Employment - Three Steps To Writing Your Own Resume

Three Steps To Writing Your Own Resume

While most professionals hire a professional resume writer, some draft their own resume. People who write a lot for business usually have more success in putting together a sharp, focused presentation; still, anyone can learn the basic steps to prepare his or her own resume.

There are three major differences between a "strong" resume and an "o.k." resume:

1. FORMAT AND PRESENTATION DETERMINE WHETHER THE RESUME IS READ

The average resume is scanned, not read, for only 8-15 seconds. It either creates a strong impression to the reader immediately or it is set aside. It is similar to the impression you make on the interviewer. Therefore, make sure your resume is wearing the equivalent of a "business suit" and not jeans and flip-flops!

Choose a format that complements your career goal. If you are seeking a job in your field and have experience, use a chronological resume. This resume starts with your most recent job and works backward. Conversely, if you are seeking a new type of work, you may want to consider the functional/combination resume. This style groups your skills together and includes a short chronological work history at the end.

Other ways to insure that your presentation gets noticed include:

No errors: use spell check and also have someone review your resume for missing or misused words
Use a Consistent format and use of capitalization and punctuation throughout
Provide lots of white space to accent strong parts of the resume
Use no more than 2 fonts
Include your name and address, a phone and email address
Laser print your work on quality white or cream resume paper

2. ACCOMPLISHMENTS TELL WHAT YOU'VE DONE; RESPONSBILITIES STATE WHAT YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE DONE

Not all accomplishments have to be big, but they have to show that you got results as you carried out your responsibilities. Often, they are something you are proud of or, they can simply quantify what you have done on a daily basis. Many of your routine activities can be quantified and written as accomplishments that demonstrate your experience and knowledge, and proof of how you've HELPED the company!

Here are some things to consider when naming accomplishments. Quantify whenever possible. For instance, did you:

save the company money? How much and how?
help improve sales? By how much?
improve productivity and efficiency?
implement any new systems or processes?
help launch any new products or services?
achieve more with (same or fewer) resources?
resolve a major problem with little investment?
participate in any technical/operational improvements?
exceed accepted standards for quality or quantity?
identify the need for a program or service?
prepare any original reports, studies or documents?
serve on any committees? What was the outcome?
get elected to any boards, teams or task forces?
resolve customer problems?
get rated as outstanding in performance reviews?

3. AVOID COMMON ERRORS IN RESUME WRITING

Many job seekers either don't know or don't understand the many items that do not belong in a resume. They include the following:

Do not use "I", "me" or "my" statements; use the telegraphic method and drop the pronoun to make it more active. Instead of "I wrote the 40-page employee manual", say "Wrote 40-page employee manual"
Avoid the use of the words "responsible for" and "duties included"
Do not include personal information, such as age, health, ethnicity, marriage and family status. Employers will throw your resume out if it has such information because they could someday be accused of hiring bias
Do not include photographs unless you are a model or actor
Do not explain your reasons for leaving your previous jobs or employment gaps
Don't send extra papers such as letters of recommendation, certificates or samples of your work. They clutter your presentation and are too premature. Use in the interview if appropriate
Never include salary information
Do not forward a list of references

About The Author

Recognized as a career expert, Linda Matias brings a wealth of experience to the career services field. She has been sought out for her knowledge of the employment market, outplacement, job search strategies, interview preparation, and resume writing, quoted a number of times in The Wall Street Journal, New York Newsday, Newsweek, and HR-esource.com. She is President of CareerStrides and the National Resume Writers' Association. Visit her website at www.careerstrides.com or email her at careerstrides@bigfoot.com.

Car Insurance | Car Rentals | Health Insurance | Weight Loss | Life Insurance

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |

Resumes That Work: 3 Steps To More And Better Interviews
All of us involved with helping you get a new job, whether as third party recruiters or as representatives of a company, are evaluating you for employment are all receiving hundreds of emailed resumes a day. Having done professional search work for more than thirty years, I have seen both resumes change and how they are delivered change. The change in delivery means that how you think of your resume being seen needs to change too.1. Few people are really looking at resumes in the traditional sense of pieces of paper. They are looking at screen shots of approximately 1/4 -1/3 of a page per shot and attempting to make decisions based upon a few quick Page-Downs (or PgDn on your keyboard). For this reason you need to think of your resume in a different way than you may have before. Critica...(related: Employment)

Stand Out From The Crowd With Simple Marketing Methods
Although today's job market can be very competitive, many job seekers overlook simple techniques that will catch potential employers' attention. App...(related: Employment)

The Chicken Or The Egg?

Even before I checked my calendar on Monday morning, I knew the appointment would be there. Passed over for promotion again, Ralph wanted specifics on why I hadn't chosen him for the posit...(related: Employment)

Dont Settle
Chuck was the best of the twenty-four candidates. Still, he didn't have exactly what I was looking for and my instincts warned me of his unusual personality. Yet the skills required for the job were specialized and he had most of them, and I'd been interviewing for five months, and my boss wanted the position filled before the budget process started. No, he might not be perfect, but he would be ok.So I hired Chuck. As a new manager, i...(related: Employment)

Reinvent Yourself In A New Career
Some people reserve the word "vocation" for religious calling. Contemporary career guides encourage us to think of a "life purpose" that guides and gives meaning to a life, regardless of career. See, for example, Mark Albion's book, Making a Life, Making a Living.Many people speak of being "called" to a career. There is a sense of "inevitability," that, "I was meant to do this." Some say, "This feels right."Self-help books, career coaches and counselors are available to help...(related: Employment)

Does Your Career Change Itch Or Burn?
Two weeks ago, I received a newsy email from a former client. Dan gave me the scoop on his life and new love, and ended by saying that while work had improved, he was feeling the itch again to go after career change. He would soon give me a call for some personal coaching sessions.I replied nicely to all his news, and on the itch, I said: "Call me when it's a burn."Why this tough love response?I meet scores of professionals who are unhappy with their work. In almost seven years, I've never seen an individual make a significant shift unless there is a burning desire to change. You must have a clear articulation of the personal gain you see for yourself at the end of the career-change rainbow ? and this personal gain m...(related: Employment)

Five Powerful Tips For Interns

Interning is about more than earning money during summer break. It's a wonderful way to gain work experience and lay the foundation for your future career. But to get the most out of it, you have to do more than just land the job, show up for work and collect your paycheck. Here are some tips that will help you get the full benefits of interning:

1. Pay Attention. This is more than a job, it's a learning experience. And unlike school, this is the real world -- where you'll be spending the rest of your life after graduation!...(related: Employment)

An Alternative To Hiring Employees
Current trends in business are conspiring to create a revolution in the way that small and medium sized companies do business. These forces have created an environment in which growing companies can make maximum use of their labor dollars, while accessing a talent base previously unreachable due to the costs involved with hiring top talent.The first trend is towards self-employment. Entrepreneurship is at an all time high. According to a study by Register.com Inc, 47% of U.S. adults h...(related: Employment)

Job Search Advice For Desperate Job Seekers
Another morning of job hunting lies ahead of you. You pour a cupof coffee and open the paper to the employment section. With amixture of anticipation and desperation you pick up a stub ofpencil and prepare to target and identify some possible jobopportunities....(related: Employment)

Focus On White-collar Crime: Accounting Fraud And Computer Crimes Creates Need; Qualified Investing
An epidemic of white-collar financial crime has resulted in the development of specialized education programs focused on economic crime investigation and fraud management. These college-level degree programs attract students who are interested in law enforcement and are attracted by the very unique nature of these types of crimes and the special investigative techniques required to solve them.There seems to be no end to the greed in the hearts of some professional business people. It isn't enough to have fancy cars, vacation homes and other lavish perks of the highly successful. Many selfish individuals have decided to play a risky game of "milk-the-company-for-all-it's-worth" to fuel an...(related: Employment)

Seminars: Why Are They Popular, And What Advantages/disadvantages Are There To Attending One?
Seminars dealing with "special topics" have actually been around for decades, and are an older form of marketing and information exchanges, that ha...(related: Employment)

What To Do When Your Boss Is A Butthead

I've never worked for a boss I didn't like or respect. Sure, some were better than others, but I never considered quitting my job because of a bad boss. Unfortunately, many employees aren't so lucky.

If your boss is a total butthead, someone you'll never get along with, admire or respect no matter how hard you try, there are a few things you can do.

Wait. Is your boss close to retirement or promotion--or even better--termination? If so, try to bide your time and wait until that happy event happens.

Bite your ...(related: Employment)