Write A Great Resume: 10 Strategies That Work
Learning to write an effective resume is a life skill most people cannot afford to ignore.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median tenure for most professionals is about 4 years. For employees between the ages of 25 and 34, the median tenure is only 2.9 years.
Since most of us will change jobs a number of times in our career, we need to become proficient at selling ourselves and writing an effective resume.
Consider this: According to Career Builders? Resume 2007 survey, on average, hiring managers receive 50 resumes for each and every job opening. Due to the sheer number of applicants, many managers skim and sort the resumes into ?no go,? ?maybe,? and ?looks promising? piles.
Only resumes that are well-organized, easy-to-read, and specifically targeted to the position survive the cut.
Assuming a candidate has the relevant job experience, professional resume writers know what it takes to keep resumes in the ?maybe? or ?looks promising? piles. Here are the ten strategies resume professionals use ? and you can too.
1. Resumes that make a good first impression emphasize specific accomplishments. Did you increase sales by 40%? Manage a team that introduced a profitable new product? Create and implement a money or time-saving process? Use specific examples to highlight your accomplishments.
2. Just as you would highlight your strongest points in an interview, do so in your resume. To catch the hiring manager?s attention, put your strongest achievements and qualifications at the top of your resume in a special highlights section.
3. Translate skills and prior job experience into benefits for the prospective employer. Example:
Job Description:
Responsible for buying ladies? accessories and jewelry.
Better Job Description:
Introduced line of ladies? accessories that increased department sales by 31%.
Negotiated exclusive contact with sought-after ladies? jewelry vendor that increased department sales by 28%.
4. Include only relevant job experience. If your resume is padded, most hiring managers will assume you aren?t qualified for the job.
5. Don?t try to be all things to all people. What are your top 3 skills? Focus on those.
6. Read the job description carefully. Note the keywords and use them to focus your resume. Example: If the job title is A/R, A/P Manager, don?t describe yourself as a bookkeeper.
7. Use an eye-catching, easy-to-read format. Include headings, bold print and bullets. Search online for free, downloadable, user-friendly resume templates.
8. Write a different resume for each job skill/position. Resumes are definitely not one-size-fits-all. Make sure both your cover letter and resume focus on the skill set highlighted in the job description.
9. To paraphrase JFK ? tell not what the company can do for you; tell what you can do for the company.
10. Finally, proof and double-proof your resume. Given the competition, just one or two typos may eliminate a candidate from consideration.
We?ve all heard it before: ?You only get one chance to make a first impression.? If you use the ten strategies outlined above, one chance is all you?ll need. Write a great resume and feel confident in your job search. Good luck!
Dede Perkins writes on a number of subjects for a number of industries. She also runs a copywriting business, http://www.afewgoodwords.com and helps her clients increase sales by clarifying and communicating their marketing messages.
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How To Write A Resume Using Your Resume to Secure Your Dream Job
Most of us have the misconception that our curriculum vitae or resume is just a simple document that lists our educational/work background and contact information. However, if you really want to land the job of your dreams, you must learn how to write a resume professionally.
10 Tips For Writing A Winning Resume
Your resume (or curriculum vitae), combined with the cover
letter, are the master keys to opening the prospective
employer's mind and door so that you can proceed to the
next step in the process - the big interview!RESUME WRITING TIPS AND STRATEGIESHere are 10 valuable tips for anyone writing their own
resume, or who is having someone else write one for them.
These tips and strategies are an abridged version of what
is contained in my new eBook, "Instant Home Writing Kit".
Local Business to Offer Internet-based Resume Writing and Job Search Services
Service provides in-person or online resume / cover letter writing, resume posting, resume / recruiter distribution, job search services, interview and career coaching, executive biographies, application essays, and similar writing projects.
Resume Writing Business Opportunity
Why Get Into a Resume Business?I was stuck at my job and barely covering my monthly expenses. I was working 45+ hours per week and had no time for my family or to relax.
Newspaper Publisher Secures Top Resume/Job-Search Expert for Career Column
Highly credentialed career expert, Teena Rose, becomes columnist for Ohio Publishing Company.
7 Tips for Writing Winning Resume Cover Letters
Writing a good resume cover letter is something you should seriously consider when preparing to send off your resume to potential employers.Here are seven important cover letter writing tips:Address the individual by name.
Your Resume is Just One of the Tools in Your Job Search
A resume is a tool. It allows employers to see what skills you have and what benefits you bring to the table.
How To Write A Resume, Avoid These Resume Mistakes
HOW TO WRITE A RESUME-MISTAKE #1NEVER USE THE WRONG PAPER!
What kind of paper should you choose when typing your resume? The color of paper you will want to use will be white or ivory. You will also want to type your resume on a heavier paper, such as a 20 lb.
Facelift for Resumes Offers Hope for Job Seekers, says Resume Writing Service
Professional Pixie Dust from Resume Writing Service Can Help You Land a Job
The Interviewable Resume
It is rumored that the only word William Shakespeare wrote on his resume was "Available." We'll probably never know if that is true.
Optional Resume Sections: Deciding When (And Which) to Include
Writing a resume can be complicated if you?re not sure how to convey the message that you?re the right person for the job A good way to get this accomplished, however, is by choosing the right sections to include in your resume
Resurrecting the Perfect Resume, Part Two
Are you in denial about the lifelessness of your resume? If you are reasonably qualified for the type of work you seek, yet your resume is consistently failing to win you interviews, then you need to face the reality that your beloved document is dead.
Try these professional resume writing techniques to resurrect your resume and your job search today:
Problem #3: Resume Is Blind
In your eagerness to cut your job search work load have you reduced your objective statement to something grandiose and vague, something that you hope speaks to every employer but which, in fact, communicates to none? A resume with no focus is blind; without a clear focus in your resume an employer cannot perceive what you're offering them; without a conci...
Write Resume Keywords That Gets Your Application Read
As children we often used to read stories where magical words can open caves filled with treasures or magicians using words like abracadabra..
Resume Writing Service Marketing
Marketing A Resume BusinessWhen starting a resume business, your marketing campaign is the most important aspect of your business plan. Without clients being able to find your services, you will not have orders! We suggest starting out with local advertising.
CollegeRecruiter.com First Major Job Board to Kill Resume Searching
CollegeRecruiter.com, the leading job board for college students searching for internships and recent graduates hunting for entry level jobs and other career opportunities, today announced that it will no longer offer resume searching to its clients because of the identity theft and other security concerns affecting the job board industry.
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