15 Tips for
Writing Winning Resumes
by Ann Hackett
The thought of writing a resume
intimidates almost anyone. It’s difficult to know where to start or
what to include. It can seem like an insurmountable task. Here are 15
tips to help you not only tackle the task, but also write a winning
resume.
Determine your job search
objective prior to writing the resume.
Once you have determined your objective, you can structure the content
of your resume around that objective. Think of your objective as the
bull’s-eye to focus your resume on hitting. If you write your resume
without having a clear objective in mind, it will likely come across
as unfocused to those that read it. Take the time before you start
your resume to form a clear objective.
Think of your
resume as a marketing tool.
Think of yourself as a product, potential employers as your customers,
and your resume as a brochure about you. Market yourself through your
resume. What are your features and benefits? What makes you unique?
Make sure to convey this information in your resume.
Use your resume to obtain an
interview, not a job.
You don’t need to go into detail about every accomplishment. Strive
to be clear and concise. The purpose of your resume is to generate
enough interest in you to have an employer contact you for an
interview. Use the interview to provide a more detailed explanation of
your accomplishments and to land a job offer.
Use bulleted sentences.
In the body of your resume, use bullets with short sentences rather
than lengthy paragraphs. Resumes are read quickly. This bulleted
sentence format makes it easier for someone to quickly scan your
resume and still absorb it.
Use action words.
Action words cause your resume to pop. To add life to your resume, use
bulleted sentences that begin with action words like prepared,
developed, monitored, and presented.
Use #’s, $’s and %’s.
Numbers, dollars, and percentages stand out in the body of a resume.
Use them. Here are two examples:
Managed a department of 10
with a budget of $1,000,000.
Increased sales by 25% in
a 15-state territory.
Lead with your strengths.
Since resumes are typically reviewed in 30 seconds, take the time to
determine which bullets most strongly support your job search
objective. Put those strong points first where they are more apt to be
read.
Play Match Game.
Review want ads for positions that interest you. Use the key words
listed in these ads to match them to bullets in your resume. If you
have missed any key words, add them to your resume.
Use buzzwords.
If there are terms that show your competence in a particular field,
use them in your resume. For marketing people, use "competitive
analysis." For accounting types, use "reconciled
accounts."
Accent the positive.
Leave off negatives and irrelevant points. If you feel your date of
graduation will subject you to age discrimination, leave the date off
your resume. If you do some duties in your current job that don’t
support your job search objective, leave them off your resume. Focus
on the duties that do support your objective. Leave off irrelevant
personal information like your height and weight.
Show what you know.
Rather than going into depth in one area, use your resume to highlight
your breadth of knowledge. Use an interview to provide more detail.
Show who you know.
If you have reported to someone important such as a vice president or
department manager, say so in your resume. Having reported to someone
important causes the reader to infer that you are important.
Construct your resume to
read easily. Leave
white space. Use a font size no smaller than 10 point. Limit the
length of your resume to 1-2 pages. Remember, resumes are reviewed
quickly. Help the reader to scan your resume efficiently and
effectively.
Have someone else review
your resume. Since
you are so close to your situation, it can be difficult for you to hit
all your high points and clearly convey all your accomplishments. Have
someone review your job search objective, your resume, and listings of
positions that interest you. Encourage them to ask questions. Their
questions can help you to discover items you inadvertently left off
your resume. Revise your resume to include these items. Their
questions can also point to items on your resume that are confusing to
the reader. Clarify your resume based on this input.
Submit your resume to
potential employers.
Have the courage to submit your resume. Think of it as a game where
your odds of winning increase with every resume you submit. You really
do increase your odds with every resume you submit. Use a three-tiered
approach. Apply for some jobs that appear to be beneath you. Perhaps
they will turn out to be more than they appeared to be once you
interview for them. Or perhaps once you have your foot in the door you
can learn of other opportunities. Apply for jobs that seem to be just
at your level. You will get interviews for some of those jobs. See how
each job stacks up. Try for some jobs that seem like a stretch. That’s
how you grow -- by taking risks. Don’t rule yourself out. Trust the
process. Good luck in your job search!
Ann Hackett (ahackett@QuestCareer.com)
is the president of Quest ( www.QuestCareer.com
), a career
transition assistance company that provides resume services, job
interview preparation, and ongoing career transition support.
