on to a second sheet if a single page is crammed.

4. Seize the reader's interest in the first few lines

If your application is one of dozens or even hundreds received, you need to capture the attention of the reader in just a few seconds. The best way to focus interest at the start is with a powerful objective -- or, if you prefer it, a skills summary. It's the place to emphasize your key achievements and core expertise and identify specific job goals.

The employer wants a straight answer to the question 'What can this person do for me?' -- so make your profile easy to read and give a clear statement of what you can bring to the job.

5. Don't underplay your achievements and experience

You've already imagined what the perfect candidate for the job would be like. So now focus on those aspects of your own background and skill set that best illustrate those attributes.

Highlight your key accomplishments and areas of authority and, wherever possible, use action verbs and statements that quantify what you have achieved. But don't get creative here: make sure you give evidence for your claims.

6. Order your information according to what the reader wants to know

There's no single correct order of elements in a resume. Everything depends on what the employer or recruiter is most interested in finding out.

In general, put your most relevant material first! Many recruiters like a reverse chronological order of dates.

Also be aware that some employers dislike a purely functional resume format and feel that it glosses over gaps in work history or other shortcomings.

7. Check your spelling and grammar

There's no substitute for careful proofreading of your resume. Use grammar and spell checking software by all means, but be aware that it may not always pick up contextual errors.

Print the document and check it on paper rather than on screen. If possible, ask a reliable friend or relative to double check for mistakes. Don't forget to check that you have spelled names correctly.

Conclusion: keep developing your resume

Your resume is a powerful marketing tool. It will always be a 'work in progress', constantly needing updates and refinements according to changing circumstances. If you're planning or conducting a job search, redrafting your resume could be one of the best investments you make towards your future career success.

Nigel Patterson is a business writer and publisher of http://1st-class-resume.com/.

Visit his website for more tips and advice on writing an effective resume and cover letter, resume distribution and preparing for a job interview.

MORE ARTICLES:

MilitaryResumes.com Resume Writers for Military Resumes and Federal Resumes Announces Relaunched Web Site
Users seeking civilian resumes for former-military job seekers will find new functionality and a streamlined buying experience.

What You Need In Your Resume
When preparing your resume make sure the skills you list are accurately conveying your experience and knowledge in each area. It is also recommended that time be spent reviewing the skills the company is looking for in order to highlight these skills in a job interview or cover letter. The cover letter should briefly outline any skills or achievements that you might have and explain why you are a suitable candidate for the position.

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".

IT Resume Tips For More Interviews
As the recruitment firm that introduced IT contracting to Australia we have put together a list of do?s and don?ts for your next resume If you are in IT and want more success out of your applications then you need to follow this advice

Is Your Resume Truly Portable? Job Expert Suggests Keeping an ?iResume? for Instant Referral, Just in Case
?You never know when or where you may meet a prospective employer,? says on-line recruiter, WallStJobs.com. ?Memory sticks, flash-drives, or email versions of your resume on your Blackberry, Treo or iPhone are must-haves in today?s volatile employment market.?

Write Resume Keywords That Gets Your Application Read
As children we often used to read stories where magical words can open caves filled with treasures or magicians using words like abracadabra..

Job Search - Resume Tips To Make Your Job Search Easier
With jobs more difficult to find and competition fierce, you need any edge that will make your job hunt easier, or at the very least, more organized A great job may conceivably have over one hundred applicants, so it is hard to make yourself visible without being overly aggressive or too pushy

Death to the Resume in Light of "Update Your Resume" Month
Technology is molding the resume into a new form. What will the resume look like in 5 years? Will you even need one? Resumes increasingly take a backseat, making room for new online tools such as professional online portfolios and networking groups.

Resume Objectives: How Do You Know if Resume Objectives Are Right for You?
Some experts say NEVER bother with resume objectives. While others say they should be an essential element on every resume.

Writing An Engineering Resume That Gets Attention
You?re talented and experienced, so any old resume should be able to secure that dream job you?re after, right Wrong

TMI: The Resume Destroyer
"They say my résumé should be only one page long. Is that correct?"Not necessarily.

Does Your Resume Lack Vision?
You're just getting over the shock of having become unemployed. You know you need to begin a job search, but you may not know the best way to proceed, or where to start.

Get In The Game With a Stellar Resume
During the job hunter's market of the 1990's, employers were settling for less than qualified candidates because the candidate pool was so small. Job hunters were able to name their price and employers were meeting their demands.

A Resume for Disaster.. How Not to Land a Work at Home Job
After running a successful telecommuting site for over 8 years and an employment agency before that, I still get that one question over and over. "Why have I not been able to land a work at home job?" My first answer is always the same. "Let's look at your resume."