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The main purpose of a résumé is to highlight your educational and professional achievements in a manner that presents you as a great candidate for your desired occupation. It should be considered your black-and-white, one-dimensional representative.
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When you're writing your résumé, the first step is to have a goal in mind. Of course your primary goal is to get a job, but the type of job that you're seeking will determine the direction of your résumé.
Skills Identification
Research your dream job, read job descriptions and determine which of your skills are applicable. While you're reflecting on your accomplishments, try and become comfortable with tooting your own horn. We're always taught to be humble, but résumé are no place for humility. You're the best person for the job, and you have to prove it.
Bear in mind that a résumé should be a collection of facts. Although you're trying to be impressive, never fabricate positions or stretch the truth when describing your accomplishments.
Format Selection
Once you've made a list of your skills and accomplishments, you will have to decide whether or not you'd like to use a functional or chronologically formatted résumé.
A chronological résumé is the most traditional and straightforward. Employers are listed in reverse chronological order, with accomplishments succinctly documented for each position in your employment history.
Consider a chronological résumé if you have intent to remain in the same field, have solid experience, and no time lapses in employment history.
A functional résumé is organized by skills and functions. Typically, specific employer information and dates have been removed.
Consider a functional résumé if you have gaps in your employment history or if you're changing fields and would like to highlight transferable skills.
There are benefits to each format, and some job seekers have created hybrid chrono-functional résumé because of the ability to combine the easy-to-read reverse chronological employer list with a detailed list of accomplishments.
Looking Good on Paper
After you've identified your skills and your format, carefully select your words and phrasing to make yourself stand out, and represent all of the attributes that make you a great candidate.
Always use strong action verbs when describing your previous positions. Don't start sentences with "I did." Jump right in with a verb. Use: "Audited five accounts," instead of: "I performed accounting functions."
Whenever possible, be specific and quantify your contributions. Say: "Consistently exceeded sales expectations of $1,000 per month for 12 consecutive months," instead of: "Always met sales goals."
Pay attention to formatting details. Sloppy resumes have lost jobs for stellar candidates. If two candidates with equal experience are vying for the same position, more consideration will be given to the one who has the more meticulous résumé. Employers will become wary of your professional abilities if you can't be bothered to run spell-check or format your own résumé.
Choose a clean font that reproduces well. Select a font that is included in most word processing packages. If you have to send your résumé via e-mail, it is important that the recipient's computer is able to recognize your typeface and maintain your format. Avoid thick or loopy fonts that use unique characters and symbols.
The Finishing Touch
You're résumé has been carefully written and looks professional. It's time to add the cover letter, which is the key to your success. A cover letter is your introduction to an organization.
A résumé should always be accompanied by a cover letter, which should be addressed to the appropriate person and customized for the intended recipient. It is an opportunity for you to highlight your accomplishments, show off your written communication skills, and illustrate your potential value to an organization.
A cover letter should be informative yet concise, engaging, and devoid of typographical errors and misspelled words.
If a potential employer has a good reaction to your cover letter and résumé, it will likely lead to a first interview, and potentially the beginning of a promising career!
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