Simple Steps To A Great Resume
- Date: 2010-07-12 - Word Count: 934
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You are not getting interview calls despite posting your resume to a number of job sites?
Do opportunities just pass by you as your profile does not get noticed properly?
Do you feel stuck up in your present job, scared to move out because of lack of job offers?
If your answer is a yes to the above questions, then it is a major indication that there is a problem with the way your resume is written.
Before going further, have you tried finding out what the reason could be? If not, here are some findings that can prove to be very useful to you.
Several surveys conducted indicate that HR people discard a resume due toto two major reasons
1)Bad look
2)Irrelevant Content
Now, look back and check out these two important aspects in your resume. The above pointed indicators could throw some light as to why prospective employers have been ignoring your resume lately.
With this knowledge, it is time to take some action. There is an "Expert Resume Writing Services" on every job-site that claims to create a professionally drafted resumes. The irony is that these services always come with a rate list, whereas all you need to do is to follow some simple rules to create a better resume by yourself.
Here are few important and practical suggestions that will help you to draft a better resume, thus getting you the calls that you have been always waiting for.
Format of the Resume: This is the first and most important facet that you as a job seeker need to look into in order to catch the attention of the employer. Employers when looking out for a candidate, get a number of resume everyday and they have to select few better ones for interview. A resume that is uncluttered and properly formatted definitely catches the eye and prompts one to go through it. If you want to clear the first step of job selection, make sure that the information on your resume is not cluttered. Here are some handy tips which will help you understand the point mentioned above.
i) Never write in paragraphs; highlight your skills using bullet points. Nobody has the time to scan through the details to know about your key strengths, make them explicit.
ii)Make sure that the font used in your resume is universal. Common Fonts used for writing a resume are Times New Roman, Courier and Book man. The Side headings when highlighted in Bold catch the attention of the employer. Keeping font size as 12 or 11 for headings, with the remaining print being of font size 11 or 10 brings clarity in the layout of the resume. Keeping only one font size in the entire resume is very boring.
iii)Do not use fancy font sizes, and colors to highlight your resume. The resume is meant to "Catch the attention of the employer for a purpose" and not to "Draw attention for a good laugh".
1)Choice of Words: The second most important aspect of your resume is to use a selection of words that create an impact. Strive to be different. Let the words you chose, represent you amongst the many number of resumes presented. The choices of words makes or break your presentation. For e.g. the word "Accomplished "is no longer the catch word. In today's world in order to climb up the ladder, accomplishment is a necessity and not a key strength. Instead use the word "Peak Performer". Another common word used in many resumes is "Result-Driven", well to speak the truth, employers no longer want result driven individuals, the new catch word instead is "Performance - Driven". The world today demands someone who can "Perform" irrespective of what the situation is.
2)Go In Accordance With the JOB DESCRIPTION: Another important and crucial step that would prove useful is to use words that are in sync with the Job Description. Look out for key words in the Job description, for instance if a profile demands an individual who "Has an eye for detail", you could possibly describe yourself as being very "Detail-Oriented", Conscientious. Go beyond the job-descriptions, highlight aspects by researching more about the Job Profile and mentioning requirements that are not mentioned in the Job Description.
3)Purpose: Very often, individuals tend to send the same resume to every possible job opening. whilst this step is time saving, it could prove to be disastrous to your job search. Before sending out your resume, make sure the resume is in accordance to the requirements demanded.
4)Lying: Adding an extra year or some months will seem to be a good idea at the moment. But the embarrassment and humiliation that follows when the truth is known is more awful. People who do so not only lose their jobs but also gains a bad reputation. And bad reputation is hard to get rid of.
5)Proof Read: Once you have written your resume, make sure you proof read it, not once, but twice. Often one tends to skip the minute details like spelling mistakes or simple grammatical errors in the first reading. And another important aspect is proof read your resume the day after you have written it. If you proof read it immediately there are higher chances that you would miss the errors. Once you have proof read your resume, ask a trusted friend or relative to read it and give you an honest feedback. Their feedback will again prove to be very useful to you. This is also an opportunity where typos, spelling mistakes etc can be noted and corrected.
Keep the above mentioned suggestions in mind and be sure to be noticed. Start your journey towards a path that you have always dreamt off.
Do opportunities just pass by you as your profile does not get noticed properly?
Do you feel stuck up in your present job, scared to move out because of lack of job offers?
If your answer is a yes to the above questions, then it is a major indication that there is a problem with the way your resume is written.
Before going further, have you tried finding out what the reason could be? If not, here are some findings that can prove to be very useful to you.
Several surveys conducted indicate that HR people discard a resume due toto two major reasons
1)Bad look
2)Irrelevant Content
Now, look back and check out these two important aspects in your resume. The above pointed indicators could throw some light as to why prospective employers have been ignoring your resume lately.
With this knowledge, it is time to take some action. There is an "Expert Resume Writing Services" on every job-site that claims to create a professionally drafted resumes. The irony is that these services always come with a rate list, whereas all you need to do is to follow some simple rules to create a better resume by yourself.
Here are few important and practical suggestions that will help you to draft a better resume, thus getting you the calls that you have been always waiting for.
Format of the Resume: This is the first and most important facet that you as a job seeker need to look into in order to catch the attention of the employer. Employers when looking out for a candidate, get a number of resume everyday and they have to select few better ones for interview. A resume that is uncluttered and properly formatted definitely catches the eye and prompts one to go through it. If you want to clear the first step of job selection, make sure that the information on your resume is not cluttered. Here are some handy tips which will help you understand the point mentioned above.
i) Never write in paragraphs; highlight your skills using bullet points. Nobody has the time to scan through the details to know about your key strengths, make them explicit.
ii)Make sure that the font used in your resume is universal. Common Fonts used for writing a resume are Times New Roman, Courier and Book man. The Side headings when highlighted in Bold catch the attention of the employer. Keeping font size as 12 or 11 for headings, with the remaining print being of font size 11 or 10 brings clarity in the layout of the resume. Keeping only one font size in the entire resume is very boring.
iii)Do not use fancy font sizes, and colors to highlight your resume. The resume is meant to "Catch the attention of the employer for a purpose" and not to "Draw attention for a good laugh".
1)Choice of Words: The second most important aspect of your resume is to use a selection of words that create an impact. Strive to be different. Let the words you chose, represent you amongst the many number of resumes presented. The choices of words makes or break your presentation. For e.g. the word "Accomplished "is no longer the catch word. In today's world in order to climb up the ladder, accomplishment is a necessity and not a key strength. Instead use the word "Peak Performer". Another common word used in many resumes is "Result-Driven", well to speak the truth, employers no longer want result driven individuals, the new catch word instead is "Performance - Driven". The world today demands someone who can "Perform" irrespective of what the situation is.
2)Go In Accordance With the JOB DESCRIPTION: Another important and crucial step that would prove useful is to use words that are in sync with the Job Description. Look out for key words in the Job description, for instance if a profile demands an individual who "Has an eye for detail", you could possibly describe yourself as being very "Detail-Oriented", Conscientious. Go beyond the job-descriptions, highlight aspects by researching more about the Job Profile and mentioning requirements that are not mentioned in the Job Description.
3)Purpose: Very often, individuals tend to send the same resume to every possible job opening. whilst this step is time saving, it could prove to be disastrous to your job search. Before sending out your resume, make sure the resume is in accordance to the requirements demanded.
4)Lying: Adding an extra year or some months will seem to be a good idea at the moment. But the embarrassment and humiliation that follows when the truth is known is more awful. People who do so not only lose their jobs but also gains a bad reputation. And bad reputation is hard to get rid of.
5)Proof Read: Once you have written your resume, make sure you proof read it, not once, but twice. Often one tends to skip the minute details like spelling mistakes or simple grammatical errors in the first reading. And another important aspect is proof read your resume the day after you have written it. If you proof read it immediately there are higher chances that you would miss the errors. Once you have proof read your resume, ask a trusted friend or relative to read it and give you an honest feedback. Their feedback will again prove to be very useful to you. This is also an opportunity where typos, spelling mistakes etc can be noted and corrected.
Keep the above mentioned suggestions in mind and be sure to be noticed. Start your journey towards a path that you have always dreamt off.
Related Tags: careers, self improvement, career management, cv writing
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