Resume Writing

In resume writing, not all resumes are created equal. By this we mean that you need to form your resume around the job you are applying for. Common sense tells you if you are going for an executive-type position, your resume needs to reflect your skills and strengths in this area. One resume does not work for every position applied for. You should have several tailor-made within your arsenal.

Resume writing tips

Keep on point. This can never be stressed too much. You want to keep your resume short, direct and easy to follow. Straying off topic will only resort in you losing the reader.

Keep it short. Unless you are directed otherwise, your resume should only be one page. If you haven’t sold yourself on one sheet of paper, you aren’t going to be able to sell yourself at all.

Start with your est points. Make your objective focused and interesting. One college instructor challenges her students to write a meaningful objective in under ten words, targeting a certain field of study they would like to concentrate on.

Don’t get personal. These employers are busy. They don’t care about what you do in your spare time; they want to find out what you do when you are at work. Are you computer literate? List the programs you are familiar with. Can you make timely decisions, work under pressure? Meet deadlines? Look at the job you are applying for. Research the company and then write the resume to fit that need.

If the CEO participates in marathons and triathlons, and you love to run, then by all means include your interests in the resume. If you have little to none work experience, then including your life experiences, field of study and any volunteer work which could work to your advantage.

Dissect your work

Create the resume and then walk away from it for a few days. Come back to it with a fresh mind and pick it up. Read it with a critical eye. Put yourself in the place of the employer. Why should he look at this resume over the hundreds of others that line his desk? If you can’t answer that question then you need to start over and make a difference. You want to be noticed for all the right reasons, not for all the wrong ones.

Now that the resume is written, how is it going to be presented? Every choice matters, down to the type of paper it is copied on, to the program used to create it. There are resume writing ready programs such as Resume Maker, Resume Builder, or Resume Deluxe on shelves in stores.

Just remember, quick and easy doesn’t always sell. Most of the people reviewing your resume can quickly indentify these type of resume writing programs. Origniality would be the key here. You want to show you can make a difference, because some employers aren’t just looking for mainstream workers. Instead of going with the flow, create your own channel by being different. Anyone can go along with the crowd. It takes someone special to be an individual.

Before you set your resume out in the workplace, check the library and look for books that show good resumes and poor ones. Compare your resume to the samples before you. How does it measure up? Is your resume one that would be considered a cut above the rest? If so, you have done your homework and we wish you luck on your job quest. We have a feeling you will not be looking for work long.