Ten Rules of Resume Writing
Tips for Writing a More Perfect Resume
Words That can hurt Your Resume
Does Your Resume Answer These Key Questions?
Ten Rules of Resume Writing
Here are the Ten Commandments that you must absolutely follow for a winning resume-
Title the Resume Imaginatively
Be imaginative in naming the resume document. A resume titled "Your Name-5 Years Sales Experience.doc" is much more noticeable than a resume titled Resume.doc or YourName.doc
Use Keywords
Nowadays employers use career sites like Monster and Hot Jobs to search for suitable candidates. The search is made the same way you search for a topic using search engines like Google or MSN. Use of relevant keywords will make it easy for the search engines to find you.
Objective of the Resume
The objective of the resume tells what you can do for your employer. It saves the employer the trouble of reading the whole resume, and then reaching his or her own conclusions. Does the employer have the time to do this?
Focus on results, not responsibilities
The prospective employer is more interested in specific results that you achieved, rather than a broad description of your responsibilities. Do not say- "Responsibilities included interacting with dealers..." Instead, say- "Worked with dealers X and Y to increase sales by 25% in 3 months..."
Customize you Resume
Go through the job advertisement and customize your resume to address the needs of the employer. Align your resume as per the job description. Keep in mind what the employer wants.
Be Focused and Professional
A resume is not a literary document. It is meant to showcase your professional skills and qualities. Therefore, avoid verbosity; avoid being humorous and giving unnecessary information. Do not showcase you hobbies and interests, unless they are very relevant to the position that you have applied for.
Give Practical Examples of Qualities and Strengths
Don't just make a plain list of your qualities, skills and strengths. Go on to tell the employer what you have actually achieved using them. Don't just say you have "initiative", tell them that you "convinced leading dealer ABC to switch from the competitors' product to your product".
Be Honest
Your resume should contain the truth, and nothing but the whole truth. Do not get creative in exaggerating your achievements and skills. Employers can, and usually do, run checks with your references. Even if you get away with it, you will always live in fear.
Proofread the Resume
Go through your resume to check for spelling and grammatical mistakes. These mistakes can create a bad impression in the mind of the employer. Do your own proofreading. Also get a friend or a colleague to double check.
KISS
Oh yes, go ahead and KISS! Keep It Short and Simple. Don't make it too long by sharing your hobbies and interests with the employer. Remember, the objective of an effective resume is to get the employer to call you for an interview. Your resume gets only a few seconds to arouse the interest of the employer. Follow the Ten Commandments of effective resume writing, and you cannot go wrong.
Tips for Writing a More Perfect Resume
Having a strong resume can change your life. Your resume is your gateway into a new job. You want it to look professional and you want it to stand out to the person who will be reading it. Here are some tips to make your resume a little better.
1. Design each resume to fit each particular job. Make sure you are tweaking each resume that you send out so that it pertains to the job you are applying for. Sending out a generic resume does not stand out to a future employer.
2. Be specific. Use numbers, dates and names when describing something in your resume. The absence of dates on your employment history can raise some red flags.
3. Present information that is most impressive first. This will help you decide if you should put experience or education first on your resume.
4. Use everyday language and short, concise paragraphs. You do not want to sound like you used a thesaurus for every word in your resume. People can tell when you do that.
5. Get someone else's reaction to your resume before you send it out. Sometimes that person may catch a mistake that you did not see or they can help you improve the format of the resume.
6. Proofread for spelling and grammar before you type of the final copy. You do not want to submit a resume that has errors in it, as it does not look very professional.
7. Use boldface type, underlining and indentations to make your resume easy to read.
8. Make sure that you include all of your experience. You want to include all volunteer work, achievements, extracurricular activities (related to your job) and awards. But when doing so, do not put ridiculous things on here just to fill up space. If you got highest honors back in your junior year of high school and you are now 40 years old, don't include that. The employer will not care about something you did back in high school over 20 years ago.
9. Make sure that you have good references. You do not always have to include references on your resume, but it is a good idea. That way, the employer can see that you are willing to give them up front and will not have to call you for them. Make sure that your references are people that would be professional if they got called by one of your future employers.
10. Make sure that your resume reflects what the employer wants and not what you want. You want something that will be noticed by the employer, Look at from their point of view and then write.
Words That Can Hurt Your Resume
So, you're experienced? Before you advertise this in your resume, be sure you can prove it.
Often, when job seekers try to sell themselves to potential employers, they load their resume with vague claims that are transparent to hiring managers. The most successful job seekers avoid these vague phrases on their resumes in favor of accomplishments.
Instead of making empty claims to demonstrate your work ethic, use brief, specific examples to demonstrate your skills. In other words, show, don't tell.
Here are a few examples:
Instead of... "Experience working in fast-paced environment"
Try... "Registered 120+ third-shift emergency patients per night"
Instead of... "Excellent written communication skills"
Try... "Wrote jargon-free User Guide for 11,000 users"
Instead of... "Team player with cross-functional awareness"
Try... "Collaborated with clients, A/R and Sales to increase speed of receivables and prevent interruption of service to clients."
Instead of... "Demonstrated success in analyzing client needs"
Try... "Created and implemented comprehensive needs assessment mechanism to help forecast demand for services and staffing."
The worst offenders
It's good to be hard-working and ambitious, right? The hiring manager won't be convinced if you can't provide solid examples to back up your claims. Be extra-careful before putting these nice-sounding but empty words in your resume.
• Aggressive • Ambitious • Competent • Creative • Detail-oriented
• Determined • Efficient • Experienced • Flexible • Goal-oriented
• Hard-working • Independent • Innovative • Knowledgeable • Logical
• Motivated • Meticulous • People person • Professional • Reliable
• Resourceful • Self-motivated • Successful • Team player • Well-organized
Does Your Resume Answer These Key Questions?Most people, no matter what job they seek or how long they've been part of the working world, make the same mistake when it comes to the résumé-writing process. They forget -- or simply don't know how -- to develop their resume from the employer's point of view.
"Employers want to know several things about you within seconds of glancing at your résumé. Your job, then, is to be hit-them-over-the-head obvious about who you are, what job you're seeking and what you have to offer them. When sifting through resumes, most employers and recruiters know exactly what they're looking for. Resumes that meet their expectations are ones that respond to all nine of the following questions:
Who are you?To determine how well your résumé addresses this, have your friends or colleagues read it. Within five seconds of them looking at the resume, snatch it back from them and quiz them on what they know about you as a job seeker based on what they read. If they can't offer a quick answer that truly describes you, your resume's summary needs some work.
What can you do for me? The most effective way to show employers the value you offer is to show them how you've contributed to an employer's success elsewhere. Examples must be specific, measurable accomplishments that cite numbers and other details.
Do you have the skills I'm looking for? Scan job ads and job descriptions to discover which skills are most relevant to the employers and recruiters receiving your resume. Then strategically place them throughout your resumeto ensure it makes it past computer scans and into the hands of employers and recruiters.
Where have you worked before? This one should be simple. Employers want to know where you worked, for how long and which job titles you've held that may indicate how prepared you are for a role at their organization.
Is your experience relevant to my needs? Sometimes it's necessary to expand upon a job title or job description to truly demonstrate that you have experience that applies to the job you're seeking. Consider using bullets to present brief and interesting information that is relevant to the employer.
Do you have the right education and credentials? If you have the education, credentials and training needed to qualify for the job, be sure to say so! Use commonly accepted terminology and keywords in this section to ensure your information isn't misinterpreted or overlooked by employers or resume scanners.
What kind of person are you? "Adding insightful information about what makes you special can be a definite plus on your resume and help decision-makers discriminate between you and another candidate, even before you've met in person. include "extras," such as a branding statement and relevant information about foreign languages you speak, computer proficiencies, etc.
Do I see any "red flags" in your background? Gaps in employment (an indication of job hopping), spending too much time in the same job or resume errors may alert employers and recruiters that you are not the type of candidate they're looking for in their organization. To avoid drawing attention to "red flags" on your resume, make sure you make your accomplishments and skills stand out as strongly as possible.
Can I easily get in touch with you? After all your hard work in putting together a powerful resume, don't forget the essentials! It doesn't matter how great your resume is, if you don't include a phone number, address and e-mail address somewhere on the resume, you'll never hear from the employer or recruiter.
