Work hard to perfect your resumé
Writing a good resumé won’t get you a job, but a poor one can definitely cost you one.
When creating your resumé, keep in mind that it should be more than just a piece of paper that you pass out to prospective employers; it should be a concise summary of attributes that you bring to the table. The actual act of writing your own resumé helps you to assess the advantages you have that will be useful to a prospective employer in addition to giving you an assessment of your disadvantages. Knowing both your pluses and minuses will help you land a good job as it gives you the opportunity to set yourself apart from others, and to get a better job, by writing your own resumé.
When writing your resumé, focus on creating one that is simple, clear, and concise. Your résumé should accurately state what you have accomplished in your work life. It should also indicate to prospective employers what you can bring to their company.
Begin your resume with your name, address, and telephone number as opposed to a stated career objective. This can backfire on you and exclude you from consideration for other possible jobs available.
Next, present your education and work experience so that the kinds of jobs for which you are qualified are evident to prospective employers. If you have a relatively continuous track record of employment, the chronological approach may be best. Begin with your most recent employment and work backward. Remember that this is not the place to explain why you left a job; this should only be covered in a face-to-face interview.
When presenting your employment history, it absolutely crucial to avoid embellishing your record. Although this may help to get you in the door, it will definitely hurt you when you cannot perform the task you were hired for.
Be sure to do more than simply list past employers and your title. The list of your past work history is the part of your resumé that will set you apart from others. If you made a significant contribution to your previous employers, then this is the place to spell it out. Be specific as this is the kind of information that makes an employer sit up and take notice.
Don’t go overboard expounding on all your virtues with a 20-page resumé. However, don’t make it so short that you fail to explain your contributions and accomplishments.
If you did not go to college or were unable to finish, don’t cloud over that fact with vague language. Prospective employers pick up on it immediately. If you have good work experience, education becomes less important. Put everything in perspective. If your educational experience is impressive, detail it. If not, deal with your education succinctly and get on with the rest of your resumé.
Involvement with professional and civic organizations is always impressive. If you haven’t become active, do so. Not only is it something to list in your resumé, but it also furthers your professional knowledge. This can result in the sort of expanding network that is important throughout a career.