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THE BASICS
Q: Why do I need a resume?
A: A resume is your introduction, your first impression. It is very important to make sure that your resume is perfect. Your resume should depict you in the best possible way. The resume is what gets the interview, and the interview is what lands you the job. Don’t let those hard interview questions cost you the job. Be prepared! Make sure you know about the company you are interviewing with. It is important to do your research on the company.
Now that you know why you need a resume, let’s focus on what goes in a resume. Most people think a resume is just about job history. WRONG! A resume is about marketing. You want to market yourself to your potential employer. Just like a commercial on television highlights (in 30 seconds) its strengths and assets, so should your resume. You want your potential employer to know your previous accomplishments, and how they are relevant to the work you plan to do in the future.
There are a few sample resumes on this site, and many more to come. Check back regularly for more great samples, and job search tips.
How To Assess Your Resume - job.com
Will Your Resume Stand Out In A Crowd? A top quality resume is essential to your success. Is it good enough to grab an employer’s attention? Companies have hundreds vying for every job. This quiz was compiled by Robin Ryan based on hiring surveys, employer interviews, and experience in helping numerous people create eye catching resumes that landed jobs.
Take this quiz to see if your resume would be picked out of the competition.
- ____ Is your resume one page? Brief and concise works best. Employers scan resumes with a 15-20 second glance. Be a skillful editor, deleting the portions which are not relevant or at least helpful to your securing that particular position. Emphasize your more recent experience in the last 5 - 7 years. Use different resumes to target different job titles.
- ____ Does your resume describe results and accomplishments? Employers want proof that you can do the job. Specifics that demonstrate your accomplishments are crucial. Show what you have increased or decreased, how you saved money, and contributed to the productivity and bottomline.
- ____ Is your resume visually appealing? The appearance of the resume cannot be overemphasized! Use high quality paper. Watch for spacing and margins. Allow for lots of WHITE SPACE and BORDERS. Make use of italicizing, CAPITALS, underlining, bolding, indentations, and bullets to emphasize your important points. Use a computer and get a laser printed copy of your resume to give it a sharp professional look. PROOFREAD - make your resume a perfect example of you!
- ____ Does your resume include a Summary of Qualifications section? This 5 - 6 sentence section will triple your impact. It includes your experience and your top selling points to do the job.
- ____ Are you starting each sentence with an action verb? Begin sentences with descriptive action verbs - such as established, analyzed, implemented, designed, organized - they add power to your sentences.
- ____ Is your tone positive, excluding personal statistics and abbreviations? Spell out names of schools, cities and abbreviations completely. It is more professional to give complete information, as employers may not recognize abbreviations or acronyms. Never state why you left a position. It is no longer considered professional or wise to include information about marital status, gender, height, weight, or health on your resume
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