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| 15 Tips to Writing a Winning Resumes |
| The thought of writing a resume intimidates almost
anyone. It's difficult to know where to start or what to include. It can seem like an insurmountable task. Here are 15 tips to help you not only tackle the task, but also write a winning resume. |
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- Determine your job search objective prior to
writing the resume. Once you have determined your
objective, you can structure the content of your resume
around that objective. Think of your objective as the
bull's-eye to focus your resume on hitting. If you write
your resume without having a clear objective in mind,
it will likely come across as unfocused to those that
read it. Take the time before you start your resume to
form a clear objective.
- Think of your resume as a marketing tool. Think of
yourself as a product, potential employers as your
customers, and your resume as a brochure about you.
Market yourself through your resume. What are your
features and benefits? What makes you unique? Make
sure to convey this information in your resume.
- Use your resume to obtain an interview, not a job.
You don't need to go into detail about every accomplishment.
Strive to be clear and concise. The purpose of your resume
is to generate enough interest in you to have an employer
contact you for an interview. Use the interview to provide
a more detailed explanation of your accomplishments and to
land a job offer.
- Use bulleted sentences. In the body of your resume,
use bullets with short sentences rather than lengthy
paragraphs. Resumes are read quickly. This bulleted
sentence format makes it easier for someone to quickly
scan your resume and still absorb it.
- Use action words. Action words cause your resume to
pop. To add life to your resume, use bulleted sentences
that begin with action words like prepared, developed,
monitored, and presented.
- . Use #'s, $'s and %'s. Numbers, dollars, and
percentages stand out in the body of a resume. Use them.
Here are two examples:
- Managed a department of 10 with a budget of $1,000,000.
- Increased sales by 25% in a 15-state territory.
- Lead with your strengths. Since resumes are typically
reviewed in 30 seconds, take the time to determine which
bullets most strongly support your job search objective.
Put those strong points first where they are more apt
to be read.
- Play Match Game. Review want ads for positions that
interest you. Use the key words listed in these ads to
match them to bullets in your resume. If you have missed
any key words, add them to your resume.
- Use buzzwords. If there are terms that show your
competence in a particular field, use them in your resume.
For marketing people, use "competitive analysis." For
accounting types, use "reconciled accounts."
- Accent the positive. Leave off negatives and irrelevant
points. If you feel your date of raduation will subject
you to age discrimination, leave the date off your resume.
If you do some duties in your current job that don't support
your job search objective, leave them off your resume. Focus
on the duties that do support your objective. Leave off
irrelevant personal information like your height and weight.
- Show what you know. Rather than going into depth in
one area, use your resume to highlight your breadth of knowledge.
Use an interview to provide more detail.
- Show who you know. If you have reported to someone important
such as a vice president or department manager, say so in your
resume. Having reported to someone important causes the reader
to infer that you are important.
- Construct your resume to read easily. Leave white space.
Use a font size no smaller than 10 point. Limit the length of
your resume to 1-2 pages. Remember, resumes are reviewed quickly.
Help the reader to scan your resume efficiently and effectively.
- Have someone else review your resume. Since you are so close
to your situation, it can be difficult for you to hit all your
high points and clearly convey all your accomplishments. Have
someone review your job search objective, your resume, and listings
of positions that interest you. Encourage them to ask questions.
Their questions can help you to discover items you inadvertently
left off your resume. Revise your resume to include these items.
Their questions can also point to items on your resume that are
confusing to the reader. Clarify your resume based on this input.
- Submit your resume to potential employers. Have the courage to
submit your resume. Think of it as a game where your odds of
winning increase with every resume you submit. You really do
increase your odds with every resume you submit. Use a three-tiered
approach. Apply for some jobs that appear to be beneath you.
Perhaps they will t urn out to be more than they appeared to be once
you interview for them. Or perhaps once you have your foot in the
door you can learn of other opportunities. Apply for jobs that seem
to be just at your level. You will get interviews for some of those
jobs. See how each job stacks up. Try for some jobs that seem like
a stretch. That's how you grow -- by taking risks. Don't rule
yourself out. Trust the process. Good luck in your job search!
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| 5 Hot Resume Tips |
Working with Purpose
The purpose of a resume is not to land you a job, but rather to get you in the door for an interview. This concept is important because it will help you familiarize yourself with the resume process. When you feel compelled to include unrelated experience and clutter a resume with irrelevant facts, think twice. Don't fill the page with empty sentences and boring detail. You can avoid this downfall by prioritizing your accomplishments and identifying pertinent information related to your new job search. |
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Strategize
Begin the resume writing process with the end in mind. Before you commit final words to paper, think about what you want the end result to be. Nothing on your resume should be done without prior thought and strategizing. This includes your choice of font, format, keywords, and action words. Every aspect of your document should serve a distinct purpose. |
Important tip:
Avoid resume templates. Let’s face it, almost all home-spun resumes are created on some form of a Word template. Therefore, they all have the same feel, taste, and look as every other candidate. Be different. Be powerful. Be specific. Get INTERVIEWS. |
Be Aggressive, But Truthful
A resume is not a time to be humble. Be proud of your accomplishments, highlight them, and make the hiring manager take notice. But beware: don't let your creativity get the best of you. Your statements should always be truthful and results-oriented. Let’s visit an example of a weak and strong Objective/Profile. |
Weak:
Seeking a position as a bilingual teacher where I could make a positive impact on students in your school district. |
Strong:
Experienced bilingual educator dedicated to fostering education by creating a stimulating, nurturing, and culturally-friendly environment for bilingual students. Keen understanding of the importance of student assimilation and the need for respect of their native upbringing. Adhere to new procedures and commissioner regulations for LEP and adequately incorporate these methodologies in a classroom setting to enhance learning.
Today's resumes must answer “why you?” Strong, powerful statements will ensure that your resume does not end up in the “file me” pile. |
Stand Out
Everyone who holds the same job title as you most likely has the same job responsibilities. That is why it is imperative that your resume sets you apart from all other bankers, sales managers, etc. out there. This means your resume must be dynamic, grab attention, and offer unique information. |
Relax
Writing a resume is tough work. If it does not come easily to you, don't be alarmed. You are not the only one. If you find presenting yourself on paper properly difficult to do, consult resume writing books or a professional resume writer. The job search process is taxing enough. Don't allow words on paper to taint your approach to gaining a job. |
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| How To Build A Successful Career? |
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A lot of working professionals fail to realize that the small mistakes they make in their everyday work schedule can severely hurt their career in the long run. There are no hard rules for being successful but there are a few simple mantras that every employee can follow to build a successful and long lasting career.
Here are a few to get you started - |
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- Plan and Aim high – Set personal goals for yourself on a regular basis. Look back on how you have done over the past few weeks. Set targets for yourself and try top achieve them.
- Prioritize – Work schedules can go haywire if you fail to prioritize. Make it a habit to spend a few minutes every morning and make a list of all the tasks that need to be finished today. Once you have a target in mind, it becomes easier to work towards achieving it.
- Build & Maintain Contacts – Whichever field you may be in professionally, it helps to network and maintain strong contacts with other professionals in your field. It will help you to get insights about your industry.
- Take Regular Breaks – Make efforts to improve and enhance your productivity at work. If you feel too stressed out, take a break and rejuvenate yourself. Go for a vacation or join yoga classes to deal with work related stress.
- Keep your Resume current & Relevant – Review and update your resume regularly. This will help you to be prepared when the need arises to apply for a new job. If you exceed some difficult targets, mention it in your resume asap – a great way to keep your resume current.
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Are you thinking about changing your career?
Are you worried about how difficult the transition is going to be? |
Then you are not alone. Many people go through similar anticipation when thinking about attempting a career change. Your career is among the most important things in your life, and changing it is one of the most stressful decisions you will ever make. Be Passionate The reason why you would even consider a career change in the first place is probably because you feel passionate about something and want to pursue it. There is no sense in making a change if you are not going to be any happier than you already are. You may be earning a five-figure salary, but if it is not making you happy and if you are not content with what you are doing, then it might be a good time to switch.
Changing careers should be about passion and personal fulfillment. Do Your Research Make sure that before you make the final decision you conduct a thorough research on available opportunities. You need to analyze what skills you have and what skills you may need to acquire for your new job. You should be confident about salary prospects and other relevant information. You may have lots of expectations about the career you want, but conducting the necessary research will help you look beyond this rosy picture. Work with a mentor, such as a career coach, before you make the final decision.
Career Exploration Changing your career can be overwhelming. Explore your options before you decide to make a commitment. Start by categorizing the careers you are interested in. This helps in narrowing down your options. Then pick only those that interest you the most, putting the others aside. |
Ask yourself questions such as: |
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- Why am I exploring this career?
- Will I need additional training or education?
- What are the opportunities and risks in pursuing this career?
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These questions will help give you some very important and necessary answers. You can’t really begin on the path to career change until you know why you want to change and how you will go about it. The fact is that changing careers can be very time consuming and expensive, and you don’t want to start the process flying blind. Once you have all the information you need, you can focus on one career option and work toward achieving it. Listen to your heart and head and then make a balanced decision. Whatever you do, remember you need to be flexible and devote a lot of time and energy to jump start your efforts. |
Is It Time To Switch Careers? |
People who leave their current employment in search for something more satisfying, fulfilling and challenging are often those who believe in taking control of situations through prompt action.
The fear of change can be one of the biggest roadblocks when it comes to taking positive action towards broadening your career path. However, a little bit of forward thinking and systematic planning can make it all worth it.
If you feel stagnated in your present job and are unhappy with where you are heading professionally, it is probably time to consider switching jobs in search for greater satisfaction and contentment. However, keep this in mind before you proceed - switching jobs is not always the answer to your dissatisfaction. Many a times, a shift in your present role will do the trick for you. |
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- Look around you and find out if you would rather be heading some other operations in the same office.
- Consider brushing up your present skills and expanding your current knowledge by joining a related course.
- Talk to people in various fields and find out what makes them happy or sad in their job?
- Think about what it is that excites you and motivates you.
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Take control of your career! Once you realise what it is that you need to do, take your time to plan your next move. Don't be in a hurry, rather make your career move smooth by giving it as much time as required. |
Remember: You alone are responsible for your happiness so analyse, plan and act! |
| Written By :samy |
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