Resume 101

from JobStreet.com

Of course, you’d like to make sure your resume stands out, and you wonder if there are any new techniques you can try. The fact is, the rules on what makes a hot resume have hardly changed. It’s still knowing the essentials that will do the trick. 

Make sure yours has these elements in the given order:

1. Job objective. State briefly the kind of job you seek so the employer will know if he has a match. Be specific and to the point. Never write obscure statements.
2. Pertinent skills. If you had work stints while studying, enumerate them here. List the employer’s name, address, dates of employment, and your job title and duties. Indicate relevant skills acquired and accomplishments made.
3. Education. List down in reverse order your educational attainment, the name of school and year of graduation. Include your G.P.A. (if impressive), honors, special projects and extracurricular activities. Positions of responsibility in school activities and organizations show you have leadership and people skills.
4. Personal background. Disclose only those details relevant to the position. It is all right to omit your parents’ names and occupations or your hobbies. Leave out something to talk about during the interview.
5. References. Skip this altogether or simply say that this will be available upon request. If you do include references, provide the complete name, title and contact details. (Get clearance from your references first! This way, they won’t be caught off guard and can prepare a good testimonial on your behalf.)

Some useful tips:

• Be brief and concise: You’ve got about 30 seconds to make your pitch so don’t beat around the bush.
• Be perfect: Proofread ruthlessly. Weed out typos and grammatical boo-boos. Double-check dates and facts. Ensure punctuation marks are correct and in their proper places.
• Be active: Go for action verbs. Delete personal pronouns and articles. These will invigorate your resume and free up space for more information.
• Be inviting. Your resume must look attractive to be read. Use conservative fonts like Times New Roman or Arial, at least 10 in size. Include ample white space. Organize items under section headings to give the eyes a break. Print on crisp, white paper.

Remember, a crowded, cluttered, error-laden resume is a big turnoff.