|
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.
Tip
#1:
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.
Tip
#2:
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.
Tip
#3:
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.
Tip
#4:
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.
Tip
#5:
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.
Tip
#6:
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.
Tip
#7:
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.
Tip
#8:
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.
Tip
#9:
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."
Tip
#10:
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.
Tip
#11:
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.
Tip
#12:
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.
Tip
#13:
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.
Tip
#14:
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.
Tip
#15:
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 |
