Write an eye-catching resume – The 1 Mistake Everybody Makes
They sell themselves short.
Your resume is an advertisement for you. Don’t sell yourself short.
Make it your prospective employer’s job easy and give them a reason to call you in for an interview. Actually, give several! Tailor your resume to the job description for the position(s) that you are seeking. Show exactly how you
r capabilities and accomplishments particularly satisfy the employer’s requirements.
If you have a qualification that doesn’t fit under any of the usual categories, list it anyway — create a category. List computer languages and software experience and be as specific as possible. Quantify, quantify, quantify (those things that are a direct result of your work. Example: “As an administrator, I was responsible for increasing federal grants to my academic institution by 110% in a 2-year period.)
What exactly are the standard parts of the resume mentioned earlier? Component by component they are:
Personal Information
While these two words may bring all kinds sordid tidbits to mind, all they really refer to in the context of your resume are your name and address. At the top center of the page, write your name (no title), address, phone number and e-mail or fax if you have those.
You need not include: social security number, marital status, age, race, religion, health, citizenship, a second mailing address, or parts of your name that you never use (for example a middle name.)
Profile
This is also known as a “summary.” Some resume-writing guides will refer to this statement as your “objective;” however, a profile statement is much more impressive. An “objective” describes what you are looking for in a job or what you want the job to do for you, whereas the “profile” details what you have to offer your prospective employer, what you can do for him/her. This section is a concise and succinct list of your skills, in order of most to least relevant. Refer back to your self-assessment and the list of action words and try to match your skills with the specific job requirements. Remember that this is the first thing that the hiring official will read and that those first 30 seconds are crucial. Don’t hesitate to “sell yourself” by highlighting all of your strengths.
Education/Honors
List the name of the institutions, degrees, dates awarded and honors and awards (GPA higher than a 3.5 is appropriate to include.) Begin with the most recent and work your way back. Emphasize items like collaborative or group-related experience, communication skills, and the ability to work according to a deadline.
Work Experience
There are two ways to list this information:
Functional: Arrange experience by skill to highlight your abilities. Sample headings: leadership, computer skills, publications, etc. This style focuses on results and achievements.
Chronological: The most common format for resumes. Start with your most recent position and work your way back. Remember your ABCs:
- Achievements— Tangible end-results. Quantify these whenever possible by citing figures like monetary funds saved, efficiency improved, sales increased, etc. that show a direct result from your work.
- Benefits— How does your job experience make you uniquely qualified for this position? How will you satisfy this prospective employer’s needs?
- Capabilities— What and how will you deliver? A sample resume featuring each kind of format is available at the end of this tutorial.
Related Activities/Additional Information
Use this final section to highlight any related academic, professional or community organizations in which you hold office or additional information. Describe in detail leadership roles. Computer software, languages or knowledge may be listed here (or even given their own separate heading if applicable.) In some cases you may wish to indicate willingness to travel or relocate. The key to this section is that items be relevant to the position you are seeking. Otherwise, do not include them.
