Resume Writing Resume Basics Resume Writer how to Write a Resume
Writing a resume that stands out among hundreds, if not thousands of other candidates is not an easy task nor one which should be rushed or taken lightly. However, if you keep these “must haves” in mind, you stand a good chance of landing the interview.
If you in your mid-life right now (like I am), you need to know that resumes have changed significantly since we learned to write them in college or even high school. You remember, the ubiquitous “objective statement” which really didn’t provide anything of value to the reader, followed by your education then your job history which typically started out each line with “Responsible for….” Nope, not anymore. While it’s certainly important to include a brief list of position functions, you need to ramp it up with accomplishments, as they are the most important component in any resume and frequently makes the difference between you and other candidates who haven’t learned about new resume strategies.
As for accomplishments, there is one more thing you need to consider. It’s not enough to just list a number/percentage, an increase in sales or an improvement in productivity. You need to back up each achievement with facts and actions. For example, if you’re in sales, it not enough to say “Increased sales by 20%,” as that could be a good or bad number depending on the industry, the competition (or lack of) and/or economy. It could be a great number if it’s a long, complicated selling cycle…a horrible number if your 20% increase put you last among your team. You really need to highlight HOW you achieved results as that helps the reader understand how your skills and strengths work together to drive those results. See how these two achievement bullets differ in strength:
Increased profitability for two key accounts by 18%. Now, check out the bullet below:
Increased profitability for two key accounts by 18% while trimming their costs by committing customers to greater inventory volumes that could be warehoused in J&J facility before release on “as needed” basis.
Right there, you’ve given the reader some information that helps him better understand that you “know your stuff” and in this instance, resolved an issue for the client account as well. If you don’t take your achievements to that critical next level, you can’t differentiate yourself from similarly-qualified candidates.
In addition to highlighting your accomplishments, today’s resumes typically lead with a very informative, powerful summary/qualification statement that outlines your employment value, your skills, ability to contribute and specific industry knowledge. It needs to tell the reader a bit of a story as to what you can do for them. This is the perfect encapsulating segment of the resume that will make or break you, so not only does it have to be informative, the verbiage has to be very proactive and sharp – this is your initial “sales pitch” so to speak, as YOU are the product being sold here.
As for formatting and page length, your formatting should be professionally impressive without going over the top. The reader wants an “easy read,” not a overly-creative filled with tables, columns, various fonts or funky fonts. Page length is a bit tricky, though no longer are one-page resumes required, especially for someone with a LOT of accomplishments and a distinguished, progressive career. Can you imagine Bill Gates having a one page resume? Couldn’t be done without ignoring half of his career’s greatest moments. Usually one-pages are reserved for entry-level or students; however they can work if someone’s been at the same company for years. It truly depends on the individual and how much they’ve contributed over the years.
There are really no “rules” to resume writing these days. The main function of your resume is to generate enough interest to secure the interviews. That means the resume needs to SELL you - your benefits (skills), your contributions (achievements) and of course your professional history which will demonstrate what you know as it relates to their needs. It should also read well, so you need to either be a very good writer or get in touch with someone who knows exactly what the reader (decision-maker) wants to see.
