Joe's Jobs: Employment for Veterans
Top 10 Tips for Writing a Resume
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Observe proper formatting rules.
Because employers often recieve anywhere from 100-1,000 resumes daily, it is important that certain stylistic features are constant. If an employer can't find where you listed your previous work experience or the font is too small to read easily, the employer may just skip over your resume. To avoid this, follow these guidelines:
- Bold and enlarge your name at the top of the resume.
- Keep your sections lined up and constant. Label them as appropriate ("Prior Work Experience," "Educational Background," etc.).
- Use either an Arial or Times New Roman font.
- Do not include pronouns, reasons for leaving your past jobs, company street addresses or your salary at previous places of employment.
- If you have a two-page resume, be sure to include "Continued" at the bottom of the first page and your name and "Page 2" at the top of the second page.
- Use graphics sparingly if you use them at all.
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Make sure you include a specific objective.
Not having a specific objective is many employer's number one complaint about entry level resumes. Employers want to see that you are ambitious and have direction; that you're not just trying to earn a paycheck but want to pursue something that can be worthwhile in more ways than just financially. Your objective should be clear and concise. Specific and direct should be your motto when writing your objective. In looking for ways to direct your objective, focus on job, industry, and/or geographical location. Let these examples guide you:
- Retail management position in the New York City metropolitan area.
- Marketing position with a computer software vendor in the Chicago area.
- Multimedia software development position. Open to travel and/or relocation.
These objectives show your prospective employer that you have a specific job you are seeking out, and not just wandering around aimlessly handing out resumes and hoping to nab the first job that calls you back.
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Avoid resume inflation.
Many people without much prior work experience or directly out of school will find the urge to stretch the truth on their resume because they simply aren't that experienced. Do not do this. Employers understand that people directly out of college or those stepping into the job market for the first time are not going to have much to put on a resume. Employers aren't going to hold this against you, especially if you're applying for an entry-level position. However, if an employer finds out that you did lie on your resume, you can expect to instantly be disqualified from any future employment considerations. Furthermore, if you have already recieved the position and are then found to have lied on your resume, you can expect to be fired. While a resume should emphasize your positives, it should never exaggerate to the point of lying.
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Use industry buzzwords.
If you wish to target your resume to certain employers, as well as come across as knowledgeable about your prospective industry, use the buzzwords that those within the industry would. Instead of writing your resume by simply listing features of your background, use your prior experience as a tool by which you can demonstrate how past skills will better suit you for a career in the industry you are applying for. Simply put, buzzwords are are job-defined words that have special meaning to those within your industry. These buzzwords will solidify your standing as an "industry insider," as well as show that you have done research on the industry that you hope to enter. Using them properly in the right context shows that you are able to communicate and and understand the terminology of the field. For example, lets say that you are an Information Systems major. In the summary section of your resume you might include something like the following:
Developed C++ and .NET interfaces for SQL Server database.
This simple sentence lets the employer know three things: the task you have previously completed, software you have used, and that you have knowledge of industry terminology. Include buzzwords throughout your resume, as they are multilayered in what they can revel to an employer about yourself.
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Resumes are never finished.
Just because you get a job doesn't mean that your work on your resume is completed. You should constantly be updating your resume in case a new job opening arises that you may wish to pursue. If you gain new experience or find out a better way to state your education, go ahead and update it. You should view your resume as a living document that should be updated and changed to suit your needs and skills. If a new, higher paid position comes available, you don't want to be wasting time updating your resume. Sometimes getting in your resume early will be the difference between getting the promotion, and not.
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