Resume preparation continues to be among the most popular Business Writing Topics. There are obvious reasons for this, but chief among them is the understandable desire of job seekers to compose resumes that will actually help them secure a job interview.
That said, writing an effective resume calls for a certain amount of creative self-marketing; however, it is not uncommon for many resume writers to carry this to the extreme.
Granted, job seekers should look for ways to enhance their attractiveness to prospective employers, but artificially beefing up a work background through “resume embellishment” is not an advisable tactic, especially in today's Business Climate.
The fact of the matter is that the most effective resumes are those that are logical, factual and defensible. And the best way to assure this is by approaching resume preparation as one would approach any other kind of Business Writing, i.e., as a process that involves planning, drafting, editing and revision.
Start by gathering all relevant information about your work history. Be sure to accurately chronicle your background, but do not bog yourself down with too many details. Remember, a resume is a Marketing Tool, so stick with the highlights. There will be ample opportunities to elaborate on pertinent details during the interview process.
If you are highly experienced, concentrate on your most recent duties and accomplishments that are most relevant to the job you are seeking. For less experienced job seekers, focus on accomplishments through academics, public service, internships, or in part-time and summer jobs.
Of course, you will want to have your resume “shine”. However, this should be done by the way you organize and format things as opposed to overselling or being coyly vague in describing your our past duties, responsibilities, and accomplishments.
Be mindful that in a competitive job market, it is tempting for job seekers to rationalize such dubious resume practices as necessary tactics for getting hired. Unfortunately, too many resume writers use this as an excuse for being outright untruthful.
The fact of the matter is that employers know how to evaluate resumes, and if a job seeker lies or distorts the truth about his or her background, it will probably be “sniffed out”. Aside from the ethical considerations, is it worth the risk of sabotaging your employment chances because of an over-hyped work history?
Fortunately, there exists innumerable desktop and online resources to help you sort through the process of composing legitimate and winning resumes. By all means, do your homework and check these out. It is a always a good idea to review or reacquaint yourself with this process, regardless of your experience level.
As you draft your resume, here are ten key tips to remember:
1. Keep your resume short and focused.
Two pages is the norm, but three pages is not unusual for significantly experienced job seekers. On the same note, a resume longer than three pages is arguably too long and needs further editing. If you absolutely cannot distill things down, then consider preparing a "Resume Addendum" to be presented during the initial job interview.
2. State your job objective clearly and succinctly.
If you are applying for a specific position, use that job title. On the other hand, if you are mass-mailing your resume to many prospective employers, use job titles that are descriptive and universal.
As an example, “Customer Service Representative” is more meaningful than “A position that allows me to use my people skills in a challenging and dynamic work environment”.
3. Use action words to list your skills and accomplishments.
Bullet points followed by such verbs as Managed, Devised, Created, Organized, Accomplished, etc. are much more apt to pique the interests of prospective employers than wordy sentences starting with “I”.
4. Edit out superfluous words and self-descriptors.
Terms such as “Self-starter”, “Excellent Communicator”, “High Work Load Capacity”, etc. are basically boilerplate and have little impact. After all, what job seeker would not describe themselves in these terms, whether they are true self-characterizations or not?
5. Resist using fancy fonts, photos, or colorful paper.
Keep things simple and easy to read. For paper resumes, white Bond Paper matched with a font such as “Courier” remains the standard. For on line resumes, follow the posting directions explicitly. As far as photos? Why should these matter?
6. Use a Chronological Format organized in descending order of job duties.
Functional Resumes have merit, but these should only be used by job seekers who are changing careers or are applying for specialized jobs that are apart from the mainstream employment process, e.g. Performer, Artist, Freelancer, Explorer.
7. When posting your resume on an on line Job Service, be cautious.
Obviously, these services have become popular and useful resources for job seekers. By all means avail yourself of these resources if you so choose, just be aware of where your posted resume may be going. If privacy is an issue for you, and it should be in these times, be aware that your resume may end up in places not of your choosing.
8. Do not include personal data outside of contact information.
Resume items such as Marital Status, Health, Military Service, National Origin, etc. were once normal inclusions in resumes, but no longer, as this information can be potentially exclusionary in nature.
9. Only include "References On Request" if you actually have references.
References can be important, but they must be secured first. If you do not have references, omit this item from your resume, but be prepared to address this issue later in the hiring process, if asked.
10. Be truthful and accurate. An embellished resume can be very transparent, and thus harmful to your employment chances.
Good Luck!
Related Links:
www.free-resume-tips.com/10tips.html
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/resumetips/Resume_Tips.htm
http://www.resume-resource.com/examples.html
Jack
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