To stand out of the crowd in the field of employment one should know the dexterity of creating a bond with one’s perspective employer. Since most employers spend a few minutes (or less!) looking over each resume they receive, it’s important to package your credentials in an appealing and concise format.
Make your own resume more compelling — by selling your strengths to employers! The goal of your resume is to make an employer want to interview you. It’s a powerful marketing tool that promotes who you are, what you want to do, and the value you will bring to an organization. Tailor it for each individual position. Usually it does not entail too much extra work. It is more a question of emphasizing certain things and de-emphasizing others based on the values placed highly by that employer. The best way to select information that belongs on your resume is to think like an employer. Ask yourself, “If I were hiring a person for this position, what training and experience would be related” Give brief, specific, positive information that would be of interest to your next employer. Do not give unrelated or negative information. Your resume writing can either make or break a job opportunity.
Formats
Your resume introduces you to potential employers. Find out how to write one that will make a good impression. Learn about different resume formats.
There is no right or wrong format, as long as your resume is concise, readable, and presents your qualifications in the best possible light.
Reverse Chronological resumes work best for people who have a strong, continuing work history with progressively more responsible positions. Presents material in reverse chronological order starting with the most recent job and then working backwards. Highlights the progress you’ve made in your jobs. unctional resumes work best for entry level, career changes, and those with gaps in their work history. Emphasizes your skills and accomplishments by listing experiences by major functional areas. Skills and accomplishment oriented resumes may be more effective by showing the employer what you can do for him or her based on education, training, or prior experience and accomplishments. Your resume is a profile of your skills, job experience and accomplishments. It is your opportunity to emphasize your strengths, education and talents. Combination resumes combine the chronological and functional formats to highlight selected jobs. A combination of the two may be used to highlight your experience or accomplishments gained from multiple jobs, or career changes. There are 3 popular online resume formats used widely today. These online resume formats include ASCII Text, HTML and PDF.
ASCII Text is basic text that you would use in an email message. HTML is markup language that used to build web pages. The PDF format is Adobe’s format for presenting documents that are embedded within page and cannot be edited. PDF’s are formatted more like a graphical picture, with improved formatting for viewing text images.
Some basics
· Use 8-1/2″ x 11″ paper, 1-2 pages
· Choose ivory, white, cream, buff or light gray paper
· Use personal computer, word processor, typewriter or typesetting
· Keep margins 1″ wide at sides and bottom
· Check for and correct any spelling, punctuation, typing or grammatical
errors
· Write short and to-the-point statements
· Keep it brief; write a summary, not a life history!
· Use short phrases beginning with action words to demonstrate
accomplishments and results
· Provide positive and honest information
· Use a simple, professional, easy-to-read style
· Emphasize important information by underlining or using capital letters when
appropriate, but don’t overdo it.
· Don’t list wages, company street addresses, references, salary
requirements, personal problems
· Provide examples of your qualifications
10 common pitfalls to avoid when preparing your résumé:
1. Your résumé should show a clear match between your skills and experience and the job’s requirements. A general résumé with no sharp focus is not seen as competitive. Why are you the best person for this particular position?
2. A solid résumé is much more than a summary of your professional experience; it’s a tool to market yourself. Avoid phrases like “responsibilities included” or “duties included.” Your résumé should not be a laundry list of your duties but rather an announcement of your major accomplishments. Information on a résumé should be listed in order of importance to the reader. Don’t ask employers to wade through your hobbies first. Dates of employment are not as important as job titles.
3. Education should be emphasized if you are freshly out of school and have little work experience; otherwise, put it at the end. If your résumé is difficult to read or key information is buried, it’s more likely to be cast aside.
4. Résumés that go too far back into the job seeker’s work history can put that person at risk for possible age discrimination. Does anyone really need to read about your high school job bagging groceries, especially when that was 20 years ago? The rule of thumb for someone at a senior level is to list about the last 15 years worth of professional experience.
5. Don’t forget to bullet the important skills that make you a standout in your field. Your objective is to play up the value that you will bring to a prospective employer. Emphasize how you will add worth to the company, not the reason you want the job. Employers are looking for someone to enhance the organization, not their own résumé.
6. Try to stay away from the cookie-cutter résumé templates that employers see constantly. Show a little imagination when writing and designing your résumé. But don’t overdo it. Overly artistic or tiny fonts are a no-no, since they’re hard to read and don’t scan or photocopy well.
7. If your Web site includes photos of your cat or your personal blog about what you did over the weekend, don’t steer prospective employers there by including it on your résumé. Keep your personal and your professional life separate in order to be taken seriously.
8. Your résumé is your one chance to make a first impression. A typo or misspelled word can lead an employer to believe that you would not be a careful, detail-oriented employee.
9. Everyone wants to present his or her work experience in the most attractive light, but information contained on your résumé must be true and accurate. Whether you’re simply inflating past accomplishments or coming up with complete fabrications, lying is simply a bad idea. Aside from any moral or ethical implications, chances are you’ll eventually get caught and lose all credibility.
10. A common mistake is neglecting to mention any extra education, training, volunteer work, awards, or recognitions that might pertain to your particular job area or industry. Many
Resume Writing Tips
Begin by determining your objective (do this prior to writing the resume).
Your Resume Objective is the first thing employers will read — make sure it’s great! Your resume will be first scanned for only a few seconds. Your resume objective must capture them and sell them a value.
Too many resume objectives are written with the job seeker’s desire in mind. For example, A sales position where my creativity and skill can be utilized with room for growth!
The above statement does nothing for your employer.
This is all about You! Give them what they want! Answer their question, “what can you do for me?”
Your resume objective should not be YOUR resume objective, but should be your employer’s objective.
Your job is to make a match! Lure them in towards reading the rest of your resume by demonstrating right away, that you know what they need.
Example
OBJECTIVE: Sales position in need of custom 10 years’ experience meeting sales quotas.
Qualification
It should be mirror to your academics giving in clear picture. For e.g
Example1. 17 years of experience in the finance, service and consumer industries. Expertise in computerized insurance tracking, development of sales territory, sales and customer service training, and operations supervision. Special skills in: Production/Operation, Training Supervision, Customer Service, Field Service Coordination, Budget Management, Problem Solving.
Example 2. Top sales performer in computer software. Increased new accounts by 35%.Achieved top sales award for 3 consecutive years. Developed Internet strategies for various clients in 13 Western states.
Example 3. Veteran photojournalist with extensive regional, national and international experience. A track record of unhesitatingly accepting assignments at a moment’s notice whenever the situation demands. Strong indep worker, as well as a contributing team member.
Guidelines for writing Resume
· Know your audience before you begin writing your resume.
· Your resume must be consistent with the position you are pursuing.
· Choose your language carefully and proofread. Your resume
· must be free of spelling, grammar, punctuation, or typographical errors.
· Tailor your resume to your prospective employer’s needs.
· Highlight the skills and abilities that will make you’re an attractive candidate.
· If possible, use a computer to prepare your resume. There are computer programs that make it easy to produce a professional looking resume. You’re Wisconsin Job Center, school, library, or quick print shop can help.
· Do not include irrelevant personal information (age, weight, height, marital status, etc.).
· Do not include salary and wages.
· Center or justify all headings. Don’t use abbreviations.
· 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.
· Use action words – words like prepared, managed, developed, championed, monitored, and presented will cause your resume to stand out.
· You should always use %’s, $’s and #’s. Dollar totals, numbers, and percentages stand out in the body of a resume.
· 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 mention them.
Proofread thoroughly
* Use bullet points and indents to set off accomplishments or add emphasis.
* Electronic and Scanned resumes have a different set of guidelines, however it is still important to create a stunning resume you will mail or hand deliver to your contacts.
You can determine keywords by reviewing:
* Job descriptions from previous positions you have held
* Techniques that you use
* The Dictionary of Occupational Titles
* The Occupational Outlook Handbook
* Industry/Professional and Technical organizations
* Professional/Technical acronyms i.e., HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language)
* Buzzwords specific to a profession or industry
* Job postings or classified advertisements
* Local government job service agencies
* Recruiters job descriptions
* Associates who work in the same field
* What YOU should NEVER include in your resume
* Age
* False information
* Marital status
* Health
* Number of children and their ages
* Hob Photographs
* Race
* Religion
* Detailed description of non-relevant jobs
* Controversial information (i.e., political affiliation)
* Social Security number
* Anything Negative
* bies or dangerous activities (unless job-related)
You can take help of sites giving in free guidelines the top 10 search engines suggested are:
