Get more interviews & job offers - Professional Resume Writing 100%
Guaranteed
Resume Writing Tips
from
www.resume-help.org.
Begin by determining your
objective (do this prior to writing the resume). Clearly state what sort
of a job you want and know what skill-set and experience is needed to do
well in that job. After your objective is determined, you can structure
the content of your resume around that objective. You have a small
window of time to get the interest of a hiring manager, and being
scattered will only get your resume filed in the "circular file" - i.e.
- the trash can. Take the time before you start your resume to form a
clear and obtainable objective. You have your objective - you're on your
way.
Now let's begin the resume writing process.
Keep in mind, your resume is a marketing tool to get you in the company
and in front of the decision maker. Once in, you will need to do the
sales pitch, and close the deal. With that said, you don't need to go
into detail about every accomplishment in your resume. Strive to be
clear and concise, as the purpose is to generate enough interest in you
to have an potential employer contact you for an interview. Bottom line
- put yourself in the shoes of the resume reader - when looking at the
job qualifications needed for the position; what would you be looking
for in a candidate - Obviously, that's what you need to include in your
resume.
1.) Use Bulleted Sentences
In the body of your resume, use bullets with short sentences rather than
lengthy paragraphs. Resumes are read quickly, therefore make key phrases
stand out. Bulleting information will help the reader view your
accomplishments at a glance. Again, don't worry about the specifics;
you will go into the details during the interview.
2.) Use Action Words
Use action words - words like prepared, managed, developed, championed,
monitored, and presented will cause your resume to stand out. We've
compiled a list of action words, take a look at them:
resume verb
and keyword examples. If your resume is scanned electronically, the
computer will pick up on the words. You read correctly, some companies
now scan in your resume, and have computers pull those that meet certain
criteria. The computers are looking for one thing - they are looking for
keywords that have been picked by the hiring manager. These are action
keywords that relate to the position, so not including them could mean
your resume is disregarded as a "non-match".
3.) Use %'s, $'s and #'s
You should always use %'s, $'s and #'s. Dollar totals, numbers, and
percentages stand out in the body of a resume. Below are two examples of
a job duty described with them (good), and without (bad). As you can see
by the examples, being specific does not mean being lengthy.
Example 1
Bad: Account manager for advertising agency
Good: Managed 15 strategic accounts billing in excess of $15MM
annually
Example 2
Bad: Sold widgets to clients located in the Midwest
Good: Increased sales by 17% in a 5-state territory
4.) Highlight your strengths
Highlight your strengths, and what is most relevant to the potential
employer. In-coming resumes are typically reviewed in 10-30 seconds, so
put forth the effort and determine which bullets most strongly support
your job search objective. Put the strong and most relevant points first
where they are more apt to be read. This is your hook for the reader,
the rest of your resume reels them in.
5.) Match the need they have
Match the need they have - Review
job postings
online and in the newspapers for positions that interest you. Each
position will usually have a brief blurb about the company and the
position available. Use the keywords listed in these ads, and match them
to the bullet points in your resume. Chances are that you have some of
these as key points already, however if you have missed any, add them to
your resume. Using a custom resume instead of a generic one will greatly
increase your chances of an interview, as you will be a better match in
the eyes of the reader.
6.) Be positive
Above all in your resume and interview - you must be positive.
Therefore, leave off negatives and irrelevant points. If you feel your
graduation date will subject you to age discrimination, leave it off
your resume. If you do some duties in your current job that don't
support your job search objective, don't include them. Focus on the
duties that do support your objective, and leave off irrelevant personal
information like your race, weight, and height.
7.) White space is important
Ad Design 101 - White space is important. Open up the newspaper, and
take note of which ads first catch your attention. Are they the ads that
are jammed full of text, or are they ads that have a large amount of
unused space ("white space"). This is done to grab your attention, as
readers are always attracted to open areas. For this reason, don't worry
if you are having a hard time filling the page with text; increase your
line spacing to compensate.
8.) Formatting Guidelines
How long should my resume be? What size font should I use? - The font
size should be no smaller than 10 point, standard serif or sans serif
fonts. Don't use intricate fonts that are hard to read. Keeping your
fonts standard will help combat conversion issues from PC to MAC and
from one program version to another. The length of your resume should
be 1-2 pages. Yes, you read correctly; you can use more than one page.
But remember, keep it concise. It's ok to use two pages for your resume,
however it is not necessary.
9.) Get 3rd Party Advice
Ask a friend, and get an outside opinion on your resume before sending
it off. - Have a friend or
resume
critique service review your resume. Since you are so close to your
situation, it can be difficult for you to note all your high points and
clearly convey all your accomplishments. Having someone subjectively
review your resume can give you insight into how others will view your
personal marketing materials - would your resume impress them? If not,
why? Don't settle for - "it's good", and encourage them to ask
questions. The questions of the reader can help you to discover items
you inadvertently left off your resume. Take their comments into
consideration, and revise your resume accordingly. In addition to adding
in missed items, their questions can also point to items on your resume
that are confusing to the reader.
10.) Start Applying
OK, you're ready! Start applying - Apply for some jobs that appear to be
above your qualifications, apply to positions that are a match, and
apply to positions which may be below your level. Why? Perhaps the
position below will turn out to be more than it appeared once you
interview for them. Or perhaps once you have your foot in the door you
can learn of other opportunities. If nothing else, interviewing more and
more will increase your interviewing skills. Like anything else,
repetition will decrease your nervousness, and increase your skills at
attacking tough questions.
Structural
Engineer - Bridge Division
CONTECH Construction Products Inc. Birmingham, AL Today
Cost
Accounting/Business Analyst
Sunbelt Search Partners, LLC Birmingham, AL Today
Outreach Coordinator
URS Corporation Birmingham - AL, Today
General
Warehouse
CHASE Staffing Services Birmingham, AL Today
Maintenance
Technician
Trammell Crow Birmingham, AL Today
Underwriter (Property & Casualty)
American InsurStaff Birmingham, AL Today
Program
Analyst III
Regions Financial Birmingham, AL Today
Sales
Representative
Books Are Fun (a Reader's Digest Company) Birmingham, AL
Today
Systems
Administrator II - CA Harvest
Regions Financial Birmingham, AL Today
Network
Technician
Noland Health Services, Inc. Birmingham, AL Today
Certified
Nursing Assistant / CNA
Beverly Living Centers Pell City, AL Today
Front
Desk Service Representative (FDSR)
La Quinta Inn Hwy 280 Area, AL 11/18
Hyatt
Place - First Assistant Manager
Hyatt Place Hoover, AL 11/18
Commodity
Manager - Electrical/MRO or Hydraulics
McMillan Associates, Inc. Northern Alabama, AL 11/18
Assistant
Director of Nursing
Noland Health Services, Inc. Birmingham, AL 11/18
Auto
Tech - Mechanic - Auto Technician - Shop Manager - Manager
Meineke Car Care Center Greater Birmingham Area, AL 11/18
Manufacturing
Engineer / Welding Engineer
confidential Birmingham, AL 11/18
Account
Executive
Sinclair Broadcast Group Birmingham, AL 11/18
Birmingham
- Temporary Customer Service Rep
TeleTech Holdings, Inc Fairfield, AL 11/18
Service
Manager / Service Coordinator
Ace Industries, Inc. Pelham, AL 11/18
Operations
Excellence Specialist
Burger King Corporation Birmingham, AL 11/17
Structural
Designer
Washington Group International Birmingham, AL 11/17
Corporate
Tax Manager
Sunbelt Search Partners, LLC Birmingham, AL 11/17
Administrative
Assistant
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International
Birmingham, AL 11/17
Outside
Sales Representative
GBHomeEquity Birmingham, AL 11/17
|