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By
Tracy Bumpus, CPRW, JCTC
One of the most key elements of
success in a job search is the resume. The resume is the primary
marketing document that sells the product ‚ the skills and
experience of the job seeker. To be effective, a resume must grab
the attention of the reader in 35-45 seconds, the average amount
of time a reader spends reviewing a resume. A good resume will
extend that attention span to over a minute. A successful resume
will prompt the reader to contact the job seeker. In effect, the
success of the job search revolves around the effectiveness of the
first step ‚ the resume.
No
one knows your background and experience better than you. Most
people can get the basics of what they did and when they did it
down on paper in a sensible fashion. What most people who write
their own resumes have difficulty with is making that sell to the
reader. Here are seven tips to help you make your resume sell.
1.
Select the best organizational format.
Most resumes are written
in chronological (reverse time order) format, but that does
not mean that the chronological choice is best for you. If
you are making a career change or have extremely broad,
related skills sets, a combination format may be best. The
combination is evenly balanced between skill set
description, achievements, and employment history.
2.
Make absolutely sure your document is error free.
Here at
rezAMAZE.com, we
write resumes all the time but we never proofread our own
work. We actually have an independent proofreader who checks
our work before we finalize. Why? Because after we have
worked with a document several hours, we simply no longer
see our mistakes. We "see" what we were thinking, not what
is actually on the page. Find a friend who has strong
grammar skills to check your work. Do not rely on the spell
checker.
3.
Find a balance between wordiness and lack of
detail.
Employers need to see
details about your work history and experience, but they
don't need to know everything. The fact that you were Den
Leader in your Cub Scout troop is irrelevant. Keep
information germane to the goal of attaining an interview.
Eliminate information that is not related and will not have
direct impact on winning the interview.
4.
Do not use personal pronouns.
"I", "me", "my", "mine",
"our" are never included in a resume. Resumes are written in
first person (silent), past tense. Example: Instead of "I
supervised 4 office workers," use "Supervised 4 office
workers." Fragment sentences are perfectly acceptable on a
resume as long as the meaning is conveyed.
5.
Think "accomplishments" rather than "job
duties".
What made you stand out
from the crowd? How did you come up with a way to do things
better, more efficiently, or for less cost? What won honors
for you? Information such as this will be what makes you
grab attention and put your resume on the top of the stack.
6.
Keep it positive.
Reason for leaving a job,
setbacks, failed initiatives, etc. do not have a place on a
resume. Employers are seeking people who can contribute,
have a positive attitude, are enthusiastic, and have
successfully performed similar job skills in the past.
Concentrate on communicating these issues and avoid any
detracting information.
7.
Be Prepared
Remember, resumes do not get
jobs ‚ people get jobs. Resumes get interviews. Most first time
job interviews are conducted via telephone rather than in person
as they used to be. Make sure you are prepared for that telephone
call when it arrives. And make sure you have a resume that will
make the phone ring!
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