A GOOD RESUME GESTS A "FOOT IN THE DOOR" - RESUME WRITING

 

WHY WRITE A RESUME?

Resumes continue to be one of the most important deciding factors in determining whether the job seeker gets an interview with the employer. A good resume gets a "foot in the door". Think of your resume as a sales tool. Just how well can you "sell" yourself? You are the product, and the employer is the buyer. Your resume must interest the employer in what should the employer invest time and money in you? What do you have offer that is unique?



You may learn of an opening in a specific company through a friend, a classified ad, an agency or on the Internet. Or you may wish to get an interview with a certain company without knowing whether they have any openings at this moment. In these entire situation you need a good resume. Most employers are deluged with resumes. Resumes are used as screening devices to determine whom they are interested in interviewing.

A resume is a highly personal and individual summary of a person's background, experience, training and skills. These factors will influence the final form of your own resume. Likewise, a good resume will vary depending on the type of job for which you are applying. Also your own occupational group may be a factor requiring special consideration. For example, if you 'er a liberal arts graduate, you can direct your resume toward any number of areas. Your education has taught you how to communicate, lead others, be persuasive, solve problems, and plan. All of these are excellent skills for a management trainee position. The points is, you are selling your own unique combination of skills, and depending upon the job requirement, you should present your work experience, skills, and education to best reflect your qualification for a particular job.

Preparing a good resume takes time. You should complete your resume to send to prospective employers and also to leave with those you contact when seeking information within a company. The contact person may be in a position to pass your resume along to someone who needs a person with your qualifications. If you are given an interview unexpectedly, a resume serves as guide for the interviewer as well as an information source for you.

Every person, regardless of the present stage of his or her career, needs a good resume readily at hand. This is obvious if your are now actively seeking a job or career change. Occasionally, however, you may need a current resume to capitalize on an unexpected job opportunity . Once you have worked up a good basic resume, you should be sure to keep it updated. It should always reflect your newly acquired skills and experience.

PARTS OF A RESUME

A Resume must contain a certain amount of essential information. This information may vary from person to person depending on experience and qualifications. Categories that could be included are:

• Your name, address, city, state, and phone number(s) where you can be reached, and your e-mail address.
• An objective statement that clearly describes the type of position you hope to obtain.
• A summary of your qualifications.
• A record of your employment history.
• A record of your education.
• Professional training.
• Technological skills.
• Professional affiliations.
• Licenses and accreditation
• Knowledge of local and foreign language.
• Publications.
• Special accomplishments or other related facts.
• A statement to the effect that your references and, if applicable, samples of your work, are available upon request.

Few people will elect to use all these categories. When determining what information to include, consider what is relevant to the position for which your applying. This selection is what will make your resume unique.

Name, Address, Mobile Numbers:

Your name, address, city, state, and mobile Number(s) may seem too obvious to mention; however, this information has to be included, and it has to be correct. You should avoid the use of nicknames in a resume, and sure name such as "Junior," "Senior," "II," and "III" should be dropped. All words in the address should be spelled out (such as  "Street," "Avenue," etc., and your state name), and the zip code included. The mobile number should be one where you can be reached easily.

The Career or job Objective:

Most resumes should include an objective statement of some type. This could be as simple as a one- or two-word description of the position you are seeking-----staff accountant, computer programmer, nurse. Because the job objective is the "topic" of your resume, it should be the first and foremost consideration. The job objective says what you want to do, and it should say this as clearly and concisely possible.

In any event, avoid the "all purpose" type of objective. You cannot sell a product successfully unless you are specific about its advantages to the buyer. Emphasize what you can do for the employer, not how you hope to benefit from the position. Be cautious about using overly ambitious statement such as, "hope to advance to position of personnel manager." Your statement might be interpreted negatively and might be best left unsaid until the interview, when you have an opportunity for two-way communication.

If you have access to the exact job description, write your objective to match the employer's interests and needs.