Resumes – Getting Started

Establishing a clear and concise definition of what a resume will get you started in the creation of a Really Great Resume. In actuality, a resume is a marketing tool that sells you to a perspective employer. The true purpose of a resume is to get an interview and a Really Great Resume serves to get your foot in the door. It also expresses your talents and potential.

When preparing to write your resume, you must first and foremost decide what your objective is in terms of a job. Ask yourself, “Who is going to be reading this resume” You will make it your goal to write in a way that would appeal to that person or persons. Ask, What do they want to see in a prospective employee. What skills, accomplishments, talents, etc.

Next, you will need to decide what type of resume best suits you. There are several types of resume formats and each is appropriate for its own use.

Really Great Resume Types:

Chronological – Your information is organised chronologically, usually the most recent experience is first and goes back. This resume places highlights positions held and where.
Functional – A functional resume puts emphasis on your skills or functions and the resume will be organised by such. Only the skills and functions of the prospective new job are what will be highlighted.
Accomplishment – This is a resume that features a list of very impressive achievements. After the achievements are listed a chronological work history may follow.

Note, that it is not unusual to combine features from two different resumes, such as Functional/Achievement or Chronological/Achievement.

Next, start by listing all of your work history. Think back through each of your past work experiences and examine them for what you liked about them, your favorite skills in each and what you liked about each position. Be sure to jot these down.

A job objective will now need to be identified. The job objective appears on the resume right after your name, address and phone number. The objective states what position you are considering or what level of responsibility you are willing to assume. You must be specific, otherwise employers will be confused as to what you want to do at their company.

Steps to Creating a Really Great Resume

- Establish your objective.
- Determine the basic functions of the new job.
- List jobs that you held in the past. Omit short term positions.
- Decide which of these past jobs provided the experience that will be useful for the new job.

Avoid writing a job description for each of the positions. Instead, record a few short lines about your accomplishments in that position, what you brought to that job that may have been valuable and unique or that was of benefit to that company. Don’t be afraid to be very specific. This allows the employer to visualise you actually doing those tasks in the new position. If there is a job that is non-relevant, simply write a one-liner that explains the responsibilities performed.

With this information in hand you are ready to put it all together. Keep it simple and clutter free. Use bullets to organize things clearly. Use an easy-to-read font. With some good thinking and note-taking you will be on your way to creating your Really Great Resume.