worksheet

Introduction ➢ xv
Gives you a sense of security. It’s a good idea to always have an updated resume on hand.
You never know when you will want to seek a better job or just a change. Also, in case you
unexpectedly lose your job, it is wise to have your resume updated and ready.
Can be used as a calling card. It’s there when you want to conduct informational interviews
to test potential opportunities. (See Chapter 14, Networking.)
WRITING AN EFFECTIVE RESUME
Most positions generate hundreds of resume responses. How can employers read them all? They
can’t! What they will do is scan the resumes. You sometimes have less than fifteen seconds to make
that all-important first impression. That is why your resume has to stand out! Even in today’s hightech
market where many resumes are actually evaluated by a computer, when ultimately chosen,
your resume will be read by the hiring manager and it must be written to impress.
To ensure that your resume stands out in the crowd, concentrate on the three most essential factors
in writing your resume:
Select Your Most Powerful and Impressive Information
Selectivity is the key to writing a strong resume. You have only one chance to make a first impression,
so you have got to give it your best shot. Don’t bore the reader with endless facts about your
past employment. Your resume is not an obituary or biography. It’s an ad. Like an ad, write to
impress. Present only the most significant information about your professional experience.
What is your most significant and impressive information? What information answers the employer’s
primary question: Why should I hire you?
Your resume must communicate: I will be an asset to your organization. It should reveal you as a
problem solver with important benefits to offer.
Be concise. Focus only on your achievements and skills that are required for the job you are seeking.
Eliminate any extra information that detracts from emphasizing what the job requires. In the
case of a resume, less is more.
How does one know which skills and benefits to highlight and select? Do research. Find out what
sort of problems come with the job. Find out the qualifications the employer is looking for. Talking
to personnel and reading the want ads carefully will give you a sufficient idea. Demonstrate to the
employer that you are just the person he or she is looking for.
Write with Impact
Use action verbs to describe your accomplishments. Action verbs conjure up a positive image in the
employer’s mind and give you an advantage. Action verbs describe you as a person who gets things
accomplished.
Action verbs are also more concise and make your resume more readable. A detailed discussion of
action verbs and how to use them appears in Chapters 6 and 7.
For electronic resumes, the name of the game is “keywords.” These are usually nouns, buzzwords,
or catch phrases used to describe your job and level of proficiency. Chapter 13 will show you how
to select powerful keywords.
Use an Eye-Catching Layout
The best resumes are one page long. If you have many years of experience, you may require two
pages. But under no circumstances should a resume be longer than two pages. The more concise
the better. Your most pertinent information should stand out with either all caps (capital letters),
boldface, or italics. You may also use bullets ( ) to draw the reader’s attention to significant information.