Resume Writing

The hardest part about writing a resume is probably the very start. Before you actually start your resume writing you should think about what you want to do, what image you want to project to the employer and how your past experiences relate to your current aspirations.

It is always a good idea to scribble some of your experiences onto a piece of paper. Remember, the employer is thinking “Why should I speak with this person, how is she/he different from all the other applicants?”

Don’t think you have any experience? Then think again. Brainstorm and think carefully about your

• Education
• Activities
• Interests
• Work experience
• Honours and awards
• Skills and Abilities

In each heading, think, “What did I do?” and write it down. Once you have all that on paper you should start focusing on bits that are important to the job at hand. Remember a resume's purpose is to show how well you fit a particular job and NOT to share your life story.

When writing your resume remember that you have about 30 seconds to impress. For the list you wrote above, write a short and concise sentence for each heading. Each sentence should be structured so that it is interesting and compelling with actions verbs at the beginning of each of you sentences.

Signs of a great resume

Below are some features of a great resume and something to look out for when writing your own resume. Never let poor resume writing affect your chance of getting a job.

Targeted: The more targeted a resume is the the greater your chances of getting that interview. Employers want to know exactly what you can do for the company. It is important that you tailor each resume to each job (It will only take a few sentence to do this). Get rid of any information that is not required for a particular job. This will alleviate the tendency to over crowd your resume with irrelevant information.

Well written: It is important that your resume makes an impression with the employer. Use action words, such as, established, implemented, created and streamlined. This will add that extra boost to your resume.

Consistent: Be sure that your resume is logical and easy to read. Be consistent with everything, such as the spacing, margins and borders. You should emphasise your important points with text styles such as fonts, italics or underlining.

Summarised Qualifications: This is perhaps the most important section in your resume here you will point out your top selling points. Many people will neglect this, missing the opportunity to be noticed.

Self-promoting: Don’t be shy; show your employer your accomplishments, skills and abilities. Employers want to too see that you can indeed perform the job at hand. Show them by letting them know about your experiences and how others have benefited from your productivity.

Abbreviations: Abbreviations should be avoided. It is unprofessional and many are not universally accepted.

No personal stuff: Personal data such as height and weight is unnecessary and seen as unprofessional.

Grammatically correct: Poor grammar is the quickest way for your resume to end up in the ‘rejection pile’. Do not trust your computer’s spell check. Read every word yourself and get someone to read it as well. Spelling mistakes and typos suggest that your standard of work will be of the same poor quality.

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