Resume Help Blog

Posts Tagged ‘job search advice’

You just graduated and think the world is just waiting for you to leap on life’s stage. Don’t be so smug, every graduate feels the same way. But now comes the next challenge; finding the right position that you have been planning for so long. Where do you start?

I don’t want to burst your bubble or prick your ego but competition is fierce especially now during this current recession so let’s just start with a couple of ideas to help you get started.

First—always the best place to begin is with your friends and neighbors; friends that you have known for some time especially if they have a pretty good position in a major company. Possibly someone in your graduating class that you have become friendly with who may have a relative or good friend that can give you a hand up. That may take a while to run down the list of people you know and have known over the years, especially if you have lived in the same place for a while. If you have moved around a lot it will take more time.

Second—consider having a professional resume company help you work your resume to your best advantage. If you are a person that believes that a resume, is a resume, is a resume etc. then you are in for a rude awakening. That isn’t so, a professional resume writer is just what the name says – “a Professional”! Who is most qualified to help you find the perfect position that you have worked so hard for – the professional resume writer!

Does your resume stand out from the rest or just look like everyone else? Your job credentials may be superior but unless your resume stands out the other candidate will get the job. With your resume writing being the key to getting your foot in the door, it is imperative that your first impression is one that will convince your potential employer that you are the one for the position. The best resumes – and not necessarily the best candidates – generate interviews. You need to know that only the top 5% of resumes get picked for interviews in the real world.

Exceptional achievements impress almost everyone. The stronger the results you have achieved, the more beneficial it is to open your resume with this information. Begin your resume with this to grab the attention of the reader.

Few people are impressed by a resume written with an overly detailed employment history or a lengthy list of irrelevant academic information. Streamline your resume to emphasize the information that is most relevant to the specific opportunity while making certain important facts are not buried in the text. Most people will tell you to keep your resume to a one page format, but if you have five years or more of employment history with significant accomplishments it’s OK to have two pages. Just be sure it isn’t boring reading.

Read over your resume repeatedly until you think it is perfect. If you just aren’t sure that it measures up, then it probably doesn’t. With the employment being as high as it is, it’s in your best interest to let a Professional Resume Writer prepare it. The number one resume killer is spelling and grammatical errors so especially watch for these. It can’t be said too often – don’t depend on the computer spell checker. If this isn’t your strong suit don’t be afraid to ask for help.

If you have ever watched any cooking shows on the cooking channel then you surely must know that the best chefs pay as much attention to presentation as to the cooking itself. The same applies here. Your presentation is the key to getting the reader’s attention. In other words make them want more. Use clear headings, bullet points, adequate margins, and a readable font to maximize your resume’s appeal. Use the “bold” sparingly.

I know that parts of this aretilce are so basic that it will appear to some of you as third grade curriculum. To others who may not have been in the work force for awhile it will be necessary reading. So with that said let’s begin.

What exactly is a resume and the purpose?

Simply put a resume is a review of your work history. This article is about “How To Write a Resume.”  It only explains the purpose of having one. If you have never written one then you need to do it right. Consider hiring a professional service to get you started.

If you have a long work history going back 20+ years it’s not necessary to review your whole life. Just the last four to five jobs you have held, the position, responsibilities, acknowledgments etc. It should be well written (we will show you how to do that further down). The purpose – is to get an interview! Like anything, you have about 15 – 20 seconds to grab the readers attention. Fail to do that and your resume goes in the trash.

Who needs a resume?

Anyone who needs a job, whether it is to change careers, or stay within the same type of job needs a resume. If you are new to the work force, whether just out of college or a stay at home mom/dad this gives you the opportunity to display your abilities and skills. Even if you are going to an interview through the referral of a friend you need a well written resume. If it is well written it will answer many questions the interviewer may have. Now if the position is making hamburgers at McDonalds or tacos at Taco Bell this won’t necessarily apply. For any other type of employment (manufacturing etc.) it is an absolute necessity, and it must be done right!

Can I write it myself or is it complex?

Anyone can write a resume themselves but will the person you want to impress read it? Well, that’s another story. Our goal is to offer help with this to make sure you have the best chance of gaining the interview. Even a first time job seeker needs the best resume they can have, and we don’t mean on fancy, watermarked paper. If your content doesn’t grab their attention your fancy paper won’t either.

Why might I need to have my resume professionally written?

If the job you are applying for pays minimum wage, then you don’t need to spend a lot of money for this service. A quality Resume Template is what you need. However, that doesn’t mean that you can sit down and in 15 minutes crank one out. The idea that you can successfully do this is a myth.

Over the years the type of resume required to obtain a quality job has changed. If you have never written a resume then you do need guidance in what the corporate world is looking for. You will only have 15 to 20 seconds to get the readers attention so quality counts.