Basic Resume Information
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Create A Resume That Showcases Your Accomplishments
Your resume is a representation of you and your qualifications, so it is important that it showcase your accomplishments and communicate effectively to a potential employer. One of the best ways to do that is to use a functional resume format, which allows you to use strong accomplishment statements that illustrate your skills and attributes.
What is a functional resume?
A functional resume format is designed to showcase your skills and attributes based on specific categories. This format is a departure from the more traditional chronological resume format, but is quite effective when properly written.
It is a very effective format for communicating your strengths, especially if you are changing professions, your work history is somewhat spotty, or your skills are based on life experience rather than formal education or professional occupations.
Creating a functional resume
The first step is to make a list of achievements and turn them into accomplishment statements. They do not have to be grandiose or revolutionary; they just have to be truthful and useful for illustrating a skill or attribute that would be valuable to a potential employer. Here are some examples of how to express an achievement as an accomplishment statement:
Analyzed and streamlined the budget development process, resulting in 15% cost savings compared to the previous year.
Spearheaded the revitalization of the neighborhood homeowners association, resulting in membership growth of 50% and a 30% reduction in late payment of association dues.
Established and directed a comprehensive safety awareness program for regional Boy Scout troops, resulting in 25% fewer injuries during the first full year of the program.
A good accomplishment statement is very specific. It contains a description of the action you took (using active language) as well as a description of the result(s) you achieved. The result should be measurable and quantifiable so that a potential employer can see there is substance to your accomplishment.
Do not expect your accomplishment statements to be perfect the first time around, or even the second or third time around. Write them down, edit and revise them, then put them down for 24 hours or so to let the ideas percolate in your mind. When you return to what you previously wrote, you will likely come up more ideas and more revisions to improve the strength of your statements. Remember, though, that your statements should be clear, concise, and not too wordy.
Skill and attribute categories
Once your accomplishment statements are written, it is time to group them together based on the category of skill or attribute they illustrate. Examples of common categories include:
Project Management
Communication
Writing and Composition
Leadership
Volunteer Activities
Training
Technical Development
Budget Oversight
Financial Planning
The categories you use will depend entirely on the skills and attributes you possess and want to emphasize.
Showcase your accomplishments
The beauty of a functional resume is that you can easily adapt and adjust it as needed to showcase your accomplishments. For example, if you apply for a job that requires project management experience more than volunteer activities, simply change the order of information to put the project management category toward the top.
This allows you to customize your resume to emphasize the qualifications you possess that match up well with the qualifications sought by a potential employer.
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Creative Resume Writing: Stick To The Facts
Writing your resume can be a challenging process, especially if your job history is not as strong as you would like it to be. Somewhere along the way, as you are trying to find the best way to highlight your skills and attributes, you may be tempted to embellish some of your qualifications or to hide some of your weaknesses. This type of creative resume writing is not acceptable and will come back to haunt you at some point down the line.
Just the facts
Make sure that the information you put into your resume is factual and complete. For example, if you were the team leader on a project that met its objectives then you should state the actions and results you took very clearly. Do not overstate your role in the process, exaggerate the benefits of the results, or discount the efforts of the other people on your team.
Any factual information you put into your resume must be verifiable. If you say that you were the top salesperson for three months in a row you should have documentation available that confirms this statement. Employers can and do check the accuracy of resumes, so be prepared to back up whatever information you put into your resume.
Tell the truth
Never, never, never make up information or lie about your qualifications on a resume. It is surprising how many people will add just a bit to a statement about themselves, or claim a college degree that they do not really have, all the while thinking they will not be caught. The reality is, though, that most often they are caught and then find themselves in a worse position than before.
What are the consequences of lying on your resume? Sometimes they are immediate - you are screened out of the hiring process, or are found out during the interview. Other times they are a bit longer coming - maybe the truth comes out after a month or two on the job and you are quickly removed from the position with no severance or other accommodation. When you stop to think about it, you quickly realize that it is just not worth it to stray in any way from the truth on your resume.
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Fundamental Rules Of Effective Resume Writing
While there are no set formats for writing an effective resume, there are some fundamental rules to remember when putting together this important document. Its purpose is to represent you and communicate your skills and attributes to a potential employer, so it is in your best interest to do everything in your power to make it as effective as possible.
Be specific
The first fundamental rule is to be specific. This means putting information into your resume that is measurable and verifiable, using statements that describe an action you took and the results that it generated. It is not enough to describe the characteristics of your actions, or what others thought of your actions; instead, use numbers and quantitative statements to clearly demonstrate the results you obtained.
Be concise
The second fundamental rule is to be concise. For some people this seems in direct conflict with the first rule, because they think it takes lots of words to provide the specific information that should be included in a resume. And in all likelihood, your first draft will be wordy and longer than the ending draft. That is okay, though, because it is better to get all of your thoughts down in writing, and then edit and polish from there.
Be honest
The third fundamental rule is to be honest. One of the most common mistakes made by job seekers is to exaggerate, embellish, fabricate or tell an outright lie on their resumes. It may seem innocent enough when it is written, but anything that is not 100% truthful and factual will, when included in a resume, eventually be found out and cause consequences both personal and professional.
Be thorough
The fourth fundamental rule is to be thorough. This means taking a detailed approach to writing and editing your resume so that there are no spelling errors, no grammatical errors, and no layout or printing errors. It is easy to miss spelling errors, even when you use spell checking software, so always have someone you trust read through your resume to check for errors.
Another really good way to proofread and catch errors that would otherwise be missed is to read your resume backwards. Start with the last word, and read each word one at a time from the end to the beginning. This is a standard practice used by professional proofreaders to prevent the brain from playing tricks and allow the reader to see what is actually written on the page.
Summary
When you sit down to write your resume, remember that no matter what format or style you choose, there are some fundamental rules that you should follow to ensure that your resume is as effective as possible. If you pay attention to the basics outlined above, you will be well on your way to creating an effective resume.
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How To Write A Resume - Resume basics
How to write a resume - Those of you seeking employment are well aware of the competition that you face in the energised business world of today. As in all things, you face competition from people who are better qualified and more experienced than you are. How do you give yourself an equal chance of competing with these people? The answer is to write a clever and professional resume.
How to write a resume - tips from AccuroResumes.com
To ensure that you know how to write a resume that will get immediate and appropriate attention bear the following in mind:
* Your resume should be short on words but long on facts.
* It should convey a sense of energy and purpose, reflecting your personality and personal characteristics.
* Your resume must focus on your strengths and abilities.
* It should deflect attention away from areas of your experience or work history that lack vigour or definition.
* Your resume must reveal your work history through effective descriptions of your experience.
* Your resume must be an advocate of your strengths and personal characteristics.
* Your resume should give a flattering and factual representation of your skills.
* It should reflect your worth as a potential employee.
* Present a logically displayed resume that is appealing to the reader in its clarity and presentation.
How to write a resume - tips from AccuroResumes.com
As you will see from the above there are many things to consider as you prepare to write your resume, however, the two most important things to know how to write are:
1. Your resume must demonstrate achievements, attributes and your expertise to its best advantage.
2. It must minimize any possible weaknesses that are within your scope of experience.
To achieve this adequate care must be taken as you gather your information together to begin work on your all-important resume.
How to write a resume - tips from AccuroResumes.com
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Making The First Impression Count
Just as it is when you meet someone for the first time, your resume only has one chance to make a good first impression. Make the most of this opportunity by creating your resume to have the maximum impact in the short amount of time that most HR professionals have to screen the documents they receive.
Length - Your resume should be no longer than two pages, and less if it is possible to do so without crowding the information or using extremely small type size.
Format - Choose the resume format that best communicates your particular strengths. Determine whether you are best served with a chronological, functional, or combination format.
Content - The content of your resume should be specific and tailored to the needs of the job position. Highlight those aspects of your skills and qualifications that match up will with the requirements of the job.
Layout - The layout should be pleasing to the eye, not crowded or busy. Use clear, simple headings that draw the reader's eye to each section and put information in the most logical order for the job position you are seeking. Use white space to your advantage by keeping your margins wide and allowing enough space between topics and statements.
Overall look and feel - Think about how your resume looks and feels to the reader. Is the paper sturdy and high quality, or is it thin and floppy? Is the printing clear and sharp or is it faded and inconsistent? Is the paper plain enough so that the content is the main focus or is it a trendy color that distracts the reader's attention from the content?
Once you have your resume put together in a way that you think looks good, test it out by sharing it with a trusted friend or knowledgeable peers. Ask them for their honest feedback and input about what kind of a first impression the document makes and any improvements you could make. Visit a local job agency or recruiter and ask for their feedback, as they are accustomed to seeing all kinds of resumes and could likely give you excellent suggestions for making your resume stand out.
Another option is to consult with a professional resume writer. A person such as this has special expertise in making a resume as strong as possible, and you will likely find that it is well worth the cost of getting an objective, professional opinion. The cost of these services will vary depending on whether you are looking strictly for proofreading and layout help, or if you are looking for help with content development as well.
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Managing Employment Gaps In Your Resume
For many job seekers, the question of what to do about gaps in employment history weighs heavy when creating an effective resume. It is not good practice to ignore or hide such gaps, but neither is it good practice to allow gaps to take on a greater importance than they may deserve. To deal with situations such as this, the best strategy is to use a resume format that allows you to highlight your skills and attributes without emphasizing employment gaps.
The functional or combination resume
Most resume writing professionals recommend using a functional or combination resume format if you have gaps in your work history. The benefit of these two formats is that they allow you to emphasize your accomplishments as well as the skills and attributes that made those accomplishments happen. This is done through the use of accomplishment statements.
The only difference between a functional resume and a combination resume is that a combination format uses both accomplishment statements as well as some chronological information about previous jobs, while a functional format uses just the accomplishment statements. Regardless of which format you choose, the first step is to formulate your accomplishment statements
Make a list
Make a list of your accomplishments and achievements. These things do not have to be exceptionally important or monumental, but they do need to illustrate a relevant skill or attribute and be truthful. For each accomplishment on your list, make a note of the action you took and the result that was generated. The result is particularly important because it demonstrates to the reader that there is depth to your abilities and that you can demonstrate the effects of your actions in measurable and quantifiable terms.
Once you have written your accomplishment statements, group them into categories based on the skills they demonstrate. For example, you might have categories such as the following:
Leadership
Communication
Management and supervision
Project management
Product development
Sales and marketing
These are just a few of the possible categories you might use. Tailor your categories to fit your career field and your specific qualifications.
During the interview
A well-written resume in a functional or combination format is very likely to get you into the interview phase for jobs that match your skills and attributes. This is the point at which you must be prepared to address and explain any gaps in your work history.
The best strategy is to be honest. When a potential employer asks about an employment gap (and they will indeed ask) offer an explanation that is clear, concise, and forthright. If the gap is due to circumstances such as going back to school, raising a family, relocation, downsizing, or a similar situation you can simply state the reason and move on to emphasize the skills and attributes you possess that are not dependent on a continuous work history.
If, however, the reason for the gap is potentially more troubling to an employer (you were fired, you quit due to a personality conflict, etc.) you should still be honest but pay close attention to how you describe the situation. Do not allow yourself to use language or tone of voice that is blaming, negative, bitter, or sounds like a victim. Any skilled interviewer will try to draw you into such an exchange just to test and probe for information, but if you stick to factual information and non-judgemental conversation, you are likely to move quickly past this potential trouble spot.
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Resume Builder - Resume Preparation
Resume Builder - Drafting a resume that adequately and accurately represents your experience and skills can be a difficult process. Even if you chose a professional to write your resume on your behalf you must provide them with the necessary tools to enable them to produce a document that reflects your work history and potential.
Resume Builder Information ;
It is not enough to think simply in terms of duties, you must demonstrate achievements and successes to date in your career.
Make a comprehensive list of your achievements, skills, attributes, experience, personal characteristics, strengths, qualifications and professional affiliations.
Some of these you will find easier than others, qualifications and membership of professional affiliations speak for themselves so simply provide the relevant information.
Detailing your work experience takes a little more time and effort particularly for people who have held various positions over a long period of time. Don't be put off by the work involved because it will pay off once you have produced an effective resume.
Resume Builder Help ;
Be thorough in detailing the aspects of your role that make up your daily routine. It is far easier to omit information later on as you begin the process of creating your resume.
Detailing your achievements can be a more difficult part of the process as more often than not modesty prevents us from shouting about our successes and talents. While we do not promote hype or creative writing when representing your achievements you can do more damage through excessive modesty.
Structure your resume so that you effectively promote your accomplishments including those achieved outside of the work environment.
Resume Builder Tips ;
Interviews will bring aspects of your personal life into play and you will strengthen your profile considerably through use of illustrations and examples of the personal successes achieved through community or sporting activities amongst others.
As you list your duties, responsibilities and achievements take a moment to analyze the personal qualities and aptitudes that contributed to these successes.
Very often job seekers undersell themselves on skills and personal strengths.
The following list of skills will assist you in your resume builder preparation:
People Skills Oral Presentations at meetings
Negotiating skills Foreign Languages
Organizational skills Counselling
Analytical skills Managing
Computer skills Mediating
Planning skills Training
Developing new business opportunities Interviewing
Delegation
Resume Builder continued. Remember that while some of these personal characteristics are inherent to your personality others are developed over the progression of your career and are fundamental to your position, a fact that you must demonstrate within in your work history detail as you detail your personal and professional development.
See our articles for more resume builder tips.
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Smart Resumes Say More With Less
One of the most important parts of creating a strong resume is keeping it short and to the point. It is very easy to write long, drawn out sentences that flow into lengthy paragraphs describing every little detail of your skills and attributes. The easiest way to fall into this trap is to sit down with a resume format and start to "fill in the blanks" for each section, so think about using another method to build a resume that says more with less.
Get it all out
When you first start on your resume writing odyssey, write down as many details as you can think of to describe your skills, attributes, and any other things about yourself that you think are important. The same holds true for writing about previous job positions you have held; write down all of the relevant responsibilities and accountabilities for each position.
If you are like most people, you will end up with a document that is quite lengthy and often rambling in structure. This is perfectly fine, because the goal was to get everything in your mind down onto paper, even if it comes out a bit jumbled. The more material you have to start with, the easier it is during the editing process to pick and choose only the best elements to keep.
Pick out the most important
Now comes the fun part - picking out the points that are really important and keeping them. Look for key words or phrases that describe skills and attributes that you want to highlight. For example:
`supervised a team of five salespeople for three years, during which time the group met or exceeded all sales goals at all times, with minimal personnel turnover'
can turn into:
supervision
motivation
accountability for goals
employee retention
Go through this winnowing process for everything you wrote, remembering that it likely will take several rounds to really pare things down to size.
Do not pressure yourself to get it just right the first time; in fact, one of the best things you can do after working on your resume for a while is to put it aside for 24 to 48 hours and let things percolate a bit. During that time, occupy yourself by researching and learning more about resume writing and how to say more with less.
Take another look
After taking a break to search out ideas and input, go back to your list of skills and attributes and re-evaluate your important points. For each one, ask yourself these questions:
Does it use strong action words?
Could it be said with fewer words?
Is the statement crisp and concise?
What will it mean to the reader?
Once you have developed a list of strong skill and attribute statements, ask a trusted friend or colleague to review them. They should look for strength and clarity of statement, and be able to tell the key message that each statement communicates.
Put it all together
When your skill and attribute statements are in good shape, you are now ready to start actually putting your resume together. You should have many more statements than you can actually use in a resume, so use different combinations of statements to tailor your resume for different purposes. For example, if you are interested in a supervisory position, structure your resume with the statements that best reflect your supervisory skills and attributes. Or, if you are interested in a position that is different from your previous positions, structure your resume with statements that reflect the skills and attributes needed for the new position that you possess.
The ideal length
In most cases, the ideal length for your resume should be no more than two pages, and preferably one page whenever possible. If you make a habit of tailoring your resume for each job position you seek, using only the skill and attribute statements that are relevant to that job, you will nearly always end up with a smart resume that is crisp, clear, and to the point.
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Take Control With A Professionally Written Resume
One of the best ways to kick your job search into high gear is to invest in a professionally written resume. A professional resume writer can bring a polish and strength to your resume that lifts it up several levels and makes it stand out in a crowd.
In the past, someone who used a professional resume writer was sometimes discounted for not relying on outside assistance for his or her resume, but this is no longer the case. Just as any perceptive business or organization will turn to a specialized consultant when they need specific assistance, so, too, will a perceptive job seeker access outside help to make their resume as strong and impressive as possible.
About resume writing professionals
Resume professionals offer a variety of services, ranging from basic proofreading and document layout to extensive content development. The choice of which type of service is best for you depends entirely on your specific circumstances and needs.
If your resume content is weak or disorganized, consider working with a resume professional that can help you create content that is dynamic and is noticed by potential employers. Look for someone with human resources, outplacement, or career counselling experience, because someone with this kind of expertise can steer you away from the pitfalls of a poorly written resume. You can expect to pay a higher rate for this type of service because of the extra time and effort that will be needed to develop excellent resume content.
In some cases, though, your resume content is already quite strong and all you need is some help polishing, proofreading, and creating an attractive layout. For this type of service, look for someone with writing and editing experience who is very detail oriented. Strong editing and proofreading skills are most important because you are seeking outside help with the intent of eliminating spelling errors, grammatical errors, and editing for crisp, concise language. The rate for these types of services varies, but is generally less that what you would expect to pay for more comprehensive content development.
When should you look for professional help?
If you are inexperienced as a resume writer, seeking professional help can make huge difference. A mediocre resume will not generate interviews so you are likely to experience a great deal of frustration as you go through the process of submitting it over and over and not getting the responses you would like.
Working with a professional resume writer will help you build strong accomplishment statements into your resume and make it easier to tailor it to suit different job postings. A professional writer will also help you create an attractive layout that is easy on the eyes of the reader, drawing attention to the specific skills and attributes that are most applicable to the company's needs.
Even if you are experienced at writing resumes, there are times when a professional resume writer can add the extra polish and pizzazz that you need to generate interviews. If you have been job hunting for a while and you are not being called in for interviews, it is time to take a closer look at your resume and see if it can be improved.
Make an appointment with a professional resume writer and work with him or her to strengthen the information in your resume. The writer will likely walk you through a number of questions and inquiries to draw out specific skills and attributes that should be highlighted, then will help you construct accomplishment statements that communicate those skills and attributes clearly.
How to find a qualified resume writing professional
Finding a qualified resume writing professional is not as difficult as it may sound. There are many people offering these types of services so your biggest challenge will be to find one who has the expertise and knowledge to meet your needs.
If you are looking for basic services, such as proofreading, editing, and document layout, focus on writers who have a great deal of editing experience. These professionals will typically have a good eye for detail and be able to quickly and easily freshen up your resume.
For more complex consulting and content development, look more for writers who also have a background in career counselling, human resources, outplacement, and work transition services. These professionals will typically have the insight and interviewing skills to draw out information from you that is key to the strength of your resume. They can then work with you to write accomplishment statements that are active, interesting, and include quantifiable results.
At AccuroResumes.com, we pride ourselves on our customer service and strong record of client success. We develop a strong rapport and comfort level with our clients. Your best chance for creating dynamic content that gets you noticed is to work with someone who makes you feel comfortable, reassured, and with whom it is easy to converse and share information. Our professional writers will work with you individually to ensure that all your job search and resume needs are met.
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The Essentials Of Resume Writing
Your resume is your personal portfolio, a written representative of your skills and attributes that must communicate effectively to a potential employer. It should clearly demonstrate your qualifications and show the employer why and how it will benefit them to hire you.
Creating a resume such as this requires some thought and effort on your part, but will be easier for you if you keep in mind these essentials of resume writing.
Use active language
Your resume should be filled with active language that communicates your enthusiasm and your accomplishments to a potential employer. When you use words that show strong action on your part, the employer gains a better understanding of your strengths and abilities.
For example, you should say, "Generated weekly sales reports" rather than "Weekly reports were written by me", or "Directed product launch" rather than "Product launch was under my oversight".
Give results
The most effective resumes include the job seekers accomplishments as well as the results they achieved. This helps a potential employer better understand what action was taken, what result occurred, and what skill or attribute was used. The employer then can draw inferences about how well the job seeker's skills and attributes fit with the needs of the job posting.
Here are two examples of resume statements that show both action and results:
Directed integration planning for merging two engineering departments, resulting in favorable employee morale and zero missed deadlines during the transition period.
Coordinated grand opening celebration for 60,000 square foot business complex, resulting in 95% favorable ratings from tenants and foot traffic that was 25% higher than anticipated.
Make the screener's job easy
When a potential employer solicits resumes for a job posting, it is not unusual for the human resources department to receive up to several hundred resume responses. Someone has to screen all of those documents, and the screener will literally not have time to read each one in depth and in detail. Instead, he or she will scan each resume looking for the key requirements and minimum qualifications that determine whether the resume is kept for further review or set aside and immediately removed from contention.
Help your resume be noticed by making the resume screener's job easier. Emphasize your key qualifications using bold type, italic type, or bullet points. Use wide margins, generous spacing between sections, a font style that is easy on the eyes, and a font size that is no smaller than 11 or 12 points. Avoid trendy paper colors or textures, and instead opt for a high quality white paper that will make the print easier to read.
Proofread and eliminate errors
The quickest way to eliminate your resume from consideration is to send it to the potential employer with spelling errors and/or grammar errors in the content. Use a good spell check and grammar check program to catch obvious errors, but do not depend solely on this software to catch mistakes.
Proofread the document carefully, using the standard proofreading technique of reading it backwards one word at a time. Ask several trusted friends or peers to read it, too, because often a person who has not spent a great deal of time working on a document will catch errors and problems that you might miss.
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Tips For Creating A Credible Resume
Your resume must be credible if you want it to effectively communicate your skills and attributes to a potential employer. Most employers pay very close attention to the credibility of information in a resume because unfortunately so many of them contain information that is inflated, exaggerated, or often simply untrue.
You can stand out from the crowd by using these tips to create an effective, credible resume:
1. Keep it simple . Make sure that the achievements, skills and attributes you highlight are clear and concise. You do not need fancy words, complex sentence structure, or other complicated language tools to express what you want to say.
2. Keep it true . Never, never lie or mislead about anything on your resume. This includes previous job responsibilities, education, training, special achievements and recognition, job titles, employers, dates of employment, etc.
3. Keep it real. Do not give in to the temptation to exaggerate or glorify your attributes. It is okay to be assertive and say something like `top salesperson for three consecutive months' but it is not okay to say something like `best salesperson in the department according to management and peers'.
4. Keep it accurate. Check your facts, figures, and statements to make sure they are 100% accurate. For example, if you say you have five years of sales experience but your employment dates show only three years as a salesperson, that will be a red flag to the potential employer. Any facts, figures, timeframes, or other claims should be clearly verifiable.
5. Keep it attractive. Remember that most human resources professionals receive stacks and stacks of resumes in response to job postings. They do not have time to dig through each one, looking for key information that will prompt them to consider you further. Make your resume attractive and easy to read by using comfortable margins, easy to read font styles and sizes, and highlights such as bold, italics and bullet points to draw the eye to key points.
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Resume Objective - Using effective words
Resume objective - When you sit down to create your resume one of the first feelings that hits you is that you cannot complete the sentences without using the same words over and over again.
Don't panic, the English language is rich with words that say the same thing in an alternative way.
Take the time to review this list and locate words that suggest your attitude towards your role. Avoid using the same words as everyone else and particularly beginning each section with a repeat of what has gone before.
Resume objective tips from AccuroResumes.com
Leadership
Developed
Revitalized
Directed
Drove
Managed
Guided
Led
Organized
Inspired
Initiative
Devised
Set Up
Originated
Designed
Initiated
Started
Formulated
Established
Created
Generated
Introduced
Redesigned
Launched
Achievement
Resume objective tips from AccuroResumes.com
Achieved
Obtained
Delivered
Attained Completed
Secured
Negotiated
Effected
Enhanced
Produced
Increased
Expanded
Performed
Succeeded
Conducted
Improved
Demonstrated
Implemented
Accomplished
Surpassed
Problem Solving
Analyzed
Evaluated
Solved
Investigated
Elimated
Corrected
Utilized
Reduced
Reduced
Identified
Tackled
Reorganized
Reviewed
Resolved
Reshaped
Strengthened
Streamlined
Simplified
Examined
Revised
Resume objective tips from AccuroResumes.com
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Using Keywords To Get Your Resume Noticed
In a print resume keywords or impact words are a sure fire way to get your resume noticed. With a scannable or online resume it is virtually the only way a computer program will match you with a potential job. Computer programs match up keywords and phrases in online resumes to keywords in job descriptions. It is the only way your resume will be matched to potential job opportunities so you want to get it right.
The best way to identify keywords that will impact upon your career search is to look at the industry you are trying to get into. Using industry specific jargon and keywords will help you to match up your resume with jobs. Also when applying for a specific job use words from the job description in your resume.
While you want your information to flow and read well it is essential that you have a high density of keywords and phrases in your content. Don't overdo it but definitely give it some serious consideration when putting together a computer friendly resume. Keywords get results and its results you are after. Keywords are what the computer will use to identify you as a potential candidate.
Computers scan pages from top to bottom looking for relevant keywords. A keyword summary at the top of your page can help get your resume noticed. It is useful to make your resume more efficient when it comes to electronic retrieval. A short summary loaded with keywords will push your resume to the top of the search findings. This is ideal for scannable resumes, online resumes, job banks and online job applications.
Keywords are selected by a human reviewer and rated in terms of importance. They will define mandatory words and preferred words. The tracker will scan resumes for these words and each time it locates one it is a hit. Based on the number of hits your resume gets it will be ranked in the search results. The employer will then be able to locate the resumes that based on keywords are most suited to the position. If your resume doesn't appear in the top ten then you'll be lucky to get a look in.
Keyword rich resumes are essential for job seekers. The more words and phrases you can cover in your resume the better your chances are of finding a job. A keyword summary at the beginning of your resume is a good way to include words not found in your content. Be sure to cover all possibilities such as job titles, industry terminology, skills, experience and qualifications that you think will be valuable to your potential employer. Try to use words that will also appeal to the human reader too. This is a list that goes at the top of the page, computers scan from top to bottom so you will be getting hits straight away. It is for computer registration only so you just need to write down all the words you have come up with.
Load your resume with keywords and phrases to ensure your ranked high in the search results. Back up your keyword summary with words and phrases in your qualifications, skills, strengths and employment history. Remember it is a human that will be picking the relevant words but it will be the computer that decides whether your resume is a match with the job description.
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What are the advantages of a professionally written resume?
With a professionally written resume anyone in any job can be viewed more favorably than the competition.A well-written resume speaks volumes about the candidate in terms of organization and preparation.
It advertises your potential screaming at an employer to sit up and take notice of your talents and abilities. Your resume needs to communicate immediately on the first reading that you are the right person for the job.
It must highlight your value as a potential employee emphasizing your work history and experience. It must reflect your achievements and the actions taken to make them happen. It will detail your personal characteristics and the attributes that made you successful in your job.
The fact that no one likes to read resumes is always a hindrance, particularly long winded and stuffy resumes that bore the reader to tears. Your resume should be concise yet detailed possessing an energy that is reflective of you.
A professionally written resume will focus on your strengths and abilities creating an impression for the reader. It is very difficult to build an accurate picture of yourself whilst completing a job application form, the reason being that they are designed to fit job criteria.
People are individual and unique and it is our differences that made us stand apart from the crowd. Your prospective employer needs to see your potential from your resume and determine to meet you.
Remember a professionally written resume will get your foot in the door allowing you to embark upon your job search with confidence.
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What information should be included in a resume?
If you wish to keep your resume to one or two pages, which is the desirable length for the person reading it, there is a limit on the information that can be submitted.
There is a certain amount of information that must be included as follows:
Contact information: Name
Address
Contact Telephone Numbers
E-Mail (if desired) |
Job Objective: It is important that you state your objective at the beginning of the resume to ensure that you will be considered for the correct position.
Career Profile: This is not a requirement, however, we have found this to be a very beneficial tool in seeking a new job. As we have stated it is important to keep your resume concise which means being short on words but long on facts. Adding a career profile will give the reader an immediate insight into the personality of the candidate and will persuade them that you would be a good team member.
Work History: There is no limit on the amount of work experience you add into your resume, however we recommend that you do not go back too far. If your experience is fifteen to twenty years in length but not relevant for the job you have applied for it is not necessary to add it into your resume.
Education Details: Details of your college or university education are necessary including the grades you achieved. High school details may also be included. It is unnecessary to go beyond that, as it is not relevant for your employer.
It is important that your resume is not overloaded with irrelevant information as this will quickly bore the reader and will guarantee that your resume will be tossed aside.
Remember it should be short on words but big on facts.
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What information should be omitted from a resume.
As we have previously stated it is important that you do not present an employer with a long-winded resume that will ensure it won't receive the attention it deserves.
At AccuroResumes.com we use a tried and trusted method of writing resumes that will ensure you received a one/two page document that will reflect your talents, abilities, skills and personality.
It is important that in the modern world in which we live that we do not offend anyone through lack of knowledge of ignorance of today's standards.
When writing a resume the following information should be omitted from the resume:
Date of Birth/Age
Sexuality
Religion
Political beliefs.
Your date of birth is not relevant to your employer, what is relevant is whether you are capable of doing the job and that has nothing to do with your age.
Sexuality is personal and private and is not relevant to your employer. It is not going to affect the way you perform your job so it does not need to be included.
Religion is also personal and private and as previously stated will not affect your performance in your role so therefore should not be included.
Political beliefs are personally held views that should not be mentioned either in your resume or at the interview. In today's volatile and changing world individual political beliefs can be very different to even those of a family member. It is not a subject that should be put on the table for discussion at any time because grave offence can be caused to either party if the beliefs are contrary to the opinion of the other.
An interview that has gone very well up to this point can be spoiled by an off chance remark or a difference of opinion.
Your resume must focus on your strengths and abilities, deflecting attention from potential weaknesses and must accurately reflect your personality.
It would be a pity to spoil it by adding information that could cause offence.
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Why Proofreading Your Resume Is Vital
One of the most vital steps to creating an effective resume is thoroughly proofreading the material. This action, which seems so simple and straightforward, is often done incorrectly or overlooked entirely. The effect can be devastating if you send your resume to a potential employer and it contains a spelling or grammatical error that you missed.
Why is proofreading so hard?
Proofreading a document is much harder than it looks, especially if you have been working on it for any length of time. Your brain can play tricks on you as you read, making you think that a word is spelled correctly when it really is not. And if your own spelling skills are not as strong as you would like them to be, you may not even know a word is spelled incorrectly when you read it.
Looking for grammatical errors is even harder because most of us do not have perfect grammar skills. In fact, most people struggle with grammar today even more so than 20 or 30 years ago because of the growth in e-mail communications, which are inherently more casual.
The dangers of proofreading software
Your word processing program most likely came with spell check and grammar check software, which you should use diligently. However, do not depend totally on software to catch all mistakes because it will not. The best strategy is to use software on the first pass, then turn to a human proofreader to look for any other mistakes.
What happens if you do not proofread accurately?
What is the worst that could happen if you do not proofread your resume accurately? It is screened out. Immediately. Without further consideration.
This may seem harsh, but from a potential employer's perspective, it makes a lot of sense. When faced with a pile of resumes to be screened, the reader is looking for reasons to eliminate your resume, not reasons to keep your resume. A spelling mistake or grammatical error gives him or her an easy reason to exclude you, because sending out a resume that is not correct suggests sloppiness and inattention to detail.
Even if you do somehow make it past the first screening and even the second screening, you can be sure that the subject of a mistake in your resume will come up during an interview. Most employers will ask about it deliberately to gauge your reaction and listen to your explanation. You have no choice but to be honest and say that you made a mistake in your proofreading. The good news, though, is that you also have an opportunity to also talk about what you should have done differently and how you will learn from that mistake moving forward. If the rest of the interview has gone well then the interviewer may give you credit for honesty and a willingness to learn.
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Your Resume Is A Living Document
A resume is a living document, a written representation of you that should be updated periodically while you are employed and tailored as necessary for each potential employer while you are looking for a job.
Keep it updated
Even if you are currently employed, it is good practice to keep your resume updated. You should review it periodically, about every six months or so, to add information about significant accomplishments, new skills, or changes in responsibility. Even if you do not put this information into final polished form right away, keep a notes page where you can record draft statements that can be revised and polished at a later time if needed.
Keeping your resume updated while still at a job is not dishonest, it is a sign that you are organized and pay attention to details. A resume that is current and standing by to use will help you if another position becomes open within your company. In this situation, you will be able to quickly prepare whatever internal documents are necessary to apply for the new position and not spend time worrying about bringing your resume up to date.
Of course, no job is 100% secure, and you could find yourself unemployed for any number of reasons. Downsizing, mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations, budget cuts, etc. are all things that can and do happen to even the best of employees. An employer may or may not provide a severance package or outplacement services, so dealing with these situations is stressful and emotional at best.
When you keep your resume current, it makes you better prepared for the anxieties that come with sudden employment changes. The financial pressures alone can be extremely stressful, so if your resume is ready or near ready to use you will be in a better position to start your job search promptly.
Use it to aid career decisions
Another reason to keep your resume updated is that it can help you tremendously when you are considering a career move or making a job decision that could affect your career standing. Keep your resume at the front of your mind so that you can consider the impact a career decision will have on how your resume will look.
Before making any career decision, one of the questions you should ask yourself is how will the results of that decision look on your resume? How will you explain it? What will a potential employer think when they see that information in a resume? Will they see it as a benefit or a detriment?
Stay current on resume trends
The ins and outs of resumes have changed in the last few decades, and they continue to evolve as technology and the job market change as well. In the past, a job seeker needed only a strong printed resume, but with the advent of e-mail and computer software to scan and input resumes, a job seeker now needs more than one type of resume.
A printed resume is still a must, but a scannable resume is now a must as well. A resume designed for scanning will have different formatting than a printed resume, and may have slightly different phrasing as well. If you are unfamiliar with formatting requirements of electronic or scannable resumes, it is a good idea to learn more about this newer resume type and take the time to create a version of your resume in this format.
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