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HOW TO WRITE A BETTER RESUME
by Brian Konradt
Which word is
more scarier to you? If someone yelled out “fire!” or if someone
whispered in your ear, “Did you write your resume yet?” To most
people, hearing the word “resume” induces panic attacks and beads of
sweat across the forehead.
Writing a resume is hard work. You must
write your resume correctly; it must be perfect! Any blunders in your resume
could cost you the job. The entire resume-writing process can be confusing.
We’ve all asked ourselves these questions: “Which information goes
in?” “Which stays out?” “How exactly should I format my
resume?”
If you jumped into a pile of books and articles on how
to write the perfect resume, you’d drown in words, sentences and advice
that all sound the same. So what in the world will make your resume leap out of
the pile and scream out, “Grab me! I am the person you want to hire!”
Writing a resume is an art and a science. We need to know a successful
formula of words, sentences, format and finesse to convey effectively our
selling points. The following tips are shortcuts to write a stellar resume for
whatever sort of job you desire.
FORMAT WITH CAUTION
Your professional history will strongly dictate your resume format. We must
choose one of three basic resume types: chronological, functional or
combination.
The Chronological Resume - This is the most
common type of resume, the one that comes to mind when we speak about a resume.
A chronological resume is appropriate if you’ve had steady work experience
with little to no breaks, have kept each of your jobs for long periods of time,
or have industry-related experience that shows your working toward a specific
goal. The Chronological Resume is comprised of:
• Objective
(which we’ll discuss in a few paragraphs)
• Employment history
(starting from your most recent job)
• Education
• Optional
section (for things such as military experience or any special skills/interests
that may pertain to the job at hand)
• References
The
Functional Resume - A variation of the chronological resume, a
functional resume intends to highlight skills found outside of work experience;
it’s useful if you’re in the process of changing careers, have little
to no work experience or have held several, seemingly unrelated jobs. This sort
of resume is comprised of:
• Qualifications summary (a bulleted
list of achievements or interests that qualify you for the job for which
you’re applying).
• Employment history
• Education
• Optional section
• References
The
Combination Resume - A combination resume is what it sounds like: a
combination of the chronological and functional formats. It tends to be
slightly more useful than the functional resume, as that format sometimes makes
an employer suspicious that you’re hiding something (such as a lack of
experience). The combination resume is comprised of:
•
Qualifications summary
• Education (especially if it’s a
particularly strong area for you)
• Employment history (in reverse
order as the chronological resume)
• Optional section
•
References
RETHINK YOUR OBJECTIVE
Many books and
articles extol the virtues of an objective; it is, after all, a great way to
position yourself within a job and show an employer what you want and how
willing you are to get it. A lot of job-seekers have been ditching the
objective in favor of a qualifications summary, and employers seem to be
responding well. The reason for this is simple: objectives are, by nature,
focused heavily on you and not the employer. Your potential
employer, while certainly interested in what you want, is far more concerned
with your qualifications and what you can do for the company.
The idea
isn’t all bad, though. It just needs a little tweaking. Instead of an
objective, try creating a positioning statement.; it functions on the same way
as an objective but puts the focus on you. Take a look at these examples:
Objective: To become an associate editor of children’s books at
a major publishing house.
Positioning Statement:
Children’s book editor with 10 years of experience in publishing.
These are loose examples, of course, but you get the idea; put the focus on
you and the employer will take notice.
THE DEVIL IS IN THE
DETAILS
Be specific about what exactly you’ve done. Your
former job responsibilities and achievements are excellent selling points in
your resume. Avoid being vague, unless you want your resume to read like
everyone else’s. Think about your previous jobs: what exactly did you do
and how does that qualify you for a new position? For instance, don’t
write that you “assisted the senior editor with a number of editorial
duties.” Instead, write “contributed to editorial copy and content
editing, cover design and overall concept of several major projects.”
Detailing your specific job duties and accomplishments show the employer what
you’re capable of and what he or she can expect from you as an employee.
SHOW THEM WHAT YOU CAN DO
It’s tempting to
outline your responsibilities to save some space and not appear overly
conceited, but remember -- you’re here to sell yourself. You have one shot
to make an impression. Chances are good that the employer will already know a
bit about the duties of your last job (especially if it’s linked to this
job), so they need to read about what you’ve accomplished as
opposed to what you did. Anyone could go through the motions of a
nine-to-five day, but what did you actually achieve? What were the results of
your work? Don’t be modest with this; if a book you edited hit the
best-seller list, then by all means, let the employer know. Never withhold
important information about your achievements.
WORD IT WELL
The words you use in your resume are just as important as the results
you’ve achieved or the jobs you’ve held. Make sure you use lively,
engaging words and always avoid the passive voice; it reads in a boring, trite
manner. Always write in active voice so you sound more formal and direct. Stay
concise -- are you using more words that necessary? Would a great action verb
effectively replace a whole sentence? Are there any obvious clichés,
like “great customer service skills”? Strive to say things in the
most interesting manner possible, and make sure you spell all words correctly.
There’s nothing worse than a typo on a resume, as it leaves the impression
that “if this person doesn’t care enough to spellcheck their
resume,” the employer thinks, “then how in the world will they
care enough to do this job well?”
PERFECT THE
PRESENTATION
Resume presentation is another crucial aspect to the
resume-writing process. How your resume looks will serve as the employer’s
first impression of you; if it looks bad, or amateurish, your resume may not
get a second glance. Make sure the visual formatting is correct (consult a
resume guide book for samples of formatting) and always leave lots of white
space; this makes it easier for an employer to skim through your resume and
find the information they need. Use an easily readable font, such as Arial or
Times New Roman; print it on high-quality white stock (no photocopies!); and
send it in a white or manila envelope with a printed mailing label. And always,
always, always remember to include your contact information, even your email
address; it’ll be hard to land that new position if the employer
can’t even get in touch with you.
© B. Konradt
Brian Konradt is a freelance writer and founder of
FreelanceWriting.Com (http://www.freelancewriting.com), a free web site to help
writers master the business and creative sides of freelance writing, and
BookCatcher.com (http://www.bookcatcher.com), a free website to help authors
promote their books.
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RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
1)
The Resume Handbook: How to Write Outstanding Resumes &
Cover Letters for Every Situation by Arthur D. Rosenberg
2)
The Quick Resume & Cover Letter Book: Write And Use An
Effective Resume In Only One Day by J. Michael Farr
3)
How to Write Better Resumes by Gene Corwin
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