15TIPS FOR WRITING WINNING
RESUMES
by Ann Hackett, Quest
The thought of writing a resumé 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 resumé.
Determine your job search objective prior to writing the resumé. Once you have determined your objective, you can structure the content of your resumé around that objective. Think of your objective as the bull's-eye to focus your resumé on hitting. If you write your resumé 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 resumé to form a clear objective.
Think of your resumé as a marketing tool. Think of yourself as a product, potential employers as your customers, and your resumé as a brochure about you. Market yourself through your resumé. What are your features and benefits? What makes you unique? Make sure to convey this information in your resumé.
Use your resumé 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 resumé 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.
Use bulleted sentences. In the body of your resumé, use bullets with short sentences rather than lengthy paragraphs. resumés are read quickly. This bulleted sentence format makes it easier for someone to quickly scan your resumé and still absorb it.
Use action words. Action words cause your resumé to pop. To add life to your resumé, use bulleted sentences that begin with action words like prepared, developed, monitored, and presented.
Use #'s, $'s and %'s. Numbers, dollars, and percentages stand out in the body of a resumé. 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."
Lead with your strengths. Since resumés 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.
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 resumé. If you have missed any key words, add them to your resumé.
Use buzzwords. If there are terms that show your competence in a particular field, use them in your resumé. For marketing people, use "competitive analysis." For accounting types, use "reconciled accounts."
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 resumé. If you do some duties in your current job that don't support your job search objective, leave them off your resumé. Focus on the duties that do support your objective. Leave off irrelevant personal information like your height and weight.
Show what you know. Rather than going into depth in one area, use your resumé to highlight your breadth of knowledge. Use an interview to provide more detail.
Show who you know. If you have reported to someone important such as a vice president or department manager, say so in your resumé. Having reported to someone important causes the reader to infer that you are important.
Construct your resumé to read easily. Leave white space. Use a font size no smaller than 10 point. Limit the length of your resumé to 1-2 pages. Remember, resumés are reviewed quickly. Help the reader to scan your resumé efficiently and effectively.
Have someone else review your resumé. 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 resumé, 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 resumé. Revise your resumé to include these items. Their questions can also point to items on your resumé that are confusing to the reader. Clarify your resumé based on this input.
Submit your resumé to potential employers. Have the courage to submit your resumé. Think of it as a game where your odds of winning increase with every resumé you submit. You really do increase your odds with every resumé 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!
Ann Hackett authorized
Controllers On Call to include the above article; Copyright 1999 Quest. All
Rights Reserved.
Ann Hackett is the president of Quest, an online career transition assistance company that helps you succeed in your job
search
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