How to Write a Good Resume

In today’s competitive job market it is really important to have a good resume. But that does not mean you should pay someone to write a resume for you. You can and should do it your self. It is really quite easy to create a good resume. Most likely your computer word processing software has a template you can use as an outline. Or you can find a template or outline on the internet. You basically just need a summary of your work history, education and credentials. The work history should be in chronological order, with your most recent position listed first. List the name of the company you worked for, your job title, the dates of employment and a brief summary of your daily duties in that position. Continue to list your previous jobs in this manner. Be sure to provide accurate dates, preferably with a month and year, so that the reader will know if you worked at that particular position for 2 months or two years. You should also list your education and your credentials if you have vocational credentials. It is a good idea to make sure your computer skills are listed on your resume too, be sure to list all the software you can use, or at least the basics such as Microsoft Word, Excel and/or Outlook as well as any specialty software which might be appropriate to the work you are looking for.

Be mindful of using graphics or headers for you contact information, i.e. name, address and phone number. Very often companies use software to scan and store your resume; such software may not be able to “read” and store graphics and headers. I recommend you use a regular font for your name, address and contact information and not a graphic or header.

It is essential that you spell check your resume and also check for proper grammar. Remember, spell check may not catch all your errors. For example, if you use the word “there” instead of “their” spell check will not notice and correct that for you. So proof read your resume carefully. It is difficult to proof your own work as you read it without really reading it, because you already know what it says. Perhaps you can ask someone else to proof read it for you. Or a good trick is to read the sentences backwards, this somehow tricks your mind and you will catch your mistakes. If your resume has more than one typo on it, you may be wasting your time and energy to even send it out. You should be sending the very best representation of yourself that you can, it does not have to be fancy but is does have to be accurate with good spelling and grammar and a format that is easy to read and pleasing to look at.

Keep your resume short and concise. A one page resume is the trend currently.

With computers and word processing you can easily create different versions of your resume. In today’s competitive job market it is a good idea to tailor your resume to the position you are apply for. Make sure the skills you list on your resume match the skills that are needed for the position you apply for. It is O.K. to have several versions of your resume. As the trend is to have a one page resume, generally you can not fit on there everything that you have done on each of your past position. So consider making minor edits to fit the position you want to apply for. Basically the same resume with minor changes in the goal or description of your job duties to match the job you are applying for. Be honest about your skills and experience and be smart in presenting the most relevant of your skills and experience.

So, just go ahead and write something. Your first attempt is just that, your first attempt, not a finished product. Once you have something on paper you can work on it, think about it, change it and improve it until you have the perfect resume that you feel good about and which represents you well.

For more information about writing and updating your resume please check my blog on resume writing and tips at www.PlazaPersonnelService.blog.com or visit our web site at
www.PlazaPersonnelService.com

Susan Duva
Personnel Consultant
http://www.PlazaPersonnelService.com