Effective Resume Writing
June 2, 2008
I need help with effective resume writing that will help me get the new job I’ve been wanting for a while. Where do you suggest I start? - Dan in St. Louis, MO
Basically having effective resume writing skills can be the margin between landing a job and getting passed over. I can remember many times how a colleague or friend had their dream job within their reach only to have it turn to vapor due to their resume not being in good form.
If only they would have shown me before hand! Go ahead right now and pat yourself on the back for taking this into consideration before you apply. Here are some resume writing advice you can put to use immediately.
Utilizing a powerful and descriptive title will make your resume “pop” meaning that it will out shine all the dull resumes. The title should be as useful as possible in describing exactly who you are as a professional in the shortest amount of words.
Your objective has to get the potential employer’s eyes on your resume quickly or again you are going to be passed up for someone else. The majority of resumes submitted are rejected because the applicant has no clear objective listed. Just like the title, the objective has to be clearly written and directly relates to the position you are applying for. If you are not able to sell yourself with your resume, you more than likely won’t have the chance to sell yourself during the interview.
In regards to how the resume is layed out, do your best to avoid using Times New Roman font because your resume will look like the masses of people flooding the hiring authority. Make yourself stand out such as using Georgia and Tahoma that have a professional appearance and are easy to look at. One thing to consider is using fonts that are narrow which allows you to save space and keeps the number of pages down to a minimum.
How many people do you think put the thought into printing their resume out on anything but regular printing paper? Go to your local office store and pick up some high grade glossy paper. Little things like this will add to the over all effect of separating yourself out of the fold by making them hold onto your resume just a little bit longer which increases the chance that they will actually read it.
As far as the length of the resume, keep it short. Try not to go beyond one page but balance this tip with the fact that it should be long enough to sell who you are but without overstating your accomplishments. Now this tidbit of resume writing advice may seem ridiculous but you would not believe how many people do not accurately check for proper spelling and grammar.
Regardless if the content is great and the format and length are perfect, if there is one small misspelling, grammar or puntuation error, this can completely turn the hiring authority off which will send your resume into the recycle bin.
Think about this, would you want to hire someone for a position that requires a high attention to detail if they can’t even proof read their own resume? This is one thing that you have absolute control over so its in your best interest to proofread over and over and over, even to the point where you have a few of your friends or family take a look at it to make sure there is not even the slightest mistake.
These tips on writing resumes will serve as a catapult to launch you directly into a face to face interview with the gate keeper of your new dream job. Use it as a tool so you will have every chance to sell yourself and outshine your competition.