ProofreadNZ
ProofreadNZ
presents
Resume Writing Tips
from
Shaun Fawcett
Many people arrive at my “writing help” Web sites looking for help with writing their resume or CV. Although I don’t specialize in resume writing, I do end up writing a number of them each year when requested by clients.
Following is an article I wrote that is based on both my personal and professional experiences writing resumes over the years. If you follow these 10 tips you won’t go wrong.
Here are 10 useful tips for anyone writing their own resume, or who is having someone else write their resume for them. These tips and strategies are an abridged version of what is contained in my eBook, “Instant Home Writing Kit”.
1.
Keep it focused and businesslike
A resume should be specific and all business. Don’t try to be too smart or cute.
After all, you are asking an employer to invest significant time and money by
choosing you over many other similarly qualified people. Employers mainly want
to know whether you are appropriately qualified and experienced, and if you have
the ability to “deliver the goods.”
2.
More than two pages is too much
For students, recent graduates, or people with just a few years of experience,
try to limit your resume to one page, two as an absolute maximum. Even a resume
for someone with 20 years or more of extensive working experience, should not
exceed three pages. In some cases, one or two “optional” pages can be referred
to as “available upon request.” These would be such optional annexes as a list
of references or an inventory of recent projects and/or publications.
3.
Get the words and punctuation right
Make sure the grammar, spelling, and punctuation in your resume are perfect. Any
obvious mistakes will hurt your credibility. Also, be sure to keep the language
clear and simple. If you draft it yourself, have someone with excellent writing
skills do an editorial review and a careful proofread of it. If a professional
prepares it for you, such reviews are the responsibility of the resume
preparation firm. Use an accepted English language “style guide” if you want to
be sure of the finer points of word usage, punctuation, capitalization,
abbreviations, etc.
4.
Read between the lines
Customize the resume to match the stated requirements of the job that you are
applying for, without being misleading. Review and analyze the job advertisement
carefully. Look for, and itemize the key qualifications, skills, and abilities
the employer is seeking. Then identify certain “key words” that are usually
repeated in such ads. Make sure that the wording and sequence of points in your
resume reflect and address these “corporate terminologies” and “code words” as
much as possible. When possible, study the company’s annual report and Website,
and weave the themes and terms found there into your resume and cover letter.
5.
Make sure it looks good
Use a crisp, clean, simple presentation format for a professional looking
resume. Just a bit of simple line work and/or shading, done with standard word
processing software will do the trick. If you don’t have the aptitude for this,
there is most likely someone among your friends or in your office who can help
you achieve a professional presentation. If not, seek professional advice. It
won’t cost much for a good simple layout, but it will make a world of difference
to the product.
6.
Show what you can do today
Focus, first and foremost, on your recent experience that is most relevant to
the position at hand. Less relevant and/or dated experience should be either
eliminated or summarized in brief point form near the end of your resume. When
reviewing your resume information, a prospective employer wants to know what you
are doing now, what you have done recently, and how that relates to the job
requirements of the post they are trying to fill.
7.
Be a straight-shooter
Be completely honest. When people lie or “creatively exaggerate” on their
resume, they are almost invariably exposed, sooner or later. Think about it -
who really wants to get a job based on a lie(s) and then have to live in fear of
eventually being found out? We often read in the newspaper about high-profile
folks who get caught in a resume falsehood or exaggeration, and what happens
after that isn’t very pretty.
8.
Follow the instructions
Submit your resume in exactly the form that the prospective employer requests.
If they say e-mail or fax is okay, do it that way. However, if they ask for it
by regular mail, send it the way they ask. They must have reasons for requesting
it in such a form and they are geared up to process it that way. If your resume
is to be sent by snail mail, use the complete address that they specify, or it
could go to the wrong office, especially in a large organization.
9.
Don’t get lost in the mail
Be careful to respect certain conventions that the prospective employer may
require in your resume. For example, make sure that the cover letter mentions
the exact name of the specific position you are applying for, and the
competition number, if applicable. Sometimes an employer will request that the
job title and/or number be printed on the outside of the envelope. You would not
want to miss out on a job because you didn’t follow minor administrative
requirements.
10.
Don’t repeat yourself
In the cover letter, don’t repeat what is already detailed in the body of the
attached resume. It is a “cover” letter. It should be short and to the point.
Introduce yourself first, and then briefly summarize why you believe that you
have the qualifications and experience to fulfill the duties of the position
better than anyone else. Express enthusiasm about the job and the company. Close
by stating how you are looking forward to hearing more from them soon, and that
you will follow-up if necessary.
The above list can be used as a “checklist” during the preparation phase, and when reviewing your resume just before submission.
To see some fully-formatted “real-life templates” of a
number of resumes, click on the following link:
www.writinghelp-central.com/sample-resumes.html
— By Shaun Fawcett PermaLink