What is an Effective Resume?
An effective resume must make a good first impression. Of course, appearance is important. Typos and crumpled paper do not go over well with prospective employers.But content is even more crucial. The information in your resume needs to be well organized, easy to read and results-oriented.
An effective resume should:
- Address the employer’s needs. Think back to Ted’s yellow pages ad. You called him because he convinced you that he could solve your particular problem. Employers hire people who can fill specific needs. Communicate that you are that person.
- Show the employer how he/she will benefit. Stress your accomplishments and show the employer you an excellent prospect with talent to offer. Provide result-oriented data that proves you have handled previous jobs well and have consistently contributed to the success of the organization.
- Be clear and concise. Remember, employers sort through piles of resumes daily and typically devote about 30 seconds or less time to each one. Make your information clear, concise and easy to read.
- Organize you for job search. A good resume helps you focus on your accomplishments and career goals. It also helps organize your thoughts for potential job interviews. Once you have taken stock of yourself and realized all you have achieved and what you have to contribute, you will enter the job interview and networking process with much more confidence.
Don’t be intimidated
Writer’s block. It rears its ugly head at the most inopportune times, and never as frequently as for the resume writer.
You’re probably sitting there right now with a pencil or keyboard in hand, absolutely clueless, your mind a total blank.
It could be that you’re a recent graduate who’s just started your job search and have no idea where to begin. Perhaps you’re reentering the work force after some time off and don’t know how to explain that gap. Maybe you have been employed for 25 years and never dreamed at this point in your career you’d have to be marketing yourself to new employer. Or perhaps you’ve decided to change careers and don’t know how to apply your previous experience to your new career goal.
Whatever your situation, don’t be intimidated by that blank piece of paper of computer screen. Actually, it would be nearly impossible to this point to sit down and write – on first try – a perfect resume. Actually, you should not be writing anything. This is your “splat” time – the time to jot down any and everything that comes to mind when you think about your work and volunteer experience, your education, your special skills and your accomplishments.
Nobody said writing a resume was easy. Neither is giving birth or winning an Olympic medal. But the rewards are invaluable and worth all the effort. Don’t expect to finish this exercise in and hour or two. A well-prepared and well-written resume will take time and more than one draft. But if you follow the steps outlined below, your finished product will effectively present your skills and accomplishments, communicate benefits for the employers and address the employer’s specific needs. Your reward: to be included in the pile of “possible candidates.” So to write your resume you need to gather following information:
- Work Experiencef
- Volunteer Experience
- Education
- Certification, Licensing and Special Skills and Trainings
- Military Experience
- Memberships and Activities
- Awards and Honors
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