Posts Tagged ‘write’

How to Write a Resume That Stands Out From The Crowd

Tuesday, July 27th, 2010

Author: Rumki Sen

Today’s job market is competitive. Many companies receivehundreds of resumes a year, making it difficult for yours tostand out from the crowd. However, that should not keep you fromgetting interviews. The following 10 tips will help youlearn how to get employers to read your resume and get yourphone ringing.

1. Include a profile

Begin your resume with a profile, which contains a synopsis ofyour varied skills and educational qualifications. This profileshould match the particular job you want to apply for. Stateyour career objective clearly so that the reader gets an overallidea of your background and areas of expertise. Write thissection in such a manner that it immediately catches theattention of a hiring manager, and he calls you instead ofsomeone else.

2. Keep the resume short

No one has the time to go through elaborate detailing about yourpast jobs and experiences. Therefore, keep the resume short.Make a list of the most important jobs you have held and give abrief of your previous job-oriented experiences. However, in thecase of technical people, resumes can extend to three pages inorder to include relevant technical information.

3. Give more importance on content than on looks

One of the major mistakes people make while creating resumes isin the use of fancy fonts. Avoid using fancy fonts and do notchange font regularly throughout the resume. Changing fontsregularly will distract and confuse a hiring manager. Do not useunderlining or italics to add emphasis. Make your document eyeappealing so that your reader can review it with ease. Use whitepaper and make the thoughts flow smoothly.

4. Clearly identify your skills

Do not be modest in mentioning your skills. Clearly identifyingyour skills will distinguish you from the other job seekers andeventually help your potential employers to select you from therest. Remember, all you have to do is to stand out from thecrowd.

5. List your educational and professional qualifications

Include any relevant education or training that might relate.Provide details of only those qualifications that match yourcurrent job search. This will help you to get short-listed moreeasily.

6. Focus on your job responsibilities

Starting with your present position or most recent job, mentionthe title of every job you have held, along with the name of thecompany, the city and state, and the years you have workedthere. Under each position, make a list of your jobresponsibilities. Use descriptive verbs, such as created,increased, performed, initiated, developed, led, improved orreduced to begin each statement of your duties andaccomplishments. Producing a document that is well presented,detailed and targeted will attract the attention of your hiringmanager.

7. Add related qualifications and interests

Think about anything else that might qualify you for your jobobjective and place it at the bottom of your resume. It mayinclude licenses, certifications, awards and achievements, andsometimes even your hobbies and interests if they truly relate.If you seek a job in a music company, for example, stating onyour resume that you are a pianist will increase your chance toget that interview call.

8. Be honest with your resume

If you did not actually do what you said you did, it would becalled a lie. Numerous surveys show that job applicants lie mostfrequently about education and employment, particularly aboutjob responsibilities and dates of employment. Hiding gaps inemployment and jobs where they were forced to leave by therespective employers is also common. There are many risksinvolved in lying, but many job applicants do not seem to getthe message about the risks of lying. Once you are caught with alie, you will be fired then and there. So, DON”T lie – be honestwith your resume.

9. Always attach a covering letter

A cover letter is a letter of introduction that highlights yourkey achievements and skills and entitles you for a job opening.It reflects your communication skills and your personality. Themain purpose of this document is to introduce yourself in suchan interesting manner that the reader will not only continuereading your resume but also be willing to call you for aninterview.

If you want to create cover letters for any career situation,position, and job level, I recommend a unique resume/ coverletter tool on the Internet today called Amazing CoverLetter Creator. I recommend this tool, because it solvesthe frustrating problem job seekers have when trying to write aneffective resume cover letter. You can use it over and overagain for all your cover letter needs.

10. Proofread your resume

After you have finalized your employment documents, check themrepeatedly for errors in spelling, grammar, or punctuation.Spelling and grammatical errors can automatically disqualify aresume from consideration. If you make mistakes on youremployment documents, hiring managers might presume you will beequally careless on the job – no matter how important yourqualifications and experiences are. Proofread your resume andcover letter carefully.

Make your resume positive and completely error-free. If you areseeking two or three different positions, prepare two or threeseparate resumes, each tailored to the job you are targeting.Make your resume exclusive and unique so that it stands out fromthe crowd. Good luck for your career!

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/resumes-articles/how-to-write-a-resume-that-stands-out-from-the-crowd-633.html

About the Author
Rumki Sen is the founder of Perfect Editing Solutions (www.perfectediting.com), a professional firm providing Resume Writing, Proofreading and Copyediting services. Contact Rumki Sen at rumki@perfectediting.com