A resume is a condensed format of personal achievements and qualifications. It is the initial communication with a potential employer. A good resume is the first step in identifying and pursuing a career opportunity. The most important consideration when drafting a resume is to determine whether it will create the desired impression on a recruiter, enough for him to schedule an interview.
A resume is essentially a mode of communication between the candidate and the employer. It is expected to effectively communicate the candidate’s achievements and strengths. The resume should be planned and documented in such a way that it highlights every important detail that is relevant to the job at hand. It should make available, at a glance, a complete picture of the candidate and the special skills and abilities he has to offer the organization.
Differentiate Yourself
There is a difference between a resume for a sales job and one for a management position. In order to make the resume effective, the candidate should highlight his areas of interest, achievements, skills and abilities, in line with the job being applied for. While a salesperson should emphasize sales volume and targets achieved, an academic should emphasize his academic achievements and special honors received. The abilities and special achievements should be highlighted in a way that the candidate’s profile and the job requirements match perfectly.
Making An Impression
The most significant part of a resume is the top quarter. This part offers details on the identity of the candidate and his professional qualifications at a glance. A powerful headline helps in defining and distinguishing a candidate from others. The headline should be followed by information on special skills and expertise that makes him suitable for that particular position. The headline and details should be job specific and easily modified. The personal details furnished should be complete, leaving no room for a lapse in communication if you are chosen for the job.
Market Yourself
Marketing yourself and selling your ability to execute the duties assigned to the best of your ability is very important and should be kept in mind while drafting the resume. A candidate should be able to promote himself. After highlighting the academic and other achievements, you should sell personal achievements that distinguish you from the other contenders. Your efforts that highlight the leadership qualities in you should be mentioned. Knowledge of regional or foreign languages adds value, especially if the job involves national or overseas travel.
The Last Opportunity
The cover letter is an opportunity to impress the employer with your writing skills. The cover letter should be drafted in a way that it markets your abilities and suitability for the position. It should be a sincere effort to offer your services to the organization and should provide a brief snapshot of what you have to offer.
Your resume provides you with an opportunity for an interview with the employer. You should address your resume, complete with a cover letter, to a particular person rather than just a department. This ensures that the resume reaches the person in charge of recruiting, rather than in the in-box of a department. It is also the safest way of making sure that the resume and enclosed photocopies, if any, are not misplaced.

If chosen carefully, a professional resume writer can give you the resume you need to get the job you want.And if you currently unemployed and you haven’t already done so, by all means – file for unemployment.

1. Style – Your resume should be neat and without spelling errors.  It should be easy to read with your experience and education listed in reverse chronological order. If you have a large amount of previous work experience that list on those that are most relevant to the potential job. Do not get too fancy with the fonts; keep it simple 10 or 12 pitch, Times or Ariel.  Your name and contact information including email should be bolded and at the top of the resume.

Hint – the eye naturally goes to the margins of the paper so use the left margin to   list your employer and the right to list the dates of employment.

2. Skills – Review your resume to make sure that the potential employer can clearly see the relation your skill set has to a potential position.  Make sure that the applicable skills that you may possess are detailed in your past job duties.  The goal here is to let the employer imagine you performing the duties of the proposed job.  You need to position yourself as the best match.

Hint – if you are new to the job market or have been forced to job hunt due to career change or other circumstance and think you many not have the required job skills; then you should do a transferable skills assessment.  You can easily do this by taking a piece of pager and listing the tasks that you performed in your previous job and then the skills that were required to complete these tasks (example Task – discuss financial statements with supervisor, Skill use – presenting written and oral information clearly or Task – responsible for showing clerk the filing system, Task – train and supervise staff)

3. Significance – The employer should also see your potential worth and the benefit of employing you above all other applicants.  I recommend that you place a summary of qualifications at the top of the resume.  This should be a short summary of your skills and accomplishment that will indicate your previous successes and how you will positively impact this new organization.

Hint – List the major strengths that you have previously demonstrated such as leadership, goal driven or a specific knowledge or ability in a particular field. Use action verbs such as; attained, detailed, minimized, redesigned, represented, won, etc…

In summary take time to plan your resume and when you compose it employ the guidelines that I have detailed in this article. Review your resume several times before you submit it to a potential employer. If you are confident that your resume is appropriately styled, listing your relevant skills and if the reader can clearly imagine the significance of employing you that submit it. Need more help?  Please visit www.helpgetjob.com to conduct a job search, review additional tips and to use our free resume builder can assist you further.