How to Put Together a Resume

A lot of people seem to feel that putting together a resume is like taking medicine: unpleasant but necessary. Many would argue that "frustrating" and "painful" come closer to the mark. Why? Because you're being asked to write a compelling one-page sales piece, with you as the merchandise. If you're Phi Beta Kappa, editor of the school newspaper, a member of the debating and track teams, and you've held a number of interesting, challenging part-time and summer jobs, putting together your resume is something you probably look forward to. However, if your accomplishments are somewhat more typical, preparing a resume can be scary. After all, the companies that see it only know what that piece of paper tells them. Until you're interviewed, you are the information and impressions that your resume conveys.

Your resume has one goal: to get you interviews. Unfortunately, the people who will review your resume will also review lots of others. So yours has to be as good as it can. It has to make the strongest possible case for your candidacy, creating an image that will make people want to meet you. There are many ways to put together a resume that will achieve this objective, but no easy, cut-and-dried formula to get you there. However, the right guidelines can take you a good part of the way. The rest depends on you—the things you've done; your ability to describe them clearly, briefly, and impressively; and your willingness to make the effort that preparing a first-rate resume requires.

GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS

1. The people who see your resume will spend less than one minute taking a first, and
possibly last, look at it. To stand out from the rest, it must be organized, written, and
designed in a way that makes it easy to read, emphasizes the most important things
you've done, and makes the reader feel you're special.

2. Write your own resume if you can. It will help get you ready for interviews by forcing
you to decide what you do and don't want potential employers to know about you, and
by making you write about the things you've done as clearly, briefly, and favorably as
you can. If you use a resume writing service, there's a good chance that the people who
see your resume will know it, which may hurt you. Why? Because resumes prepared by
professional services don't always look and sound like the work of college seniors. If

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the people who read your resume feel that you didn't write it, they're likely to conclude that you don't have much faith in yourself. They may also have doubts about your ability to organize information, your ability to write, and whether your resume accurately describes your activities and the jobs you've held.

Are there any circumstances in which you should use a resume writing service? There sure are. Let's say you've tried to write your resume. Several times. You've shown the latest draft to friends and family, and nobody likes it very much, especially you. Your resume just doesn't look good, it doesn't read well, and it doesn't begin to do you justice. You need help. Badly. A resume writing service is probably the best place to get it. If the resume they write isn't too well crafted and doesn't contain too many words that you wouldn't use, you'll probably come away with a resume that'll work.

3. Whatever you have to say about yourself, say it on one page. If you must use more than
one page, have very good reasons for doing so. Because if the first page isn't especially
impressive, the chances are excellent that prospective employers won't want to see the
second.

4. Writing a first-rate resume takes time, effort, more time, and more effort. So plan to
write several drafts before you're done. When you've completed each draft, set it aside
for a day or two, then read it carefully and revise it as needed.

5. Always lead with your strongest suit. The most important sections of your resume will
probably be your education, your work experience, and your school-related and
community-related activities. Start your resume with the оце that's most likely to
impress potential employers. It will increase your chances of creating a favorable
impression, of getting people to keep reading, and of making them want to look more
closely at the things you've said and done.

6. Limit yourself to the things you've done well. Your resume is not a candid list of your
strengths and weaknesses, of the good and the bad choices you've made. It's a sales
pitch, and while it should be factual, it should also be selective. The only information it
contains should be information that makes you attractive and strengthens your
candidacy. It should never contain anything that doesn't.

7. Write sentences that are brief, clear, and informative. Short sentences are easier to read,
follow, and understand than long ones. They can also create a more favorable
impression.

8. Whether it's short or long, every sentence must be clearly written. The person reading your resume should be able to process the information in each sentence quickly and easily. Businesses want people who can communicate clearly, and will keep

HOW TO PUT TOGETHER A RESUME

looking till they find them.

9. Each sentence gives you a chance to tell potential employers more about yourself, to
flesh out and strengthen the image you're trying to create. So make each sentence count.
Make it informative. And use it to tell the reader something about you that she hasn't
already learned.

10. Use the past tense to describe your work experience and activities. Remember, you're
writing about things you've already done. Exceptions are activities you're doing now
and a job you currently hold, which should be described in the present tense.'

11. Don't use the word "Г to begin sentences that describe things you've done. Instead,
begin with words that convey action: for example, created, formed, initiated, developed,
assisted, directed, designed, collaborated, implemented, advised, supervised,
established, assembled, organized, prepared, conducted, and evaluated.

12. Never underestimate the power of appearance. How your resume looks can determine
whether it's read or discarded. So take the time to design a resume that's visually
inviting.

13. No matter how well written, organized, and visually appealing you feel your resume is,
get at least one person whose judgment about written material you respect to critique it.
Someone who's good will almost always have suggestions that will make your resume
better.

14. Don't send out a resume that isn't spotless—no smudges, no coffee stains, no random
spots. And make sure your grammar, spelling, and punctuation are on the mark. They're
a first hurdle, and if you fail to take it cleanly, there's a chance that you'll take yourself
out of contention no matter what else your resume says.

Date: 2015-02-28; view: 1509