Resume
Writing
The following page
will be filled with many resume writing tips and guides |
15 Tips
for Writing Winning Resumes |
The
thought of writing a resume intimidates almost anyone.
It’s difficult to know where to start or what to
include. It can seem like an insurmountable task. Here
are 15 tips to help you not only tackle the task, but
also write a winning resume.
- Determine your
job search objective prior to writing the resume.
Once you have determined your objective, you can
structure the content of your resume around that
objective. Think of your objective as the
bull’s-eye to focus your resume on hitting. If you
write your resume without having a clear objective
in mind, it will likely come across as unfocused to
those that read it. Take the time before you start
your resume to form a clear objective.
- Think of your
resume as a marketing tool. Think of yourself as
a product, potential employers as your customers,
and your resume as a brochure about you. Market
yourself through your resume. What are your features
and benefits? What makes you unique? Make sure to
convey this information in your resume.
- Use your resume
to obtain an interview, not a job. You don’t
need to go into detail about every accomplishment.
Strive to be clear and concise. The purpose of your
resume is to generate enough interest in you to have
an employer contact you for an interview. Use the
interview to provide a more detailed explanation of
your accomplishments and to land a job offer.
- Use bulleted
sentences. In the body of your resume, use
bullets with short sentences rather than lengthy
paragraphs. Resumes are read quickly. This bulleted
sentence format makes it easier for someone to
quickly scan your resume and still absorb it.
- Use action words.
Action words cause your resume to pop. To add life
to your resume, use bulleted sentences that begin
with action words like prepared, developed,
monitored, and presented.
- Use #’s, $’s
and %’s. Numbers, dollars, and percentages
stand out in the body of a resume. Use them. Here
are two examples:
- Managed a
department of 10 with a budget of $1,000,000.
- Increased sales
by 25% in a 15-state territory.
- Lead with your
strengths. Since resumes are typically reviewed
in 30 seconds, take the time to determine which
bullets most strongly support your job search
objective. Put those strong points first where they
are more apt to be read.
- Play Match Game.
Review want ads for positions that interest you. Use
the key words listed in these ads to match them to
bullets in your resume. If you have missed any key
words, add them to your resume.
- Use buzzwords.
If there are terms that show your competence in a
particular field, use them in your resume. For
marketing people, use "competitive
analysis." For accounting types, use
"reconciled accounts."
- Accent the
positive. Leave off negatives and irrelevant
points. If you feel your date of graduation will
subject you to age discrimination, leave the date
off your resume. If you do some duties in your
current job that don't support your job search
objective, leave them off your resume. Focus on the
duties that do support your objective. Leave off
irrelevant personal information like your height and
weight.
- Show what you
know. Rather than going into depth in one area,
use your resume to highlight your breadth of
knowledge. Use an interview to provide more detail.
- Show who you
know. If you have reported to someone important
such as a vice president or department manager, say
so in your resume. Having reported to someone
important causes the reader to infer that you are
important.
- Construct your
resume to read easily. Leave white space. Use a
font size no smaller than 10 point. Limit the length
of your resume to 1-2 pages. Remember, resumes are
reviewed quickly. Help the reader to scan your
resume efficiently and effectively.
- Have someone else
review your resume. Since you are so close to
your situation, it can be difficult for you to hit
all your high points and clearly convey all your
accomplishments. Have someone review your job search
objective, your resume, and listings of positions
that interest you. Encourage them to ask questions.
Their questions can help you to discover items you
inadvertently left off your resume. Revise your
resume to include these items. Their questions can
also point to items on your resume that are
confusing to the reader. Clarify your resume based
on this input.
- Submit your
resume to potential employers. Have the courage
to submit your resume. Think of it as a game where
your odds of winning increase with every resume you
submit. You really do increase your odds with every
resume you submit. Use a three-tiered approach.
Apply for some jobs that appear to be beneath you.
Perhaps they will turn out to be more than they
appeared to be once you interview for them. Or
perhaps once you have your foot in the door you can
learn of other opportunities. Apply for jobs that
seem to be just at your level. You will get
interviews for some of those jobs. See how each job
stacks up. Try for some jobs that seem like a
stretch. That’s how you grow -- by taking risks.
Don’t rule yourself out. Trust the process. Good
luck in your job search!
-Ann Hackett
President of Quest
ahackett@QuestCareer.com or 952-929-4197
www.QuestCareer.com |
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