Guide to A Writing A Perfect Resume

Understanding as how to write a resume, is an important skill for surviving and blooming in todays fast and competitive job market. Your CV is the first impression you give to a potential employer. It can help you call for an interview or may lead to new job opportunities. Whether you are actively searching for a new job, or just want to update your existing resume, this article will guide you through the steps needed to make your resume prominent from the crowd.
Whether you want to move forward in your chosen field or you’re making a strong career change, a resume is a job search necessity. It will provide an overview of your experience and skills, and an impressive resume can help you make it passed the screening cut and on to the interview round for a new job. Spending time to complete your resume opens your job prospects in your future.
Resumes can be developed in different ways, but the most important is its perfectness and it must accurately reflect your qualifications and job experiences. Generally, resumes should be kept to around one page, as information over a page is often ignored. Consider furnishing a standard resume that you can twist according to the job descriptions regarding a position you would like to obtain. Customization can help you obtaining a job because you demonstrated that you are a “perfect match” for the company and the advertised position.Step 1:

Before You Write Your Resume

• Before you start constructing a resume, take time to think about your experience and what type of job you are looking for.
• If you’re re-entering an employment you may pick a different format than someone who has been working continuously.
• A recent university graduate will focus more on educational background than an experienced worker.
• If you are changing careers, you may opt for a different format than someone who is remaining in his current job.

Do Research in Your Industry

• The type of job you are applying for should influence the type of resume you write.

• Decide if there is a style of resume often used in your desired field, consider using it yourself.

• Look at sample resumes from other people in your company. Is there a section or format they are using? You may want to include it too!

Step 2:

Use these Resume Writing Tips
Be Honest

• It is important to address any gaps in employment than to try to hide them.

• Relying on your resume may get you into an interview, but you still have to go through a background and references check to land the job.

• If you state you can perform a task or undertake a position you don’t know, your lie eventually be disclosed.

Be Professional

• If your email address is funny and unprofessional, it may turn off potential employers.

• If necessary, create a new email address solely for resumes (and don’t forget to check it for responses!).

Be Concise

• Write everything you want to include on your resume. You can trim it down to one page later

• Note: If you have over 10 years of work experience, that is important and needs to be included, a resume of two pages is acceptable.

• Use easy-to-read fonts and a clear design to make your resume more appealing.

Step 3:

Write Your Resume’s Objective Statement

• After your personal information an objective statement is the first thing listed.

• The objective statement is a one or two sentences that sums up your current career goals.

• An objective statement is not always necessary in a resume but it can be a beneficial summary of what you’re looking for in a position.

• Your objective statement should relate to the job for which you are applying.

• Target your statement to the position. This is the first information on the page after your name and address, and it should make the case for you being the perfect person for the position you have applied

Step 4:

Choose a Resume Style
There are several types of resumes:

• Chronological
• Skills
• Functional
• Combination

Chronological or combination resumes
Chronological Resumes

• This is the most common type of resume and is widely used

• Lists your educational and work history in reverse chronological order.

• The general layout is as follows:

• Heading with personal information such as name, mailing address, Phone numbers and email address.

• Objective statement (if included).

• Career and skills summary (if included).

• Prepare chronological career listings which include employer names and locations.

• Educational background – school name, location and your grades.

• Recent graduates may place education ahead of their career listings.

• List what you achieved in various positions, not what your job responsibilities.

• Instead of writing that you improved customer relations, state that customer satisfaction increased 40% while you were in charge.

• Explain the size of the company you worked for, the number of people you supervised, and the size of any budgets you managed.

Skills Resumes

• Skills resumes allow you to group your work history by skills, not by dates or places of employment.

• This form of resume allows you to highlight the skills you think are most important as you can present your most relevant experience first, rather than your most recent position.

• This resume style can be particularly useful for someone who is re-entering the workforce, or entering the workforce for the first time, and does not have recent work experience.

• It is also well-suited for career changes, as you can list skills relevant to the job you want to obtain.

• Write a clear objective statement that ties your skills to the job you seek.

• Include a career summary that explains why you are changing careers or re-entering the workforce.

The general layout is as follows:

• Header with personal information which include your name, mailing address, phone numbers and e-mail address.

• Objective statement.

• Career summary.

• Skills groupings.

• List of places of employment including employers’ names, locations, and dates of employment.

• Educational background including your school name, location and grades).

• (Recent graduates may place education ahead of their skill groupings).

Functional Resumes

• A functional resume is similar in style to a skill-based resume, and can be helpful for recent graduates or people re-entering the workplace

• If you’ve held many jobs over a short period, a functional resume can help you avoid being pegged as a job-hopper.

• More and more people work in temporary and contract positions these days; a functional resume is another way to highlight the skills you used in these positions.

• This style lets you demonstrate how your previous work or educational experience has provided you with the appropriate background for the job they are trying to fill.

• You do not need to list your jobs in chronological order. Place the most relevant jobs first.

• There is no need to list every job you have held in the career listing section. Only list relevant jobs

• List all your employers in the short employment history section.

• Include an objective statement that ties the disparate resume elements together.

The general layout is as follows:

• Header with personal information including name, address, phone numbers, email

• Objective statement.

• Career and skills summary.

• Career listings, by relevancy to desired position.

• Employment history (List all employers here, with dates of employment).

• Educational background (School name, location and your GPA).

• Recent graduates may place education ahead of their career listings.

Step 5:

Tailor Your Resume

• Make sure your resume will stand out in your chosen field.

• It is common to have a resume tailored to each position you are applying for, instead of using a “one size fits all” model.

• Your resume should highlight why you are qualified for the position.

• Remove extraneous information. Do not detail every job experience you have had if it does not relate to the job you’re pursuing.

• Remember, you want your resume to be only one page (two if you have enough business experience that the extra information is important and relevant)!

Step 6:

Polish Your Resume

• Now that you’ve entered your information and tailored it to your industry, it’s time to polish your resume!

• Always check for typos and grammatical errors. Then check again and have a friend proofread it. These types of mistakes are easy to fix, and make a big difference in whether or not an employer will consider you for a job!

• Do not use “I” or “me” because the reader already knows the resume is about your accomplishments.

• Employers often scan or upload resumes into electronic databases. For this reason, simpler formatting is the better route to take:

• Try to avoid using tables.

• Use spaces instead of tabs to separate sections.

• Avoid italics, underlining and shadowed text.

• On that note, perfumed paper, curlicue fonts, and pretty images are all no-nos. You want your resume to stand out, but not for these reasons.

• A simple left-justified resume is easiest to read.

• Only include college and graduate school when listing your education. The fact that you won a spelling bee in first grade will not help you land a job interview!

• Do not include your height, weight or age; this information is not necessary and will only irritate potential employers.

• Remove out-of-date terms and technology. Being able to change typewriter ribbons is not a hot skill today.

• Unless specifically requested to do so by the job posting, do not include references on a resume. You can provide these later during the interview process.

Conclusion
Congratulations! You now have a great resume. Though your new resume won’t guarantee you a job interview, you’ve allowed your best attributes to be presented. Another useful tool is to write a great cover letter. Please do not forget to send a cover letter along with your CV as this will give a good impression and will be an advantage and support your CV as a brief of your whole resume.