6 Vital Tips For Creating A Superior Resume
1: Keep It Short Considering that initially HR personnel only spend approximately 10-20 seconds on a resume, the shorter your resume, the most desirable it is. Aim for one page. Of course, it is sometimes impossible to create such a short resume. You might have to include a second page because you have way too much information regarding your work experience, accomplishments, etc. In this case, make sure that you list the most relevant information within the upper half of the first page because that is the section that gets looked at first. This way, these important insights will surely be noticed. 2: Spelling, Spelling, Spelling It is not enough to run the word processor's spell checker on your document. Proofread your resume at least 3 times, once backward (sometimes that is how you notice mistakes.) Remember, a sloppy presentation is almost a guarantee that your resume will end up in the circular file even if you have all the qualifications in the world. 3: Start Your Resume With A "Power Statement" Many resume writers suggest starting a resume with an objective. I object to that (no pun intended). Objectives are useless because they are self-centered. Here is a typical objective: "Challenging position in social services." My suggestion is that you start your resume with a power statement such as: "Experienced Social Worker with 10 years of proven client counseling and support background along with enthusiasm for working with children and their families." Whereas the objective tells the employer only what you want to do, the power statement goes further in highlighting not only the job you are seeking but also your major achievements. The power statement showcases what you can do for the company. 4: Use Action Verbs Begin your sentences with action verbs for added punch and to express a sense of accomplishment. For a FREE list of action verb, please e-mail Rita Fisher at RitaFisher55@comcast.net with "Action Verb List" in the subject line. 5: Use Specifics Use specifics such as numbers, percentages, figures and facts. Example: "Exceeded sales quotas by 50% for 4 consecutive years." Numbers stand out and communicate clearly and openly about not only the results you produced by also about what you can do for the company (can't repeat that enough.) 6: Answer The "What's In It For Me?" Question What every employer wants to know when reading your resume is what's in it for them. Employers are looking for people who will solve their problems. You have to present your case accordingly. How? By answering these questions and including the answers in your resume: What kind of problems did you solve on the job?
How did the company benefit from your performance?
How did you do the job differently and better than the person before you did?
Did you introduce a new program or system?
If yes, what were the results of it? (Be specific regarding the results.)
What were you most proud of in your job?
What would your supervisor and your co-workers say they would miss most about you when you leave?
How did you make a difference in your job?
How did you affect the company's bottom line?
Did you save money for the company? How much?
Did you earn money for the company? How much?
Rita Fisher, a Certified Professional Resume Writer, has a team of writers who provide professional resume development to job seekers at all levels, with special focus on career changers. Visit her site at http://www.CareerChangeResumes.com. Copyright 2005 by Rita Fisher, CPRW / Career Change Resumes
http://www.CareerChangeResumes.com Rita Fisher
Owner
Career Change Resumes
2928 Cross Creek Drive,
Columbus, IN 47201 E-mail: RitaFisher55@comcast.net Phone: 812-342-7978 Fax: 928-569-5114
Related News
Arbitrability of USERRA Claims: Battle on the Home Front - Law.com (subscription)
City Expands Job Training For Public Housing Residents - NY1
Green Jobs Transition Must Accelerate - Policy Innovations
Green Jobs Transition Must AcceleratePolicy Innovations, NY -7 hours agoThe report forecasts that millions of cleaner careers could be generated by 2030, with as many as 20 million new jobs in the energy alternatives sector ... |
Bye-bye to career employment for Baby Boomer men - Examiner.com
New committee working on five-year plan to improve job prospects - Kawartha Media Group
Apprentices start building a career - Bradford Telegraph Argus
Apprentices start building a careerBradford Telegraph Argus, UK -10 hours agoMohammed, 18, and Shaun, 19, were both recruited by Lovell from Accent Community Partnerships, which delivers construction-based training and employment... |
Springboards for life in careers elsewhere - Financial Times
Springboards for life in careers elsewhereFinancial Times, UK -4 hours agoAlthough the small state offers only restricted employment choices for graduates the average expected wage in the oil-rich country is the second highest in ... |
Shifting Careers In Hard Times, Lawyers Advise Cautious Steps - New York Times
Health Care Marketing Industry Day to offer employment opportunities - Hattiesburg American
The Grades recruitment event: White men in braces need not apply... - Independent
|
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Little Mistakes That Keep You Unemployed
If your job search is dragging on and on, you might want to look in the mirror. Because the person looking back may be sabotaging your efforts.
How to Improve Your Work Situation
buWhy are so many people unhappy in their work situation?
Why do people, who are successful at one career, have
such difficult times coping with their new career? These
problems frequently occur, because conflicts exist in their
work relationships.
How Much Can You Earn Working As A Proofreader?
Thinking of a career as a proofreader? Then you will most likely want to know about salaries. Are you hoping to hear that you will make thousands and thousands of dollars a month in this field? It is very possible that you will barely make a few hundred when you are first starting out. There is no guarantee of a paycheck in this field. If you do not provide quality work, you probably will not have many clients returning for repeat work. Proofreading as a career is hard, but when you get in the door, you may do fairly well. Proof reader salaries are not glamorous, but they can be fairly good.
Salary Negotiation: How To Earn More Money and Respect From Your Employer
Despite how important fair pay is to most of us, effective salary negotiation is an often misunderstood and avoided topic. Current research indicates the average duration of a position today is 3.8 years. Over the lifespan of your career, how well you negotiate raises or starting pay will have an enormous cumulative effect on the quality of your life.
Ask the Recruiter
We all have career goals, big or small. Here are some questions I have recieved over the last month from those actively seeking new employment.
Do Your Very Best in All Things -- Because Someone Is Looking....
Your job is to rise ABOVE the challenge. Do more than is expected. Say nothing negative about anyone or anything. Yes, that is easier said than done for most of us. Still, it is simply good advice for all. You never have to watch your backside when there are no boomerangs returning.
Fact or Opinion?
"You ain't going nowhere, son. You ought to go back to drivin' a truck." What if Elvis believed this Grand Ole Opry manager's critique after his l954 performance? Or the Beatles listened in 1962 when Decca Recording Company responded, "We don't like their sound. Groups of guitars are on the way out."
Career Change Success Is Yours If you Follow The Formula
Recent surveys suggest that, given the chance, about four out of 10 people would change career tomorrow and a further two might. The most popular reason given would be to earn more. But others want a new challenge, to do something more fulfilling, or to have a better quality of life. If you are one of these who might, what's stopping you?
Fascinating Ways to Make a Living Doing What You Love May Be Closer Than You Think...
You don't have to look very far to find fascinating ways to make a living. Opportunities are literally everywhere? if you're looking, that is. It seems I can't turn on the television or radio or open a magazine or newspaper without seeing at least one good business idea. Maybe that's why, as we were winding down a consulting session the other day, one of my clients said to me, "Boy, you sure have a lot of information in your head." I appreciated the compliment, but Julie was only half right. When you've been in the business of helping people change course for as long as I have, it's only natural I'd know a lot about creative income streams. But most of them aren't in my head ? they're in my Opportunity File.What's an Opportunity File? Basically anytime I happen upon an interesting story about someone who is making money doing what they love, I add it to a big file called Opportunities. If you don't yet have an Opportunity File, I encourage you to set one up. It's positively addicting!I thought it might be fun to just pull a couple of examples from the top of my Opportunity file and share them with you. Since they're on top, that means I've come across them in just the last week or so. Collecting is all the rage these days. As I looked more closely at my top of the pile examples, I realized that in one way or another, they all have something to do with collecting. Read on and you'll see what I mean.First there's antique Christmas decorations collector, Gerald Nixon (aka Mr. Pink? I'll explain in a moment). Gerald had so many antique Christmas decorations in his personal collection that he finally had to open a shop just so he could move about his apartment. Today he has over 10,000 ornaments as well as light reflectors, aluminum trees, rotating color wheels, rotating musical tree stands, vintage holiday cards, and wrapping paper. Okay, why is he called Mr. Pink? Well, it seems the guy owns a very fuzzy pink Santa suit that he happily dons every weekend in December. You can imagine how many tourists ask to have their picture taken with him! You can visit Gerald at his shop in Manhattan at 223 16th Street or online at MrPinkInc.com. If you hurry, you may even catch him in his furry pink suit!And speaking of winter? after his grandfather died and left him his old wooden skis, Mark Miller began collecting vintage skis. Soon neighbors in his small hometown in New Hampshire started dropping off their old skis. Then Mark began buying skis at auctions. Before long, he had over 100 pairs!In 1994, he decided to turn his hobby into a business and moved himself and his collection to Park City, Utah, where he became a ski instructor. Today Mark has the largest collection of antique winter sports equipment in the world. Two warehouses hold his collection of 3,000 pairs of skis, 2,000 pairs of snowshoes, 500 vintage sleds, and 400 pairs of wooden skates.Increasingly, Mark's collection comes from Europe where he managed to track down 500 pairs of American snow shoes used by the Army's 10th Mountain Division in World War II. The shoes were just sitting in an old barn in Turkey. Mark does all the refinishing work himself before selling his vintage finds through his web site at AntiqueSkis.com and through home décor shops in four western states. The next opportunity I found in an article in FSB magazine about hot franchises. I'm not usually very interested in franchises. I've got nothing against them mind you? it's just hard for me to picture someone who wakes up in the morning excited about opening their own Subway or Jiffy Lube shop. On the other hand, franchises can be the ideal solution for someone who basically wants to run his or her own business but doesn't want to build something from scratch.Anyway, it was my keen interest in recycling that peaked my curiosity about Canadian Brian Scudamore's franchise entirely geared around turning trash into cash. Brian got into the business of clearing out unwanted things from people's basements, garages, attics and the like when he was 19 and still in college. He bought an old truck for $700, and in an attempt to make his business sound bigger than it was, he named it Rubbish Boys. (Even though Brian was the only rubbish boy he thought big). His business was so successful, he ended up dropping out of school to haul junk full time.The junk hauling business itself is nothing new. But over time Brian got the bright idea of modernizing the business with uniformed drivers driving fancy trucks who show up when they say they will. So he decide to start a company called Got-Junk (think UPS but with junk pick up). Today this 33-year-old's Vancouver-based company is one of the fastest growing franchises in North America with 74 territories ? most in the U.S. Is there really that much money in junk? This year Got-Junk expects to post revenues system-wide of $12.6 million. To learn more, go to 1800GotJunk.com. A lot of people skip over articles or entire publications if they don't see an immediate application to their life. Not me. The more unrelated to my life, the more intrigued I am. Case in point was a supplement in my local paper that was dedicated to equestrians. I like horses and all, but am not even remotely connected to the horse world.While I scanned the articles, what I was really drawn to were the advertisements. Why? Ads reveal all kinds of interesting ways people with a particular interest have found a way to earn a living. Among the ads for such obvious businesses as tack shops and veterinarians was an ad for "quality equine laundry." Who knew?I quickly discovered that the company will "clean, refurbish, and return each blanket spotless, repaired, and wrapped with tissue in a zippered plastic case." They also promise to make Velcro stick again and to air-dry the blankets on a special rack to avoid shrinkage. This enterprising company will arrange for pick up anywhere in New England. This last one is not so much about collecting things as it is about collecting and using experience. A headline in my local paper featured a guy who recently bought a local trophy and engraving shop. I don't have a big need for trophies, but I know when it comes to entrepreneurs, there's always more to a story than the headline. I was right. It seems the new shop keeper, 51-year-old Russell Wilkinson, has had a pretty varied background. According to the article, Russell has worked in construction, been an electrician, owned his own shoe repair shop, been a security chief at a local park, delivered packages for UPS, owned a local restaurant, and trained to be a scuba diving instructor in Key West. People often ask Russell why he doesn't just get a regular job. His reply? "If I'd done that, it would have been the biggest waste of the most expensive education a person can have." Russell's story serves as a good reminder that despite all the pressure to find that one thing you're good at and then stick to it for the rest of your life, having a varied occupational life can make life a whole lot more interesting.It also reminds us that no experience is wasted. So many people went to school for things that have nothing to do with the work they do today? myself included. I never view past training, jobs, or even relationships as wasted time. All of our past experience adds up to who we are today.Do you want to work at something you truly love? Opportunities are all around you. Get a note pad and a file folder and start your own Opportunities File. Let it be a source of inspiration and ideas.
Writing a Resume: To Template or Not To Template?
Are free resume templates a viable answer to preparing a
killer resume?
Job Search Advice for Desperate Job Seekers
Another morning of job hunting lies ahead of you. You pour a cup
of coffee and open the paper to the employment section. With a
mixture of anticipation and desperation you pick up a stub of
pencil and prepare to target and identify some possible job
opportunities.
The Top 10 Ways to Manage Your Career
Many people in the last decade have experienced either a layoff or termination in their lives or the lives of somebody they know. While many of these people affected have experienced outplacement-consulting services, some have not and they may be in for a rude awakening - corporations no longer "take care of you". Managing your career in these times require you to have a game plan and an understanding of yourself and human behavior. That is why outplacement consulting and career coaches have become so popular and are being sought out by individuals, not just corporations. A career coach can help you manage more than just your career, they can help you communicate better and get along with others better.
Getting Past Fear
Have you gotten tons of career advice, solicited and unsolicited? You nod when you hear it and think, "Yeah, I know this stuff." So, what else is new?
How To Prepare For A Telephone Interview
It is important to prepare thoroughly for your telephone interview.
Write Resume Keywords That Gets Your Application Read
As children we often used to read stories where magical words can open caves filled with treasures or magicians using words like abracadabra... sim sim.. and magically things appear out of thin air.
Ten Great Careers That Don?t Require A Four Year Degree
One of the great myths associated with the "American Dream" is that you need to have a four-year college degree to be successful. As the economy has shifted to the information age, with a greater reliance on technology and services, this belief applies less and less.
Dress For Success
You have heard the phrase, "Dress for Success." This is very important in your job search. First impressions can make or break an interview, so presenting a Tailored Image is a good first step to Promoting Success in your job search.
Driver Team Solo Positions: The Nitty Gritty On Truck Driving Jobs
Trucks and truck drivers are a constant presence on US highways and interstates. A person on even the shortest drive is likely to pass by a truck or two transporting goods, and even merchandise that travels by ship, train, or airplane travels on a truck for some phase of the journey to the customer. Because trucks are such a major part of industry, truck driving jobs are important positions and good paying jobs.
Reinvent Your Career In Five Simple Steps
The phrase "reinventing yourself" seems to be popping up all over lately. Just a few days ago a friend asked me how he could do it without starting completely over. His concern was, "How do I move in a new career direction without sacrificing all the skills and experience I've worked so hard to achieve?" The underlying question is, "Is this even possible?"
Dressing Tips for Interview Success
Dressing appropriately for job interviews is one of those areas that puzzles some people.
|
