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10 Resume Tips
Your resume is your ambassador
to the work world. It functions for you 24 hours a day, opening doors to
opportunities you didn't even know existed. But not all resumes are alike
or are used alike today with all the electronic means available to reach
your potential employer. Here are the most important issues to consider
as you prepare your resume to represent you in the marketplace:
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Write your resume
in your own words. It may be challenging - especially if writing ranks
among your least favored activities - but if you write your own resume
and don't hand it off to someone else you'll be able to be sharp in your
interview. No embarrassment not knowing what the resume expert meant when
he wrote that smart phrase on your resume! If you do hire an expert to
help you, work closely with that person to be sure your resume realistically
reflects your abilities and your vocabulary.
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Put your best foot
forward. People remember what they see first and last, so place your least
important information in the middle. Have an objective or a key word summary
or both in the beginning of your resume and end your document with strong
content - such as your educational background.
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Tell war stories.
Make a list of all the work or volunteer experiences you have had that
support your candidacy for the job. Select the best ones and write them
so that they show what Problems you've solved, Actions you've taken to
do this, and the bottom line Results you've achieved. For example:
Managed the design,
equipment selection, installation, and start-up of a four-aisle, man-aboard
storage and order-picking system 35 feet high and 120 feet long, handling
6,000 items. Project was completed on time within the $400,000 budget.
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Use resume etiquette.
The word resume does not belong any place on the document. Never use "I"
to start out a sentence. The language of your resume should be specific,
clear, succinct, positive, and exciting. Make it easy for someone to contact
you. Of course references are available. Don't use valuable resume real
estate to say this.
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Know what format
to use. The two most commonly used and accepted resume formats are the
chronological and the functional. Often elements of both are combined.
A chronological resume is most widely used and preferred by recruiters
and interviewers. It is good for someone with a consistent work history.
A functional resume focuses attention on your accomplishments and is often
used more successfully if you are trying to change careers or industries
or to downplay gaps in your career.
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Tell the truth. If
you lie about your education, job experience or any other element of your
work history, you will probably live to regret it. True stories abound
of professionals receiving awards, only to have their careers ruined when
research revealed that portions of their resumes were fabricated. On the
other hand, if a job title you had does not adequately reflect the work
you really did, clarify it. "Clerical Assistant" does not tell the scope
of responsibilities as well as "Meeting Planning Coordinator."
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Know your audience.
Your resume and every interaction in your job search should answer the
question to the employer - "Why should I hire you?" Communicate the information
necessary to evaluate your ability to do the job. Use language that is
appropriate to the industry or field, but be aware that extreme jargon
may not speak to those who are intermediaries between you and the ultimate
hiring manager.
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Get some objective
feedback. Have others who have not worked as closely with the resume as
you have read it for accuracy and typographical errors before you submit
it. Ask questions about whether the resume communicates what you intended.
Does your resume support your claim of being qualified for the job? Does
it address the requirements of a specific job description you're after?
Does it need to be modified to fit the situation exactly?
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Know your parts of
speech. Action verbs are the bedrock of good writing. Use them liberally
throughout your resume to communicate your accomplishments: Developed,
streamlined, pioneered, implemented, produced - use your word processor's
thesaurus to identify alternatives so that you don't need to repeat yourself.
Key words are nouns demonstrating essential skills that are most effective
for electronic formats, scanned by computers who are the first line screeners:
Operations manager, project planning, data analysis. Use a KeyWord Summary
at the top of your resuming, choosing the top 20 or 30 words that represent
your abilities.
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Hit the highlights.
Remember that your resume is only one element of your job search strategy.
It's important and needs to get you in the door, yet cover letters, email
and fax communications and telephone interactions will extend the conversation
and add further evidence of your ability to do the job. Be prepared to
give more detail later. Think of your resume as your personal brochure.
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