Resumes: Attract Attention; 'Don't get Knocked-out'
Resume writing is not to be taken lightly. I have seen resumes
that look like a sixth grader wrote them with blatant spelling
errors, incomplete information and poor grammar. Why? Most of us
do not write resumes on a frequent basis yet this most important
piece of paper markets you!! Nothing else substitutes for the
first impression that a resume makes. This is your self-designed
marketing piece that advertises (truthfully!!) what you have
actually done, for whom and what credentials you have-- NEVER,
EVER lie. It catches up to you like lightning and no one will
touch someone that has misrepresented themselves, their degrees
or experiences!! Yet lying seems to be more prevalent in resumes
today according to hiring managers and recruiters.
Your resume needs to start with a professional image on high
quality paper, although initially your resume is often reviewed
via email; hence all the more emphasis on how it looks and what
it says about you.Forget "MY OBJECTIVE"--it knocks you out more
often than not because a hiring manager may look at your resume,
think of another opening but decide not to pursue you because
your objective indicates that you are only interested in
"marketing"---The objective is just one more thing to change
with every company, interview etc. I have seem resumes forwarded
to me with an old objective that states this individual is
"excited about a career in Operations Management with X Company"
while I have asked them for a resume to present to ABC
Industries for a Finance Director's role. SKIP THE OBJECTIVE!
Format: Your resume should utilize a business font (Times New
Roman is good), in a readable point size (11 or 12 pt) There
really isn't a 'right format style' to use--just ensure it looks
professional from a business perspective. Too many times a
resume suffers from the need to stand out which becomes a
negative. Your name is usually larger, in bold type followed by
your address and all contact information. You can center or
split your name on the left margin and contact information at
right. There are numerous appropriate business styles here; the
operative word being "business" styles. Be sure to include
mobile phone and personal email address----never use your
employer's email for numerous reasons. List in order: Your
title(s) with dates of employment in chronological order, most
recent/present position is listed first. Next is Company name,
(a sentence describing what the company does/provides), and a
detailed but not wordy description of your job responsibilities
and specific accomplishments. If you work for a Division of
General Electric for example, list the Division's name first,
then "Division of General Electric Corporation. Indicate the
location where you worked: city/state. Success,
Accomplishments---focus on that which makes you stand out among
other candidates. Quantify; what numbers did you achieve? Out of
how many? Did you manage a budget, revenues, P&L? Supervise? How
many? To whom did you report?--(use your manager's title.) How
was your position strategic? Tactical? Too many resumes state
what the job entailed but do not quantify how/what was
accomplished! Honors, Awards and significant outside leadership:
List all honors and awards after your work history--List any
volunteer leadership roles you hold; e.g. President of
Springfield's American Heart Asssociation, 2004. Don't
trivialize this section; use it to show your leadership,
management ability, as well as your ability to effectively
manage multiple priorities. Degrees should be listed at the very
bottom of the resume: Bachelor's of Science, Management;
University of XXXX, New York, New York. 1997. List degrees in
chronological order so a Masters would be first, then Bachelors
degree etc. Length: 1-2 pages depending on level of experience.
A Vice President would be expected to have a two page resume but
not a candidate with five years of work experience out of
college. ***Have someone proof your resume for spelling and
grammatical errors after you use spell-check.
There is alot of BAD advice floating around. You do not need to
hire a professional to write your resume; with some thought and
today's Microsoft Word you can do this; ----if you can't write
your own resume, you probably are not ready for the interview
questions! Keep your resume up to date since you never know when
you will need it. Finally, employers and hiring managers prefer
this type of chronological resume to all other styles by a HUGE
MARGIN. Forget the essays describing your skill set; keep it
concise and to the point. Cynthia A Stokvis
http://secrets4wealth.blogspot.com