Writing resume is, after all, an
example of marketing activities. It is one way to sell you to the company and
standout among all other applicants. In addition, resume is no place to be
humble.
Resume is not a tool to get you a
job. It is the key for you to get a chance to have an interview and hopefully,
will lead you to your dream job that will suffice all the stuffs you’re
responsible of. First and foremost, your resume should attract the HR personnel’s
eyes to be able for you to get an invitation for the interview.
There are so many resumes submitted
in the HR department. Here are some tips on how to construct a powerful
professional resume that will let you stand out among others.
·
Collect and gather the materials
needed. Start by drafting your personal details, contact details, academic
background, work experience, achievements, seminars attended, trainings, skills
and proficiencies, character references, etc. Organize them and don’t forget
the major and substantial details.
·
Pay attention to dates and places.
Example of which are periods of employment, mistakes in these particular areas
may lead to an impression of sloppiness or much worst feedbacks.
·
Start with your personal details. It
includes your name, address and contact information. Include all possible
contact details. For easy reading of contact references, contact details should
be on the top after your name. Email address is very important since we are now
living in an advance-evolving-technology world. It shows that you are somehow
computer literate.
·
Come up with a clear, relevant and
well-define objective. A well-develop job objective is one way of demonstrating
that you are a focused individual. You have two options, if you’re aiming for a
specific position, your objective may focus only for that position but if you
are aiming to get higher appraisals, you can come up with a general description
of the work environment you want to focus on.
·
Write
a brief and clear summary of your job qualifications. Since resumes are being
reviewed in only 30 seconds, you should include only the most
items/qualifications that strongly support your job objectives. It is also a
plus point that your classifications can be easily read by the interviewer that
he/she will not be having a hard time summarizing your capabilities. Two or
three sentences will do.
Your summary of qualifications should include:
- Areas of your expertise
- Years of employment
- Skills and competencies that is unique
from others
- And other qualifications particular to
your target job.
* State your professional
experiences. If you’re a newly graduate applicant, include your past part time
jobs, on-the-job trainings, seminars etc. Don’t omit one detail or another.
Include all your job experiences as much as possible. On the other hand, series
of unemployed years, jumping from one company to another within short range of
periods and other similar stories would inevitably lead to a series of
questions regarding your work ethics, company loyalty, etc. So it is the best
way not to leave anything about your work experience.
·
In your resume, include also your
important achievements. Don’t just include your job responsibilities when you
describe your work experience. It will only pad up your resume. Save the little
information in the interview. Instead, highlight your major accomplishments.
Use figures, numbers and percentage as much as possible. Describe it in an
active voice, not passive. For example “manage to increase sales by 25% in a
span of 1 year.”
·
Include your educational background.
If you’re a fresh graduate without any work experiences, try to include your
academic honors, extra-curricular activities, etc. Potential employers give
priority to applicants who greatly excel in their academic activities; those
who proven themselves in contests, have positions in student councils, honor
students, etc. It shows that the applicant/s can handle great responsibilities
and can perform their work at its best. Make sure that all of your academic
achievements are all included in your resume as long as it is true. Always
remember: “your resume is no place to be humble.”
·
Resumes are being read between 20 to
30 seconds, so be brief, straightforward and clear to what you are going to
include in your resume. Use bullet points with short sentences rather than
lengthy paragraphs. It makes it easier for someone to scan and read your resume
and still absorb it. Your resume should not exceed to two pages. It may exceed
to three pages unless you have a wide range of professional experience.
·
Leave the negative points. You should
not include some items that will make your ship to your job sink. For example,
you became an employee of the year and scandals happen all of sudden or you
became a deans-list during your college days and all of a sudden you plunk.
These items should not be included in your resume unless you have a great
explanation regarding on this matters. As much as possible, include only the
positive items in your resume.
·
Make your resume very understandable
and presentable as much as possible. It should be visually appealing. A messy
resume would reflect negatively your personality. A clear format of resume
printed on a clean, 8”x11” legal size bond paper is a must. Font size can be no
smaller than 10 and font style can be Arial, Times New Roman or Garamond. You
can Bold or Underline items to highlight significant and important information.
It should be properly printed by a high quality printer to avoid errors
in printing.
·
Once done, show your resume to your
friends, parents, colleagues, etc. Be positive in accepting their comments and
suggestions and write down some of their important notices in order for you to
rewrite your masterpiece.
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