Resume Writing Tips 2

Creating a resume is an essential part to finding employment. Without a resume, the individual seeking employment is unable to apply for or be considered for a position for which they wish to work. A resume is the first impression that an employer will often receive of the applicant, for this reason, it should be concise and outline the achievements, experience and qualifications that make an individual eligible for a certain position.

There are many aspects that should be taken into account when crafting a resume. What message does your resume convey? The resume may be tweaked for each positionwhich is being applied for, this means that each position may require different qualifications and education to be outlined on the resume.

Stand Out
It is important to remember that a potential employer may see tens to hundreds of resumes applying for a certain position. The resume should be stylized to set yours apart from the crowd. Many employers make a decision based on the style and formatting, as well as the content of the resume within seconds of reading the first couple of headings. Read over the first couple of headings in the resume, what conclusion would you come to? Would you make any snap judgments about your professional abilities based on the appearance of your resume?

Length
For the optimum effect on the employer, the resume should be kept under a page long. The resume may be attached to a cover letter, also a page in length. Resumes or CVs that are in excess of one page are often scanned by employers, meaning that they may easily miss valuable and important information that is conveyed on the resume.

Keep it Professional
What type of font should be used on a resume? Professional and easy to read fonts should be used on the resume such as Times New Roman or Arial. This font should be maintained between the sizes of ten and twelve for the optimum effect. A professional resume will read well and contain no spelling or grammar mistakes. The resume should also be sure to follow the same formatting through the entirety of the report.

Information Overload
Many people make the mistake of including each job and position that they have held on the resume. Only jobs that have been held for a significant amount of time or are relevant to the position that is currently being applied for should be placed on the resume. When narrowing these positions, the employer is able to easily view the qualifications and experience that enable the applicant to be eligible for the position. Including too many jobs could also cause the employer to become confused with the sheer amount of jobs that have been held.

Vital Information
There are certain aspects of the resume that should be included in every single report. The objective of the applicant as well as experience and qualifications are a crucial part of the resume. Other headings that may assist the employer in getting to know the applicant are; interests, activities and any special certifications that have been received through on or off the job training.

Updating
Current, up-to-date contact information should be present on each resume. If this information is outdated the resume should be updated. Maintaining a resume on your personal computer through a word processing program could mean the difference of getting the job. Chances are, the employer is going to notice these tiny details. If you are willing to overlook these small details, the employer often questions if you are going to overlook small details that come with the potential position? These small details could make or break the resume and should be looked at in detail before the resume is distributed to any potential employers.

Proofreading
Have a friend, acquaintance or family member view the resume with a critical eye, as the eye of a potential employer. This valuable tool should be taken advantage of as it will provide a new pair of eyes that can determine the intent of the resume. You will receive useful comments and concerns about the appearance, formatting and professional appeal of the resume. This is an important step in completing the resume process and can become an invaluable tool in resume creation.

Templates
Templates can be found on the internet or through a word processing program that can assist in the resume creation process. The formatting will include the text size, the font type and the layout that should be adhered to. Headings can be changed to applicable types and formatting can be added into the resume such as bulleted points or list to organize information to become appealing to the potential employer.

Printing
When printing the resume, use high quality paper in bright white. Colored paper should be avoided when crafting a resume as it can take away from the professionalism that comes with the resume. This will ensure you are taken seriously when you are applying for the job of your dreams. Using these tips, you should be able to make your resume appeal to even the most stringent of employers!

 

Ref: http://www.resumewriting.net/tips.htm

 

Resume Writing Samples

Before you review our sample resumes, please note: It’s never a good idea to copy a resume template. Instead, use our sample resumes to firm up ideas on how to design a resume that’s descriptive of your experience, skills, and talents and specific to the career field, company or job you want. .

 

Reverse Chronological Resume Sample: In reverse chronological format, this sample is the most common format and typcially the one preferred by most employers. Although the format is common, we’ve used creative style on our sample to help set if apart from those of other candidates.

 

Skills Resume Sample: The skills resume format in single column informal style. The skills resume format works best when your work experience is limited but your skills qualify you for the job.

Notice that although the resume is in a single column style, we have used table cells to separate text and balance the page for easier reading.

 

Functional Resume Sample: The functional resume format is best used to conceal gaps in employment history. For instance, in our sample rather than put a proprietary business in work history, the candidate has chosen to add it to a list of professional skills.

Ref: http://www.resumewriting.net/samples.htm

 

Student Resume Writing

Whether you’re looking for a part-time job, a summer internship, or full-time employment after graduation, a good resume is an advantage you’ll want at your fingertips. Especially if you’re looking for your first job, writing a resume can help you choose a job as well as help you land an interview.

Start writing your resume with one goal in mind – to generate interest and job interviews. Your resume doesn’t need to be an autobiography. It simply has to tell an employer that you’re the right candidate for the job.

The easiest way to start writing a resume is to collect information about yourself. Get out some paper and start listing your job qualifications.

• What kind of person are you? Are you organized? Analytical? Do you work better alone or with others? Are you outgoing or shy?
• Do you belong to any clubs or other groups? Church groups, social groups, DECA, Chess club
• Have you done any volunteer work? Envelope stuffing or canvassing for a church or charity, cleaning animal cages at the humane society — volunteer work shows an employer you are willing to work.
• Do you have any special awards or achievements? Did you sell more candy, cookies, or magazine subscriptions than anyone else in your group? Did you win a scholarship?
• What courses have you taken? Have you taken any courses which relate to the area which you are applying for?
• What can you do? Computer skills are also often an advantage, especially if you are proficient in popular programs like Excel, Word, Adobe Photoshop or web programming languages.
• What have you done? Have you organized or helped with a fundraiser or a garage sale? Tutored a friend? Done child care? Chaired a committee? Participated in school activities like sports or band?

When you’ve finished your lists, you’ll probably be surprised at how many job qualifications you have!

Once you see what you can do and decide on what you want to do, you’ll tailor your resume to exactly fit the job you want. Use your best and most relevant qualities to show prospective employers your strengths and what benefits you will bring to their businesses. If you can do that, you will create interest and land job interviews.

Plugging Into Your Job
Before you can write a tailored resume, you need to know where you will send it.

Research job postings and advertisements, matching those that look interesting to qualifications from your lists.

If you have limited work experience, the best resume format to use is probably the skills resume format. In this format, you list education first, qualifications next, and employment last.

Contact Information
If you’re a college student, it’s a good idea to include both your current and permanent address, phone, etc. Center your name at the top of your resume (See resume samples) and put your contact information in block form with one block on either side of your resume.

Objective
Tailor your objective to match the job for which you are applying. For instance, “Motivated biology major seeking a summer internship to apply skills in a lab.”

Education
Only show high school training and achievements if you have no training beyond high school. List your school, city, state, dates attended and degree (if any) or course of study. If you are a college student who has attended more than one school, list the schools in order of attendance, beginning with your current school. Use bulleted lists to reference any special awards or achievements that relate to your target job. If you have a high GPA this is a good place to put it as well.

School 1, City, State, Dates of attendance(optional)

• Degree/Course of Study
• GPA
• Award/Achievement
• Award/Achievement
• Related Coursework:

School 2, City, State, Dates of attendance(optional)

• Degree/Course of Study
• GPA
• Award/Achievement
• Award/Achievement
• Related Coursework:

Related Qualifications
Use this area to include any information from your lists that is neither school nor work related and applies to your ability to do the job. Include licenses, certifications, activities, accomplishments, and skills putting your qualifications under appropriate headings.

Experience
The final section of your resume is where you list experience. List your job title (i.e. waiter, sales clerk), then your employer, location (city, state), and your duties. Then, again use bulleted lists to list any special achievements or contributions you made in relation to the job that might impress a potential employer.

Ref: http://www.resumewriting.net/student.htm

 

Resume Outline

A resume outline is a great resource that will make it easier for you to put a well structured resume together and ensure that you don’t leave any pertinent information out. Use the sections of your resume format as the skeleton of your resume outline, adding subsections to highlight accomplishments and experiences that make you the best candidate for the job.

Below is a sample outline with some ideas for sub headings. You may also think of others subheadings that are related to your career field or job search. Once you’ve chosen your sub sections and filled them with your information, it’s easy to plug it all into your resume format.

Of course, you’ll delete sub-sections or optional sections that aren’t relevant or those that you prefer not to add to your resume. Also leave out any information (other than employment history) that isn’t relevant to your job search or doesn’t concisely show that you would be an asset to your prospective employer.

1. Contact Information
   1. Name
   2. Mailing address
   3. Daytime phone
   4. Night time phone
   5. Cell phone
   6. Fax
   7. Email
2. Resume Objective – this is one or two short sentences that explain if you are seeking employment:
   1. With a particular company
   2. In a specific field of employment
   3. For a specific job
3. Profile or Summary of Qualifications – another optional section that is most often used in the skills resume format.
   1. Publications
   2. Awards
   3. Achievements
4. Employment History – usually a reverse chronological record of employment, but in addition to jobs may include:
   1. Military Experience
   2. Paid Internships
5. Education
   1. Colleges
   2. Trade School
   3. High School (GED)
   4. Continuing Education
   5. In-house training
   6. Honors & awards
   7. Internships
   8. Relevant Course Work
   9. Advanced Career Training
   10. Continuing Education
6. Skills
   1. Technical Skills (i.e. office machines you can operate, programming skills)
   2. Office Skills (e.g. clerical skills like filing, data entry skills, bookkeeping or accounting skills)
   3. Languages
   4. Organizational (e.g. seminars, events, presentations)
   5. Sales skills
   6. Administrative
   7. Licenses
   8. Certifications
7. Activities
   1. Professional
   2. Community Service
   3. Memberships
   4. Volunteer Work
   5. Affiliations

Some sub sections work equally well in two or more sections. For instance a certification might have earned you a promotion in a prior job. In that case, keep it with employment information rather than as a type of continuing education. Remember your goal is to make it easy for an employer to see that you are the right candidate for the job!

Ref: http://www.resumewriting.net/outline.htm

 

Resume Cover Letter

Resume cover letters ought to matter to employers. They are reviewed first by the potential employer who is looking for reasons in the cover letter and resume to rule out the application.

As an employer, you are also seeking the resume and cover letter that describe the candidate who will best fill your position. A thoughtful cover letter tells you that the candidate took the time to customize his application to fit your needs. Perhaps the applicant with a superior cover letter, will make a superior employee.

 

A well-written, carefully typed, error-free resume cover letter should immediately set the application apart from the average application you receive.

While your resume is an overview of your job qualifications, your cover letter puts the spotlight on the best qualities you have to offer a prospective employer in a specific job – the job you want!

Resume cover letters also provide answers that aren’t appropriate to include in a resume. For instance, why you’re interested specifically in Company X or a positive answer as to why you’ve been out of the job market for the last six months.

In fact, a cover letter is your first chance to “voice” your enthusiasm about this new job opportunity and pass your enthusiasm on to an interviewer. A good cover letter motivates an interviewer to give you a call in the hope that you’re the right person for the job.

Why This Resume Cover Letter Is Effective

This cover letter is effective for these reasons:

• Does not presume to know the gender of the person to whom it is addressed. The letter is addressed to a specific person.
• Made it easy for you to contact him. Provided both cell and home phone numbers.
• States immediately the position for which the candidate is applying.
• Highlights the two most important items that qualify the individual for the position.
• Invites the employer to learn more about the candidate’s skills and experience in the enclosed resume
• Summarizes character traits, skills, and values.
• Matches the candidate’s specific skills and experience with what the employer advertised in the job posting.
• Ends with a summary of qualifications and the value he can bring to the organization.
• States salary requirements, as requested in the job posting
• Gives the potential employer a good sense of whom this applicant is and what the candidate values.
• Ends with a call to action. (This could have been a stronger call to action.)

 

The Cover Letter Template
Don’t use just one! Write each cover letter in your own words. Make each one specific to the job you want and to the company to which you’re applying. However, you should include some elements in each cover letter you write.

Your Address In print cover letters, your contact information goes at the top. In emailed communications, it goes under your signature. Spell out the date in print letters. (May 3, 2006) You can leave the date out of emails.	Your name Mailing address City, state, zip Telephone number(s) Email address The Date
Their Address Address your letter to the person who does the hiring. Call the company and ask for his/her name.	Their name Professional title (if any) Company name Mailing address City, state and zip
Salutation One of the biggest gripes of recruiters is the “To Whom it May Concern.” or “Dear Sir or Madame”. Be sure to use their name.	Dear Mr. (or Ms.) last name:
First Paragraph Get your reader’s attention with your first sentence. Always put the employer’s interests first! Try not to start your letter with “I”. Remember, you want to show your employer that hiring you is in his/her best interest as well as yours.	Begin by telling what led you to look for this specific position with this specific business. Special knowledge about the company or a company specific reason for your inquiry pays a subtle compliment to the company and is a sure way to impress your reader.
Body Paragraphs	Be specific in every aspect of your cover letter, highlighting only the best qualities you can bring to “this” company in the specific job you seek.Tell precisely, in one or two paragraphs, how your skills meet the employer’s needs and benefit the business as a whole.
Course of Action This is no time to be shy! Ask for the interview. Remember to say “Thank you”	Indicate the employer that you are interested in interviewing with them.“I would look forward to an interview with your company, you can contact me at the address or phone number listed above. “Thank you for your time and consideration.”
Closing	Sincerely,Your handwritten signature(except for emails) Your name (typed)
Enclosure	Enclosure: resume

Types of Cover Letters
“Help Wanted” is an invitation. RSVP it with your resume cover letter.

About 20% of the job market is like an “open house” invitation sent via ads, job postings, employment agencies, and recruitment centers. Write your resume cover letter in response to an ad or job posting like an RSVP to an important event.

1. Tell the employer where you found the ad.
2. Answer the ad by matching specific qualifications with the job requirements mentioned in the ad.

“In reading your advertisement for (job title) in the (name the source), I see that my abilities fit your needs.

1. Then list the requirements in reference to your qualifications
2. Put the company’s needs (the requirements) first and how you “fit” the requirements second
3. You need – I have

Getting a foot in a closed door
About 80% of the job market is behind “closed” doors. However, often that 80% hides the crème de la crème positions. Open some doors by compiling a list of companies in your chosen field of work and use your resume cover letter to introduce yourself and inquire about possible employment.

When sending inquiries, make each cover letter specific to the company as well as to your preferred job. In addition to compiling a list, research each company so that your inquiry ‘speaks their language.” Read their advertisements, news releases, brochures, and ask insiders (if you know any) for company information.

“Last week, I was pleased to read in the (name of source) that (company name) is expanding its (operations, physical plant, department name, etc.). This is the exact area that my (specific job-related experience or education) has led me to target in looking for employment as (job description or title.)”

A foot in the door
One of the best additions you can make to a cover letter, whether answering and ad or making an inquiry is a referral. Name-dropping is frequently a foot in the door!

“The other day on the golf course, (name) mentioned that your company has an opening in (field or department) that fits my qualifications to a tee!”

If you have a mutual friend, know someone who is already a valued employee, or are an acquaintance of a potential employer’s colleague, ask them if you can mention them in your cover letter and do it in the first line to help your resume stay on top of the pile.

Ref: http://www.resumewriting.net/coverletter.htm

http://humanresources.about.com/od/selectemployees/a/cover_letter2.htm

 

Resume Writing Styles

Your resume format builds structure in your resume and makes it easy for an interviewer to read and follow your resume. Resume style is the design of your page that makes it pop out of the pile and encourages your employer to read it.

Resumes styles can be informal (#1), creative (#2) or conventional (#3). Tailor your resume style to the position for which you are applying, but also allow your resume style to introduce your personality and the creativity you’ll bring to the job.

Resume style elements include:

Paper: Use white paper, black text. First, colored paper is inappropriate for a professional document. Although you want your resume to stand out from the crowd, colored paper stands out in a negative way, making you appear manipulative and pushy.

Columns: One, two, or three? Choose a number of columns based on how you want your resume to read. One column resumes, of course, read top to bottom (e.g. Heading, Sub-heading, bulleted list).

However, even if you want a one-column look, you may find it to your advantage to use a two or three column table for some of your information to be sure white space adequately separates different facts. All you need do to preserve the “look” is hide the gridlines. (See resume style sample #1). Although the single column resume used to be the conventional layout, employers today generally prefer a two column resume style.

Two column resumes, styled with headings to the left, are usually easier to follow, especially if your resume contains a good deal of information. Two columns also provide more opportunity to be creative with shadings, lines, and fonts. (See resume style sample #2)

Three column resumes generally are used only to balance your resume text and should appear to be single column or two-column resumes when printed. (See resume style sample #3)

Fonts: The type and size of font you use not only adds to your resume style, but determines how easy your resume is to read. Although fonts come in thousands of styles, there are really only two types of acceptable business fonts:

• Serif fonts: Those with feet like Times Roman, Bookman, and Georgia.
• Sans serif fonts: Those with no feet like Arial, Tahoma, and Verdana.

Although, sans serif fonts are easy to read on the screen, usually serif fonts are easier to read in print. One way to emphasize headings is to use a different font style than you use in your resume body. For instance, a sans-serif font for headings and a serif font for the body.

You should limit font size in your resume body to either 10 or 12 points and heading size to 12 or 14 points. If you need more emphasis for some areas of your resume, use shadings, underlines, bold text, or italic text. Most importantly, be consistent with your font choices and styles.

Tip:

 Before settling on fonts, print some sample copy using a few different font types to see what your resume will look like in print.

Text alignment: Refrain from centering or right aligning your resume text. Justified text is acceptable, however be aware that often justified text may leave unexpected spaces. Resumes styled with left-aligned text and bulleted lists are easy to read and maintain a clean, professional look.

Bulleted lists: Emphasize skills and areas of achievement with bulleted lists. Standard bullets include the disc , the circle, and the square , however many symbols will serve as bullets. What ever type of bullet style you choose, keep the look professional and consistent throughout your resume.

Graphical elements: Shading, vertical or horizontal lines, and table cells can be useful in adding extra appropriate style to your resume. Refrain from using pictures. Your goal is to build a paper that is totally relevant to the job at hand. Use graphical elements to separate sections or information and draw attention to the unique talents and skills you have to offer to your prospective employer.

 

Ref: http://www.resumewriting.net/styles.htm

 

Sample Resume

formatsample1 Ref: http://www.resumewriting.net/formatsample.htm

 

Resume Writing Format

It’s easy to confuse resume format with resume style. Cut through the confusion by remembering that a resume format is a diagram. Resumes are structured into sections. The difference in resume format is where employment experience, skills, and education are placed within the resume body.

Resume sections include:

1. Your name – Goes at the top of your resume
2. Your address – Placed directly below your name. How you choose to place your name is a matter of the style.
3. Resume Objective – Tells your employer what job you are applying for or whether you are submitting your resume for any job that fits your qualifications.
4. Profile or Summary of Qualifications – Your short statement of why you feel you are an appropriate candidate for the job. This section is an optional section.
5. Employment History – A reverse chronology of your work experience. Generally, your resume needs to list the details of only your last three positions or the last ten years of your employment experience. If you have extensive work experience, you may want to follow the employment history section with a bulleted list of additional experience, like that on the sample below.
6. Education – Unless you are still in school or a recent graduate, your resume needs to list only 1) the name of your college or trade school, your degree, and the year of graduation and/or 2) the name of your high school and the year you graduated.
7. Skills – Organize skills into the order they are most relevant to your job, or subdivide them into categories so that an employer can easily see what additional attributes you’ll bring to the job.
8. Activities – Another optional section for either professional or community projects in which you participated.

Basic Resume Formats
Most employers prefer you format your resume using one of three basic methods: chronological, skills, or combination. Chronological is the most common type of resume format and most often preferred by potential employers. However, unless an employer requests a particular resume format, choose your resume format based on your resume objective and the skills and employment experiences that best highlight your qualifications for the job.

Chronological: The chronological resume format lists work experience first, beginning with your most recent (or current) job. After tracing your work history, the chronological format continues with your education and concludes with extra skills and interests that may contribute to your ability to perform the job.

Skills Format: The skills resume begins with a list of skills that relate to the job for which you are applying. The skills resume format is exceptionally useful when 1) you are applying for a job in a different field than your work experience, 2) you have large gaps in your work experience or 3) you have little of no paid work experience.

The Combination or Functional Format: This format is useful in highlighting skills that are relevant to a particular field of work. It is best used to demonstrate improvement and achievement within a specific field of work.

Two other resume formats are:
Curriculum Vitae: A very structured, detailed and lengthy resume format, the curriculum vitae is typically only used by educators and scientists with broad academic and professional credentials. Besides employment, education, and skills, the curriculum vitae provides prospective employers with a list of the candidate’s publications, projects, and awards. For the average job search, submission of a curriculum vitae is best described as overkill.

Electronic Format: Generally, this is the pre-formatted resume you’ll find at online job sites or resume distribution centers. Although some sites allow moderate customizations, frequently you just need to fill in the blanks. Some electronic resumes are entered into job data banks, meaning your chance of obtaining an interview (the main purpose of resume submission) is slim.

Ref: http://www.resumewriting.net/format.htm

 

Resume Objective Writing

When creating a resume, it is essential to research the objective statement, as it often allows the employer to make a judgment on the ability of the potential employee before even reading the rest of the resume.

An objective section of a resume should be concise, clear and portray the vision of the resume as well as the outcome that the individual seeking employment wishes to accomplish. Why should you include an objective statement on the top of the resume? It allows the hiring party to view accomplishments and goals in a point form or concise list. It can help to establish the identity of the person who is applying for the job position.

What is the purpose of the objective of the resume?
The objective of the resume highlights the strengths of the applicant as well as their career goals.

What kind of a work environment are you seeking employment in?
The objective statement in a resume should be between one to three lines. It should be something that the employer can quickly glance over to view qualifications and goals that the applicant may have. No longer than three lines, it should convey the tone of the professional resume.

The objective of the resume is the first heading that the potential employer has access to and should set the tone for the rest of the resume.

When crafting the objective statement, it is important to be aware of what types of questions that potential employers are seeking the answers to. Brainstorming is an important part of the statement. Asking the following questions can help to narrow and focus the ideas that you have to complete the objective statement:

• What type of company or organization are you seeking employment in?
• What are your career goals?
• What is your five or ten year plan when it comes to career goals?
• What are your main qualifications that enable you to be a potential applicant for the position?
• Do you have any additional skills which would set you apart from the competition?

Brainstorming should be completed using lists, a word web and even answering the questions or creating a five to ten year plan. Not only can this help with your current career goals, it can help to narrow your goals for your future plan, as well as guide you in the right direction for employment in the future. It is essential to create a resume, as well as an objective statement that helps to outline these goals and statements to potential employers. When this is completed, the employer can have a clear picture of the applicant – which can help to expedite the hiring process and result in a successful job offer.

How do you go about crafting an effective objective statement on a resume?
The objective statement is important and requires attention to detail. Researching successful statements through the use of resume templates available on the internet, as well as researching with friends or family member employed in a similar field can yield many potential ideas which can be brainstormed into further concepts to secure employment.

Many resume writers and potential applicants are unaware of the effect that their objective statement can have on the application process. The majority of employers scan through resumes, reading the objective statement and discarding resumes that don’t include adequate statements.

Can the objective statement be tailored for each potential employer?
To ensure success, many people have tailored the statement of the resume to include the requirements that were being sought by each potential employer. For instance, if you are seeking a position with an employer that focuses on positive work environment and working with members of a team, you may include this in the objective statement of the resume. If you are seeking employment with another potential employer that places an importance on independent working environments, you may adjust the objective to display these facts.

You should be able to create an attention-grabbing objective statement that will grasp and maintain the attention of potential employers, resulting in employment in the industry or company that you would desire.

Ref: http://www.resumewriting.net/objective.htm

 

Writing a Resume

Your resume isn’t your autobiography. It’s a short document, meant to show an employer that you’re a desirable candidate for an available job. Writing an effective resume presents you as a well-qualified, interesting individual who is worthy of a face-to-face interview.

Employers may receive over 100 resumes for a single job opening. While ideally each candidate would receive equal time, the fact is that employers typically sort through a pile and put the most appealing specimens at the top of the heap. Statistically, your resume has about ten to twenty seconds to either float to the top (for further analysis) or sink to the bottom (obscurity in the employer’s personnel files).

Steps to Writing a Resume

Gathering Information

Whether you’re writing a resume for one employer or several, the job of writing a resume is much easier when you take the time to put all of your information in front of you. Besides that, putting all of your information in one place gives you a handy reference to make sure that each resume you write has all the information you want to disclose to prospective employers. It also makes updating and writing new resumes easier than starting from scratch.

Resumes are divided into three sections: experience, skills, and education. Using these sections, brainstorm a list of all the data that might be pertinent to getting the job you want now and jobs you may consider in the future.

If you’re writing a resume for a specific job, put the employer’s job description at the top of the list and use it to target the specifics you’ll include in that resume. If you’re looking into positions with several different employers, you may want to write more than one resume for each individual job. Using a list helps you “slice and dice” your information, emphasizing qualities that are most relevant to each specific job.

Choosing a Resume Format
The three most common resume formats are the reverse chronological format, the skills format, and the combination format. Some resume formats conform to a specific type of employment. However, usually you’ll choose the resume format that best emphasizes your qualifications.

Although each resume format has a basic structure, you can make your resume stand out by using some simple variations and customizations.

Writing Your Resume
Begin writing your resume by choosing the style that best presents your outlined information to a prospective employer. In any kind of writing, it’s not so much what you say as how you say it and how you present your information.

• Write your resume in active voice. Instead of saying, “I had experience in organizing ______”, simply say, “Organized ______”. Try to refrain from using the word “I” whenever you can.

When you’ve completed writing your resume draft, you’ll need to check both the mechanics and the content.

Checking Your Resume
Don’t soely rely on your spell or grammar checker to pick up resume mistakes. Automated checkers often ignore homonyms (like way and weigh) and acronyms. In addition, although a good grammar checker can help you make the right choices, it may red flag some commonly used phrases in deference to letter-perfect language.

The best way to check your resume is to get up and walk away from it after you’ve finished writing. Frequently, no matter how many times you read a sentence, you can still miss a single typo that would be glaring to another reader.

You know what you mean, but will an objective pair of eyes see your writing the same way you see it? After you’ve checked your resume draft, it’s a good idea to have someone else critique it as well to make sure that your points are as crystal clear to others as they are to you.

Writing a resume is more than compiling a catalog of your experience, skills and education. Your resume can mean more than just getting an interview for a job. A good resume is the first link in the chain that helps you cinch the perfect job and your first chance to make a good impression on a prospective employer. If it succeeds, your resume may even open the door to better job placement at a higher wage!

 

Ref: http://www.resumewriting.net/writingaresume.htm