Resume Tips and Tricks

[barton63628]

Good article! Thanks!

[jenne03]

How do you write a resume when you haven't worked in 14 years? I do have an independent contractor job with a local Moms like me website. But other then that, I have been a stay at home Mom.

I can't even remember the dates that I worked when I was younger. I wouldn't even be able to provide any contact information. It wouldn't matter anyway because they wouldn't remember me.

I am stuck and don't know how to write a resume for my situation. My last job before getting married and getting pregnant was an Admin Assistant but I can't remember the name of the company!

Some of the places may not even be in business anymore.

[johnabrahamsr]

Ensure of the following:

• Be organized

• Be timely. In other words, do not be late to your interview. Ensure that you arrive no less than 15 minutes prior to your meeting. It shows your enthusiasm, and your ability to be responsible.

• Be prepared. Bring two extra copies of your CV and references.

• Be inquisitive. Although they are interviewing and asking questions about you and your abilities, be sure to ask them a few questions.

• Be knowledgeable. Do your research about the company. You can showcase your interest in them. You may use this time to explain how employing you may benefit them.

[Anthony88]

Make sure things are aligned correctly. Don't ever forget to spell check and proofread. My resume is extremely simple but it's gotten me jobs before.

[mywahmommy]

Instructions
Things You'll Need
An Understanding of the following:
Resume
Resume Writing
Sample Resume


Step 1) Getting a job these days is a difficult endeavor so you need to write a great resume to land a job interview. The first step in resume writing is making an EYE-CATCHING HEADER. Use a different font than most people use. In your header to your resume should be the following: Name, Address, phone number, and email address.


Step 2) The second step in writing a job-getting resume is to have a clearly-defined OBJECTIVE section. The objective of each resume should be tailored to the job for which you are applying. For example, if you are applying for a sales manager position, your resume objective section should say something like "to use my experience in sales for the sales manager position at the widget company".


Step 3) The third step in resume writing is the WORK EXPERIENCE SECTION. This is the most crucial section of the resume. List the company(s) you previously worked for, the dates you worked for them, your position, and the features as well as BENEFITS of your tenure there. In resume writing, it's pivotal to sell BENEFITS not features.


Step 4) The fourth step in writing your resume is the EDUCATION section. List where you graduated from college, your major, your minor, and any awards or distinctions you had from there.


Step 5) Decide whether you want to add an ADDITIONAL INFORMATION section to your resume. If you're a new graduate with limited work experience, an extracurricular activities might be perfect for you.


Step 6) Remember to keep your resume to approximately 1 page in length. Anything over 1 page in length will annoy the employer.

Step 7) Remember to proofread your resume and provide REFERENCES at the bottom. Do not write "References available upon request!" at the bottom of your resume--employers hate that.


Step 8) I hope this has been a helpful guide on resume writing. Look over the internet to find a plethora of resume examples and sample resumes. Good luck!

[IGotThePower]

Excellent tips, guys!

I have 2 more tips.

People who haven't worked in over 6 months or longer, have less chances in getting hired. That's a fact. So.....

For those whom have not worked for a long time and are looking for work, always include in your resumes what you did all the time you were out of work, such as worked from home and explain what you did (Virtual Assistance, typist, phones, internet, etc).

This way, they can see that you're still active.

Also (don't ask me how I know this), keep in mind that from most employer's view, what they look for in a resume (and interview), is Mainly "Dedication", not so much experience.

They want to see how dedicated to your work you are, not how much experience you have.

Nice Thread!

[wilmamiller32]

Very usefulk tips

[James J 1969]

Always remember that a resume is an written expression of you, and your trying to paint a picture for the potential employer that your the best amoung many. I would always suggest that you take your strongest points and place them first, then everything else, make it as brief as possible. Also if you have no experience in the field place an objective and stress that you want to be a valuable addition to their company and you know the importance of being a self-starter!

[lisarulzzfox]

Originally Posted by princess26

Here are some great tips: Think of the resume as a sandwich - you are the sandwich artist

Think of the blank page as your bread. It can be white or wheat, even tomato basil cheese (because that's totally delicious). The top piece of your bread is the header, where you present your contact information, and the bottom piece is the footer, which is the end of a sandwich, but totally essential for holding it all together. Do not under any circumstances try to eat the paper! It is not delicious.

What kind of sandwich are we building? Besides the bread, there is no flavor yet, and people cannot subsist on bread alone. They need something that tastes good and brings out the flavor of the other layers, so we need to choose the right sauce to entice them to eat the whole sandwich and not stop after one bite.

THE BREAD
stylistic elements & layout

Style choices - fonts, sizing, use of bold and italic emphasis. Have you ever seen a best-selling book printed in a Courier font? Probably not. So, your font choice should be first attractive, then effective. You can't go wrong with using Arial or Times New Roman, but even choosing these faithful fonts should be based on the taste of your career. If you are involved in sales or enjoy an executive-level career track, Times New Roman should be high on your list. If you are in technology, use Arial. If you are in advertising or entertainment, Garamond can be very effective. A deliberate choice of font determines the entire tone of your resume. Choose wisely.

THE SAUCE
qualifications statement

Statement of Qualifications vs. Objective Statement. Since time immemorial, people have been opening their resumes with an objective statement. This is akin to applying a thick coat of tasteless mayonnaise to an otherwise inspired sandwich. It steals the flavor from all of the other layers.

Instead of using an Objective statement, use a Statement of Qualifications at the top of your resume. Why? Here it is: The job market is impersonal. We live in the Information Age, and everybody is looking for the facts, not extraneous statements about what kind of job you would like. Viewing the job market as a field of conquest instead of a wishing well is a healthy perspective and telling an employer that you are "seeking a job where I can employ my knowledge in engineering widgets to the benefit of an organization" just wasted of their time. Don't you think they already know that you'd like a job using your widget engineering prowess? Instead, why not tell them what they are seeking? Which is...

YOU!

Now, toot your horn!

Tell them how many widgets you've made, the awards you've received for widget engineering, and if at all possible, use numbers. Show them what you're made of.

For example:

Senior widget engineer possesses over 10 years of strong widget engineering experience. Has outstanding instincts in the design and integration of business processes to efficiently drive widget-focused projects to support mission-critical business initiatives. Notable accomplishments include the research, design, and implementation of a quality assurance process that reduced production downtime by 15%, reclaiming $200,000.00 in revenues representing 20% of company income.

Delicious.

The reason that this opening technique works is that it will quantify your experience by showcasing what you have accomplished during your career pursuits, effectively proving that your talents have a direct, positive impact on the bottom line, which is of critical importance to any successful business.

If you are early in your career or are a student, don't worry if you can't show number like we used in the above example. Your experience can still be quantified effectively through the use of strong, confident writing. If you can't think of anything, contact us, and we'll help you mix up the right kind of sauce for your sandwich.

THE CHEESE
notable achievements

Around here, we prefer lots of cheese. Preferably different cheeses - and almost any cheese will do. (Limburger, stay home!) The number of cheeses that you use on your resume sandwich really depends on the type of job you would like to land. Your choice of cheese is the last layer in the top of your resume sandwich, and is the layer that will either impress or disappoint the reader - or eater in our case.

The concept in this very important layer is to provide an up-front exhibit of specific accomplishments that have a direct parallel to the job that you want. Placing accomplishments directly following the sauce (Statement of Qualifications) serves the purpose of adding bold flavor and emphasis on what makes you an irresistible candidate because you know what the company needs, and you've already been there, done that.

Let's imagine that a Project & Program Manager is looking to move upward in their career and has an excellent lead on a recent opening. Using their knowledge of the career and a good investigation of the job requirements, they decide on three cheeses that will attract the attention of the Human Resources department:

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

REVENUE AUGMENTATION

PROCESS IMPROVEMENT

These three choices are obvious because the job seeker knows that the employer will need to see a great example of project management. Revenue augmentation is a good choice because if a hiring manager sees that the candidate has led projects that resulted in increased revenues or cost savings (which augments the bottom line), then the manager is more apt to want an interview to learn more about how the candidate achieved such results.

THE VEGGIES – Education and Skill Sets.

THE MEAT – Professional Experience – Nice marbling, thick slicing. Not too much or it will overpower all of the other flavors. Not too many bullets. Everyone uses them. It’s better to use line spacing between each item. No longer than two lines, and no more than four items for the two most recent positions.

Most meat is good no matter which way it is cut; however, there are those prime slices that will turn a mediocre sandwich into a mothership of flavor. This is where strong writing comes in. Many people will try to cram this part of the sandwich full of any kind of meat, expecting that a towering sandwich equals a good sandwich. Although their intentions are good, they destroy the overall quality and impact of the resume by going into minute detail about day-to-day tasks. This type of overstuffing makes for a boring read and unless the reader is enamored with the intricacies of your workflow, your resume will be relegated to the circular file. Guaranteed.

LAYERING

Two of the layers in your resume sandwich are absolute: the bread and the sauce, meaning that your stylistic choices and contact information should always be front-and-center.

Depending on the direction of your job search and your professional and educational background, the other layers can be moved, toward the top or the bottom. Choosing the order of presentation is very important to how your resume (and subsequently you) are perceived.

This is amazing!
I jumped into this thread with 10% resume knowledge & now I'm a complete learned.
The way you have explained and related things with a sandwich that is just outstanding. I actually loved the style.
Thank you so so much for your wonderful tips!

[Gin33a44]

cover letters are as important as your CV . Be sure to choose a type of cover letter that reflects how you are applying for the job or the type of job search assistance you are requesting. Your cover letter should be designed specifically for the purpose you are writing and customized for each position you apply for.