Resume Preparation Tips

 

Resume is the first step to prepare for a job. It will not get you the job, but you will not get the job without it. From the perspective of the hiring company, your resume is your initial marketing brochure. Nothing more and nothing less.

The Very Best Way to Create Your Resume

Successful resumes generate information as they are created. Think about it. Do you ever write a term paper from scratch? Not usually. You use either a template file with all the information and codes already set up or you reuse the basic information from a previous paper. The same principle applies to resumes. The very best way to create your resume is on the screen in front of you, capturing information as you go and updating it as necessary over time. Don’t waste your time using one of the commercial resume software packages. Reason? First, they artificially force you into their format, which may or may not be correct and usually cannot be fine-tuned to your specific needs. Second, they are usually not portable—meaning that the output file can only be modified with that package. So the next time you want to update your resume, you either have to locate (or buy) the same package or you are out of luck. You are better off working with a standard word processing package (such as Microsoft Word) and creating your own.

The Most Important Feature of a Resume

The first thing an employer looks for in a resume is the specific focus. You have to commit yourself on paper to what you really want to do in your career. The key to writing a successful objective is focus. The section that is almost always missing on entry level resumes: the Summary section. This section is crucial in the “high-speed resume review” world in which we live. Make sure it is there and bulleted with three or four one-liners about who you are and results achieved.

Buzzwords

Want to have a truly outstanding resume? Then get to know and use the buzzwords that apply to the job type or industry you are seeking. If you merely list the "features" of your background from a product-driven approach, you will most likely fail. Make sure you take a customer-driven approach and list what is important to your customer. One final note on buzzwords—please do not use them simply because they “sound good” but do not actually apply or, even worse, you have no idea what they mean. Make sure you understand what the buzzwords really mean before using them.

Why Should I Hire you?

Think about the notable accomplishments in your life. Think about what you might tell your parents or grandparents about notable accomplishments during your school/college years. These notables will provide you with excellent detail for your resume. They set you apart from the crowd. They are what employers look for in deciding whom to interview.

Verbal Proofing Technique

When you feel confident that your resume construction is complete, take time to read it aloud several times. Grammatical mistakes and faulty sentence structure are often most obvious when you hear them. Errors such as missing words or doubled words tend to jump out when read aloud. If the sentence does not flow when spoken, it will not flow on paper. Make sure your resume is flawless.

Resumes are Never Complete

Resumes never provide the full story of who you are, nor should they. Resumes are meant to be your introduction toward gaining an interview with a prospective employer. And they will serve as a guide within the interview. Now that your resume is “finished,” do not assume it is complete. You should continually modify and update your resume as your search progresses. Gain new experience? Add it to your resume. See a better way to state your skills or experience? Modify your resume.

Keep your resume as a living document which can be updated and changed to suit your specific needs. Store your resume in a format that you can change and modify as you move forward in your job search.

Resume Checklist

  • One page only, unless you have significant previous experience
  • Word processor generated, with full spell check
  • Times Roman or other Serif font, 10 point to 12 point size (12 point is best)
  • No more than two fonts or two sizes
  • Margins no less than 1" and no more than 1.5"
  • Contact information clearly stated. Put your email address on the resume, preferably in a “link” format.
  • Clear, focused objective
  • Summary of your top three or four accomplishments, skills or competencies listed as bullet points
  • Degree listed first, college/university second; GPA listed if over 3.0
  •  Descriptive (not actual) job titles
  • Industry buzzwords and keywords included
  • No personal data or potentially discriminatory data