| To stand out of the crowd in the field of employment | | | | 8. Your résumé is your one chance to make a |
| one should know the dexterity of creating a bond with | | | | first impression. A typo or misspelled word can lead an |
| one’s perspective employer. Since most employers | | | | employer to believe that you would not be a careful, |
| spend a few minutes (or less!) looking over each | | | | detail-oriented employee. |
| resume they receive, it's important to package your | | | | 9. Everyone wants to present his or her work |
| credentials in an appealing and concise format. Make | | | | experience in the most attractive light, but information |
| your own resume more compelling -- by selling your | | | | contained on your résumé must be true and |
| strengths to employers! The goal of your resume is to | | | | accurate. Whether you’re simply inflating past |
| make an employer want to interview you. It's a | | | | accomplishments or coming up with complete |
| powerful marketing tool that promotes who you are, | | | | fabrications, lying is simply a bad idea. Aside from any |
| what you want to do, and the value you will bring to an | | | | moral or ethical implications, chances are you’ll |
| organization. Tailor it for each individual position. Usually | | | | eventually get caught and lose all credibility. |
| it does not entail too much extra work. It is more a | | | | 10. A common mistake is neglecting to mention any |
| question of emphasizing certain things and | | | | extra education, training, volunteer work, awards, or |
| de-emphasizing others based on the values placed | | | | recognitions that might pertain to your particular job |
| highly by that employer. The best way to select | | | | area or industry. |
| information that belongs on your resume is to think like | | | | Many Resume Writing Tips Begin by determining your |
| an employer. Ask yourself, "If I were hiring a person for | | | | objective (do this prior to writing the resume). Your |
| this position, what training and experience would be | | | | Resume Objective is the first thing employers will read |
| related" Give brief, specific, positive information that | | | | -- make sure it's great! Your resume will be first |
| would be of interest to your next employer. Do not | | | | scanned for only a few seconds. Your resume |
| give unrelated or negative information. Your resume | | | | objective must capture them and sell them a value. |
| writing can either make or break a job opportunity. | | | | Too many resume objectives are written with the job |
| Formats: | | | | seeker's desire in mind. For example, A sales position |
| Your resume introduces you to potential employers. | | | | where my creativity and skill can be utilized with room |
| Find out how to write one that will make a good | | | | for growth! The above statement does nothing for |
| impression. Learn about different resume formats. | | | | your employer. This is all about You! Give them what |
| There is no right or wrong format, as long as your | | | | they want! Answer their question, “what can you |
| resume is concise, readable, and presents your | | | | do for me?” Your resume objective should not be |
| qualifications in the best possible light. | | | | YOUR resume objective, but should be your |
| Reverse Chronological resumes work best for people | | | | employer's objective. Your job is to make a match! |
| who have a strong, continuing work history with | | | | Lure them in towards reading the rest of your resume |
| progressively more responsible positions. Presents | | | | by demonstrating right away, that you know what they |
| material in reverse chronological order starting with the | | | | need. |
| most recent job and then working backwards. | | | | Example OBJECTIVE: Sales position in need of |
| Highlights the progress you've made in your jobs. | | | | custom 10 years' experience meeting sales quotas. |
| Functional resumes work best for entry level, career | | | | Qualification It should be mirror to your academics |
| changes, and those with gaps in their work history. | | | | giving in clear picture. |
| Emphasizes your skills and accomplishments by listing | | | | Example1. 17 years of experience in the finance, |
| experiences by major functional areas. | | | | service and consumer industries. Expertise in |
| Skills and accomplishment oriented resumes may be | | | | computerized insurance tracking, development of sales |
| more effective by showing the employer what you | | | | territory, sales and customer service training, and |
| can do for him or her based on education, training, or | | | | operations supervision. Special skills in: Production |
| prior experience and accomplishments. | | | | Operation, Training Supervision, Customer Service, Field |
| Your resume is a profile of your skills, job experience | | | | Service Coordination, Budget Management, Problem |
| and accomplishments. It is your opportunity to | | | | Solving. |
| emphasize your strengths, education and talents. | | | | Example 2. Top sales performer in computer |
| Combination resumes combine the chronological and | | | | software. Increased new accounts by 35%.Achieved |
| functional formats to highlight selected jobs. A | | | | top sales award for 3 consecutive years. Developed |
| combination of the two may be used to highlight your | | | | Internet strategies for various clients in 13 Western |
| experience or accomplishments gained from multiple | | | | states. |
| jobs, or career changes. | | | | Example 3. Veteran photojournalist with extensive |
| There are 3 popular online resume formats used | | | | regional, national and international experience. A track |
| widely today. These online resume formats include | | | | record of unhesitatingly accepting assignments at a |
| ASCII Text, HTML and PDF. | | | | moment's notice whenever the situation demands. |
| ASCII Text is basic text that you would use in an email | | | | Strong indep worker, as well as a contributing team |
| message. | | | | member. |
| HTML is markup language that used to build web | | | | Guidelines for writing Resume |
| pages. | | | | • Know your audience before you begin writing |
| The PDF format is Adobe's format for presenting | | | | your resume. |
| documents that are embedded within page and cannot | | | | • Your resume must be consistent with the position |
| be edited. PDF's are formatted more like a graphical | | | | you are pursuing. |
| picture, with improved formatting for viewing text | | | | • Choose your language carefully and proofread. |
| images. | | | | Your resume |
| Some basics | | | | • must be free of spelling, grammar, punctuation, or |
| • Use 8-1/2" x 11" paper, 1-2 pages | | | | typographical errors. |
| • Choose ivory, white, cream, buff or light gray | | | | • Tailor your resume to your prospective |
| paper | | | | employer's needs. |
| • Use personal computer, word processor, | | | | • Highlight the skills and abilities that will make |
| typewriter or typesetting | | | | you’re an attractive candidate. |
| • Keep margins 1" wide at sides and bottom | | | | • If possible, use a computer to prepare your |
| • Check for and correct any spelling, punctuation, | | | | resume. There are computer programs that make it |
| typing or grammatical errors | | | | easy to produce a professional looking resume. |
| • Write short and to-the-point statements | | | | You’re Wisconsin Job Center, school, library, or |
| • Keep it brief; write a summary, not a life history! | | | | quick print shop can help. |
| • Use short phrases beginning with action words to | | | | • Do not include irrelevant personal information (age, |
| demonstrate accomplishments and results • | | | | weight, height, marital status, etc.). |
| Provide positive and honest information | | | | • Do not include salary and wages. |
| • Use a simple, professional, easy-to-read style | | | | • Center or justify all headings. Don’t use |
| • Emphasize important information by underlining or | | | | abbreviations. |
| using capital letters when appropriate, but don’t | | | | • Use bullets with short sentences rather than |
| overdo it. | | | | lengthy paragraphs. Resumes are read quickly, |
| • Don’t list wages, company street addresses, | | | | therefore make key phrases stand out. Bulleting |
| references, salary requirements, personal problems | | | | information will help the reader view your |
| • Provide examples of your qualifications | | | | accomplishments. |
| 10 common pitfalls to avoid when preparing your | | | | • Use action words - words like prepared, |
| résumé: | | | | managed, developed, championed, monitored, and |
| 1. Your résumé should show a clear match | | | | presented will cause your resume to stand out. |
| between your skills and experience and the job’s | | | | • You should always use %'s, $'s and #'s. Dollar |
| requirements. A general résumé with no sharp | | | | totals, numbers, and percentages stand out in the body |
| focus is not seen as competitive. Why are you the | | | | of a resume. |
| best person for this particular position? | | | | • Above all in your resume and interview - you |
| 2. A solid résumé is much more than a summary | | | | must be positive. Therefore, leave off negatives and |
| of your professional experience; it’s a tool to | | | | irrelevant points. If you feel your graduation date will |
| market yourself. Avoid phrases like “responsibilities | | | | subject you to age discrimination, leave it off . If you do |
| included” or “duties included.” Your | | | | some duties in your current job that don't support your |
| résumé should not be a laundry list of your duties | | | | job search objective, don't mention them. Proofread |
| but rather an announcement of your major | | | | thoroughly |
| accomplishments. Information on a résumé should | | | | * Use bullet points and indents to set off |
| be listed in order of importance to the reader. Don’t | | | | accomplishments or add emphasis. |
| ask employers to wade through your hobbies first. | | | | * Electronic and Scanned resumes have a different |
| Dates of employment are not as important as job | | | | set of guidelines, however it is still important to create |
| titles. | | | | a stunning resume you will mail or hand deliver to your |
| 3. Education should be emphasized if you are freshly | | | | contacts. |
| out of school and have little work experience; | | | | You can determine keywords by reviewing: |
| otherwise, put it at the end. If your résumé is | | | | * Job descriptions from previous positions you have |
| difficult to read or key information is buried, it’s | | | | held |
| more likely to be cast aside. | | | | * Techniques that you use |
| 4. Résumés that go too far back into the job | | | | * The Dictionary of Occupational Titles |
| seeker’s work history can put that person at risk | | | | * The Occupational Outlook Handbook |
| for possible age discrimination. Does anyone really | | | | * Industry/Professional and Technical organizations |
| need to read about your high school job bagging | | | | * Professional/Technical acronyms i.e., HTML (Hyper |
| groceries, especially when that was 20 years ago? | | | | Text Markup Language) |
| The rule of thumb for someone at a senior level is to | | | | * Buzzwords specific to a profession or industry |
| list about the last 15 years worth of professional | | | | * Job postings or classified advertisements |
| experience. | | | | * Local government job service agencies |
| 5. Don’t forget to bullet the important skills that | | | | * Recruiters job descriptions |
| make you a standout in your field. Your objective is to | | | | * Associates who work in the same field |
| play up the value that you will bring to a prospective | | | | What YOU should NEVER include in your resume |
| employer. Emphasize how you will add worth to the | | | | * Age |
| company, not the reason you want the job. Employers | | | | * False information |
| are looking for someone to enhance the organization, | | | | * Marital status |
| not their own résumé. | | | | * Health |
| 6. Try to stay away from the cookie-cutter | | | | * Number of children and their ages |
| résumé templates that employers see constantly. | | | | * Hob Photographs |
| Show a little imagination when writing and designing | | | | * Race |
| your résumé. But don’t overdo it. Overly | | | | * Religion |
| artistic or tiny fonts are a no-no, since they’re hard | | | | * Detailed description of non-relevant jobs |
| to read and don’t scan or photocopy well. | | | | * Controversial information (i.e., political affiliation) |
| 7. If your Web site includes photos of your cat or your | | | | * Social Security number |
| personal blog about what you did over the weekend, | | | | * Anything Negative |
| don’t steer prospective employers there by | | | | * bias or dangerous activities (unless job-related) |
| including it on your résumé. Keep your personal | | | | There you are what are you waiting for?LOG ON and |
| and your professional life separate in order to be taken | | | | type one job grabbing C.V for yourself. |
| seriously. | | | | |