Resume Writing Tips & Job Search Guide

Do you need any resume writing help?

You really do need to know how to avoid some of the biggest mistakes that job seekers make on their resume, which at best might cost them an interview and at worst could lead to missing a life-changing career opportunity.

Ask yourself?

Is it too short? - This may be a surprise to you as so much advice is geared towards keeping your resume within one page in length. Actually, two pages long is about right. If it is only one page with lots of space to spare, even if this is your first resume, you probably haven’t provided enough detail to interest the reader. Consider fleshing out your skills and experience.

Is it too long? - Your resume needs to be a length that can be scanned easily by a recruiter so that they can pick out the relevant information in the shortest amount of time. Do not list everything you have ever done – the recruiter simply will not read it. They will move on very quickly to the next candidate.

Is it targeted? - This means writing a slightly different version for each job application. Every employer is different, which means you need to highlight different skills according to their requirements.

Have you written in the ‘third person’? - This means writing your resume as if you were talking about someone else. Do not use ‘I’, ‘my’ or ‘we’. Your resume will sound more objective, businesslike and professional.

Is the layout clear and easy to read? - The employer needs to be able to pick out your skills and experience within seconds. A cluttered resume with too much text, or a complicated format with several different fonts is simply too much trouble to read. There are a huge number of resume formats and resume layout styles, but whichever is used, keep it simple.

Once you are happy with your resume and its layout you should then begin the job hunting and job search process. Here we look at three very effective methods used to help get the next role, Online Job Boards, Social Media and and Recruitment Agencies.


Using An Online Job board.

Online recruitment is fast becoming the normal method of job hunting for hundreds of thousands of people every year.

Is online job hunting effective? - The short answer to this is probably yes however you do need to approach this method with the right attitude, tools and realistic expectations.

How many "job boards" are there? - There are literally thousands from the really big players to very small. You will normally find that the bigger the company the more generalist they are. If you are looking for a job in a particular niche then using a specialist job board would probably be more effective.

How do they work? - Basically there are two parts to the online job board operation. The first part is for them to get jobs listed on the site so that we can apply. They approach employers and recruitment agencies direct and charge them to show job adverts online. This is their bread & butter as the more adverts they can show the more money they make. The good news is that you also don't have to pay anything to use their service. The second part is for us, the job hunters. The job boards need to attract a large number of applicants to make it attractive to the advertisers i.e. more job seekers = more applications and this is what the recruiters want.

How do I find a job with the job board? - There are 2 main ways to go about this, Search - This involves searching through the jobs listed. Once you have found a role that interests you simply apply using your resume. Additionally some job boards offer a very useful service whereby you set up an email alert based on your requirements i.e. location, salary, hours, type of work etc. If/when a job is placed online that matches your profile they send you an e-mail. This is really useful as you can be quick off the mark in terms of applying for the job. Note if use this option, make sure your resume is up to date and ready to go. resume posting - This way you register (post) your resume online with the job board so that the employers and recruiters can then search through all the resume's online. This way the employers and recruitment agencies can find you when they have a job that fits your profile i.e. location, type of work, salary etc etc

Should I register? - This is of course your decision however with most boards you will be able to see the job advertisements but you won't be able to send your resume to apply. Therefore registration becomes essential.

Should I post my resume? - This is a good idea. This can be an effective method for 2 reasons, employers will be able to call you if interested and recruitment agencies can ask to get you on their books. Please bear in mind though that all the details that you include on your resume will be available to ALL the subscribed recruiters and agencies. One word of warning however, if you are looking for a role in a competitive area be prepared for a lot of agencies calling you on the "off chance" that you might be interested in something they have.

Would my own web resume be better? - You should consider this as an option if available to you as you can control who has access to your resume. The way this works is that you have a unique web address where your resume is stored thus you only need to give the web address to the people you want to see it.

What does "Online Job Hunting" really mean? - In effect it is a very modern way of going about recruitment both for employer and employees alike. For the employer it means that they can reach hundreds of suitable applicants relatively cheaply and for us, the employee, it means that we get access to a huge range of opportunities.

Should I apply for jobs that I see online? - That is really up to you however what you have got to lose. It doesn't really cost very much to apply and you never know you might get invited for interview.

Do I need to get a good resume for online applications? - Definitely yes. It's exactly the same as applying for jobs offline i.e. the resume should be designed to get you the interview.


Using Social Media & Networking Sites.

It may be a surprise to you but a large number of jobs in fact never get advertised but are often filled through other methods including networking, employee referrals and importantly, recruiters searching through social media sites.

This gives the idea that using online social networks like LinkedIn, MySpace or Facebook can be a very effective additional job search tool however although effective you should use this method with care.

The bad news is that more and more employers are using the internet, which includes social media sites; to quickly screen and obtain a “background check” on applicants before the interview process begins. While you may feel that this is not fair, this is the way it is!

The good news is that although your personal posts as well as your online persona can harm your hunt for the perfect job, you can turn this round and use these same tools to help land a great position.

Tips to help you maximise your job hunting success using Online Social Networks.
• Make sure that you don’t post anything that you wouldn’t want a prospective employer to see.
• Consider acquiring an additional and separate “work” based persona that includes your relevant skills etc.
• Clean up your online profile e.g. delete any bad language, lewd jokes or strange photographs.
• Make sure that your profile name and e-mail address are not offensive.
• Create a positive online presence by talking about your industry or business within your profile. Show that you are genuinely interested in what you do or what you want to do.
• Use sites like LinkedIn, a social network for professionals, to connect to people with similar interests and skills.
• Use your online friends by telling them you are looking for work. If you have cleaned up your profile to create a professional image, they are more likely to recommend you or let you know about any opportunities they come across.
• Activate your privacy options so you make sure that you only show people what you want to show in your profile
• Enhance your online profile and make it as compelling as possible to employers.
• Don’t accept invitations to join the network of someone you don’t know.
• Search through some social networking sites. e.g. LinkedIn. There will probably be lots of contacts from your current and previous employers, customers, suppliers etc etc. All of these people have the potential to help you find a new job and possibly act as a reference or recommend you.


Using Recruitment Agencies.

Many employers will use a recruitment agency to do the work rather than advertise the jobs themselves. If you do your homework carefully using an agency can be quite a painless and mutually beneficial approach.

Which recruitment agencies should I choose? You need to make sure that:
• They understand your industry, your current job and the role you are looking for.
• They will be proactive in finding you a job.
• They can advise you on what salary and benefits to expect.
• They have good contacts within your industry. There are specialist agencies for just about every industry,

Overall, make sure that you feel comfortable with the employment agency you have chosen, as they will be dealing with your personal details.

Will they charge me? It is illegal for a UK employment agency to charge you for finding a position. The employer for whom they are recruiting pays the costs. The agency can however charge for additional services for example creating a resume, supplying interview question examples etc.

What is their policy relating to the marketing of my skills and my resume? Make sure that the agency is not going to send your resume to employers without understanding your requirements. Most reputable recruitment agencies will have a definite policy on this for example the consultant should carry out a registration interview at which point they create a personal profile. YOU should decide which employers will receive your details.

Candidate testimonials? Ask the consultant for evidence of satisfied candidates and clients in your industry for example if you are looking for a job as a design engineer, make sure they have placed candidates in the engineering or technical arena. This will also give you a good idea of how experienced the agency and their consultants are in your chosen field.

Are there any trade bodies or service level agreements? The Recruitment and Employment Confederation represents the recruitment industry within the UK. It will help you to make sure that the agency is a member and conforms to the REC code of conduct.

Finally, recruitment agencies are in business to make a profit by placing candidates. You need to make it easy for them to market you. You should remain in control and avoid being talked into taking unsuitable jobs. It is always a good idea to build a relationship and keep regular contact with an agency.

Do not expect the recruitment agency to write a resume for you. ResumeWriting247.com has a reputation for excellence. Our high quality and affordable service gives you the advice, help and tips you need to create the perfect resume.

E & O E - © 2010 ResumeWriting247.com

Why Others Always Seem To Get The Job They Want!

If you have just started on the road to changing your job one thing that you have probably gathered already is that everyone has an opinion on how to write an effective resume. The internet is packed with masses of conflicting information. Some of which has been around for years when all resumes were sent by post and only the computer geeks had heard of e-mail. So how do you know where to begin?

Firstly, you need to know how to avoid some of the biggest mistakes that job seekers make on their resume, which at best might cost them an interview and at worst could lead to missing a life-changing career opportunity.

Ask yourself the following questions:

1. Is your resume too short?

This may be a surprise to you as so much advice is geared towards keeping your resume within one page in length. Actually, two pages long is about right. If your resume is only one page with lots of space to spare, even if this is your first resume, you probably haven't provided enough detail to interest the reader. Consider fleshing out your skills and experience.

2. Is your resume too long?

Your resume needs to be a length that can be scanned easily by a recruiter so that she can pick out the relevant information in the shortest amount of time. Do not list everything you have ever done - the recruiter simply will not read it. She will move on very quickly to the next candidate.

3. Is your resume targeted?

This means writing a slightly different resume for each job application. Each employer is different, which means you need to highlight different skills according to their requirements.

4. Have you written in the third person?

This means writing your resume as if you were talking about someone else. Do not use I, my or we. Your resume will sound more objective, businesslike and professional.

5. Is the layout of your resume clear and easy to read?

The employer needs to be able to pick out your skills and experience within seconds. A cluttered resume with too much text, or a complicated format with several different fonts is simply too much trouble to read. Keep it simple.

Keep in mind the 5 questions and take a look at your current resume!

E & O E - Copyright 2008 resumeWriting247.com


resume Writing Guide & resume Tips

In today's fast moving and competitive world of recruitment, creating an effective job resume can often mean the difference between success and failure. It can take time and a great deal of effort to produce something which sells your skills and abilities in an inspiring way and gets you the interview within 2 pages. Yet by following a few simple rules and advice, you can maximise your chances and stand out from the other applicants.

Rule 1 - Get inside the HR departments head

Imagine the busy personnel or HR administrator that suddenly has a vacancy because someone has decided to leave for whatever reason. Now filling the role will take up quite a bit of his or her valuable time which they would rather spend doing other things. Finding the perfect person immediately would be so much easier than ploughing through loads of resume's. They have a job description in front of them that was given to them by their boss. It includes experience or qualifications that are essential for the job and some attributes that are desirable but not absolutely necessary. They start going through the pile of resume's on the desk scanning each one for about half a minute and makes a judgement.

Put simply they don't have the time to read the resume that is more than two pages and all the relevant information is hidden in long paragraphs. - Its filed, in the bin!

Fancy formatting, coloured text or multiple fonts do not impress. They ask themselves, is this person trying to hide something? Are they trying to cover for their lack of experience for the job behind a flashy resume? - Its filed, in the bin!

Are there spelling mistakes or poor punctuation? This person is just sloppy! - Its filed, in the bin!

They get to the end and breaths a sigh of relief, as the pile of resume's on the desk is much smaller already. Time for another coffee and then starts reading....

Rule 2 - Think about how your resume will get through the initial stage.

Make sure your resume is concise and to the point. They need to see your experience, skills and achievements in the first half a minute.

They know what they want and you have what they want so why distract them by adding in lots of unnecessary information.

Simple is best. Plain formatting, properly laid out under clear headings. The recruiter will want to see what you have done, when you did it and where you did it. Fancy formatting will make your resume more difficult to read. Don't make a resume stand out for the wrong reasons.

Make sure that you keep checking your spelling, punctuation and grammar. It is the first step in your personal presentation to an employer. It says a lot about you. Also, poor English will distract the employer from reading the content of your resume.

Rule 3 - Clearly define the headings for your resume.

This is the list of headings that you should include on your resume

Contact details

Personal details

Interests Profile

Work experience or Career history

Education

Skills

Rule 4 - Make it easy for them.

Remember, they have very little time and they don't know you yet. They are only interested in what you can offer the company.

E & O E - Copyright 2007 resumeWriting247.com


Why Do You Need A Web Resume

If you are serious about getting that "new job” you really should consider a Web Resume as a part of your overall job seeking strategy.

In this age of technology a Resume put together on an old typewriter and sent ‘snail mail’ is not enough.
A Web Resume is simply a copy of your Resume produced on a web page that can be accessed via the Internet rather than held on your PC at home. It is an ideal addition to your job-hunting toolkit if you intend to spend any time away from your PC.

Imagine being away for the weekend, whether on a wild trip to New York or a cosy hotel in Paris. You pop into an Internet café to find the nearest Italian restaurant and browse the web to use up the rest of your pre-paid time. You come across the perfect job! With a Web Resume you can send an email with your Resume Web address and password to the employer or recruitment agency and they can view your Resume immediately.
Indeed, whether you are moving house, taking a gap year abroad or travelling extensively in your current job you can give employers and agencies instant access to your Resume and you can apply for any vacancy at any time.

With a Web Resume you can call employers or agencies about a job advertised in the local paper and instead of just sending your Resume by post a few days later, why not give them your web address and password over the phone? They can look at your Resume while you are still talking. You will be remembered for being innovative, professional and efficient.

Even if you apply for a vacancy via email you can include a link to your Resume Web Page or add it to your covering letter. Employers in every line of business use computer technology to a small or larger degree. A Web Resume will show employers and recruiters that you are aware of and embracing the latest technology.

Add a Web Resume to your toolkit today and get ahead of the rest.

E & O E - Copyright 2006 resumeWriting247.com


resume Writing - How to Write a resume

A winning resume has 2 objectives:

To illustrate your strengths and maximise your chances of getting through to interview and to put factual information, such as dates, places, names together in a presentable and readable form.

Focal Point

It is claimed that the human eyes are naturally drawn to a focal point one third down from the top of the page. Therefore, put your most useful information in this area. It might be your Profile, Key Skills, Professional Qualifications or details of your most recent employment. You can choose whichever you think is most important and relevant to your application.

Always get a second opinion when you have put your resume together. It is difficult to be objective about oneself.

Presentation

It is often thought that a resume should be fitted on to one side of A4. This can be difficult if you are a mature applicant with a long employment history. If you need to go on to a second page make sure that the resume is spread out over 2 whole pages, not one and a half pages as this looks messy.

As a ‘rule of thumb’ there should be more white than black on a page to make it easier to read.

Always write a rough draft first. It can be as long as you like as you will edit it later. Always start with your Career History as this will highlight your Key Skills and help you write your Profile.

Once you have compiled your draft copy you must edit it.

1. Take out anything that will not help you get where you want to be.

2. Write in the ‘third’ person as much as possible keeping ‘I’ to a minimum

3. Never use the past tense e.g. use “supporting senior management” rather than “supported senior management”.

4. Use short sharp sentences cutting out any waffle and jargon.

Headings

Name

Print your name in bold type at the centre top of your resume. If there is any doubt as to which is your surname, e.g. James Martin, indicate by using capitals or underlining.

Address

Top left of resume. Full address including post code.

Telephone

Top Right of resume. Full dialing code and daytime and evening numbers if possible.

Date of birth

Put in full such as 13th December 1962. Do not put your age. Bearing in mind that you will be close to the Focal Point now, this might need to go at the end of the resume under ‘Personal’ along with other details such as marital status and children.

Marital status

You do not have to include this at all. If you choose to, make sure you use only “married” or “single”. Do not use divorced or co-habiting. Put at the end of the resume under ‘Personal’.

Children

Its up to you whether you include this information or not but if you include it put it at the end of the resume under ‘Personal’

Profile

This is an introductory statement about who you are and what you have to offer. You should complete this last although it is positioned prominently in the resume, possibly in the Focal Point. It should be no more than two sentences and include the most important facts about yourself. You can include skills, achievements, responsibility or personal qualities.

e.g. Highly motivated Account Manager with successful direct and telesales experience in hardware and software industries.

Skills

Several Key skills should be highlighted after you have analysed and edited your employment history.

Pick out no more than six.

Make sure they are relevant.

Do not include dates. A key skill can come from an earlier job or an outside interest.

If you are short on direct experience and qualifications you may have skills arising from your personality, i.e. Interpersonal skills, e.g. “the ability to relate and communicate with others”.

Some examples of descriptive words to use in key skills are:

Administering

Implementing

Budgeting

Leading

Reorganising

Forecasting

Advising

Employment History

Always start with your most recent employment. Break down your job functions as much as possible. The job description on your contract might provide a starting point or, consider how your employer might advertise your job. You should have more to say about your most recent, and therefore most relevant, employment.

Include successes and achievements especially if it saved the company money.

Don’t have any employment gaps. If these occur explain them briefly.

Qualifications

If you are a mature applicant you can leave these out as career history is more important.

Put the highest qualification first with year achieved. If you have a degree you can leave out the lower qualifications altogether or include the basic information.

Do not include poor grades or failures.

Professional qualifications

Only include those that are still current.

Training

Only include training that is relevant to the position for which you are applying.

Interests

Only include interests that are unusual or which indicate transferable skills, achievements or responsibilities.

Reasons For Applying

This finishes the resume off with a concluding statement and puts the application into context. Don’t imply you are out to gain advantage to yourself such as “I would like to join the company to gain additional experience”.

Instead, concentrate on what you have to offer, “my experience at……would be useful to the company because………….”

Finally

Your resume should be available soft copy or on good quality plain white A4 paper.

Do not use double sides.

Only fold once and enclose an SAE

Copyright 2005 resumewriting247.com


How to Write a Technical resume

A technical resume is used to highlight particular skills that relate to technical jobs in professions such as IT, Engineering and Science.

The key to writing a technical resume is to get the right balance between describing your technical experience and making your resume easily read by a non-technical person such as a Human Resources Assistant. They will be looking for keywords in order to match your resume against a particular vacancy. Therefore, your resume should be clear and concise and written in good English. Technical jargon should be avoided except under the Key Skills and Technical Skills headings.

Do not list every technical skill you have acquired, however impressive they are, as this will distract the reader. Refer to the job vacancy to remind yourself of the skills the employer is looking for.

You should always include information about how long ago you last used each of your technical skills as the reader will be looking at how current your knowledge is.

The format of a technical resume should be similar to non-technical from the point of view that it should be laid out under clear headings, no more than two pages of A4 in length and have more white on the page than black to make it easy to read.

The employer will be most interested in your technical skills but remember your interpersonal skills are also important especially if the role for which you are applying is client-facing.

You need to capture the attention of the reader as soon as possible so that they are encouraged to read the rest of your resume. Therefore, in your introductory paragraph, usually called the ‘Profile’, you need to mention the technical skills the employer is asking for and any specific experience that relates to the employers business.

The Key Skills heading allows you to put more detail of relevant skills, experience and specific projects that will interest the employer. You can also highlight achievements, for example where you have saved the company money.

Your Career History should describe the company that you were working for in a couple of lines to put your role into context. Then describe your role and responsibilities. Remember, focus on the requirements of the job you are applying for and show how you have acquired the necessary skills and experience in previous jobs.

You should list specific technical skills and professional courses under a separate heading. Be concise and put the most relevant skills first.

Keep the description of your education brief. If you have a degree you may wish to exclude your lower qualifications altogether. Remember, adding unnecessary information dilutes the important points in your resume.

Finally, always include a cover letter explaining where you heard about the role and why your skills and experience are a perfect fit for the job. This can be an email with your resume attached or a formal letter.

E & O E - Copyright 2006 resume Writing Ltd


How to Write an English resume

Important Points When Writing an English resume

The purpose of an English resume is to sell yourself: An English resume is seenas an opportunity to sell yourself and should emphasise your skills, experiences and achievements. You should include successes and wherever possible include facts and figures to support your claims. Do NOT include information that is negative.

Spelling and Grammar Check: Correct spelling and grammar are of absolute importance in an English resume. Employers will NOT tolerate any mistakes. It is very important that a native English speaker checks your resume before you send it to an English-speaking employer.

ResumeWriting247.com can provide a full spelling and grammar check and suggest any changes to the content of your resume in line with what employers expect.

Do not include a photo: Most English employers do NOT like to see a photo on the resume and, in fact, including one could work against you. Only include a photo if it has been specifically requested for a particular job application.

English Language skills: This is a very important aspect of your resume and your professional career. You must explain your knowledge of the English language under the ‘Skills’ heading. Describe your level of knowledge as one of the following:

• Bilingual – You can speak English as well as your mother tongue.

• Fluent – You have a complete working knowledge of the English language, both written and speaking.

• Working knowledge- you have a good practical knowledge of English for professional purposes.

• Conversational – You can converse adequately in English with good comprehension.

English resume Format: Do NOT use initials for company names or qualifications, as these could be meaningless to an English employer. Always write the words in full.

Headings:

1. Profile: This is an opportunity to summarise the skills and experience you have described elsewhere in your resume. It is the first part of the resume that the employer will read. It should be only one or two paragraphs long otherwise the reader may not go on to read the rest of your resume. You should also include your career aspirations.

2. Achievements: list any special achievements from your career history or education that may make you stand out from other candidates. List no more than six.

3. Career History: This is a very important part of your resume. The most common resume format is written in reverse-chronological order. Start with your most recent employment and work backwards. List the dates between which you worked for each employer; the name of the employer, your position and the location at which you worked. Write a short description of the company and then describe your responsibilities including facts and figures as much as possible.

4. Skills: In an English resume it is necessary to list particular technical, professional or other skills separate from your career history. An English employer will not necessarily be familiar with non-English professional qualifications therefore you must explain each one.

5. Education: You must enter your highest qualification first, then where achieved, and then dates. Make sure you explain any non-English qualifications or try and put the English equivalent, e.g. Baccalaureate, French equivalent to the Higher Leaving Certificate and A levels. Do not include grades unless they are particularly impressive.

6. Personal details: It is not necessary to include all of your personal details on an English resume as your skills and experience are of paramount importance. However, you need to include your nationality and it is normal to include your Date of Birth such as: 11th November 1967. Do not put your age.

7. Interests. You do not have to include your interests on an English resume but they will help to give the employer a rounded picture of you as an individual.

Signature: It is not necessary to personally sign your English resume.

E & O E - Copyright 2005 resumewriting.net


How To Write A Graduate resume

The old saying “You never get a second chance to make a first impression” is absolutely true when it comes to applying for a job and your resume is the first opportunity you will get to impress a potential employer. If your resume is not carefully written you may never get a second chance.

What Format Do You Use?

The difference between a Graduate resume and the resume of a person established in the workplace (sometimes called a Performance resume) is predominately one of emphasis.

A Performance resume is written in reverse chronological order, beginning with Profile, then a list of Achievements, Career History, Skills, Education, Personal Information and Interests. It is designed to highlight achievements and responsibilities in a person’s career. The main emphasis is on job titles and the companies they have worked for.

As a graduate this can seem intimidating as you suddenly realise that three years hard academic study doesn’t seem to provide enough experience to complete a resume.

Your emphasis, therefore, should be on the ‘Profile’ and ‘Achievements’ sections of your resume, which are in the focal point, i.e. one third down from the top of the page, where it is thought that the human eye is naturally drawn.

The format can be the same as the Performance resume because:

1. It is the most popular and therefore makes it easy for the reader to scan your resume quickly and find the information they need.

2. The ‘Education’ section provides a concise list of qualifications that, although valuable, may not distinguish you enough from other applicants for you to be invited for interview. Therefore this section can remain further down the resume just as it is on the Performance resume whilst a summary is written in the ‘Profile’ and ‘Achievements’ sections.

Profile
This is a statement in the focal point of your resume that summarises what you have to offer. The key is to emphasise the transferable skills gained while at Uni that will be of benefit to a potential employer. Examples could be drawn from your educational achievements, foreign travel, work experience, and involvement in clubs and voluntary work. You must be specific and concise and a full description of your skills with evidence should be written elsewhere in the resume. The reader should be able to see that the skills described in the ‘Profile’ are relevant to the vacancy they are trying to fill otherwise they may not bother reading any further.

Achievements
This section should be used only to highlight specific achievements that are relevant to the job for which you are applying. It is a good idea to complete it after you have written the rest of your resume. Pick out a maximum of six, preferably write them in bullet points and if you cannot think of any then leave this section out altogether.

Work Experience
Both employers and students know that the University environment is unique and very different to the full-time workplace. Employers need to have re-assurance that you have had experience in the ‘real world’. Your work experience therefore is very important on your resume, whether it was a summer job, part-time work, voluntary, or an industrial placement. Any job will have provided you with valuable skills and experience that should be highlighted to an employer and linked to the requirements of the job.

For example: A part-time job in the local petrol station provides cash-handling skills, customer service experience, diplomacy, stock control, ability to accept responsibility, able to work in a team and/or work on your own initiative, willing to learn new skills, trustworthiness, hardworking, able to cope with routine tasks.

Skills
This section gives you an opportunity to list your computer skills, languages, and any extra-curricular courses you have taken outside your degree. Make sure you include the level you have achieved, for example: fluent German, conversational Italian, regular use of all Microsoft Office Applications.

Education
Start with your most recent qualification, which may be your degree or a post-graduate course. Do not list every course or module that you have studied but include any that are relevant to the job you are applying for including presentations, projects and travel as part of your course. Only include grades if they are impressive.
A levels, or other qualifications achieved before university, should only be included if relevant.

Interests
Many professional resume writing companies advise not to include any interests, as they are rarely relevant to the job for which you are applying. However, it is a good idea to add some information about how you spend your free time for two reasons: firstly, it gives the reader a rounded picture of you as an individual; secondly, if invited for interview your interests are often discussed as a soft introduction to the interview before the more searching questions are asked. If you include interests in your resume try not to just write a list but include a fuller description of your involvement.

E & O E - Copyright 2005 resume Writing


resume Writing - Write a Perfect resume

Your resume is a gateway to getting an interview for that ideal job. It is your opportunity to provide a good first impression but you only have two sides of A4 paper in which to do it. It is not surprising then that most people have trouble getting started.

Firstly, you need to know what the employer is thinking

The employer suddenly has a vacancy. Filling the vacancy is going to take up valuable time that he would rather spend doing his normal job.

He would love to find the perfect person immediately rather than plough through hundreds of resume’s. It is often a dull, thankless task.

The employer has a job description in front of him. It includes experience or qualifications that are essential for the job and some attributes that are desirable but not absolutely necessary.

He starts going through the pile of resume’s on his desk. He scans each one for about 30 seconds and makes a judgement.

He simply hasn’t got time to read the resume that is more than two pages and all the relevant information is hidden in long paragraphs. - He files it in the bin.

Fancy formatting, coloured text or multiple fonts do not impress him. Is this person trying to hide their lack of experience for the job behind an artistic resume? – He files it in the bin.

He notices spelling mistakes and poor punctuation. This person is just sloppy! – He files the resume in the bin.

He breaths a sigh of relief, the pile on his desk is smaller already. He makes another coffee and then starts reading……………………….

This should tell you a few things about writing your resume.

Keep it concise and to the point. The employer needs to see your work experience, skills and achievements in the first 30 seconds of scanning your resume.

He knows what he is looking for. You have what he is looking for. Don’t distract him from your relevant skills by adding in lots of unnecessary information.

Keep it simple. Plain formatting, simply laid out under headings. The employer wants to see exactly when, where and what you have done. Fancy formatting makes your resume difficult to read. It may make your resume stand out from the rest but for the wrong reasons.

Keep checking your english. Good spelling, punctuation and grammar are essential. It is the first step in your personal presentation to an employer. It says a lot about you. Also, poor english distracts the employer from reading the content of your resume.

Now the content

Contact details should be displayed on the first page. When he decides to invite you to interview you want him to see immediately how to contact you before he changes his mind!

Personal details should be limited to those that are absolutely necessary. Most employers expect to see your nationality and date of birth but you can choose to leave these out if you think they may go against you.

Other personal details such as number of dependents, driving license and marital status can be included if it is not going to make your resume too long by including them. These can help employers to get a rounded picture of the person they are going to interview. Do not include names and ages of children or name of spouse. The employer is not interested at this stage.

Interests can be included but only in one or two lines. It may provide a starting point at interview for general conversation before getting down to serious questions about your work experience. It also gives a rounded picture of you without taking up too much space on the resume.

Profile is positioned prominently in your resume and should be used to sell yourself in one paragraph. It is an opportunity to sum up your skills, experience and general suitability for the job for which you are applying.

Career History or Work Experience. The heading you use depends on the length of time you have been in fulltime mployment. If you have recently left school or university you should use the heading ‘Work Experience’ and include all placements, paid and unpaid work. If you have been in fulltime employment for the last two jobs this should be under the heading of ‘Career History’. Do not use both headings in the resume. Whichever heading you use you must include dates, name and location of company and a brief description of what your job entailed including all the positive contributions you made to the company.

Education should be described in terms of selling yourself to the employer. Include all relevant courses, dates passed and name of school or college. But, leave out poor grades and failures. These will not help you get invited for interview.

If you have a university degree you can leave out all of your lower qualifications. Mature applicants may want to leave out ‘Education’ altogether, as your career history and skills are probably more important.

Skills can be described under three headings: Technical Skills, Professional Courses and Additional Skills. Technical skills are those related to a technical, mechanical or engineering job. You need to list your skills and how recently you have used them e.g. Java Programming used in the last 3 years. Professional Courses are those that you have attended specifically for a particular job e.g. sales courses, hairdressing. Additional skills are anything else that may be relevant e.g. languages, keyboard skills, health and safety courses.

Finally: Make it easy for him!

Remember, the employer has very little time. He doesn’t know you yet and is only interested in what you can offer him and his company.

Make it easy for him to: