[aageneral] Rewriting Your Resume? 7 Easy Ways To Give Yourself An Upgrade
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Rewriting Your Resume? 7 Easy Ways To Give Yourself An
Upgrade
By Nigel Patterson
© 2005
In today's competitive job market, a first class resume is
an essential tool for winning an interview. The way in which
you present your skills, achievements and experience on
paper will profoundly affect the way in which a hiring
company considers your application.
An expertly crafted resume not only captures the attention
of its reader through careful attention to layout and
formatting; it also targets the specific needs of the
potential employer by matching and highlighting your
abilities and background to the key requirements of the
position.
So what exactly is the 'perfect resume'?
It's well-nigh impossible to get recruitment professionals
to agree on this. For example, take the vexed question of
the 'resume objective'. Some employers prefer to see a
clearly stated objective as evidence of a candidate's career
focus; others consider including an objective to be a
restrictive practice - or worse, little more than vague
waffle.
So in the pursuit of a truly personalized resume, it's
hardly surprising that effective practice differs from
applicant to applicant -- and what suits one job-hunter may
not work so well for another.
And while it's impossible to lay down hard and fast rules of
best practice in resume writing, it's a whole lot easier to
identify some of the habits that can turn recruiters right
off - perhaps even sabotage a candidate's chances from the
start!
In this article, I've collected some of these common resume
blunders -- so if you're looking to upgrade your resume,
here's a checklist of seven easy ways to start!
1. Don't rely on a 'one size fits all' resume
If your resume is going to get you the interviews you
deserve, it needs to focus on the particular demands of the
job. So unless your field is very narrow, it's likely that
you'll need to adapt your resume to each specific
application.
To help you target your resume, try answering these
questions:
* you're thinking of applying for a job; what would the
perfect applicant be like?
* what are their most important characteristics?
* what skills and attributes do they possess?
When you profile the 'ideal candidate' in this way, you're
putting yourself in the employer's shoes: thinking first
about what matters to them and imagining what they'll be
looking for when they make a short list from all the
applications they'll receive.
This is a really useful exercise to help you decide which of
your own abilities and achievements to spotlight in your
resume.
2. Make sure you include complete contact information
Your cover letter may get separated from the resume. Don't
blithely assume that because your address and telephone
number are in the letter, they don't need to be on the
resume as well -- they do!
If the employer wants to get hold of you, they'll likely use
the phone. So ensure that you give a personal number
(including area code) where you can be reached during the
day or where messages can be left. Include a cell phone
number and e-mail address where possible.
3. Make the resume easy to read
Don't print your resume in any font size smaller than 11 pt.
Be liberal with white space and remember that bullet points
in a list help a reader to absorb information.
You can emphasize headers and key points by discreet use of
bold type, capitals or underlining -- but don't overdo the
effect.
Consider going on to a second sheet if a single page is
crammed.
4. Seize the reader's interest in the first few lines
If your application is one of dozens or even hundreds
received, you need to capture the attention of the reader in
just a few seconds. The best way to focus interest at the
start is with a powerful objective -- or, if you prefer it,
a skills summary. It's the place to emphasize your key
achievements and core expertise and identify specific job
goals.
The employer wants a straight answer to the question 'What
can this person do for me?' -- so make your profile easy to
read and give a clear statement of what you can bring to the
job.
5. Don't underplay your achievements and experience
You've already imagined what the perfect candidate for the
job would be like. So now focus on those aspects of your own
background and skill set that best illustrate those
attributes.
Highlight your key accomplishments and areas of authority
and, wherever possible, use action verbs and statements that
quantify what you have achieved. But don't get creative
here: make sure you give evidence for your claims.
6. Order your information according to what the reader wants
to know
There's no single correct order of elements in a resume.
Everything depends on what the employer or recruiter is most
interested in finding out.
In general, put your most relevant material first! Many
recruiters like a reverse chronological order of dates.
Also be aware that some employers dislike a purely
functional resume format and feel that it glosses over gaps
in work history or other shortcomings.
7. Check your spelling and grammar
There's no substitute for careful proofreading of your
resume. Use grammar and spell checking software by all
means, but be aware that it may not always pick up
contextual errors.
Print the document and check it on paper rather than on
screen. If possible, ask a reliable friend or relative to
double check for mistakes. Don't forget to check that you
have spelled names correctly.
Conclusion: keep developing your resume
Your resume is a powerful marketing tool. It will always be
a 'work in progress', constantly needing updates and
refinements according to changing circumstances. If you're
planning or conducting a job search, redrafting your resume
could be one of the best investments you make towards your
future career success.
===================================================
Nigel Patterson is a business writer and the publisher of
<a href="http://1st-class-resume.com/">
http://1st-class-resume.com/</a>
Visit his website for more tips and advice on writing an
effective resume and cover letter, resume distribution and
preparing for a job interview.
===================================================
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article as long as it remains unchanged and you include the
copyright and author information (Resource Box) at the end.
You may not use this article in any unsolicited commercial
email (spam).
Please leave the Resource Box intact with an active
hyperlink and send a courtesy copy of the publication in
which the article appears.
=================================================
Rewriting Your Resume? 7 Easy Ways To Give Yourself An
Upgrade
By Nigel Patterson
© 2005
In today's competitive job market, a first class resume is
an essential tool for winning an interview. The way in which
you present your skills, achievements and experience on
paper will profoundly affect the way in which a hiring
company considers your application.
An expertly crafted resume not only captures the attention
of its reader through careful attention to layout and
formatting; it also targets the specific needs of the
potential employer by matching and highlighting your
abilities and background to the key requirements of the
position.
So what exactly is the 'perfect resume'?
It's well-nigh impossible to get recruitment professionals
to agree on this. For example, take the vexed question of
the 'resume objective'. Some employers prefer to see a
clearly stated objective as evidence of a candidate's career
focus; others consider including an objective to be a
restrictive practice - or worse, little more than vague
waffle.
So in the pursuit of a truly personalized resume, it's
hardly surprising that effective practice differs from
applicant to applicant -- and what suits one job-hunter may
not work so well for another.
And while it's impossible to lay down hard and fast rules of
best practice in resume writing, it's a whole lot easier to
identify some of the habits that can turn recruiters right
off - perhaps even sabotage a candidate's chances from the
start!
In this article, I've collected some of these common resume
blunders -- so if you're looking to upgrade your resume,
here's a checklist of seven easy ways to start!
1. Don't rely on a 'one size fits all' resume
If your resume is going to get you the interviews you
deserve, it needs to focus on the particular demands of the
job. So unless your field is very narrow, it's likely that
you'll need to adapt your resume to each specific
application.
To help you target your resume, try answering these
questions:
* you're thinking of applying for a job; what would the
perfect applicant be like?
* what are their most important characteristics?
* what skills and attributes do they possess?
When you profile the 'ideal candidate' in this way, you're
putting yourself in the employer's shoes: thinking first
about what matters to them and imagining what they'll be
looking for when they make a short list from all the
applications they'll receive.
This is a really useful exercise to help you decide which of
your own abilities and achievements to spotlight in your
resume.
2. Make sure you include complete contact information
Your cover letter may get separated from the resume. Don't
blithely assume that because your address and telephone
number are in the letter, they don't need to be on the
resume as well -- they do!
If the employer wants to get hold of you, they'll likely use
the phone. So ensure that you give a personal number
(including area code) where you can be reached during the
day or where messages can be left. Include a cell phone
number and e-mail address where possible.
3. Make the resume easy to read
Don't print your resume in any font size smaller than 11 pt.
Be liberal with white space and remember that bullet points
in a list help a reader to absorb information.
You can emphasize headers and key points by discreet use of
bold type, capitals or underlining -- but don't overdo the
effect.
Consider going on to a second sheet if a single page is
crammed.
4. Seize the reader's interest in the first few lines
If your application is one of dozens or even hundreds
received, you need to capture the attention of the reader in
just a few seconds. The best way to focus interest at the
start is with a powerful objective -- or, if you prefer it,
a skills summary. It's the place to emphasize your key
achievements and core expertise and identify specific job
goals.
The employer wants a straight answer to the question 'What
can this person do for me?' -- so make your profile easy to
read and give a clear statement of what you can bring to the
job.
5. Don't underplay your achievements and experience
You've already imagined what the perfect candidate for the
job would be like. So now focus on those aspects of your own
background and skill set that best illustrate those
attributes.
Highlight your key accomplishments and areas of authority
and, wherever possible, use action verbs and statements that
quantify what you have achieved. But don't get creative
here: make sure you give evidence for your claims.
6. Order your information according to what the reader wants
to know
There's no single correct order of elements in a resume.
Everything depends on what the employer or recruiter is most
interested in finding out.
In general, put your most relevant material first! Many
recruiters like a reverse chronological order of dates.
Also be aware that some employers dislike a purely
functional resume format and feel that it glosses over gaps
in work history or other shortcomings.
7. Check your spelling and grammar
There's no substitute for careful proofreading of your
resume. Use grammar and spell checking software by all
means, but be aware that it may not always pick up
contextual errors.
Print the document and check it on paper rather than on
screen. If possible, ask a reliable friend or relative to
double check for mistakes. Don't forget to check that you
have spelled names correctly.
Conclusion: keep developing your resume
Your resume is a powerful marketing tool. It will always be
a 'work in progress', constantly needing updates and
refinements according to changing circumstances. If you're
planning or conducting a job search, redrafting your resume
could be one of the best investments you make towards your
future career success.
===================================================
Nigel Patterson is a business writer and the publisher of
<a href="http://1st-class-resume.com/">
http://1st-class-resume.com/</a>
Visit his website for more tips and advice on writing an
effective resume and cover letter, resume distribution and
preparing for a job interview.
===================================================
########################################################
Looking For Quality Content?
The Syndicator provides free, quality syndicated articles
for your website that are automatically updated each week.
Syndication feeds include:
Business/Sales
Internet Marketing/Promotion
Web Design/Development
Biz Tips
Web Design Tips
Home & Family Matters
Dinner Ideas
Health & Fitness
Horoscopes
AngelVoice
Headlines
and more...
http://www.web-source.net/syndicator.htm
########################################################
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