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This September I spent two days doing Resume
Assessment at The National Job Fair and Training Expo in Toronto. 400 Job
Seekers received free resume assessments from nine Resume Writers. There was
a 2-3 hour wait for this service that was available from 10 am - 8 pm. Since
a resume is critical to our employment success, waiting a few hours for
professional advice wasn't a big deal to most people.
Although no one gets hired solely on the
basis of a resume, many job seekers miss the opportunity of an interview
because of an inadequate resume. Your resume can (and should) have a
distinct personality to it. It should separate you from all the people
applying to land that dream job. Be unique!
A lot of people think a generalized resume
describing everything they have ever done is a great way to show their
experience and skills. This is not true. You should only include information
that is useful to the job you are applying for. If you are applying for a
variety of positions, write more than one resume. To make this process
easier start with a general resume, and use it as a template by cutting and
pasting the most relevant information for the different positions.
Style of Resumes
There are a two basic resume styles:
Chronological and Skill Based.
The most popular style for resumes is the
Chronological Resume. It provides a job-by-job listing of each position you
have held starting with your most recent. Use a Chronological Resume if you
have consistent work history, and your job titles are supportive of your
objective.
If you are making a career change, and your
title and work history don't match your job objective, use a Skill Based
Resume. A Skill Based Resume should also be used if you have gaps in
employment, a short work history, your skills are transferable, your most
recent experience doesn't support your objective, or you have an erratic
work history.
Simple Crucial Resume Writing Tips
- 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.
- Your resume should answer the potential
employer's questions, "Why should I hire you?" in 20 seconds or less.
- Focus on your expertise, abilities, and
accomplishments.
- Use bullets. They make a resume more
reader-friendly if used consistently.
- Describe your roles and accomplishment
with strong action words and key terms that will grab attention.
- Keep all descriptions short.
Descriptions should generally take up no more than three to four lines on
the page. Full sentences are not necessary, however, be consistent with
punctuation.
Length of a resume
There is no "rule of thumb" for resume
length. For an experienced job seeker, a one-page resume may be too short
and even look too "entry-level". A properly designed, well-written two-page
resume would be far better. Your resume is your marketing tool. Can you
market yourself on a one page resume or will you need two or three pages to
include your best skills, accomplishments, and experiences? Note: In every
resume, the first 10-15 lines are the most important. They will motivate a
recruiter to read on or to stop. Longer resumes need to be carefully
designed to "sell" you up front. The real cost of writing a basic or weak
resume is valuable time and thousands of dollars in missed opportunities.
Copyright 2005 Cecile Peterkin. All rights
reserved.
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