I write tips articles and get paid for them. My next step in life is to actually use my own tips to improve my career so I can get paid more than what I get paid for the tips articles.
Below is my tips article on how to write better resumes. Later this week, I will post articles on how to write better cover letters and how to behave yourself while communicating on the Internet (netiquette).
10 Tips For Writing A Better Resume
1. BE CONCISE: A one-page resume is preferable -- and not just because employers only spend an average of 30 seconds looking at a resume. Longtime executives often have only one-page resumes so your accomplishments and experiences must be extremely impressive to justify a two-page resume. If they’re not, you risk looking very arrogant.
2. SPEND ON APPEARANCE: Your resume should be on high-quality paper and look like an original copy from a laser printer rather than a Xeroxed copy. Using colored paper rather than white paper might make your resume more noticeable. The College of William & Mary's career development office recommends cream-colored paper.
3. WRITE A SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE: List your objective below your name and contact information and above your occupational and educational experiences. It should match the job you’re applying for. Keep copies of the first resume you wrote in your computer and change the objective on the copies you send to employers whose openings don’t match the objective on your original resume.
4. PREPARE DIFFERENT RESUMES: The reasoning for this tip is the same as the reasoning for Tip No. 3. One resume might emphasize your research skills and include academic and volunteer projects, while another resume might emphasize your on-the-job accomplishments. The chronology of your past jobs should be the same, but what you write about those jobs could be different.
5. USE ACTION VERBS: This is THE most important advice that I can give. Don’t focus on job titles and promotions. Employers want to know what your skills are -- what you can do for THEM. Thus, writing that you supervised 10 people on a ‘research project’ is not nearly as impressive as writing about the project’s specific accomplishments.
6. THINK ABOUT ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Think outside the box. Think about what you did in college and in your community and charitable activities and whether that relates to jobs you are applying for. There are innumerable action verbs that can describe your accomplishments. The College of William & Mary's career development office lists dozens of action verbs that you can use.
7. CONSIDER LISTING SKILLS: Your skills should be emphasized in each chronological entry, whether it be occupational or academic, but having a separate Skills section could also be beneficial. Note that the William & Mary website has action verbs for leadership, communication, research, technical, teaching, and organizational skills.
8. DON’T BE NEGATIVE: Ever. There is no reason to explain that you left Job X because your employer was a jerk. Your next prospective employer might not care and might think negatively of you for bringing up the topic.
9. EDIT: And then edit again. And again. And again. Editing as much as possible limits your mistakes and makes you think more about making changes that will improve your resume.
10. KEEP REFERENCES SEPARATE: Your resume’s last line should be in a different font and say something like “I have four references who can be contacted about my skills.” Write your references with their contact information on a separate piece of paper and provide that paper only if asked. Make sure three or four people are available to be your references and are prepared to discuss your skills.
|