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 Resume Writing Tips Here is a collection of wisdom for fine-tuning a resume into a winner: Keep it concise. Employers have lots to do, so don't make the mistake of asking them to read through an unnecessarily long resume. A long, wordy resume will put off someone who is already short on time. Resumes should be one page, if possible, and two if absolutely necessary to describe relevant work experience. A two page resume is no advantage if it's full of information that isn't reasonably applicable to the position you're applying for. Use the space only if you need it to fully disclose your accomplishments. Make your words count. Your use of language is extremely important; you need to sell yourself to an employer quickly and effeciently. Address your potential employer's needs with a clearly written, compelling resume. Avoid large paragraphs (over six or seven lines). Resumes are often scanned by hiring managers. If you provide small, digestible pieces of information you stand a better chance of having your resume actually read. Use action verbs such as "developed," "managed," and "designed" to emphasize your accomplishments. Don't use declarative sentences like "I developed the..." or "I assisted in..."; leave out the "I." Avoid passive constructions, such as "was responsible for managing." It's not only more efficient to say "Managed," it's stronger and more active. Make the most of your experience. Potential employers need to know what you have accomplished to have an idea of what you can do for them. Don't be vague. Describe things that can be measured objectively. Telling someone that you "improved warehouse efficiency" doesn't say much. Telling them that you "cut requisition costs by 20%, saving the company $3800 for the fiscal year" does. Employers will feel more comfortable hiring you if they can verify your accomplishments. Be honest. There is a difference between making the most of your experience and exaggerating or falsifying it. A falsified resume can be easily spotted by an employer (if not immediately then during the interview process), and if it doesn't prevent you from getting the job, it can cost you the job later on. Don't neglect appearance. Your resume is the first impression you'll make on a potential employer, and a successful resume depends on more than what you say; how you say it counts as well. Check your resume for proper grammar and correct spelling-evidence of good communication skills and attention to detail. Nothing can ruin your chances of getting a job faster than submitting resume filled with (easily preventable) mistakes. Make your resume easy on the eyes. Use normal margins (1" on the top and bottom, 1.25" on the sides) and don't cram your text onto the page. Allow for some breathing room between the different sections. Avoid unusual or exotic font styles; use simple fonts with a professional look. Use standard, non-textured, fine-grained paper in white or ivory. Keep in mind that textured and dark colored paper may not copy well when the employer makes copies to pass around to other participants in the hiring process. If you need to copy your resume, make sure your copies are clean and clear. Even the best looking resume can be ruined by a poor copier. Use only copiers maintained for professional copying. Target. Target. Target. Emphasize what you can do for an employer. Be specific. If you are going after more than one job opening, customize your resume accordingly. It helps to tailor your resume for a specific position. Remember to only include the experience that is relevant to the job. Eliminate superfluous details. Unnecessary details can take up a lot of valuable space on your resume. Don't mention personal characteristics such as age, height, and marital status. This is information that employers may not legally solicit from you, and they would probably be more comfortable if you don't volunteer it yourself. List your hobbies and interests only if you can relate them to the position you're applying for. If you need room to describe your work experience, avoid this altogether. The phrase "References available upon request" should be left off if you need room to describe your work experience. Most employers assume you have references they may contact, and will request them if there's a need to do so. Avoid the "Objective" statement--your objective should be clearly articulated in your cover letter. If you do include an objective, be specific. Vague statements, such as "Looking to utilize my marketing skills" or "seeking a rewarding position" add nothing to a resume and may in fact make you appear insincere. Resume Resources Sites ProvenResumes.com's Resume Workshops "Workshops To Help You Create Resumes That Sell Your Top Skills In Seconds" Resumania A service of the University of Minnesota's Office of Human Resources. Articles "Put a Free Sample in Your Resume" By: NICHOLAS A. CORCODILOS, North Bridge Group Excellent advice on defining precisely the value you are offering an employer. Suggests putting this at the top of your resume in a section called "VALUE OFFERED." Might be better placed in a cover letter. Best line: "Just because you helped your last employer is no proof that you can help ME." "Resume Rocket Science" By: DAVID G. JENSEN, Search Masters International Best advice (and one of the most insightful lines in any of these articles): "Too often, resume writing books will focus on your need to place large figures into your document...These numbers are great to include, but they are the Results in a brief statement that must be preceded by the Challenge and the Approach." Results don't necessarily have to be preceded by these other elements--sometimes it's helpful to list the result first to get the reader's attention. But Jensen is right on in pointing out that results by themselves are rarely enough to make an impression. You can't necessarily transfer results to your next employer, but you can transfer your approach to solving problems. "Writing a Resume for Susie the Screener" By: DOUGLAS RICHARDSON, excerpted from an article in the National Business Employment Weekly Excellent advice on how not to turn off the person reading your resume and how to organize the content so that the highlights stand out. Two great lines: "avoid stunts like colored paper...they suggest to Susie that you're trying to stand out by artificial means rather than your own merits." and "Susie doesn't like adverbs and adjectives unless they describe something objectively measurable...they twang her hogwash meter." Electronic Resume Formats An electronic resume is simply your resume in a format that can be sent over e-mail or the Internet. The advantage to having an electronic resume is simple--you can respond via e-mail or the Web to job openings posted all over the world. No faxing or mailing is necessary. If your resume is on a computer or floppy diskette, you already have it in electronic format; that's not to say, however, that it's in the most useful format. While it's true that most e-mail systems can accommodate document attachments--be they in Word, WordPerfect, Quark or otherwise--it won't be true that every person or organization to whom you'd like to send such a document is willing or able to receive it in that format. Plain text (also called ASCII Text or MS-DOS Text and recognized by its three letter file extension: .txt), however, is universally accessible and, in many cases, required. To make your electronic resume universally accessible, follow these steps:
From MSN CareerBuilders
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